Compare the2023 Audi RS 3VS 2023 Maserati Ghibli

The RS 3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Ghibli doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the RS 3 and Ghibli have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The RS 3 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Ghibli’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Audi RS 3 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Ghibli doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The RS 3 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Ghibli doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the RS 3. But it costs extra on the Ghibli.

Both the RS 3 and the Ghibli have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the RS 3 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Ghibli has not been fully tested, yet.

The RS 3’s corrosion warranty is 8 years and unlimited miles longer than the Ghibli’s (12/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

There are almost 3 times as many Audi dealers as there are Maserati dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the RS 3’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Audi vehicles are better in initial quality than Maserati vehicles. With 16 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Audi higher than Maserati.

The RS 3’s 2.5 turbo 5-cylinder produces 56 more horsepower (401 vs. 345) than the Ghibli GT’s standard 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi RS 3 is faster than the Ghibli Modena 3.0 turbo V6:

On the EPA test cycle the RS 3 gets better mileage than the Ghibli:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi RS 3 higher (3 out of 10) than the Maserati Ghibli (1 to 3). This means the RS 3 produces up to 22.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Ghibli every 15,000 miles.

The RS 3 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Ghibli doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the RS 3’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Ghibli:

The RS 3 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Ghibli doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

For better traction, the RS 3 has larger front tires than the Ghibli (265/30R19 vs. 245/45R19). The RS 3’s front tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Ghibli (265/30R19 vs. 245/40R20).

The RS 3’s 265/30R19 front and 245/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Ghibli’s standard 45 series front and 40 series rear tires. The RS 3’s tires are lower profile than the Ghibli’s optional 35 series front tires.

The RS 3 handles at .94 G’s, while the Ghibli Modena Q4 pulls only .91 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Audi RS 3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 650 pounds less than the Maserati Ghibli.

The RS 3 is 1 foot, 5.1 inches shorter than the Ghibli, making the RS 3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The RS 3 has 3.5 inches more front legroom and 1.9 inches more rear legroom than the Ghibli.

The RS 3 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Ghibli doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the RS 3 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Ghibli can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The RS 3’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Ghibli’s standard xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield, the RS 3 has standard extendable sun visors. The Ghibli doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi RS 3 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Ghibli.

The RS 3’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Ghibli doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Audi A3/S3/RS 3 outsold the Maserati Ghibli by almost six to one during 2022.