USED Maserati Quattroporte Saloon (04 - 13)

It’s a proper Italian luxury car. On the open road, there’s masses of grip and good body control. However, the car lets itself down a bit on twisty roads and rough surfaces, where the ride can get quite fidgety.

It’s quiet in the cabin most of the time, but the lovely sound of the V8 engine does creep in when you push it hard. Still, that's no more than you'd want.

At low speed, the automatic gearchange is fine, but it gets jerky the faster you travel. And, overall, the shifts aren't as smooth as many owners of this sort of car will expect.

Inside, there’s acres of wood and leather, but anyone with biggish feet will find the footwell a bit tight. It’s easy to rub your head on the grab handle above the door if you’re sitting in a certain position, while sculpted rear seats mean the car is only meant for four, rather than the five you might expect.

It doesn't really matter, as - mechanically at least - there's no great choice. Launched on the 04 plate, all versions get the same 4.2-litre 400bhp V8, which is mated to a semi-automatic paddle-shift gearchange.

Three spec levels are available – Sport, Sport GT and Executive GT - and they all have virtually everything you can think of, bar a CD changer. There are scores of options on colours and finishes, too. So, when you're picking out a used buy, it will effectively boil down to availability and your personal preference of trim and colour schemes.

That said, for the record, the mid-range model gets a carbon-fibre dashboard, while the flagship has a comfort pack that adds a massage function for rear-seat passengers, plus wooden tables and curtains. It’s clearly aimed at the chauffeur market and is our favourite. However, if you’re behind the wheel rather than behind the driver, don’t bother with it.

Seek out a second-hand Quattroporte through the franchised dealer network, or specialist prestige sellers.

Maserati drew praise when it launched the Quattroporte for its aggressive pricing next to rivals from BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Jaguar. However, retained values are good, so buying one won’t be cheap.

If you’re buying a nearly-new car, the firm’s three-year free servicing deal will still apply. But, if you’re outside that period, regular maintenance will be pricey.

With an expensive, exclusive and desirable machine like this, group 20 insurance is unavoidable. That will hit your wallet hard, but it’s worth shopping around specialist firms to get the best deal.

With a thirsty V8 engine under the bonnet, expect regular, costly trips to the petrol station, too. Official fuel economy is 14.9mpg, which will convert to less than that in real-world conditions. What’s more, the fuel tank is small.

Oh, and try not to crash; repair bills on any luxury car are always high.

Historically, Maserati’s reputation for quality and reliability hasn’t been in the premier league, but it has got better in recent years. Investment from parent company Ferrari has undoubtedly helped, and the attention to detail on the cabin’s fixtures and fittings is very impressive.

There are still some concern that things aren’t as good as they could be, however. In 2005, all UK cars were recalled because of a possible manufacturing defect with the electrical wiring harness. This could cause the doors to open unintentionally, although not above speeds of 6mph. Check the outside door handles have been replaced, which was the manufacturer’s cure for the fault. There should be a note in the service history on this if your car was affected.

Avoid high-milers, too, because the free servicing deal only applies if the car does fewer than 14,000 a year, and there’s a risk regular mechanical checks will have been missed.