2010 Maserati Quattroporte S on Cars & Bids article highlights:

• The M139 Maserati Quattroporte is essentially a Ferrari sports sedan, and the 2009-2013 Quattroporte S is the more powerful, sportier version
• A 2010 model with just over 36K miles—and the ZF automatic—is currently available on Cars & Bids
• At its current $13,000 price it costs less than half of what similar used M139 Maserati Quattroporte S models cost, and isn’t as unreliable as many believe

Psst, hey, want a cheap, somewhat practical Italian luxury sports car? No, that’s not a setup for a joke, it’s what a used Maserati Quattroporte is. These stylish, sonorous sports sedans are surprisingly affordable, especially the fifth-gen ones. And though they’re not always cheap to run, they’re not all basket cases in waiting. Particularly not when they’re as clean as the 2010 Maserati Quattroporte S listed this week on Cars & Bids.

The 2009-2013 Maserati Quattroporte S made the Ferrari sport sedan even spicier

These days, Maserati and Ferrari are basically rivals. But a little over a decade ago, the Trident brand briefly bowed to the Prancing Horse as a subsidiary. And one of the few fruits of that short period was the fifth-gen version of Maserati’s long-running sedan, the Quattroporte. As such, the 2004-2013 Quattroporte is essentially a four-door Ferrari—and that’s not hyperbole.

For one, the ‘M139’ Quattroporte, aka the Quattroporte V, was designed by Ferrari’s long-time designer of choice, Pininfarina. Secondly, it has a full-fledged Ferrari V8 under its hood. Admittedly, it has a cross-plane crank rather than a flat-plane one, but it’s otherwise the same F136 V8 Ferrari put in the F430 and 458 Italia. The sedan even has a Ferrari-like weight distribution—or rather, had.

See, the first Maserati Quattroporte Vs had Ferrari F1-style single-clutch automated manuals packed in rear transaxles. On a racetrack or fast back road, they worked great. Everywhere else, though, especially in automatic mode, they were jerky, unrefined, and ate clutches relentlessly. So, in 2007, Maserati started swapping them out for ZF automatics, which meant a new drivetrain layout and weight distribution. But there were bigger changes to come.

In addition to a refresh for the 2009 model year, Maserati also introduced a new Quattroporte trim, the S. Compared to the base car, the S has a bigger engine, larger cross-drilled disc brakes, and standard adaptive shocks. As a result, it handles better, stops faster, and hits 60 mph 0.5 seconds sooner, Car and Driver says.

But the 2009-2013 Maserati Quattroporte S offers more than just sporty reflexes. It has a comfortable interior swathed in rich leather, though it’s less spacious than the equivalent 7 Series and S-Class. No S-Class, though, sings as mellifluous a note as that Ferrari-derived V8. Plus, compared to the contemporary 7 Series, the Quattroporte V looks far more timeless.

And now, one of these striking sports sedans could be yours.

You have a chance to win this 2010 model on Cars & Bids

As noted earlier, the M139 Quattroporte was designed to compete with the likes of BMW and Mercedes. So, the 2010 Maserati Quattroporte S currently listed on Cars & Bids has a wide array of luxury features.

In addition to the leather upholstery and adaptive shocks, this 2010 Quattroporte S has a leather-wrapped steering wheel, wood trim, GPS navigation, and a Bose audio system. Also, it has heated front seats, fog lights, front and rear parking sensors, and a sunroof. Furthermore, both its front and rear seats are power-operated. And apart from some paint protection film on the rear wheel arches, it’s stock.

Admittedly, that film is starting to yellow, so it might need replacement. But apart from that, some scattered scratches, and a mismatched tire, this 2010 Maserati Quattroporte S is in solid shape externally. As for the interior, the only flaws are some seat creases and sticky plastics, which is reportedly a common issue with Maseratis from this period. However, according to a Maserati dealer, the solution is occasional acetone cleaning and no sunbathing, the seller claims. And to be fair, even Toyota’s had problems with sticky plastics.

On the plus side, this 2010 Maserati Quattroporte S has less than 36,300 miles on the clock. It also has a clean history with numerous service records; also, the tires are less than a year old. And the seller just changed the oil and filter.

This used 2010 Maserati Quattroporte S is a luxury sport sedan bargain—and more reliable than you might think

As of this writing, this 2010 Maserati Quattroporte S is listed at $13,000 with three days left in the auction. Keep in mind that in 2010, this car would’ve started at just over $130,000. And for comparison, the cheapest M139 S models with similar mileage usually start at $27,000 these days. In short, this is one heck of a luxury sports sedan bargain.

Given that it is a used high-end luxury sports sedan, a pre-purchase inspection is recommended. And as noted earlier, used Maseratis don’t always enjoy the best reputations for reliability. However, getting one with a ZF transmission means many long-term issues become non-issues. Furthermore, that 4.7-liter V8 is fairly stout, provided the timing variators aren’t rattling. And if you drive it regularly, the Quattroporte V doesn’t really have any electrical issues. But keep in mind that those adaptive shocks aren’t exactly cheap.

Still, this 2010 Maserati Quattroporte S is a whole lot of car for the price. And where else can you get a Ferrari sedan this cheap?

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