458 - 458 v. Gallardo | FerrariChat

458 458 v. Gallardo

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by 3POINT8, Feb 17, 2020.

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  1. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Rookie
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    Jan 23, 2014
    4,395
    2012 458 v. 2012 550-2 comparison.

    I own the 458 and had a chance for a hours long test drive in the Lambo. I'm sure this comparison has been made numerous, numerous times but no one in my family wants to hear me talk about cars so maybe someone here will.

    Looks - This is subjective but hard to beat a red on tan 458. Gallardo looks way better in person than in pictures. 458 just looks like it has more thought into it and the Gallardo looks like a protype of sorts.

    Steering/handling - 458 is light, Lambo feels real solid. I really like the feedback in the Lambo but the 458 was so much more precise. I went on a very spirited drive on a winding mountain road and it was awesome but that little voice in my head was like - this would be cooler in a Ferrari. I thought I felt a slight body roll in the Lambo that is not present in the 458. I did not feel the weight transfer as much upon breaking and accelerating that I do on the 458. I am assuming I need to drive it more and under varying circumstances to get a better feel.

    Brakes - The Lambo brakes are real solid and not punchy at all. I did not like the feel on the brake pedal as you don't push it in far and there's not a lot of feedback so you are wondering if the car is going to stop or not but it does a great job of getting down quick.

    Transmission - No question 458 is much better. You can really tell the DCT v egear. Around town DCT is much smoother. Also under a load the DCT does not skip a beat. When you are accelerating in the Lambo and upshift there's a second where your tires seem to twitch or loose traction and there's a bit of a pause. The downshifts are great in the Lambo. I still enjoyed the egear as it felt more old school.

    Acceleration - Not sure if I noticed much a difference in end speed but the Lambo has a great pull. I'm not sure how to describe it but it is a very smooth strong pull. A bit less dramatic than the 458 but real, real solid. My favorite part of the car.

    Sound - slight edge to 458 because it sounds better at all speeds. the v10 in the Lambo really hums up around 4rpm and higher. start up is a bit better in the Lambo.

    I think I'll still buy the Lambo as I got a real good deal on it but I prefer the 458 all around. The Gallardo is a lot of bang for your buck though.
     
  2. Coincid

    Coincid F1 Rookie

    Dec 9, 2014
    3,577
    Canada
    By your scoring system, the 458 is the easy winner. The G wins on value. Sounds like an easy decision. You already own the car you prefer.
     
  3. tr328

    tr328 Formula Junior

    Jun 19, 2003
    905
    Pacifica, California
    Full Name:
    Darryl
    I also own both 458 and a Gallardo. I agree with some of your comments. By far the 458 pulls faster than Gallardo. I have a 2005 all-wheel drive which is different from your 550-2. My all-wheel drive feels completely different from the 458 rear wheel drive. I agree with the Gallardo being a lot of bang for the buck. I like driving both cars but if I had to pick one car it would be the Ferrari 458 hands down.
     
  4. Whatupdoc

    Whatupdoc Karting

    Feb 17, 2020
    52
    How about 458 vs huracan?
    That was my struggle for some time but ultimately went with the 458 spider because my wife was just reviled at the thought of owning a lambo haha...

    Obviously there were many other reasons and I just can’t be happier with the decision


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
  5. Jason B

    Jason B Formula Junior

    Apr 7, 2006
    397
    Hbg, PA
    Man, great timing! Been looking at the 458. This comparison couldn't have been any better unless you said it was a PRE-LP Gallardo, as I'm in love with the exhaust/engine sound on the Pre-LP. One of the best sounding cars every made 04-08 with an exhaust, sounds as good as Carerra GT and LFA, and the cold start is super crazy.

    You definitely must drive a Pre-LP (04-08), LP is (09-14). Pre-LP has a different 5.0 motor with unique F1 sound and one of the big reasons I went with that car, and some other reasons as I drove both year range Gallardo's. That and the 458 prob the two best sounding cars in the past 10+ years to current easy.

    Here ya go, listen to this:



    The 458 is like an s2000 on crack. It def is much lighter steering and more go cart feel. This is Ferrari's specialty and they have it down. Single clutch vs dual clutch is kinda like saying stick shift vs auto. Single clutch Egear in the Lambo is simply awesome and a great experience. The DCT is a whole different feel but cool to have BOTH.

    I really appreciate this review and hopefully soon I'll be able do a comparo the pre LP to a 458.
     
  6. Carnut

    Carnut F1 Rookie
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    The Gallardo, back in time I turned my 04 into RWD, then it was great. In AWD it drove like a Toyota pickup truck. I would not take a Gallardo over a 458, I would not even take one over a 4C, but that is just my opinion. The E gear would not be a transmission I'd ever want again.
     
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  7. Coincid

    Coincid F1 Rookie

    Dec 9, 2014
    3,577
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    The Gallardo is better compared to the F430. The 458 is superior on every objective and subjective metric of performance. I owned the Balboni, the most thrilling G ever made. It was raw, hard core and a total blast to drive. On a track , it was pure excitement. Talk about adrenaline inducing. It required driving mastery in order to avoid spin outs or an outright crash. It was prone to oversteer and wheel spin when pushed but for an experienced driver it was a true test of one's prowess around a track. The egear is archaic and prone to failure, highly jerky but again, required skill to prevent whiplash or spine damage. The egear cannot be used in auto mode as gear shifts were slow and unpredictable. The G and its variants are the last of the old school breed of super car. The 458 represents the inauguration of the new wave of more refined, and technically accomplished super cars.
     
  8. jac

    jac Karting

    Nov 4, 2005
    95
    Full Name:
    jack cohen
    Funny you should ask. So Gallardo. Epic car fast fun planted I have a gated 6 that sings like a turning fork through the gears. Ting ting ting. Love the car. I simultaneously owned a diablo 6.0. Gallardo all day long. Better driving experience. Funny enough I sold the Diablo for my 458. 458 is equally spectacular. I took my wife for a 1st drive in the 458 and accelerated. She then started hitting me to calm it down! You can make the butt wiggle with a 458 and oversteer is fun. Gallardo awd needs more throttle mid corner to do the same but it does! Ferrari feels faster but 08 Lambo vs 13 Ferrari is to be expected. Basically to grab the keys to one or the other I am at this point 60 Ferrari 40 Lamborghini but Ferrari is newer to me.
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  9. wthensler

    wthensler F1 Rookie
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    What I don’t understand is why are exotics offered in 4WD versions. Granted, I’m in FL, but I constantly read of understeer in 4 versions of the Lambos. Does Ferrari even do 4WD?
     
  10. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Rookie
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    yes the e-gear is the only real glaring difference between the cars. it has not aged that well but it was better than i expected
     
  11. Jason B

    Jason B Formula Junior

    Apr 7, 2006
    397
    Hbg, PA
    #11 Jason B, Feb 18, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2020
    My pre-LP is Rwd converted (this is very simple to do and fully reversible, takes 1-2 hours) and super fun. Everything gets way better with RWD only in the Gallardo, like the previous poster mentions about his Balboni model. You can do this to any Gallardo 04-14 and it's changes the car night & day all in the positive! Also, that single clutch egear/F1 it's what's great. I'm a manual only sports car guy, until this car. If you like manuals this car is even more fun with this single clutch.

    I've been sick for a while and haven't driven the car in 3 weeks. That's the longest I've ever gone without driving it. When I take this car out, I turn my phone OFF! No distractions, except a lamborghini 5.0 liter V-10 singing F1 sounds behind my head. No distractions, except perfect upshifts and killer sounding downshifts. Sport mode ON, pedal to the floor = skull cracking shifts. This car is the most fun you can have with you clothes on.

    That's what's great about these cars. You can have a lambo, and a Ferrari which both drive completely different and cater to the mood you may be in that day.

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  12. Il Co-Pilota

    Il Co-Pilota F1 Veteran

    May 29, 2019
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    Had a Gallardo 560-4 in my possession for a week years ago. Absolutely came to hate it, as it dissapointed on so many levels. It really opened my eyes to what the racing heritage of Ferrari means, and what it is. The Lambo wasn't bad in the sense of feeling loose or the like. It was just clunky and heavy feeling. It didn't feel nible and light on its feet, and the understeer was downright ridiculous. It felt generic, it felt like a powerful car with no performance purpose. The interior was bland, and the seats left much to be desired.

    I can understand the idea of someone who wants to be loud and show off. Fine, it's spot on in Verde Mantis with gloss gold wheels. (Yep, that was the colour!), that it does well. But honestly, as a sports car, a drivers car? How can anyone in their right mind step out of a 458 and into a 560- or 570-4 and with hand on heart say "Yes, the Lambo is the better car". As a sports car it is the worst car in decades. Not because there aren't cars that as drivers cars aren't worse, because there are, but because Lamborghini and Audi damn well knows better and could do better.
    Never again and glad it was not my money wasted on the rental that week. Note that the car was technically sound. It wasn't an actual rental. It was a private car "rented" via a mutual contact at a holiday, so it wasn't because it was a beat up and worn down fleet car.

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  13. Ash Patel

    Ash Patel Formula Junior

    Dec 12, 2015
    536
    Stockholm, Sweden
    what about a comparision between 458 and 570-4 Superleggera? Anyone driven one and how does it compare to the F?
     
  14. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Rookie
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    I drove the 458 this morning and the differences are very noticeable. As the poster above mention, you can tell the racing heritage. Ferrari felt like a race car. And you make a good point about purpose. The 458 seemed to have more of a purpose. The lambo is more a souped up sport car for the street. I still liked it though.
     
  15. Carnut

    Carnut F1 Rookie
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    I used to say that every AWD sports car should be melted down to make homes for those less fortunate. The more modern AWD cars are much better and some do an amazing job at hiding that they are AWD. I even own one myself now a C4S 911, but the older Gallardo were just really bad in AWD, and if I remember correctly balancing the chassis was the hardest part, I had experience with turning AWD (996tt) to RWD but the Gallardo was a lot harder to get right, tried a bunch of different setups to get the suspension tuned right.
     
  16. NaO

    NaO Karting

    Apr 23, 2017
    223
    I agree with the awd gallardos. Quite a bit of experience with an 09 and it tends to feel like the car is floaty and pulls to the left/right when giving some throttle on any degree of turn. Visibility is less than ideal, but the exhaust note is fantastic. No issues with the gearbox in post e gear models. In Corsa mode the car shifts hard and fast, which isn’t necessarily a negative depending on personal preference.


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
  17. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Rookie
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    the '12 RWD that i drove felt real solid. visbility was fine as well. What are "post e gear models". I though all G's (besides manual gated 6 speeds) were e-gear???
     
  18. Coincid

    Coincid F1 Rookie

    Dec 9, 2014
    3,577
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    All Gs were e-gear.
     
  19. Wikdstrate

    Wikdstrate Formula Junior
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    Mar 25, 2013
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    Don't ever drive an E-gear car after driving a Ferrari DCT or even worse...a Porsche PDK. You will want to slit your throat.

    E-Gear is complete garbage, if you go with a Gallardo you have to go with a gated shift. Same with the old Audi R8's.
     
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  20. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Rookie
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    i drove my 458 right after the G and it is night and day. DCT is much quicker. That said, I think you are being a bit harsh on the e-gear. Not complete garbage, just older technology. still fun to drive and under a load the shifts are dramatic. downshifts also give you a nice bark.
     
  21. Jason B

    Jason B Formula Junior

    Apr 7, 2006
    397
    Hbg, PA
    #21 Jason B, Feb 20, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2020
    If anyone heard the engine in a 04-08 Gallardo vs 09-14 it's night and day. The same difference like a 458 vs a 488. One I heard this car 04-08 the sound is just incredible. I posted a video above. You can't unhear it. I'm all about sound and experience. For a 04-08 G, change the exhaust and you have a car that sounds like a LFA, and a Carerra GT. I think actually better as I've heard them all in person. The LFA is great, but very quiet. No one may believe me because in videos they all sound similar.

    The Egear in the Gallardos is fabulous, because.... I'm a stick/manual only type of guy. Well, I was until I drove the Egear/F1 gallardo. I said I'd only have a gated/stick lambo, not interested in any other choice, well, I ate my words after I drove one. If you like manual cars, then single clutch is awesome. Think of the the most perfect shift you could ever do in a real manual car, a manual car with over 500 HP. It's super raw if you want it to be and I love it. I also had a Huracan for almost a week and was bored with the DCT, way less soul and the sound just isn't like the 04-08 Lambo built motor. Keep in mind the 09-14 Gallardo motor is same for all the 09-20 including Huracan. Same motor from Audi, newer ones get more HP but sound is basically the same. 04-08 G's were the super unique sound that was lost on 09+ to current. Some may not care, I'm just addicted to a great sounding car and 04-08's are more raw visceral feeling. People all about speed, yes DCT will destroy a single clutch in SPEED, but I have that car for the raw experience and sound, etc that Lambo was once known for. The last car like this is the Aventador. It's the only car left that's a single clutch. I'd like to think Lambo left the single clutch in their most expensive car that's $500k+ because they still want it to have that Lamboness.

    This is WHY I love the 458. While is has DCT the damn engine sound is incredible. One of the best sounding V8 ferrari's made, and that why I love it. Totally difference experience over the Lambo which would feel like a real stick shift car with neck breaking grunt if you want it.
     
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  22. Vlad147

    Vlad147 Rookie

    Dec 18, 2019
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    Vladimir Rupchev
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  23. Jason B

    Jason B Formula Junior

    Apr 7, 2006
    397
    Hbg, PA
    Great pics! Nothing beats the sound of that lambo cold start with the right exhaust.
     
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  24. Jason B

    Jason B Formula Junior

    Apr 7, 2006
    397
    Hbg, PA
    [​IMG]

    Happy to join you :)
     
  25. Ash Patel

    Ash Patel Formula Junior

    Dec 12, 2015
    536
    Stockholm, Sweden
    I added a SL to my garage, what an incredible car, the most fun / dramatic car I've ever driven (also the loudest with the IPE titanium exhaust) and this one I will keep for a few years as I got it for such a good price and I think they are still undervalued compared to what a special package you get (imo).

    Compared to the 458 and the 580-2 Huracan this one feels so much more special and "racy" as the other two feels like two GT cars compared to this one (floating on the road). It's much more controllable when it reaches the point where you start sliding. The least natural car to slide around in of these three is actually the 458 which I would not expect.

    Love the single clutch transmission that gives a real kick (not a artificially built in kick like the DCT trans in 458 and Huracan which just seems a bit fake) and much more controllable when playing around the corners drifting. The build quality is also superb compared to the 458.

    The last few years I've started to change my approach to cars as I just get bored with more and mor HP, rather seeking that thrill and goosebumps that I only get from hig revvig NA engines and transmissions, rather that showing off the latest and greatest (alomost everything new today is just too smooth ie lame in my book), and started to appreciate the more raw cars as the SL is the last Gallardo iteration one from the Lambo factory with a e-gear transmission that is really brutal but still holds up very well.

    Here are some pics.

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