BennyD
Sea Urchin Pate
- Messages
- 15,007
Well guys, I took advantage of Gary's kind offer to test drive Bowker Maseratis Ghibli diesel and these are my impressions. I took my BMW 335D for a back to back comparison.
First impressions; it looks better in the flesh although I've never had a problem with its aesthetics. It smacks of Euro styling but has enough about it to make it stand out from the crowd, which is good. The interior is a lovely place to be with lots of leather and quality fittings; the touch screen info display is user friendly and clear and the info screen between the analogue clocks is very informative with, IIRC, 10 screens which you can scroll through covering everything from the radio station, to MPG, to a KPH readout. The seats are very comfortable and supportive and have great heaters.
The first big surprise on starting was the extraordinary (and controversial) noise it makes. When you rev the smooth V6 the noise appears to grow from underneath and sounds like a Hemi V8 with a big muffler but it doesn't sound manufactured, it's sounds powerful. And it is. There is lots of torque and it is well capable of spinning it's rear wheels in third but such behaviour is a bit unseemly for such a refined car.
I took it for a 70-75 mile drive over smooth A roads, rough A roads, B roads, rough as f*ck B roads and motorways and I tested its handling repertoire from low speed to high speed. Overall, I have to say I was very impressed. The ride on this non-skyhook version was firm but well damped and very little caught it out. Only once, when I hit a pothole mid bend, did it step out of line but it instantly gripped and off we went. Some of the roads were dreadful but it always felt planted, secure and confidence inspiring. The speed weighted steering was lovely; light at slow speeds but comfortably heavy when pushing on.
At high speed (don't ask!) on the motorway it felt stable on the straight and when lane changing, and it was quiet, refined and is a great conveyance for the well-heeled business user.
How did it compare to my well loved M sport BM? The performance is down because mine has an extra turbo, another 55bhp and lots more torque but that aside it compared better than favourably. It handles as well, it is more comfortable and has a better quality interior. The biggest thing though is the aura of quality that permeates through the whole car. This isn't just another BMW or Audi, to me it's a level above and, of course, it has that badge staring at you from the centre of the steering wheel. Would I have one? Oh yes, in a heartbeat. In fact, I'll be looking at one to replace the BM in 2-3 years and when chipped it will be one to keep.
To those who have reservations about Maserati Diesels, I say this; go and drive one and then make comments based on experience not conjecture or entrenched prejudice. Who knows, you might even like it!
A big thumbs up from me.
First impressions; it looks better in the flesh although I've never had a problem with its aesthetics. It smacks of Euro styling but has enough about it to make it stand out from the crowd, which is good. The interior is a lovely place to be with lots of leather and quality fittings; the touch screen info display is user friendly and clear and the info screen between the analogue clocks is very informative with, IIRC, 10 screens which you can scroll through covering everything from the radio station, to MPG, to a KPH readout. The seats are very comfortable and supportive and have great heaters.
The first big surprise on starting was the extraordinary (and controversial) noise it makes. When you rev the smooth V6 the noise appears to grow from underneath and sounds like a Hemi V8 with a big muffler but it doesn't sound manufactured, it's sounds powerful. And it is. There is lots of torque and it is well capable of spinning it's rear wheels in third but such behaviour is a bit unseemly for such a refined car.
I took it for a 70-75 mile drive over smooth A roads, rough A roads, B roads, rough as f*ck B roads and motorways and I tested its handling repertoire from low speed to high speed. Overall, I have to say I was very impressed. The ride on this non-skyhook version was firm but well damped and very little caught it out. Only once, when I hit a pothole mid bend, did it step out of line but it instantly gripped and off we went. Some of the roads were dreadful but it always felt planted, secure and confidence inspiring. The speed weighted steering was lovely; light at slow speeds but comfortably heavy when pushing on.
At high speed (don't ask!) on the motorway it felt stable on the straight and when lane changing, and it was quiet, refined and is a great conveyance for the well-heeled business user.
How did it compare to my well loved M sport BM? The performance is down because mine has an extra turbo, another 55bhp and lots more torque but that aside it compared better than favourably. It handles as well, it is more comfortable and has a better quality interior. The biggest thing though is the aura of quality that permeates through the whole car. This isn't just another BMW or Audi, to me it's a level above and, of course, it has that badge staring at you from the centre of the steering wheel. Would I have one? Oh yes, in a heartbeat. In fact, I'll be looking at one to replace the BM in 2-3 years and when chipped it will be one to keep.
To those who have reservations about Maserati Diesels, I say this; go and drive one and then make comments based on experience not conjecture or entrenched prejudice. Who knows, you might even like it!
A big thumbs up from me.
