Maserati Levante Review 2024

Maserati Levante At A Glance

3/5

+One of the most stylish SUVs on the market. Handles superbly well for what is a big vehicle. Huge boot and lots of rear legroom. More exclusive than the usual competition from BMW and Audi.

-Originally only available with a diesel engine. Brakes could do with more bite. Clunky gear selector.

New prices start from £69,800
Insurance Group 50
On average it achieves 127% of the official MPG figure

It's a sign of how the the car market has changed in recent years that Maserati - one of the most exotic car manufacturers around - now has a diesel SUV in its line up. We kind of expected it from Porsche with the Cayenne, but Maserati...

So this is the way forward it appears. After all, everyone wants SUVs these days. You only have to drive into any town centre car park to see that. How many actually go off road? Zero. But do people still buy them? Yes. They'll say it's for practicality and the like, but much of it is for status. An SUV is seen as that bit posher than a saloon or hatchback.

And when it comes to status, few brands carry as much weight as Maserati. Drive a Levante and you'll attract plenty of attention, much more so than a similarly expensive BMW or even a Porsche. It's this exclusivity and brand image that is a big part of the appeal for the Levante. If you want something different from the crowd, the Levante is it.

This does come at a price, though. The Levante starts at more than £55k new, although in context that's actually not bad at all. It's close in price to a Cayenne diesel and similar to a high-spec Audi Q7.

From launch, only a diesel Levante was available. The same big 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that's used in the Quattroporte and the Ghibli. With 275PS, it's not short of power - but it's the 600Nm of torque that makes this SUV so driveable. In mid-2017, the Levante S was added which has a 430PS 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. Built by Ferrari no less.

The standard gearbox is an eight-speed automatic and the Levante comes well equipped with air suspension as standard, a torque vectoring system, adaptive cruise control and of course navigation. That's not to say you won't find it easy to add on £10k worth of options without even trying.

It's described by its maker as 'the Maserati of SUVs' and it certainly follows the same path as the Ghibli and Quattroporte. That means the Levante is powerful, incredibly comfortable on the move and has a top quality interior. Yes the gear selector is clunky, the brakes could do with more bite and the steering lacks feel through corners, but that doesn't detract from what is one of the most appealing and desirable SUVs around.

Real MPG average for a Maserati Levante

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

127%

Real MPG

13–36 mpg

MPGs submitted

7

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Ask Honest John

Rear discs have corroded on my Maserati Levante - is this normal wear and tear?

"The rear discs on my Maserati Levante Q4 Super Sport have corroded badly after three years/24,000 miles of normal road use/driving, from new. This seems excessive to me. Never had this problem before and the fronts are pristine. Is this within normal wear and tear for this vehicle? The vehicle is out of warranty period by two months."
Worth sending a nice letter to see if they'll replace them as a goodwill gesture. Legally, you'd have difficulty arguing your case, you'd have to prove the premature wear isn't down to heavy use or the conditions the car has been used in i.e. salty roads, lots of short journeys with numerous hot-cold heat cycles.
Answered by Russell Campbell

What's the best used luxury 4x4 with a beige interior?

"I have a Porsche Cayenne diesel that I like but I want to change having had it for three years. I think it is worth about £27,000. I can add up to £25,000 to the trade-in. I don't like the options from Mercedes-Benz or BMW. But I do want something a bit unusual and luxurious. Beige or cream leather and interior are a must. Air suspension is desirable. Must be reliable and around three years old or so in age. I have been looking at the Range Rover Sport and Maserati Levante but I'm not convinced of reliability of either. Do you have any other ideas? "
Neither the Maserati or the Range Rover have a great record for reliability but they both have air suspension and you'll find plenty of examples with beige or cream leather. The Maserati is the sportier of the two, while the Range Rover is more practical and more comfortable. Lexus and Toyota make the best SUVs for reliability – the Lexus RX is very comfortable and surprisingly good on fuel thanks to its hybrid engine – but neither are exactly inspiring to own. I wonder have you considered the Audi Q8? It's a much rarer sight than the Q7, is slightly sportier to drive but shares the Q7's extremely comfortable air suspension and effortlessly powerful diesel engines, the interior is also very smart and beautifully built, if not as traditional as the Maserati or Range Rover. If you can find one with the right interior colours, it is definitely worth considering.
Answered by Russell Campbell

What premium SUV model updates are coming soon?

"I'm going to change my Range Rover Velar shortly, after three years ownership. I'm considering another Velar, Alfa Stelvio or Maserati Levante. Are there any forthcoming model changes that I should be aware of with these vehicles?"
The Range Rover Velar's been on sale for three years so we can probably expect a facelift to be revealed soon. An updated Maserati Levante has been spied testing and is expected to go on sale in 2021. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio has recently been updated, too: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/alfa-romeo/stelvio-2017/history/
Answered by Andrew Brady

Do Maserati still rust readily?

"I'm thinking of buying a Maserati Levante. I live a mile from the sea. Am I likely to be letting myself in for a lot of rust-related grief in a few years time? I was disappointed to learn that the manufacturer still only provides a three year corrosion warranty."
The rust problem came from the deal between Fiat and the Russians who paid for the Fiat 124 production line with sub-standard Russian steel that contained a high percentage of scrap. That was in about 1970. Since that poor quality steel got used up, Italian cars have been no better and no worse than anything else. The worst ruster in recent years was the Mercedes-Benz W210 E-Class, but that was mainly due to poor paint preparation.
Answered by Honest John
More Questions

What does a Maserati Levante cost?