2024 Maserati Quattroporte

Maserati has an eclectic lineup. Its SUVs are positioned as alternatives to Audi, BMW, and Porsche for luxury car buyers, while the MC20 and GT2 Stradale are low-volume supercars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. In between those, there’s the Quattroporte sedan, GranTurismo coupe, and GranCabrio convertible, cars that any Beverly Hills or Miami hotspot would valet out front. In the past, many Maserati vehicles had engines co-developed with Ferrari, but that partnership is no longer. Consumer Reports has only tested the Grecale, an SUV that competes with similarly sized models from Audi, BMW, and Porsche. We enjoyed its sports-car engine note and agile handling, but ended up aggravated by its many quirks.

The Maserati Quattroporte is clearly the choice for the non-conformist among ultra-luxury sedan, a segment dominated by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Ironically, the latest version of the Quattroporte (four-doors in Italian) takes a step toward normality. With Maserati being part of the Fiat Chrysler Group, Italian brio is now balanced with leveraging corporate assets. Like the smaller Ghibli, the Quattroporte's platform shares roots with the Chrysler 300, itself tracing lineage to a Mercedes-Benz E-Class circa 2004. While the Ferrari-developed 424-hp, 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in the Quattroporte S Q4 is not short on power, it lacks the off-the-line immediacy of rivals' eight-cylinder engines. But it makes up for that with a sonorous, seductive exhaust sound. Although as roomy as other flagships, the big QP lacks the super plush ride of a big Mercedes or Lexus. Neither is it as quiet. Handling, however, is its forte. This big limo can tackle a switchback like a smaller, sportier sedan with a crisp cornering attitude and a steering that's articulate with feedback. There is certainly an emotional component to the QP but it's hard to make a logical case for it. The QP we drove stickered at a whopping $129,770, about $20,000 more than a comparable S-Class or 7 Series. And, the QP lacks their high tech features and ultimate luxury experience.