Maserati makes a lot of luxury cars, but if you’re car columnist and reviewer Doug DeMuro, then the only good Maserati is the GranTurismo. To be fair, DeMuro previously stated he doesn’t really like Maseratis, as he’s released scathing reviews of the Ghibli and Levante. But the GranTurismo, a decade-old car, is the only good Maserati on the market today in his opinion. Here’s why.

Pros of the Maserati GranTurismo

According to DeMuro, there’s a lot to like about the GranTurismo, especially when it comes to the cars’ mission statement. In Italian, its name means “grand tour” and that’s exactly what it is good at — going on a journey with friends or family in tow. 

The earliest GranTurismos sports a 400-hp engine, which is good enough for this day and age. However, the MC trim, which updates the GranTurismo in many other ways, also upgrades its engine into a 4.7-liter 454-hp V8. This makes the GranTurismo the fastest Maserati car on the market. The upgraded engine allows it to hit a top speed of 185 miles per hour and accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds.

Suspension and handling wise, DeMuro thought the GranTurismo was pretty good, as it handled well during his test drive. He gives the GranTurismo extra points for its handling, considering the fact that it’s a four-seater. The engine also has a beautiful sound.

Riding in a GranTurismo is a nice experience, too. However, it’s still a two-door sports car, so there’s not much legroom and headroom. Funny enough, the GranTurismo has up to six cup holders. DeMuro jokes that it means the GranTurismo has a higher ratio of cup-holders-to-seats than a Honda Odyssey.

Although DeMuro personally doesn’t like the exterior design and overall aesthetics of the GranTurismo, he understands that many people do. As such, he gives the sports car a relatively high score for looks.

Cons of the GranTurismo

DeMuro had plenty of complaints about the GranTurismo. Most of them have to do with the car’s age. Most GranTurismos have extremely outdated tech and features for a luxury car. For example, it has a digital display screen, but the controls are manual and not optimized. If you want to enter an address, you’ll have to select, using the control dial, each and every single letter and number one by one. 

If you want to listen to music, you’ll have to connect an iPod. Not your iPhone, but an actual iPod. Furthermore, only the newest GranTurismos have a rearview camera. On top of that, it doesn’t have convenient features like adaptive cruise control or automatic emergency braking. The 2018 MC trim does solve many of these complaints, but the majority of GranTurismos on the market still have these issues.

Lastly, the other big con of the GranTurismo is its price tag. At $150,000 for a new one, DeMuro would buy nearly anything else. Plenty of other modern, less expensives sports cars have similar features and performance. That said, DeMuro mentions that the GranTurismo’s value depreciates very fast, so you can get a used GranTurismo for much cheaper. 

Overall, despite its many flaws, DeMuro thinks the GranTurismo is a nice, fun car you can drive for everyday errands. He says it’s easily the best car Maserati has on the market right now.