Used 2020 Maserati Ghibli

The 2020 Maserati Ghibli is the gateway vehicle into the Italian exotic brand, though with a roughly $71,000 starting price and a Ferrari-built engine, there is very little “entry level” about it. Ostensibly competing with luxury-midsize sedans like the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Maserati Ghibli is far more exclusive and has the kind of panache that comes with the Maserati name.

This Italian luxury car also boasts fine craftsmanship, alluring design and an admirable roster of technology and active safety features. But let’s be real: Arguably the best thing about a Ghibli is being able to say you drive a Maserati.

With 345 horsepower in base form or 424 horsepower in the more potent Ghibli S and S Q4, this Maserati sedan certainly can feed your need for speed. It’s not the quickest car in its class, but in standard tune it hits 60 mph in 5.5 seconds while the S Q4 requires just 4.7 seconds to reach the same velocity.

The Ghibli’s performance numbers look good, but in reality we found overall it just doesn’t quite stack up, especially for the price. Power is there, but so is turbo lag — that momentary lapse between when you stomp on the accelerator and when the turbochargers spool up to deliver a punch of power.

Nevertheless, the snapping, crackling and popping exhaust makes addicting sounds while getting to work, and when you arrive at the office you can brag that your car’s engine is made by Ferrari. While the Ghibli sounds raucous, the standard 8-speed automatic transmission delivers nothing but smooth shifts. Know, however, that the suspension is firm, especially if you opt for the stiffer Sport setup, and while Maserati recently retuned the Ghibli’s steering, it still doesn’t match the best.

Put together, the 2020 Maserati Ghibli just doesn’t have the performance cohesiveness or provide the overall driving satisfaction of more mainstream rivals like the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Lexus GS and Mercedes-Benz E-Class — especially the performance-oriented versions of any of those models.

Since it debuted for the 2014 model year, the Maserati Ghibli has featured an interior that flaunts supple leather, elegant Italian craftsmanship and other luxury touches. At the same time, certain details, such as buttons and switches sourced from the parts bin of its Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) parent, were far less impressive. While examples of those latter components remain, updates have addressed some of the issues.

The tech-forward yet easy-to-use infotainment system, featuring the same 8.4-inch touch screen found in other FCA vehicles but with a Maserati-specific interface, helps bolster the Ghibli’s appeal with features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Audio upgrades include both Harman Kardon and Bowers & Wilkins speakers.

The Ghibli’s front seats are plush and well-padded, but rear-seat room remains on the tighter side. Leather is standard, and buyers can opt for swanky Ermenegildo Zegna silk inserts if they wish. At 17.7 cubic feet, the trunk has ample room. An available hands-free power trunk and soft-closing doors ensure the Ghibli’s owner need not suffer undue exertion.

Over the years, updates to the Ghibli’s skin have kept things fresh yet elegant. The optional GranLusso trim aims for a classier feel, while the GranSport variants have more aggressive aesthetics.

Both variants supply an appealing blend of voluptuous curves and distinctive design elements like a concave grille with the Maserati trident logo prominently in the middle. The upward-rising sill of the rear doors stands out on the outside but can limit visibility from within. Quad tailpipes emphasize the Ghibli’s performance nature.

For 2020, 100 examples of the Ghibli S Q4 are offered with an Edizione Ribelle package. Essentially, this blacks out the car’s exterior while supplying an exclusive black-and-red interior treatment. Separately, a new GT Sport package combines GranSport styling elements with exclusive wheels and brake calipers painted red, blue or black.

ACTIVE SAFETY FEATURES
The 2020 Ghibli offers a well-rounded roster of safety and driving aids, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane-keeping assist, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and an active blind-spot monitoring system that can help steer the car away in the event of a potential collision.

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
If you want a Maserati but live where snow and slick roads are part of life, check out the 2020 Ghibli S Q4. In addition to the more powerful 424-horsepower engine, you’ll get traction-enhancing all-wheel drive instead of the standard rear-wheel drive.

With its $71,000 starting price (including destination charges), it’s little surprise that a new 2020 Ghibli brings much more than the intrinsic appeal of its Maserati image. Among its standard features are a leather interior, heated and 12-way power-operated front seats, power sunroof, power-adjustable steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, universal garage/gate opener, 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, and a blind-spot monitoring system.

The Ghibli’s infotainment system uses an 8.4-inch display controlled via touch or a rotary controller, and it features both navigation and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration. Standard audio bundles an 8-speaker/280-watt sound system with USB/SD/aux inputs and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Ghibli S comes with the more potent version of the V6 engine, as does the Ghibli S Q4, which signifies all-wheel drive. Additionally, each version of the Ghibli is optionally available with GranLusso or GranSport trim.

GranLusso trim adds luxury amenities such as Ermenegildo Zegna silk inserts for the leather seats, open-pore wood trim, ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel with wood inserts, adaptive LED headlights with automatic high-beam assist, and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

The GranSport stands apart with sporty styling details, steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles, an electric damping performance suspension, 20-inch wheels with summer performance tires, and sport-design seats.

Additional options include extra-cost paint, wheel design and interior trim selections, as well as premium natural leather, a Bowers & Wilkins audiophile-quality sound system, heated rear seats, soft-close doors, hands-free power trunk, and power-adjustable foot pedals.

The Driver Assistance Package includes important safety and driving aids like adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, active blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, surround-view camera system, and forward-collision warning system with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking.

All versions of the 2020 Ghibli use a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 designed by Maserati and built by Ferrari. The engine comes in your choice of two power outputs. Base models make 345 horsepower, while the Ghibli S puts out 424 horsepower.

All Ghiblis employ an 8-speed automatic transmission and a mechanical limited-slip differential. All-wheel drive (AWD) is available only on the higher-powered Ghibli S model; other variants are rear-wheel drive (RWD). An engine start/stop system cuts power at idle to save fuel, but with a high of 24 mpg on the highway, the Ghibli isn’t exactly an efficiency champ.

Even in its stronger form, the Ghibli is hardly the most powerful luxury-sports sedan out there, but it’s still respectable. Depending on configuration, the 2020 Maserati Ghibli accelerates to 60 mph in as few as 4.7 seconds and achieves a top speed of up to 178 mph.

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (Ghibli)
345 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 1,750 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/24 mpg

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (Ghibli S, Ghibli S Q4)
424 horsepower @ 5,750 rpm
428 lb-ft of torque @ 2,250 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/24 mpg (S), 16/24 mpg (S Q4)