You usually buy a Mercedes E-Class-sized saloon partly to make sure there’s a lot of space inside for people and their luggage, and partly because you want to be seen in it. Most models in the class do a reasonable job of blending the two, with obvious biases towards one side of the argument, or the other.

In the case of the Ghibli, though, Maserati seems to have all but neglected the practical side and made some inexcusable mistakes in the thought process behind the creation of the car, at least according to the latest CarBuyer review.

Host Mat Watson is adamant that the car’s steering is rubbish, the gear selector is confusing, the space in the back and in the trunk is poor, the reliability can’t be as good as the Germans’ and it doesn’t ride very well, whichever suspension setup you go for.

In his view, the only reason to buy the Ghibli is for the badge, the look and the engine note, but that’s hard to justify since it’s noticeably more expensive than its main rivals and it lacks their bewildering variety of engines.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO