As teenagers we all dreamed of blasting over back roads in a Lambo or screaming along the highway in a Ferrari, as if in some real-life version of the 80s arcade game, Out Run. But now we’re older with jobs and mortgages and teenagers and retirement accounts, the idea of dropping a suitcase of cash on a car seems like the worst kind of mid-life crisis. And would we even enjoy it? Imagine being filmed at every stop light. Worrying about where to park, where to get it washed—and then driving miles to a specialist mechanic for routine maintenance. While the sight and sound of a supercar still awakens our inner outlaw, the challenges of ingress and egress quickly lull him back to sleep.
For a fraction of the cost of ownership one can join a car club or fly to LA, Vegas or Miami once in a while and rent something fun for the track that would be significantly more pleasurable than driving a supercar on public roads. But before we give up the ghost completely, it might be worth talking about the Maserati Ghibli Modena—which is basically a cross between a mid-size European luxury sedan and an Italian supercar.
While not as famous as Ferrari, Maserati has a storied history that goes back to 1910. It was in the mid 1920s however, when Alfieri, Ernesto and Ettore Maserati introduced their first competitive racing car: the Tipo 26, which debuted at the Targa Florio competition in Sicily, sporting the famous trident. If you follow the evolution of the company, it’s not difficult to accept that Maserati have made some of the world’s most beautiful sports cars.
Almost a century later, the Maserati Ghibli is a daily driver equally at home taking the kids to baseball practice as it is slicing up corners on your favorite back road. What’s it like to drive and have sitting in your driveway? To answer this question, I spent a weekend with a Ghibli in the Modena trim—which is new for 2022 and sits above the standard Ghibli GT, and just below the Trofeo edition with the twin turbo V8.
When I first saw the Ghibli I had to admit, it is a very beautiful automobile. In ‘verde royale’ it feels understated, almost elegant. Taking it out for the first time however, I was a little nervous, as it felt like a lot of car. The ride was smooth, almost buttery—somewhat unexpected given the Ferrari-built 3.0 L Twin Turbo V6 makes 424 hp. Once I had cleared New York City traffic, I really got to enjoy the Ghibli’s handling which was tight and responsive as you’d expect from an Italian sports car. Something about the Ghibli, however, felt more graceful than its peers, which is a major plus if you plan on using this vehicle as a true daily driver. It’s one thing to feel every pebble and crack in the road as you turn into a corner, but maybe not as much fun when you’re en route to Pet Smart for dog food balancing a pumpkin latte on your knee. The Ghibli really came to life on the rural back roads of eastern Pennsylvania, with its long curves and undulating blacktop. To be completely honest, I appreciate why paddles are better but perhaps because of my age, I personally prefer a manual transmission with a clutch pedal. That said, the Ghibli was fiercely responsive when asked, and surprisingly agile given that it’s a four-door sedan with plenty of room for child seats.
When I stopped for coffee, people commented on the beautiful green with black accents. There’s no denying that this car turns heads, but perhaps more in the vein of admiration than envy.
If you’re wondering, I drank my coffee outside the car, as my particular vehicle was equipped with an interior Carbon Macrotwill trim ($1,500) and Zegna Pelletessuta upholstery ($8,000), so extra napkins weren’t going to be enough.
At this level of interior opulence, other vehicles in the class are quite literally left in the dust but it’s a matter of opinion as to whether such luxury is worth an extra ten grand. If you’re going to spend that much on extras, my advice is to prioritize the metallic paint which costs an extra $6,500 and the 21” Titano-Forged wheels in gloss black, a $3,600 option, giving the elegant body the appearance of extra muscle. In recent years I’ve noticed that wheel size in modern cars seems off. Many appear undersized in proportion to the body, which ruins the overall appearance of the vehicle. Not so with the Ghibli Modena.
If I owned this car I would definitely feel excited every time I had to go somewhere. People would be shocked at my sudden willingness to pick them up at airports. I might even spend a few minutes each day staring at it from the sitting room window. But is seductive styling, a $15,000+ luxury interior, and handling that leaves you feeling glued to the road enough to get you in one if such a vehicle is within your budget?
That depends on whether you have a second car you can use when necessary. As you may well know, over the years the brand has developed a reputation for unreliability. In the 2022 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, it ranks third from last. And that’s unfortunate, because whatever the reason for Maserati’s less than stellar record, owning an unreliable car can add thousands each year in maintenance and repair to the initial sticker price. Unless you’re a thrill seeker, it’s also less fun to own, as you never know when it’s going to leave you at the side of the road.
The base model Maserati Ghibli starts at around $78,000, while a Ghibli Modena without options starts at $85,300. The version I tested has more bells and whistles than Santa’s sleigh and comes in at $116,100. Not cheap, but if you want something in this class, then it’s actually quite competitive. For me, two possible alternatives would be the Porsche Panamera, which starts around $90,000, and BMW’s M550i which starts around $80,000. The range of options for all three vehicles is dizzying—Porsche’s Panamera Turbo S tops out around $181,150. What about an Audi RS7 I hear you ask? Well, a 2023 model starts at $122,995. If you go with the M550i you’ll get more performance and superior technology, but the interior is nothing like this Ghibli.
If you have the budget and you really love the Maserati brand, there’s no doubt you’re getting a first class grand touring sedan that can also double as a getaway car. If you’re not planning on keeping the car (and pampering it) for the rest of your life—you might want to lease. Compared to the cost of ownership, leasing a Ghibli Modena for around $1,000 a month for 36 months seems like a bargain. You could always buy the car once the lease term is up, and after three years you’d have a good idea if the vehicle has any issues and is worth investing in long term. With the money you save you can put something reliable in your driveway from Honda or Toyota so if the Maserati is uncooperative you can still get to work. Love and passion often triumph over logic and reason. The fact that I’m still reminiscing about my week with the Ghibli Modena is living proof of that.
