Steve Reviews The Maserati Quattroporte. Would He Buy One?

When it’s time for a six-figure executive sedan where will you turn? One of the German stalwarts?  Lexus, perhaps? Or maybe you want something more exotic, something Italian. Well, that’s where the Maserati Quattroporte comes in with its Ferrari-born soundtrack.

If I had a lot of money to spend on a car I’d want something exclusive…I mean special to the point where I’d likely never be in the presence of another one just like mine.  And in the large, luxury car arena the Quattroporte clearly distinguishes itself.

For one, owning a Mercedes or BMW is pretty cool.  But arriving in a Maserati?  Now that’s sexy.  And because those German brands sell twice as many flagship sedans every month as Maserati sells cars in total, it’s far less likely your Quattroporte will ever see one of its brethren.  And while everyone in the competitive set fits their cars with a 3.0-liter turbocharged 6-cylinder engine only this one is built by Ferrari.  And, it is this twin-turbo V6 along with its visceral sounds that could easily lure you away from Deutschland.  At 424 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque it is clearly the 6-pot performance leader and at 4,233 pounds it’s also the lightest despite offering the most passenger volume in the class and the biggest trunk of any car on the market today.  And at only 4.8 seconds to 60mph with a top speed of 179mph, it’s also the fastest…and thirstiest at a mere 18mpg.

Needless to say, the Quattroporte SQ4 is the machete in a drawer full of steak knives.  But it’s not all high revs and booming exhaust; the Quattro feels very relaxed with ride comfort its top priority.  Maserati’s Skyhook suspension is a continuous damping system that instantly adjusts the shocks based on road conditions and driving style but with the thin-walled ultra-wide rubber it can only do so much to isolate you from the road. There’s more wallow in the body motions than I recall from my 2016 test drive, even when the shocks are locked down in Sport mode…perfect for occupant comfort but less desirable during spirited driving.