Welcome Felix, A wonderful first post. I would suggest you try to drive them all and see which one feels the best for you. Of the 3, which do you find most pleasing to your eye?
I, too, am one that never understood the disdain for the 348. The raw, visceral feel is missing in the subsequent cars, though I know some prefer this. Many consider it is having the best steering of all time. The performance is good enough for me on the street or non-competitive tracking. To my eye, it's a beautiful car, with a lovely engine note. The community is great as well, I would be proud to own one.
Agreed. The car is very cool. I've always been a fan. I think it suffers from being sandwiched between its predecessor and its successor, both iconic and beautiful cars.
Indeed, the 308/328 and 355 being two of the 'all-time' greats, I think it suffers unfairly due to this. I also remember the American press was not overly impressed, precisely due to the enormous gains in performance and refinement competitors offered in the epoch. I feel it was a car of a different era (80's) competing in a new paradigm (90's) - and judged by the shifting 'tastes' of the period. That said, owning cars considered quintessential 80's and 90's; I still prefer the raw feel of the 80's offerings over the '90s for sporty driving. No doubt, for touring and performance, the '90s has 80's beat. I fully admit, my preference is purely subjective and many would not only find hard to understand, but disagree. Even more so by many modern enthusiasts.
I totally understand, If I remember correctly, I believe it was a maintenance nightmare for you. I too would have negative thoughts about a car that spent more time in a garage then the road.
The issue with the 348 these days IMO are the dated side strakes and the rear tail light area is just dreadful . I would suggest that for around $100k, the 550 is just too much car to ignore, a very pretty car with good V12 power, all in manual transmission
Not a challenge, I respect fully your critique, after all aesthetics is fully in the realm of subjective personal taste. I hear this a lot, but ask, why are they not dated for the Testarossa?
I had a 2009 F430 that i loved , so on your list, 360... i think it would be the most care free vehicle on your list and absolutely a kick to drive....
for me, in my opinion, the best design among the cited Ferraris, is the 348, with the doors of the testarroosa, and the black grill on the back over the lights, tye steering wheel etc.. for me is on top, then the 355. But overall 355 is better as it have assisted steering (direccion asistida in spanish, im not sure the word in english sorry), more power and more value as well as more sound. Specially if you can get a 95-95 model it has more power and sound then theb96-99 cause it is in EU EURO1, it have a more powerfull chipset, and dedicated air flow per bancada. 360 ir newer like 430 but I dont like, the interior is like plastic, and the design well it has small air holes on the chassis which is is why I look on these cars. As for maintenance, almost all the three are equal. 348 is like a testarrossa (the doors..) 355 is like a small F50 (the air holes om the exterior) V8 versions of the greatness of all times. And.. Why you do not consider a Testarrossa ? is not too much expensive than a 355 you get 12V and a classic car everyone knows about. In my list is a monotronic monodado, 1 mirror.
Good points. I totally recommend one test drive a 348 and 355. Some prefer the added power/refinement of the 355 vs the rawness of the 348 and vice versa. I personally like the look of the 355 better, but as stated the 348 is beautiful to my eye as well. To me, truly personal choice. Here is a great recent article. https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/348-vs-355-article.362744/
355 was also the first one to go to 8500rpm and a 5 valves per cilinder, which was never surpassed. 488 is no more than 8500rpm and 5 valves per cilinder wasa necmver more achieved, I think, as 430, 458 and later still use 4 valve per cilinder. So a 355 with 40 valves, 8500 rpm, pure Ferrari F1 sound, all the bottom of the car flat for air conduction, etcc.. as well as the affordable tag price, were the reasons for my 2017 purchase of my 355 spider rosso tan beige from the 95 which still I own
One question is if you are buying to keep long term or likely to try other Ferrari’s along your journey - hence needing the car to retain its equity until you find the next one. Some of these cars may have less equity in the future or be harder to sell because of trends, age of potential buyers, shift to electric, etc. we always think we’ll keep the car forever but you learn things along the way about what you like and what might make ownership even better. My first Ferrari was the one I had posters on my wall as a kid. A silver over tan 328 GTS. Ownership was very nice and it was a timeless and beautiful car as most Ferrari’s are. I would not recommend a 328 for a hot environment in the south though because the air conditioning is almost non existent. You should also make sure that your choice of car fits your frame as the 328 is old school Ferrari without a lot of interior room. And not a lot of headroom. I’m 6’-1” and my head was about 4” away from the windshield A-frame. The seat head rest landed below my neck... lol I really enjoyed the driving experience even though it did not break any speed records. Fun steering, I wasn’t crazy about the excessive body roll, but loved the body shapes, the open air, and using all my hands and feet to experience the flow on the road. We moved from Colorado to Arizona and after a year, my wife asked me to sell the 328 for a more modern Ferrari that she also could enjoy more. I sold the car to a member and started the search for its replacement. Would I buy another? Yes as an additional car in a garage with several Ferrari’s. but not only a 328 at the expense of the other newer cars which I have enjoyed even more. I liked the looks of the 348 but I pushed my budget “at the time” and looked for a 355, 360, or 550. I’d consider the 348 but it has air conditioning issues also and living in the desert makes that less likely to be in my garage. I love the 348 spider in particular. In black... Growing up in high school in the 80’s I also like the mondial. But again, I would not have it as my only Ferrari but would gladly add it to a larger garage with other Ferrari’s. It’s a cool car to me. The F355 won the next car contest. I have owned or taken care of 4 including an F355 Challenge race car. Nothing but top marks for the model. Don’t believe the poor maintenance scares on YouTube from the clickbait machines. Once the cars are sorted out with a fix on several of their issues (and all Ferrari’s require sorting), ownership is very rewarding and you benefit from all the F1 noise, looks, and extra room over the oldest school v8’s. Driving is rediculously fun. Just enough power to let you enjoy the car on any roadway without getting locked up too quickly. You can select a berlinetta (my favorite) a GTS with targa, or a full convertible with even more connections to your environment. after finding the perfect dream spec of a car on the F355 for me, I wanted to add another Ferrari to the garage. So I found a 360 Modena stick. While my fellow cultist F355 owners will be shocked at my input, the 360 can be a better car in many (but not all) respects to the F355. The 360 wins in Grunt / torque / responsiveness Driver Ergonomics Cabin Room and storage Better and more usable Air conditioning Best steering wheel Showing off the engine through the glass engine lid Ease of belt maintenance The 95 F355 wins in Looks Sound Gearbox smoothness and clutch Visibility out of car Flying buttresses Some of the Prettiest wheels ever on a Ferrari Lack of alarm fobs and ease of exhaust mods Really the perfect driving experience for a fun car Main issues on the 360 It can be too edgy on handling on fast curves. The F355 doesn’t have that issue. The manual gearbox is not as good as the one on the F355. Not bad, but you’d think the newer model would have a better gearbox... I’ve been in F1 paddle 360’s and I’m cool with them also. Just expect likely higher clutch wear. The 360 is not as pretty as the F355. It’s kind of a bigger marshmallow of a car. I originally really did not like the looks 10-15 years ago but over time it grew on me. Great curves. Kind of a more modern Dino or 328. In Challenge Stradale guise, feminine curves with some extra sharpness. I also like the 430 if that’s in your budget. It might be the best first Ferrari because most of its maint is fairly tame. So nothing really scary for those unfamiliar with Ferrari needs. Mostly fluids, tires, brake pads, and that sticky interior that all from the 348 and onward were cursed with. But all Ferrari’s need sorting by someone. So leave some extra cash in your budget to take care of most issues that can pop up. Just remember, the 360 is fast enough to scare and exhilarate you and doesn’t have a lot of driver aids to assist you. The F430 even faster. At some point, you just can’t use all that speed or power. The F355 can be just as fast as the 360 but is more predictable. So it is the perfect Ferrari for me. I have never been disappointed by my F355’s. The older cars really “feel” older so make sure you decide if you want that or something with a bit more comfort / room / features. The 360 was a great add as well. Different experience than the F355 but you can feel the dna connection. As I get older in life, I enjoy the benefits of newer cars. Not the newest cars, but not the opposite either. Should be a fun search for you. Keep us updated. Robb
Ferrari's are investments, have been for a long time. However they do go down as well as up in value. So I guess you have to buy at the right price, ie as cheap as you can. Generally the saying buy the best for the money you have , is very true. You dont want maintenance to rule what you have bought. But then the price goes up. Of the 3 cars you chose, Ferrari has made a lot of each model. Respectively they would not be classed with a good potential to increase in value. At least probably not in your life time. Thats probably a bit harsh, but it will take some time to see any upside, in my opinion. So I would say pick another 3 Ferraris, but increase your budget. Or choose one of the 3 you have already selected, and drive it and enjoy yourself.
It really depends on the purpose - the 328 will not be as easy to use as the others; the 348 and 360 can be used as "modern" cars - the 348 must be cheaper than the 360 to be considered (because it's older, and maintenance is more expensive- no engine-out service on the 360). None of these cars are really fast, but of course the more recent, the faster.
None of the above. Sorry, I know that’s not what you are asking but I would buy a F355 (manual) or a 550 Maranello.
no apologies necessary, I doubt the OP or any of us find offense with your suggestion. Which is a good one too!
I prefer driving my 458 over my 488. Irony is I also prefer it over my 250GT. But ferrari still needs to work in its sticky buttons. My experience, s that my 328GTS is reliable and low maintenance. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat