Which four-door coupe is the better buy? 01/04/2011
Among luxury buyers, four-door coupes - cars that combine the performance of a sports car with the roominess of a sedan - are all the rage, as they allow drivers to have their cake and eat it too. These cars typically boast V8-or-larger engines that allow them to smoke most other cars on the road, while still taking the family or business clients along for the ride.
Two options that fit this mold are the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG and the Maserati Quattroporte (in Italian: four doors). These two vehicles are close in price, with the Maserati at $134,700 and the Mercedes at $138,000. But if a driver plans on throwing this kind of cash down, they'll undoubtedly want to know which offers more.
The Maserati might be the exotic Italian sportscar, but the Mercedes pretty much demolishes it in terms of performance. True, the Mercedes costs $3,000 more, but the S63's 536 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque dwarf the Quattroporte's 433 horsepower and 361 lb-ft. Of course, these figures are so ridiculous that they probably won't come into play - you'll never need more than 400 horses off the race track - but it's worth noting.
On the interior, the S63 maintains its supremacy. There's no denying the prestige and rarity of simply saying you own a Maserati, but the Mercedes owner gets more features, including keyless ignition and the Mbrace system, which features concierge service and roadside assistance.