[SOBE ER DOC]

Hello everyone.

After lusting after the S Q4 for the past several months my current lease car is ready to go home. I've been looking at a number of cars and have narrowed things down to the Ghibli and the A7. I am finding this is an apples to oranges comparison and am looking for some feedback from current Ghibli owners on their experiences. Specifically:

1. Did anyone else look at the A7 and, if so, what is your impression of the two?

2. Has the punch list on this forum been effective at resolving the issues that have been identified? I'm not keen to purchase a car at this price point and have a lot of issues.

3. Listened to the "premium" sound system and it was crap. Does anyone have the B&W system and what has your experience been with rattle and quality?

4. Have the option between a '14 with some features I do not want / need available in 2 weeks (sitting in port at Newark) and a '15 to my exacting specifications (delivery in November) and returning my current Audi lease at end of July - I can do without for a couple of months. Any thought on whether or not the more recently produced Ghiblis have addressed the issues identified?

5. Did anyone else consider an A7 and, if so, what tipped you toward Maserati?

Any insights would be appreciated.

 

[tjsbeer]

Around here A7s are everywhere. I have still only seen one other Ghibli on the road near my house. Plus the Audi sounds like a Prius compared to the Ghibli.

With exception to the premium sound the punch list issues appear to have been resolved.

The biggest improvements for 2015 are the standard 19" wheels all all-season tires and contrast stiching option. I have heard the premium sound issue is not scheduled to be fixed until later in 2015...not sure why that is not a priority or why it shuld take so long to improve it.

***Simple math equation for Maserati: Make premium sound standard + don't call it "premium" + charge $2K for B&W system = problem solved

I have the sport package that comes with 19s. I'll probably purchase all-season tires.

I had an S5 and couldn't wait to get rid of it. I absolutely love this Ghibli!

So forget the A7, but choosing to pick up a 2014 now (which you could probably get a huge discount on) or wait for 2015 with some updated features is a coin flip. I think I would go for the huge discount as the changes are enough to make me wait to pay more.

Good luck on your quest.

Cheers,

Jeff

 

[mikebos]

2. Has the punch list on this forum been effective at resolving the issues that have been identified? I'm not keen to purchase a car at this price point and have a lot of issues.

3. Listened to the "premium" sound system and it was crap. Does anyone have the B&W system and what has your experience been with rattle and quality?

I'm on week 3 with a Ghibli built in May (custom order). On your punch list question, I have had none of the issues reported here (sat antenna, windows not going up, paint defects, etc.) so presume they have been resolved.

I have the B&W and I'm happy with it, though I agree with others here that it is overpriced. There are no issues with rattles or other problems. For me, I'm intending to keep the car for at least 5 years, and the sound system was important to me, so an additional $3k on a $95k car was not something I thought about for too long.

I am coming off of a 2008 BMW 550i, and first few weeks with this car have been similar to what I experienced with the BMW. I posted a longer comparison between the cars about a week ago, here:

http://www.ghibliforum.com/forum/ma...n/7065-ghibli-after-2-weeks-great-so-far.html

 

[SOBE ER DOC]

Thanks for the quick feedback. mikebos, I read your earlier post last week and it was helpful.

Many of the thoughts both of you tjsbeer have posted are what I am seeing and hearing. The $5K B&W system is giving me pause but the "premium" system just sounded like crap. When I took a test drive last week the premium system rattled to the point that I almost felt bad for the sales rep. The B&W system had some rattle and I would expect them to fix that before I drive the car off the lot.

One of the issues with the '14 for me is that I cannot get exactly what I want so I'm trying to work out the list of must haves, would likes but am flexible and don't cares.

The lease incentives this month are great. To the point that the Ghibli I am looking at is about $10K more than the A7 and in coming in with monthly payments of about $250 less.

 

[essfive]

I'm not going to speak to the audio issues, as I'm not an audiophile and would rather listen to the car than music. The Ghibli's Ferrari-built V6 has a wonderful soundtrack!

I will chime in on the Maserati vs Audi question, however. I was a longtime Audi owner prior to purchasing my Q4 - had an A4, S8 and then an S5. With two growing boys I needed something with four doors and a bigger back seat, so naturally started looking at the Audi S6/S7 and even seriously considered the RS7 for some time. (I don't believe the A7 is a fair comparison to the Ghibli; you'd really need to consider an S car.)

In my opinion, Audi (and the other German makes) are solid and reliable, and offer fairly good value these days in comparison to recent years past. Quality is top notch; Audi interiors in particular are works of art. Again, just my opinion.

My problem was Audi was become less of a driver's car and more of a people-mover in a crowded luxury market. You see them everywhere, and while each model has it's own personality of sorts, they are starting to become mere variations on a theme (RS7 and R8 notwithstanding, perhaps).

So my head was telling me to get another Audi, one that better suited my needs, but when I first learned of the Ghibli and then finally drove one, my heart told me this was the car for me. The quality is acceptable; sure there are some rattles and squeaks, as well as first year issues (which any manufacturer may be subject to), but what I love is what a pleasure it is to drive and how it stands apart from the crowd. In fact, my only concern is that it draws too much attention, but I expect this to subside at some point as more are produced.

So it really becomes an issue of whether you want to go tried and true, or take a risk and have a go at something new. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference but I can't say it enough: test drive any and all vehicles you're considering - that's when the Ghibli will set itself apart from the rest.

I hope you were able to get something out of my long post (sorry!), and good luck with your decision.

 

[bjg625]

We were long time Audi owners. We seriously considered the A7. It had loads of technology not offered in Maser and came in less expensive with a better trade value for our current Audi. We weren't getting year end prices. But my wife fell in love with the Maser. End of story, emotion over logic. So far a decent decision.

 

[superdan]

i wouldnt get an a7 over the ghibili because it just isnt special enough, i would however take the S7 over the ghibili.
i went into audi looking for an rs5 - got an outrageous lease quote, while there, just for the **** of it, asked " how about that A7- also got a ridiculous lease quote.. no surprise as audi lease deals are garbage.
if you plan on buying the car, i think S7 is better.
i really like my ghibili- but the car does have issues, i think long term the audi might be the better car.. it wont turn heads like the maserati, but its solid.

 

[doubledeetob]

2015 ghibli for me

I recently went through the same process (but also threw the XF into the mix)


The S7 was a contender initially - until I tried to sit in the back seat- NO head room for me; some ghibli drivers make reference to leg room in the back, but my driving position is more seat forward than most of my height (6 ft) and I had NO problem sitting behind my normal seat position when I test drove a 2014.


I looked at the 2014 ghibli but none of the mid year NA 2014 inventory had the features I wanted (ventilated seats and cold weather package) and there is the issue of the sound system (not resolved until md year 2015 I am told)


I decided on a 2015 ghibli lease not buy as the Maserati 5 year plan indicates the 2018 will have more uumph > and by then the teething issues will be gone and if I still have the 'bug' I will purchase a 2018


DD

 

[BiancoGhibli]

I just leased my Ghibli a week ago and couldn't be happier. I was looking at a range of cars, coming from a Panamera the A7, 650i GC, and Ghibli were all on my radar. I chose the Ghibli however for a couple reasons, I am a young guy and wanted something fun, and sexy. And once I test drove it, the exhaust note, Ferrari engine, and rather reasonable price tag made me want to have my first taste of Italian.

The A7 I can tell you will have more bells and whistles, from the Google Earth Nav, to touchpad, and LED headlights, the A7 is a car filled with electronics. However, what really set me off was the mundane feeling of the A7, nothing about it excited me. The Ghibli on the other hand made me smile, and isn't that the reason we buy high end cars.

The sound system I can tell you know is complete sh*t. My BOSE running headphones sound better. The subwoofer rattles like no other (I made a service appointment) and the SAT radio is unusable because it cuts out every 20 seconds.... However, don't you buy a Maserati for the driving not the radio.... yeah....

Overall, I love my Ghibli, I am 500 miles/ a week in and couldn't love it more. I have been asked by a few people if they could buy my car from me already, apparently Bianco on Sabbia is hard to find.... idk but so far, my Ghibli has put a stupid grin on my face every time I start it up in the AM and that is worth every penny and problem.

 

[Schnippy]

Audi A7 is not really a car for sportive driving, you better choose an S6 then instead although also pretty boring car... I've driven the S6 and the Ghibli on the same day, I've got an audi S4 since 2010 there wasn't enough difference with my audi, biggest difference is V6 vs V8 but the cars felt so boring... surely when you drive the ghbli the same day.

For me the audi S6 and A7 are comfort cars but nerveless sportive, with the ghibli you can choose, or you make it comfort or sportive, for me it had to be sportive and so it will be.

Also tjsbeer is right about the sound, you just can't compare them, the sound of the audi well you only can laugh about it, from the ghibli you will be stunned.

 

[culverwood]

I looked at the A7 but although it is a fine car it is no Ghibli. In fact the closest competition for my cash was the Range Rover Sport. The Ghibli beat that too. No problems so far and plenty of respect.

 

[TheJackal]

The lease incentives this month are great. To the point that the Ghibli I am looking at is about $10K more than the A7 and in coming in with monthly payments of about $250 less.

What lease terms are they giving you right now?

(residual/miles/term, money factor, etc?)

 

[KoBeck]

I took one of the other managers yesterday and we went for a bit of a blat.

As a former owner of Porsches, Audis, and various other fancy cars, and currently owning a 5 and a 7, he basically said after riding in the Ghibli, now I will look at all those German cars, and pretty much be thinking, 'very boring'. Needless to say, he now wants to go out the Maserati dealership (he wanted to go out yesterday) to look at what they can sell him

Especially by comparison we parked next between 2 new S classes and the face lifted E, and the Ghibli was like the scene in Wolf of Wall Street where that smoking hot blonde walks into the pool party, and everyone else just fades into the background.

The S7 though is certainly a handsome car, and IMHO has a bit more going for it than the Benz or BMW equivalents.

 

[mkaresh]

I agree with others here that the A7 is relatively boring, but roomier (aside from rear headroom). Audi's smaller cars are more fun to drive than their larger ones. An S4 might be a closer match in enjoyment and rear seat space.