£ 10-20k buying advice sought - 3200, 4200 or (sshh) 997

[m1980k]

I was in a similar position a couple of months ago and chose a GranSport over 997 (and Jag XKR and Nissan GTR).


If you're more concerned with feelgood factor, low speed engagement etc then don't even bother thinking about a 997. Buy a 4200! I drive my GS once a week but I get a thrill from looking at it twice a day when I leave for work and when I come home. The 400bhp, high-revving V8 upfront makes every drive special. And for a coupe/GT, this car has a huge amount of interior space. A proper boot, too, although not very big.


BUT if you're someone who likes to occasionally drive like you're on a qualifying lap, then you need to know that a GT car weighing 200kg more than an equivalent Porsche is going to lose something on a B road. The GS is lower than a 4200, but I'm probably going to get it lowered even more. The CC gearbox does have a certain sporty appeal but I still really miss a manual. Again, it depends on what you want (and you'll need to try the CC box and a manual car to know).


The Internet is full of horror stories. If you buy a 997 the engine will probably be fine. But for some people a 1 in 20 chance of a 15k car needing an 8k rebuild is unacceptable. That's one other thing about the Maserati 4.2 engine: major failures are totally unheard of. Just be aware that you'll need to set aside 1.5-2k a year for running costs. These cars were 65k new. The porsche is lighter and more economical, but there's that possibility of a rebuild.


So, in conclusion, if you want a beautiful machine that can seat 4 adults and has one of the world's greatest engines, buy the car with the trident badge! I ain't swappin mine for a car from Stuttgart and I have a lot less loyalty to the Maserati brand than some people here..

 

[allandwf]

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3200, go for an auto, the manuals have a terrible clutch which in turn leads to crank damage, you really dont want to go there.

Not exactly true, yes they can wear thrust washers, most will have been addressed. They are a little hard work in stop start traffic, but terrible is a tad harsh. Mrs allandwf can drive it easily enough from time to time, so cant be that hard or bad.

 

[miket]

Hi welcome to the forum, having owned a manual 3200 for 2 years and a 4200 Spyder Cambiocorsa since 2009, from my own personal experience the 4200 has been far more reliable, the 3200 was a fantastic car but far more fragile particularly the fly-by-wire throttle (although now a relatively inexpensive fix) and clutch as mentioned previously (I had a release bearing failure after 12.5k miles on a dealer fitted clutch).
You need to drive both cars in both variants, I did and found the 3200 manual more involving over the auto but after driving a paddle shift 4200 that was the only way to go for me over a manual 4200, have whatever your buying checked over or ask on here, the Maserati community is quite incestuous someone on here usually knows something or other (usually), best of luck....

 

[Trev Latter]

Welcome. Drive both models and if possible, a manual and an auto 3200. Richard Grace is the man to speak to. He did mention recently that he has a couple of 3200s due in and there are many on here who will testify that the cars he sells are among the best available. Personally, I'd probably be looking at a QP because of the dog, but my heart would say 3200 despite their foibles. Just be mindful of the fact they're Italian and they will go wrong at some point, so try to keep a decent sized war chest for those occasions. The rewards are huge though, whichever model you ultimately go for.

 

[zagatoes30]

Drive both they are different, for me it was a heart or head decision a bad 3200 can be a lot of trouble and even good ones are known to throw their toys out of the pram for no reason and light up the dashboard.

But both are great cars and this is the where most of the free knowledge lies on both models

 

[RW3200]

As already shown 99% of owners will recommend the car they have and justifiably so. All I would repeat is to try them for yourself, and more than one if possible, as due to the nature of these cars you can get slight differences within models due to the age and set up variations, for example on the 3200 some may have a faster steering rack giving a more responsive feel etc.

A bit of research before hand will ensure you get the car you want so talk to as many specialists as you can and ask as many questions as you need to get the best possible car for you.

And don't be put off by any bad stories because people often only post when they need help whereas the majority of time the car is faultless we are all too busy enjoying to brag it up so the balance is always off. And if anything does come up odds on someone here will have had first hand experience and be able to offer advice by the time you've made a cup of tea!

Enjoy your search, test drive all you can and don't forget the Independent Inspection (double underlined).
Good luck and in the meantime, I challenge you to find a Maserati on the road without a driver with a fixed grin!

 

[Wack61]

And don't be put off by any bad stories because people often only post when they need help whereas the majority of time the car is faultless we are all too busy enjoying to brag it up so the balance is always off. I challenge you to find a Maserati on the road without a driver with a fixed grin!

Good advice, I had an Audi A8 that I loved while I was in blissful ignorance but when I started reading about 5k chocolate gearboxes and 3k head gaskets I sold it .

A few months later I missed it so I went to look at another , the guy pulled out a service history of receipts about 6" thick and I remembered why I'd sold it.

Having had a few V8s since I don't worry about it any more , you could spend 20k on a euro box that will depreciate faster than you could pay for it , yes you *might* get a big bill but a Maserati will still be worth most of what you paid for it years from now , possibly more

 

[alfatwo]

As already shown 99% of owners will recommend the car they have and justifiably so. All I would repeat is to try them for yourself, and more than one if possible, as due to the nature of these cars you can get slight differences within models due to the age and set up variations, for example on the 3200 some may have a faster steering rack giving a more responsive feel etc.

A bit of research before hand will ensure you get the car you want so talk to as many specialists as you can and ask as many questions as you need to get the best possible car for you.

And don't be put off by any bad stories because people often only post when they need help whereas the majority of time the car is faultless we are all too busy enjoying to brag it up so the balance is always off. And if anything does come up odds on someone here will have had first hand experience and be able to offer advice by the time you've made a cup of tea!

Enjoy your search, test drive all you can and don't forget the Independent Inspection (double underlined).
Good luck and in the meantime, I challenge you to find a Maserati on the road without a driver with a fixed grin!

Nice one there RW..that about sums it up..

The 4200 has a more modern feeling and easier to live with..and better handling... where's the 3200GT is old school, you'll need to learn the old manual Getrag gearbox to get the best of it.
There brutally quick for an old car, not easy to drive on the limit. Scare yourself every time you go out. What's not to like

A perfect old Maser!

Dave

 

[Contigo]

3200 is a proper hooligan of a car, think a road going rally car with excellent chassis control when on the limit, it's a bonkers car when compared to the "safe" 4200 which had more input from Ferrari and should be better as an everyday prospect.

You need to drive both as only you can decide which suits you, both are great in their own unique way.

 

[spkennyuk]

3200 is a proper hooligan of a car, think a road going rally car with excellent chassis control when on the limit, it's a bonkers car when compared to the "safe" 4200 which had more input from Ferrari and should be better as an everyday prospect.

You need to drive both as only you can decide which suits you, both are great in their own unique way.

Thats quite a balanced reply from you Phil apart from the "should be" bit

 

[Gp79]

I've had my GS for 20 months and apart from minor niggles and basic servicing it has needed nothing and been reliable.

Internet horror stories to me are just that, no matter what car, according the the internet my BMW timing chain will snap with no warning, a Porsche 996 will need a new engine for multiple reasons etc etc.

These cars are all over 10yrs old so you must expect some problems.

Good luck with your search.

 

[conaero]

Aran, one of the Le Mans crew has a Porsche 997 cab, last year he had to have his engine rebuilt due to a bearing deep in the engine somewhere. I think they caught it in time so only required half the quoted £15k to fix it, lucky him!

 

[jluis]

Is there any car out there that does not have an horror story associated ?

 

[Wack61]

If there is it'll be Japanese

 

[Contigo]

No performance car out there doesn't come with Internet/Pub talk horror stories.

 

[outrun]

The 997 is way beyond pub talk. The percentage of cars that have required rebuild is around 20% which is ridiculous. Only applies to the standard engine though, not the Turbo or Mezeler GT engines.

Early Cayman S too have issues.

Somehow Porsche still maintain their reputation for everyday reliability. Maserati should hire their PR department.

 

[allandwf]

You should frequent the TVR forums! I had two, for six years, no issues and certainly nothing like I was warned about.

 

[urquattrogus]

If there is it'll be Japanese

Ask Toyota how many recalls they have issued? Or maybe they are just more honest!

 

[Jkulin]

I bought the QP because I wanted a complete contrast to the 911 and needed 4 doors.

I have never driven a 3200 or 4200 so can't comment but do own a Carrera 4.

I will not sell the 911 as it is too much of a hooligan that handles like no other car I have ever driven, AFAIK the 3.4 engine of the 996 was the bore scoring & RMS problem, I am not aware of any major issues with the 3.6 in the 996/997.

Sure if you ask around any car forum there will be problems with any make/model of car.

Although the 911 has two kiddy seats, they are useless, even getting shopping in and out is a PITA, so if you have a dog, no matter how small then forget it as getting stuff in and out ain't good.

I love the noise of the QP, but similarly love the noise of the 911, but the QP is sexier noise wise.

All I can say is that having driven so many different cars in nearly 40 years of driving, nothing and I mean nothing I have driven comes close to the 911 Carrera 4 and that includes the 2 wheel drive 911's which IMHO are not in the same league, but as I say I have never driven a 3200 or 4300 or GT.

Hope that helps?

 

[stevepen]

Is there any car out there that does not have an horror story associated ?

Lexus ISF. 5Ltr V8 with no horror stories.