By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The Maserati Quattroporte gives buyers of big luxury sedans a clear option. Instead of conservative Germanic luxury or Japanese-style craftsmanship, one can opt for dramatic Italian flair, a sumptuous cabin, agile handling, and blinding performance.

The Quattroporte — which translated from Italian literally means "four doors" — is now in its sixth generation dating back to 1964 when it entered the marketplace as a large luxury sedan. Many of us still have the perception that Maserati is primarily the maker of sports cars, but in recent years the famous Italian nameplate has veered more toward people movers while letting its one remaining sports car — the GranTurismo — be mostly neglected. It seems Maserati has put its resources into the full-sized Quattroporte, the mid-sized Ghibli sedan, which we also drove, and the new Levante sport utility vehicle.

The Quattroporte has always been powered by V-8 engines, but in today's modern automotive world it can also be purchased with six cylinders. A 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 makes 424 horsepower and 428 foot-pounds of torque is the base engine. For power lovers, the 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 making 523 horsepower and 524 foot-pounds of torque will be the engine of choice. Both are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

While the V-6 should provide all the forward momentum anyone needs on public roads with a published 0-to-to 60 time of 5.1 seconds and the ability to complete a quarter mile in 13.6 seconds, the V-8 is a heart-stopper. It's been timed from 0-to-60 in 4.2 seconds and can complete a quarter mile run in 12.7 seconds. Note that the smaller Ghibli sedan has a choice of three six cylinder engines including a turbo 3-liter that also makes 424 horses and goes from 0-to-60 in a scant 4.7 seconds.

These engines not only perform well, but have engaging throaty exhaust notes — perhaps because they are manufactured by Ferrari, which along with Maserati are both part of the sprawling Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA) company.

Other Maserati influences come from Chrysler, the best of which is the excellent 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is one of the best in the business. Granted you will find the same system in such non-luxury products as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and that may be a bit off-putting, but we were happy to find it nestled in the dashboard of our Quattroporte GTS Grand Sport test car.

In addition to the performance you expect in a luxury sedan, the Quattroporte also rewards drivers with a firm suspension, agile handling, and well-weighted steering that's both direct and communicative.



We found great delight in carving up our usual rural-road "test track" ensconced in the sexy Italian interior. The big 207-inch long sedan handled the twists turns like a high-end sports car with body motions kept at a minimum.

Many worthwhile changes came to the interior with a 2017 refreshening. There's now a rotary control knob behind the shifter that adds some redundancy to the touchscreen infotainment Uconnect interface. Notably, AppleCar Play and Android Auto connectivity have been added.

The interior is roomy and well-appointed with most of the creature comforts you would expect from a high-end car. All Quattroporte's are well appointed in rich leathers and wood, but our GTS GrandSport took it to an even higher level with optional carbon macro twill trim, pieno-fiore natural leather, and a stitched trident on the headrests. If you want to take it a step further you can order such niceties as fold-out tables and quad-zone climate control.

We had a few nitpicks during our time with both the Quattroporte and Ghibli. The seatbelt receptacles are embedded too far into the seat and nearly impossible for a weight-challenged person to reach. The stop-start system was aggravating especially driving several days in 90-degree weather. In stop mode it cut off everything including the air conditioning system. Fortunately there was a start-stop on/off cutoff — finally some relief. But wait, when we turned the car off and restarted, the car exasperatingly defaulted back into stop-start.

The Quattroporte comes in three trim levels — S, S Q4, and GTS. The base comes with considerable standard equipment starting at $109,675. You can upgrade to either the GranLusso or GranSport packages with either the S Q4 trim or the GTS. Our GTS with the GranSport package came with $10,000 worth of options bringing the bottom line to $150,410. The Ghibli S Q4 we also drove was well equipped with a bottom line of $103,225.

What sets the Quattroporte apart from its German and Japanese rivals is its Italian style and flare, and its outstanding handling traits for a big car. But the Quattroporte seemed to us lacking the refinement and polish of its high-dollar rivals.

Essentials
Base price: $109,675; as driven, $150,410
Engine: 3.8-liter twin turbocharged V-8
Horsepower: 523 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque: 524 foot-pounds @ 6,500 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drive: rear wheel
Seating: 2/3
Wheelbase: 124.8 inches
Length: 207.2 inches
Curb weight: 4,189 pounds
Turning circle: 38.7 feet
Luggage capacity: 18.7 cubic feet
Fuel capacity: 21.1 gallons (premium)
EPA rating: 15 city, 22 highway, 17 combined
0-60: 4.2 seconds (Car and Driver)
Also consider: Mercedes S Class, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ

The Good
• Uniquely Italian style
• Ferrari-derived engines
• Outstanding handling

The Bad
• Limited dealer network

The Ugly
• Lacks refinement of German, Japanese rivals