The Ghibli is Maserati’s secret weapon in their plan to take over the world, but it’s just not ready for primetime. What do you need to know before you buy a Maserati Ghibli? Don’t worry, we’ll tell you everything right here in our Buyer’s Guide.
Maserati is tired of being a wallflower, and wants to join in on the dance with the rest of the luxury brand heavy hitters. Their goal for 2015 was to take over the world.
And by “take over the world,” we really mean “sell 50,000 cars.” That doesn’t sound like a tall order, but considering how few cars Maserati has sold in years past, Maserati had to do something bold to get their brand into the mainstream.
So Maserati went a bit downmarket and launched the Ghibli. Think of it as the iPhone 5C of the Maserati line, except that it’s not that cheap. At $70,000, the 345 horsepower base Ghibli costs as much as a well-equipped 445 horsepower BMW 550i. It’s a lot of money for not that much car.
What’s New About The 2015 Maserati Ghibli
The 2014 Super Bowl pitted the Denver Broncos up against the Seattle Seahawks. And while the Seahawks came out on top, the Maserati brand scored a big goal with their epic Ghibli commercial, which showcased their all new 2014 executive sedan. The new Ghibli came with an 8-speed automatic transmission mated to a 3.0-liter Ferrari-sourced twin-turbo V6 engine and it got lots of aluminum body parts.
Changes for the 2015 model year have been modest, with GPS and Bluetooth now becoming standard on all trims.
Which One We’d Buy
We’d skip the Ghibli and buy a 5-series or an E-Class instead. The Ghibli is just not worth its asking price. It’s not a car that can rely solely on its reputation: if you’re going to go mainstream, you’ll need to offer true value, not just a badge, a sweet exhaust note and some nice leather. Travis Okulski said it best in his review:
In the past, Maseratis weren’t meant to compete directly with [BMW]. They were out of the mainstream, an alternate choice and a niche brand. But now Maserati wants to be a volume seller that competes with the big boys. It needs to offer all the same features at competitive prices.
So, while the Maserati is, well, a Maserati, the value just isn’t quite there yet.
[Build Your Own Maserati Ghibli]
Important Facts At A Glance:
MSRP: $70,600 - $78,550 Top Speed: 177 MPH [S]
Acceleration: ~4.7s to 60 [S Q4]
MPG: 17 city/ 24 hwy / 19 combined [2wd non-S]
Engines: Twin-Turbo 3.0L V6
Max Horsepower/Torque: 404 hp/406 lb-ft [S]
Curb Weight: ~3,990-4,123 pounds IIHS Rating: Not Fully Tested
Transmissions: ZF 8-speed automatic Drivetrain Layout: Front engine, RWD/AWD
Photo credit: Maserati