2009 Maserati Quattroporte Review

Maserati Quattroporte - What the Auto Press Says

The 2009 Maserati Quattroporte ranks 1 out of 4 Exotic Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 35 published reviews and test drives of the Maserati Quattroporte, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

The Maserati Quattroporte combines the sumptuous interior of a super-luxury car with the performance and beauty of an exotic sports car. The result is a car with a character all its own. Previous editions were sometimes criticized for a lack of power, but an optional new engine developed for 2009 fixes that.

If you want the soul of a fine European sports car with the indulgence of an exclusive ultra-luxury sedan, the Quattroporte will meet all of your needs. Its Ferrari-sourced engine and composed handling balance make it an enthusiast's choice, while its sumptuous cabin and legitimate room for four make it a serviceable sedan. With nearly endless options for customization, you can order a Quattroporte that will suit your personal tastes. 

And, reviewers say, you'll get that exhaust note. Sonorous, deep and rumbling, it's like nothing else offered anywhere. It may sound absurd to suggest that a six-figure luxury automobile's finest feature is the sound it makes, but nearly every reviewer who test-drives the Quattroporte is enraptured with the song it sings. 

But it's no longer an obvious choice for buyers looking for a sporty four-door exotic.  More on that in a moment.

For 2009, the Quattroporte series has seen a significant refresh. New front and rear fascias give the already sculptural car a more refined look. And an available, all-new 4.7-liter V8 -- which Maserati sourced from Ferrari but retuned to meet this car's needs -- answers detractors who said the 2008 model was underpowered for its cost.

Maserati may have been motivated to improve the car, however, by what it sees in the rearview mirror. Porsche has recently introduced its own four-door Grand Tourer, the Panamera.  The Porsche's styling is divisive, while the Quattroporte's looks seems to please everyone -- but the Porsche will still steal some sales from Maserati with its sumptuous interior and stunning prowress on a winding road.  Aston Martin is expected to bring out a similar model, the Rapide, within the next few years. And Lamborghini is reportedly exploring the idea of its own Quattroporte competitor, the Estoque. 

Three trim levels of Quattroporte are offered  -- a well-equipped based model, a sportier S model featuring the new, larger V8, and a top-of-the-line GT S.

• "$124K will buy a lot of great sedans with better resale and JD Power stats, but none will make you look or feel as fabulous as this one does." -- Motor Trend


• "The Quattroporte S is not only a technical achievement but has also grown out of its 45-year awkward stage into one of the most desirable four-door automobiles on the road at any price, even including the portlier Bentley Continental Flying Spur, the faster but still not as agile Mercedes-Benz S600 or S65 AMG, or anything wearing the blue-and-white BMW roundel.." -- Car and Driver


• "The soulful 2009 Maserati Quattroporte is the purebred among performance luxury sedans. ... Put it this way -- if Ferrari had applied a prancing horse logo instead of the Maserati trident, the Quattroporte would have fit right in as Modena's first production four-door." - Edmunds


• "Gone is the grand illusion and poor reality of past vehicles, present is a reality that although high-priced, at least finally lives up to the promise of glamorous looks, a storied history and an exotic name."  -- Jalopnik


• "It's graced with a stunning exterior design with aggressive tumblehome, an interior that looks like an Italian designer named Antonio ordered a leather bomb to be exploded in each car before it left the factory, and a glorious Italian V-8 engine that all result in a character that other luxury cars can only dream of." -- Automobile Magazine

Quattroporte Performance - 9.2 (Excellent)

Before Maserati engineers set out to improve the Quattroporte for 2009, it already offered balanced handling that stood out even in the company of other fine, six-figure touring cars. A retuned suspension, reviewers say, has only improved the already exceptional road manners. A new, larger V8 engine available on the Quattroporte S and GT S gives the car extraordinary thrust and an exhaust note auto writers can't seem to stop talking about. Read More

Quattroporte Exterior - 9.2 (Excellent)

Penned by the design experts at Italy's legendary Pininfarina studio, the Quattroporte's bodywork sets it apart from other luxurious sedans. Maserati's four-door looks like an exotic sports car that happens to have room for four adults. In the opinion of the press, subtle exterior tweaks for 2009 have only improved the look. Read More

Quattroporte Interior - 8.2 (Very Good)

The 2009 Maserati Quattroporte's passenger cabin is the equal of any ultra-luxury car, with sumptuous leather and fine wood trim throughout. Maserati worked to redesign the car's electronics interface for 2009, and most reviewers say the new system is an improvement, although some early testers have still experienced problems learning to use the cabin technologies. Perhaps the most impressive feature of the Quattroporte's interior, however, is the nearly endless list of customization options Maserati provides. Read More

Quattroporte Safety - NA

The 2009 Maserati Quattroporte has not been tested by either the federal government or the insurance industry. That is not an unusual circumstance for cars of this price. The Quattroporte includes a full suite of modern safety features, all of them standard equipment. Read More

Quattroporte Reliability - NA

Maserati provides a comprehensive three-year/36,000-mile warranty on all of its cars, including 24-hour roadside assistance.