Harry does the Levante

Rwc13

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1,668
Agree with you. I drifted off to sleep after about 2 mins. Highly underwhelming compared to his GTS review.
When the Stelvio QV hits Britain - who would buy the Leavante?

Somebody who isn't somewhat bizarrely comparing a review of a Sports GT with a review of an SUV, and who want a larger more luxurious SV possibly?


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TridentTested

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1,819
Not the nicest sound at the start of the video...thought it would be a little quieter even for a DERV.

Yes. That nearly made me switch the video off. Imagine hearing that in your garage when you start up - instead of the glorious V8's built-in throttle blip.
 

bigbob

Member
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8,952
Somebody who isn't somewhat bizarrely comparing a review of a Sports GT with a review of an SUV, and who want a larger more luxurious SV possibly?


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I would not buy either, however, having seen the look of the Stelvio in a side on shot in bright red in this month's CAR mag, I would take the Levante every time. I've said it before but many people who drive nice SUVs also have special cars for the weekend as RWC13 demonstrates. My DD is a Discovery but I hope that the Levante does well so that Maserati can give me my next Italian coupe. I refuse to buy Ferraris' - hate the image - so if Maserati cannot produce something nice by the end of the decade then I will be in a coupe from the likes of Audi, BMW or Jag.

PS But not Mercedes as their cars look absolutely horrific apart from the GT Coupe which looks ace.
 

iainw

Member
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3,386
I would not buy either, however, having seen the look of the Stelvio in a side on shot in bright red in this month's CAR mag, I would take the Levante every time. I've said it before but many people who drive nice SUVs also have special cars for the weekend as RWC13 demonstrates. My DD is a Discovery but I hope that the Levante does well so that Maserati can give me my next Italian coupe. I refuse to buy Ferraris' - hate the image - so if Maserati cannot produce something nice by the end of the decade then I will be in a coupe from the likes of Audi, BMW or Jag.

PS But not Mercedes as their cars look absolutely horrific apart from the GT Coupe which looks ace.

Good point Bob. Conceded. Horses for Courses - best to have the best of both Worlds.
 

iainw

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3,386
Actually owing a Levante and GranTurismo makes a lot of sense.

For sure. Just waiting for the numbers to come up - or a separation.
Then it would be an MC Convertible (there is a lovely black one in HR Owen...) and a Levante.

I am embarrassed to say I am loving my Evoque at the moment, just so so practical for what I need it for. Obviously underwhelming to drive in comparison.

I went for a blast home in the GTS tonight and I still can't believe it. I can't for the life of me think of any car in that price range that comes close to the package it offers. I need someone to listen to it for me that has one. It cant be standard with just an X pipe - there must be something else going on in there. Too many pops and crackles.
 

Andyk

Member
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61,038
A shame about the limited footwell space for my long limbs. Nothing worse than legs resting against the centre tunnel etc....

Amazed we've heard nothing about the Alfa Stelvio by now which I think looks as good if not better than the Levante. Alfa really are making some cracking cars now, they just need a new 6C or 8C and lots of members on here would be jumping ship I'm sure.

Agree Phil, that Alfa is a good looking car. Would be interested to also see how it performs.
 

Michael

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340
A shame about the limited footwell space for my long limbs. Nothing worse than legs resting against the centre tunnel etc....

Amazed we've heard nothing about the Alfa Stelvio by now which I think looks as good if not better than the Levante. Alfa really are making some cracking cars now, they just need a new 6C or 8C and lots of members on here would be jumping ship I'm sure.

I'm hoping for a 6c (F-Type) size car from Alfa and without doubt would jump ship. I've been looking at the Levante and it looks good, but the arrival of the Stelvio has stopped me going forward. Interesting that Harry found that MPG was around 30. I guess that the Stevio with the QF engine will get around 25mpg, which isn't bad.

My wife had a petrol 4.4 RR in 2006, good car and that managed 20mpg. I can't understand why Maserati won't bring the petrol in when in the real world the MPG savings of diesel aren't really significant.
 

IainS

New Member
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I would doubt that the Stelvio QV will hit 25mpg unless you drive it around with economy firmly in mind and do not use the power. I had a Macan turbo when they came out and in spite of all the rave reviews I have to say I found it a fairly bland car that felt more like a hot hatchback than a SUV and didn't feel much like a Porsche. The mpg was frankly ridiculous with around 23mpg if you drove it like a saint and down to as low as 14mpg if you pressed on and used the performance. In real world daily driving of congested roads and queuing traffic the performance was rarely usable and the frequent trips to the filling station became tiring.

I collected my Levante last week and thus far I'm very impressed with it. I've owned a number of other SUVs - X5, 3 Cayennes (2 petrols, 1 diesel) and latterly a current model Range Rover Sport diesel - and certainly don't feel short changed in terms of the driving experience thus far with the Levante in terms of handling or power. The biggest issue facing Maserati here is customer support. This is my third Maserati after a 4.2 GranTurismo and a 4.7 GranTurismo S MC. I used a different dealer this time and wish I hadn't as they have not been great and the factory have also managed to build the car with items missing from an option package. I've taken this up with Maserati GB but they are simply pointing me back in the direction of the dealer which really is poor for a very low volume manufacturer trying to raise it's game. They currently sell an average of 1.5 cars per dealer per week based upon their 2016 published figures so are not exactly so busy that they cannot devote resources to jump on issues like this. The supplying dealer didn't even notice the omitted items which shows their product knowledge is weak at best. I was also given incorrect advice when ordering my car and advised by the dealer that I could not have the heated front and rear seat options if I took the Zegna package as they said the factory had told them the silk seat inserts can not be optioned with heating elements. I reluctantly agreed to delete the heated seats but when the car arrived it has been fitted with heated front seats. I raised this with Maserati GB and was told the heatings options are available with the Zegna interior and the dealer was at fault for not ordering them for me. It's not a good start to ownership and would certainly cloud the judgement of an average non-enthusiast buyer who, let's face it, are exactly the type of buyers the brand is trying to draw in.
 

MrMickS

Member
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3,951
I'm hoping for a 6c (F-Type) size car from Alfa and without doubt would jump ship. I've been looking at the Levante and it looks good, but the arrival of the Stelvio has stopped me going forward. Interesting that Harry found that MPG was around 30. I guess that the Stevio with the QF engine will get around 25mpg, which isn't bad.

My wife had a petrol 4.4 RR in 2006, good car and that managed 20mpg. I can't understand why Maserati won't bring the petrol in when in the real world the MPG savings of diesel aren't really significant.

Demand in the market can be the only thing. They are selling all the ones that they get so there is sufficient demand for the diesels at the present. If they bring the petrol in later they get a second surge of sales, and publicity without needing a facelift. It does make sense from a marketing/economic point of view. Its just disappointing.

Not sure that the Stelvio will be as nice a place to sit as the Levante. The QV version will probably arrive in the UK sometime next year, probably after the Levante S if we get it, and be a similar price to the S. If you're after pure top end performance in an SUV then its makes sense to buy the smaller car, otherwise I still see the Levante as being a viable option.
 

Rwc13

Member
Messages
1,668
If you're limited to one car to do everything then an SUV with very strong performance may make sense. But for those that have a performance car too, then surely most would be looking for their SUV to do a different job, eg be a practical luxury, reasonably economical, daily driver and family car. That is the role of my Levante and "touch wood" so far it does that very very well, at least as well as any other SUV I've had and in a much more special feeling package. Horse for courses!
 

dem maser

Moderator
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34,221
Im really excited about the Stelvio....Alfa Romeo have asked me to go to the UK unveiling in May, similar preview as i had with the Giulia in Shoreditch in October......I must say it suits my needs better than the Giulia as its more practical with the little one but i suspect i wont get a good lease deal on one for some time....
 

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,952
Im really excited about the Stelvio....Alfa Romeo have asked me to go to the UK unveiling in May, similar preview as i had with the Giulia in Shoreditch in October......I must say it suits my needs better than the Giulia as its more practical with the little one but i suspect i wont get a good lease deal on one for some time....

Not sure about its side profile looks.
 

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,952
Not sure about its side profile looks.

However that was the fancy one in red in Car magazine whereas the first edition grey one shown on the Autocar website looked much better. Perhaps it's a car which is very colour sensitive?
 

Dyer3200

Member
Messages
569
I would doubt that the Stelvio QV will hit 25mpg unless you drive it around with economy firmly in mind and do not use the power. I had a Macan turbo when they came out and in spite of all the rave reviews I have to say I found it a fairly bland car that felt more like a hot hatchback than a SUV and didn't feel much like a Porsche. The mpg was frankly ridiculous with around 23mpg if you drove it like a saint and down to as low as 14mpg if you pressed on and used the performance. In real world daily driving of congested roads and queuing traffic the performance was rarely usable and the frequent trips to the filling station became tiring.

I collected my Levante last week and thus far I'm very impressed with it. I've owned a number of other SUVs - X5, 3 Cayennes (2 petrols, 1 diesel) and latterly a current model Range Rover Sport diesel - and certainly don't feel short changed in terms of the driving experience thus far with the Levante in terms of handling or power. The biggest issue facing Maserati here is customer support. This is my third Maserati after a 4.2 GranTurismo and a 4.7 GranTurismo S MC. I used a different dealer this time and wish I hadn't as they have not been great and the factory have also managed to build the car with items missing from an option package. I've taken this up with Maserati GB but they are simply pointing me back in the direction of the dealer which really is poor for a very low volume manufacturer trying to raise it's game. They currently sell an average of 1.5 cars per dealer per week based upon their 2016 published figures so are not exactly so busy that they cannot devote resources to jump on issues like this. The supplying dealer didn't even notice the omitted items which shows their product knowledge is weak at best. I was also given incorrect advice when ordering my car and advised by the dealer that I could not have the heated front and rear seat options if I took the Zegna package as they said the factory had told them the silk seat inserts can not be optioned with heating elements. I reluctantly agreed to delete the heated seats but when the car arrived it has been fitted with heated front seats. I raised this with Maserati GB and was told the heatings options are available with the Zegna interior and the dealer was at fault for not ordering them for me. It's not a good start to ownership and would certainly cloud the judgement of an average non-enthusiast buyer who, let's face it, are exactly the type of buyers the brand is trying to draw in.

For me this is the crux of the issue great product poor after Sales - not sure where you are based Ian but a London dealer PDI'd and delivered 40 units in the first 2 weeks of Jan with only minor software issues - my concern (based on my own experience) is getting caught between Maserati UK and the supplying dealer this should not be any concern of mine or any other customer and really will make me think twice about ordering another vehicle
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
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9,033
I used a different dealer this time and wish I hadn't as they have not been great and the factory have also managed to build the car with items missing from an option package. I've taken this up with Maserati GB but they are simply pointing me back in the direction of the dealer which really is poor for a very low volume manufacturer trying to raise it's game.

That is very poor.
Could you have rejected delivery of the car on the basis it was not what you ordered?
Extreem, I know, but compensation at least should be made?
 

IainS

New Member
Messages
11
I bought my car from the dealer in Peterborough after having had great service from their sister Land Rover franchise just along the road over three separate Range Rover purchases a few years previously. My reference to the number of cars sold per dealer was just a quick calculation based upon 2016 sales and the number of dealers in the network. I appreciate that the older, well established dealerships like HR Owen, Maranello, Graypaul etc will move larger shares of that volume which makes things even more frustrating as the newer, less established ones must be shifting very low volumes each week so their customer service should be absolutely top drawer as they are not exactly busy.

It would appear that I am now in the position of the manufacturer stepping back from an issue that is clearly down to them in terms of fouling up the build at the factory and I also believe that someone at Maserati GB did give out incorrect spec advice to the dealer about the heated seat compatibility issue as the query was raised with them at the same time as being asked if I could have the paddle shifters fitted without taking the comfort package that the configurator kept insisting I must have to get them on my car. The message that came back was that the paddle only option was approved for build but the heated seats were not. The communication from the dealer has been very poor though and I have constantly had to chase them repeatedly for answers and updates. I am mightily peeved off that they are posting silly videos of their launch events with lots of people who will no doubt not go on to buy any car from them being given lots of attention yet they cannot be bothered to pick up the phone to explain to me why there is missing spec on my car over a week after I collected it and was promised they would look into it. Had I not contacted Maserati GB I would have still been in the dark as to it being a factory production cock up. Mine is not the only car affected either as the factory were unaware of the issue until my query was raised so there will undoubtedly be others similarly affected if they have chosen the Zegna package. The missing items are the front and rear skid plates - not a huge issue but they should be on the car as they are clearly advertised as being part of the package both in the brochure and on the configurator. Maserati are admitting they should have been fitted and are looking into retrofitting them but say that there are additional items required for the bumpers that will need to be painted to do so. I am not at all keen to let the dealer organise paintwork on a brand new car as a hand painted finish will never match the factory robot spray finish perfectly. I had a quick look at the parts diagrams for the Levante on Eurospares website and the skid plates look like they are simply fitted over the top of the lower bumper covers at each end as there are no additional parts or alternative valance styles shown. I will most likely not bother having them fitted but I certainly want a corresponding refund for their cost plus a gesture of goodwill from Maserati for the issue.

It is terrible customer service for a brand that is aiming to provide a premium and bespoke experience to differentiate it from competitors and a real pity as the car itself is great. The experience won't put me off but I will go elsewhere for servicing and any warranty work.
 

Wattie

Member
Messages
8,640
Im really excited about the Stelvio....Alfa Romeo have asked me to go to the UK unveiling in May, similar preview as i had with the Giulia in Shoreditch in October......I must say it suits my needs better than the Giulia as its more practical with the little one but i suspect i wont get a good lease deal on one for some time....

Stelvio over the Maserati all day for me!
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/...com_breaking&utm_source=AlfaOwner.com20170118

cheers Wattie