Maserati 3200 - HELP!?!?!
16 March 2004, 09:38 AM
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Maserati 3200 - HELP!?!?!
Hi All
Im thinking of buying a 3200 coupe and have read that they have been known to breakdown a lot? Is this true? Have they solved any issues?
Well any help/advice would be great!!!!
TA
Darren
PS What do you lot think of them? (not that it will sway my thoughts as i just love the look of them!)
Im thinking of buying a 3200 coupe and have read that they have been known to breakdown a lot? Is this true? Have they solved any issues?
Well any help/advice would be great!!!!
TA
Darren
PS What do you lot think of them? (not that it will sway my thoughts as i just love the look of them!)
16 March 2004, 09:47 AM
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I would get over to Pistonheads.com and ask the question. You might get an owners response rather than a dreamers... 
16 March 2004, 10:38 AM
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Originally Posted by RichB
I would get over to Pistonheads.com and ask the question. You might get an owners response rather than a dreamers...
The booger won't let me drive it but as a passenger it seems very quick, although I think the DSG is a bit harsh and would opt for the manual if I was in the market for one.
As for looks, it looks great and if you're lucky enough to get one then enjoy it.
16 March 2004, 12:07 PM
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Maserati Club
Darren,
If you are serious you will find the Maserati Club well worth joining
http://www.maseraticlub.co.uk/
It is a good friendly club from my experience and you will be able to contact other owners. You will also find 3200's for sale in the club Newsletter.
Regards
Robin
If you are serious you will find the Maserati Club well worth joining
http://www.maseraticlub.co.uk/
It is a good friendly club from my experience and you will be able to contact other owners. You will also find 3200's for sale in the club Newsletter.
Regards
Robin
16 March 2004, 05:03 PM
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When I bought my 355, it ended up going back within two days and stayed there for nearly three weeks while they sorted all the problems that they had already taken a month sorting after I'd paid for it 
Anyway, after I kicked up a REAL stink in their showroom, they agreed to let me use their 3200GT demonstrator until the 355 was fixed. Never one to pass up the cahnce of driving a posh motor, I accepted. For the first week, I had an auto, then for the second week and a half, a manual. Given that they weren't my cars, I drove them all over the place, in all weathers, so I have a fairly good opinion of them. Given also that I run a 355 and a well-modded Fiat Coupe 20VT, I'm not about to be overwhelmed by a few horsepower.
At the time, this is what I posted on the Fiat Coupe forum:
Since then, I understand the twitchy throttle has been sorted with new software, and of course, we're now looking at £30k, not £65k.
Will make a very good car when they're down to £25k
Hope this helps
Anyway, after I kicked up a REAL stink in their showroom, they agreed to let me use their 3200GT demonstrator until the 355 was fixed. Never one to pass up the cahnce of driving a posh motor, I accepted. For the first week, I had an auto, then for the second week and a half, a manual. Given that they weren't my cars, I drove them all over the place, in all weathers, so I have a fairly good opinion of them. Given also that I run a 355 and a well-modded Fiat Coupe 20VT, I'm not about to be overwhelmed by a few horsepower.
At the time, this is what I posted on the Fiat Coupe forum:
Have had one on loan now for over two weeks.
I wouldn't buy one
Good bits first.
Glorious, tuneful and VERY powerful engine.
Smooth.
Decent auto gearbox.
Nice interior (but not if it's cream leather with burgundy suede headlining ).
Can seat four (well two plus two anyway).
Looks different.
Bad bits.
NASTY, nasty, nasty throttle. Its fly-by-wire and waaaaaay too sensitive and light. Can't even feel the pedal below your foot.
Even nastier traction control. Fine if only one wheel is spinning, but sooo easy to light up both tyres, even in the dry. Absolutely lethal in the wet, when it's difficult to pull away from standstill without spinning the tyres due to the crappy over-sensitive throttle.
Car was obviusly built to be an auto. Three pedals only just fit in the footwell. The footrest is about 4cm wide, and your foot rests on the clutch pedal too. With trainers on, when I press the clutch, my shoe touches the footrest AND the brake pedal. Can't be driven wearing large shoes or boots. Turn your foot sideways and you can press all three pedals.
Dead feel to the steering, clutch, gearbox.
Slow gearchange (which may be down to having only done 400 miles).
Dodgy electrics already. First car I had, the clock either gained or lost 3 hours A DAY!. Electric seats occasionally move completely forward whilst parked up. Current car's radio has never worked (only done 400 miles). Also a piece of wiring loom has dangled out of the dash and touches my leg. My ten year old son got his fingers trapped between the seat and the rails while trying to move the seat.
Rattles like a six year old Coop, not a brand new Italian supercar.
Lots of backlash in the drivetrain. LandRover Discovery style clunking on clumsy gearchanges (which is nearly all of them with THAT throttle).
15mpg average
I could sum it up by saying that although the Maserati is stupendously powerful, it is not fast (other than in a straight line).
Give me a bendy A road, and I would have been LOADS faster in my old 20VT. Add a little rain and I reckon I could go faster in a normally aspirated Coupe. It really does feel that remote.
And before anyone says that I can't handle a powerful rwd car, when I got my 355, within two days I could stuff it into a corner, get a bit of understeer, then use the throttle to hold it either neutral or provoke a little oversteer. The 355 is beautifully balanced and you can feel it. The 3200GT is probably as nicely balanced, but you just don't feel attached to what the chassis or the tyres are doing.
Sorry if this bursts your bubble. You may absolutely love the car- just make sure you get a long (half-day?) test drive. Try manual AND auto. If I HAD to live with one, I'd have the auto, simply because the manual is so bad.
Its crap. Sorry.
OK, it ain't total crap, but I would be well pi55ed if I'd just spent £65,000.
If I wanted luxury and pace, I'd buy a second hand Jag XJR (not even an XKR), and spend the change on a Ferrari 348.
355 should be back by the weekend, or early next week. Counting the hours.
I wouldn't buy one
Good bits first.
Glorious, tuneful and VERY powerful engine.
Smooth.
Decent auto gearbox.
Nice interior (but not if it's cream leather with burgundy suede headlining ).
Can seat four (well two plus two anyway).
Looks different.
Bad bits.
NASTY, nasty, nasty throttle. Its fly-by-wire and waaaaaay too sensitive and light. Can't even feel the pedal below your foot.
Even nastier traction control. Fine if only one wheel is spinning, but sooo easy to light up both tyres, even in the dry. Absolutely lethal in the wet, when it's difficult to pull away from standstill without spinning the tyres due to the crappy over-sensitive throttle.
Car was obviusly built to be an auto. Three pedals only just fit in the footwell. The footrest is about 4cm wide, and your foot rests on the clutch pedal too. With trainers on, when I press the clutch, my shoe touches the footrest AND the brake pedal. Can't be driven wearing large shoes or boots. Turn your foot sideways and you can press all three pedals.
Dead feel to the steering, clutch, gearbox.
Slow gearchange (which may be down to having only done 400 miles).
Dodgy electrics already. First car I had, the clock either gained or lost 3 hours A DAY!. Electric seats occasionally move completely forward whilst parked up. Current car's radio has never worked (only done 400 miles). Also a piece of wiring loom has dangled out of the dash and touches my leg. My ten year old son got his fingers trapped between the seat and the rails while trying to move the seat.
Rattles like a six year old Coop, not a brand new Italian supercar.
Lots of backlash in the drivetrain. LandRover Discovery style clunking on clumsy gearchanges (which is nearly all of them with THAT throttle).
15mpg average
I could sum it up by saying that although the Maserati is stupendously powerful, it is not fast (other than in a straight line).
Give me a bendy A road, and I would have been LOADS faster in my old 20VT. Add a little rain and I reckon I could go faster in a normally aspirated Coupe. It really does feel that remote.
And before anyone says that I can't handle a powerful rwd car, when I got my 355, within two days I could stuff it into a corner, get a bit of understeer, then use the throttle to hold it either neutral or provoke a little oversteer. The 355 is beautifully balanced and you can feel it. The 3200GT is probably as nicely balanced, but you just don't feel attached to what the chassis or the tyres are doing.
Sorry if this bursts your bubble. You may absolutely love the car- just make sure you get a long (half-day?) test drive. Try manual AND auto. If I HAD to live with one, I'd have the auto, simply because the manual is so bad.
Its crap. Sorry.
OK, it ain't total crap, but I would be well pi55ed if I'd just spent £65,000.
If I wanted luxury and pace, I'd buy a second hand Jag XJR (not even an XKR), and spend the change on a Ferrari 348.
355 should be back by the weekend, or early next week. Counting the hours.
Will make a very good car when they're down to £25k
Hope this helps
16 March 2004, 08:25 PM
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Well you dont jump into bed with a supermodel then complain she has hairy toes or some other small flaw really...... certainly they arent up with TVRs in the faults stakes
Beautiful cars- especially with the early 'hockey stick' lights
Ive been in one (not driven unfortuately) and was very impressed.
Beautiful cars- especially with the early 'hockey stick' lights
Ive been in one (not driven unfortuately) and was very impressed.
Last edited by Freak; 16 March 2004 at 08:25 PM.
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16 March 2004, 09:01 PM
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I owned a 99 manual 3200 for two years and would recommend them in general. Problems are not too bad (but you will have them) but the cost of a warranty (c£1500 pa) is high, the steering is too light, they roll too much and traction in the wet is poor (like the 550!). I sold it for a WRX and made the right choice but on a dry day I miss the 3200. £25-30k buys an early car but don't save money by passing on the warranty. You will at least break even on it.
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