Granturismo as a Daily Drive

[Jon]

Regrettably I don't, primarily because it would mean sticking about 20,000 a year on the clock rather than 6,000. I am a great believer in cars being used, but I also have my limits (primarily where my wallet might get hit too much i.e. copious amounts of petrol!). But, I do still drive it to work from time to time and enjoy nothing more than the run home with the roof down (and have been known to do this entirely in the dark). However, I have to confess that it is tucked away now until perhaps some time in March when I'll bring it out again.

Fair point BigR

I'm lucky that my dailiy commute is a 20 mile return trip to the station which adds less than 5,000 miles a year once I take my overseas travel off the commute days. At current prices for high octane unleaded (1.15ppg locally @ 16mpg) that equates to £6.53 per day fuel plus servicing etc. I pay £6.20 to park every day, so its not a tough decision.

£1,700 per annum for petrol plus £1,600 for parking also feels like a drop in the ocean when my season ticket is £5,824 on top but believe me Abellio Greater Anglia doesn't leave a big grin on my face like the Maser does!!

 

[BigR]

Fair point BigR

I'm lucky that my dailiy commute is a 20 mile return trip to the station which adds less than 5,000 miles a year once I take my overseas travel off the commute days. At current prices for high octane unleaded (1.15ppg locally @ 16mpg) that equates to £6.53 per day fuel plus servicing etc. I pay £6.20 to park every day, so its not a tough decision.

£1,700 per annum for petrol plus £1,600 for parking also feels like a drop in the ocean when my season ticket is £5,824 on top but believe me Abellio Greater Anglia doesn't leave a big grin on my face like the Maser does!!

I sympathise with your commuting having done it for 8 years, but escaped it a while ago. Although the M25 has its (many) moments, I'm either sat in my own space / mess in the Volvo, or enjoying myself with the roof down - even if I'm not always moving that fast!

 

[Prahran28]

I don't use de-icer at all. I use a good old fashioned method of pouring warm water on the front and side screens which will warm it all up for just long enough to open the doors, let the windows drop and also means the inside front screen doesn't mist up as quickly.

That old chestnut about it perishing rubbers and cracking your screen hasn't been true for decades with modern materials - just DON'T use boiling, or too hot water. Better to go back for a refill if one wash doesn't do it! Don't forget to do the headlights too - they are rubbish through a layer of frost!![/QUOTE

Thanks info. I'll give that a whirl if we get another cold patch.

Regards

 

[mjheathcote]

Can remember my dad using a kettle of boiling water, never had a problem but wouldn't myself, always just scrape away with a good scraper.
Had the same scraper for over 25 years, brass (soft) blade on one side, and thick rubber blade on the other, won a design award if I recall correctly!

 

[hoyin]

You can still open the door without the window dropping. When my car ran out of batteries I used the mechanical door opener the one to the inside and it was fine.

So surely this is possible when it is frozen?

 

[CatmanV2]

It's not recommended as the motor and regulator mechanism is still *trying* to drop the window.

Also, at least on the 4200, slamming the door with the window fully up can end up rather costly....

C

 

[Jon]

I spoke too soon about my easy ride through the winter. I'm now being dogged with persistent problems. Wonder if this is just "life with a Maserati" or am I having a period of bad luck?

I had the car back in the dealership last week to sort out a few snags. The media centre keeps not booting until 10 minutes into the journey and that means I can't start a journey with Satnav, can't use my phone for 15 minutes and, in the case of my daily commute have a bright white screen wrecking my night vision for pretty much the whole journey along unlit roads.

They did a software update but now it's worse. They've handled things well and are talking to Maserati to share the cost of now replacing the hardware with a 2015 unit. £4,000+ so glad I don't have to sell that fault to my wife!! Thank god it happened in warranty.

Did a 4 hour round trip to Dover yesterday which was a good blast with everything working a dream but then it's blots its copybook again big time today.

The Sports Mode has failed today. Not even consistently. Most of the time it's down and doesn't appear to be doing anything, then it kicks in, then it dies. Frankly, I dont want a Maser without a working Sport button so if this doesn't get resolved soon, I won't be ordering the new one.

Then there's the intermittent niggles. One day the drivers seat and wheel will move to let me out, another day it won't. One day my pass seat will move back after my daughter climbs in the back, another day it won't. The 'get you home' lights were solved by the dealership last week but still not working.

There's this plastic film over the paintwork ahead of the rear arches presumably to protect from stone chips. Is this a factory fit or is it aftermarket - either way it's lifting at the leading edge and looks a mess.

Trim is poor quality too for a £100k car. The weird vent on top of the dash fits badly, the door handles inside look all pock marked. The bonnet badge looks 20 years old. It like Maserati put lots of money into the styling and mechanicals and naff all into the material quality and the electronics.

Today, I am out of love with Maserati - tomorrow I might feel differently.

 

[bigbob]

Understand the general theme here. Some thoughts:

-the film is factory fit, recently had to get one of mine replaced;
-have you tried the dark button to kill the white screen at night?
-are all sport functions dead or just the exhaust? Latter is an easier fix; and
-the bonnet badge on my 4200 was tarnished at 4 years old but the GTS one is fine but my car is garaged.

Remind me about age/miles on your car?

 

[Jon]

Understand the general theme here. Some thoughts:

-the film is factory fit, recently had to get one of mine replaced;
-have you tried the dark button to kill the white screen at night?
-are all sport functions dead or just the exhaust? Latter is an easier fix; and
-the bonnet badge on my 4200 was tarnished at 4 years old but the GTS one is fine but my car is garaged.

Remind me about age/miles on your car?

Thanks for the reply bigbob, answers are:-

1. I'll get them to sort that in the snag list then - was it pricey?
2. I haven't tried that but I will thanks.
3. Hard to test on the relatively short benign run I did but I suspect just the exhaust. If I get out again later I'll test the suspension etc.
4. My badge seems to have water ingress about two thirds down. In fairness I don't know if the previous owner had it garaged. Again, anyone know the cost? I'm meticulous enough to want it to look right.

My GTS is 58 plate with a modest 17,000 on the clock.

 

[hoyin]

Sounds like it just hasn't been used enough!! 6 years old less than 3000miles per year...

1 and 4 I would expect after 6 years they are just stickers. Especially if it was not garaged.

 

[bigbob]

The film was replaced under warranty.

My sports exhaust was playing up last winter but it was the road grime/wet - sorted itself out.

A lot of things are age rather than mileage related and, personally, I feel that these cars last better if they are garaged - EPB off if parked when wet - and used a reasonable amount. Mine rarely sits for more than a week without use and most weeks goes out at least two times. I've had a few issues which my dealer dealt with as well as they could but Maserati UK were slow at admitting that warranty work was required.

 

[mjheathcote]

Do you think GT's are more troublesome than earlier Masers, or just down to more on the road/used daily?

 

[bigbob]

Do you think GT's are more troublesome than earlier Masers, or just down to more on the road/used daily?

A lot less hassle in my experience of owning a 3200 then a 4200. What goes wrong is largely electronic or trim niggles but it's small beer, I'm just fussy as it cost me over £80k!

 

[Jon]

My sports exhaust was playing up last winter but it was the road grime/wet - sorted itself out.

A lot of things are age rather than mileage related and, personally, I feel that these cars last better if they are garaged - EPB off if parked when wet - and used a reasonable amount.

Intrigued by that! What's the connection between the sports exhaust and the wet? I always assumed the switch altered the baffles inside in some way? It ties in though - I'd driven 4+ hours in pelting rain the day before. As an aside, All working perfectly this morning so lost the chance to check if it was just the exhaust or the other Sports features. You said it was an easy fix if Exhaust only, bigbob - what's the fix?

I'd be nervous about parking with EPB off on my sleep drive.

p.s sorry, mucked up the quote box there!

 

[w5pwr]

The sports exhaust is controlled by a numatic valve I believe, I had to have one replaced under warranty. Although at the time Lancaster's didn't hold one in stock.....

 

[Felonious Crud]

My valves sometimes don't open and generally some light oil and manually pushing the valves open a few times does the trick. They get dirty and need some help, especially if the car hasn't been used much.

Regarding the front badge, I had mine done by Motts in Great Horkesley as the same time as they gave the snout a re-spray. Seemed a fairly easy job but I couldn't comment on likely price if you had only that done.

I've had weird screen stuff a few times but generally the more I use it and the perkier the battery is the happier the car behaves.

 

[bigbob]

My sports exhaust was playing up last winter but it was the road grime/wet - sorted itself out.

A lot of things are age rather than mileage related and, personally, I feel that these cars last better if they are garaged - EPB off if parked when wet - and used a reasonable amount.

Intrigued by that! What's the connection between the sports exhaust and the wet? I always assumed the switch altered the baffles inside in some way? It ties in though - I'd driven 4+ hours in pelting rain the day before. As an aside, All working perfectly this morning so lost the chance to check if it was just the exhaust or the other Sports features. You said it was an easy fix if Exhaust only, bigbob - what's the fix?

I'd be nervous about parking with EPB off on my sleep drive.

p.s sorry, mucked up the quote box there!

Other people will answer it better than me but I believe the mechanism/vacuum pipes etc are quite exposed.

Forgot to say with the electric seats, they do not like being left folded forwarded so always restore them to normal position before you lock up.

 

[Felonious Crud]

Good point on the seats. My pass seat has always had the hump and no amount of resets, including from Lancaster, has ever made it happy.

(Could this be God's way of saying I need a two-seat Strad?)

 

[bigbob]

Good point on the seats. My pass seat has always had the hump and no amount of resets, including from Lancaster, has ever made it happy.

(Could this be God's way of saying I need a two-seat Strad?)

Perfect logic!

 

[Bell]

The 2008 Grantusimo I'm looking at which I plan to use daily has 30,700 miles.

Assume that's not too many miles for a car I wish to at least spend 5 years with?

I'll be doing roughly 6,200 miles annually with it.