Ferrari vs Lamborghini (Driving Expericance)

You are gonna get as many answers to this question as there are people who have driven both.

But I'll start.

Overall, I prefer the 360 over the Gallardo. I've driven both on a track. Granted I've driven a 360 spider extensively on the road, but not a Gallardo. The gallardo no doubt leaves your butt prints in the seat, but it actually scared the crap out of me. After getting used to the Ferrari and my family's racing RX8s, I could never bring myself to trust the brakes in the Gallardo. The feedback was so bad I don't really ever want to get back into one, driver or passenger. IMO, I just found the 360 to be an clear winner overall, due to pedal feel, responsiveness, quickness, and general feel. No doubt driving the Gallardo put a grin on my face, but once I started thinking about things other then how fast I was going when I went past the flag station at the start/finish line at VIR, I slowly started to realize there wasn't as much there as I had hoped, and it kind of saddened me. I'd loved Lamborghini's since I was 10, but now Ferrari is the only way to go for me.

 

I haven't driven either but could you explain this statement, please? I know it's a matter of opinion but with today's technology it has become common for cars that are better on the track to be better on the road as well...

 

I've driven quite a few of each, but only owned Ferraris. I'd say it really depends on each car in the comparison.

Current Lambos versus current Ferraris, no contest, Prancing Horse all the way. I like how the Gallardo and Murcie look (save for the rear of the G), and I especially like how they go, but driving one, unsurprisingly, is like driving a fast Audi with a boob job. Whereas, if you jump in a 430 or 360, well, it's a Ferrari, and is unapologetic of that fact.

That's not to say I wouldn't want a current Lambo, rumors of a RWD Gallardo have me scratching much chin.

Now, if you're talking older Lambos, specifically the Diablo 6.0, it gets really hard, at least for me, to decide. I love the 6.0. It's still old school Lambo-crazy, and unlike the current fleet, that crazy isn't smoothed over or hidden from small children. It just wants to kill things, including the owner, if he doesn't give it proper respect. And I love that about them. Put a 6.0 up against a 360 or 430, and I'd probably go for the crazy bull, just because it is one.

 

I agree with your assesment of the Gallardo driving experience. I test drove an '04 model and although it certainly is a great looking, sounding car, the driving experience became quite bland and generic after a few miles. Even the horn sounded like any garden variety Ford or Chevy sedan as opposed to the high pitched sound of the Italian Fiamm horns. On the contrary, when I got my 1st Ferrari, an '86 328 GTS back in 1997, I was excited by the driving experience. Maybe it was the sound of the engine, perhaps the smell of the leather or lastly the thought of all that racing history that made for such an awesome driving experience. And possibly it was the fact of realizing a dream that took 13 years to attain. I had not found another car to capture that feeling until I test drove a carbed Boxer and that feeling came back in buckets. So, I bought it and I am looking forward to blasting it on the freeways.

 

Driven a gallardo with e-gear and 360 with f1. The gallardo definitely had more torque and felt faster. The shifting felt a little smoother. But, it also felt heavier and a bit more numb than the 360. The 360 was great after it'd open up in the upper rpms. It was a much more exciting drive. Between the sound and overall feel of the car, it was much more fun and more of a driving experience than the gallardo. despite it feeling a tad bit slower.

 

I own both (F430 and Gallardo). The overall feel and finish to the Ferrari is by far superior. Both cars are exceptional, but the Ferrari just takes it in most all aspects. When it comes to the looks of each car, sometimes I lean towards the Gallardo. I get more looks and comments when driving the Gallardo over the F430. When it comes to price, it's hard to spend the extra $100,000 for the F430.

 

(In a bit of a rush so here goes..)

Disclaimer: I don’t own either car, but have put at least 500 miles (probably closer to 1000+) on several different Lamborghinis and Ferraris including, but not limited to both the Gallardo and Gallardo Spyder, Ferrari 360/360 Spider, 550 Maranello, and Ferrari F430. I have a little bit of seat time in the Murcielago but not enough to form a conclusive opinion unfortunately.

I am NOT an expert, but by definition, I as I get paid to drive and instruct these cars, by definition, I am a professional. I’ve driven each car in basically every single different weather and road condition- but never on the track. I’ve driven it through NYC in the pouring rain, on secluded back roads, highways, shopping, in rush hour, etc- everything you can imagine, and while similarly priced and aimed at the same demographic, the cars could not be any different. As I’ve spent the most time in the Gallardo and 360/430, I’ll compare these.

Street/City driving:
-The Lamborghini, at parking lot speeds and anything under 60 miles an hour feels heavy due to the AWD. It feels its weight, and just isn’t that exciting around town. The earlier MY04 Gallardo’s aren’t very comfortable whatsoever compared to the 360/430s. It’s a very low car and easy to curb if you’re not careful. I managed to pick up a $1000 repair bill on a Gallardo due to this lol. The angle of the windshield is awkward to see out around town as it almost feels as if you’re in a spaceship.
-The current V8 Ferrari’s are very tractable at any speed, especially around town.

Usability:
-The Lamborghini’s trunk is laughable at best. There’s a split partition that we generally break out of every car- with it in, you couldn’t even fit a laptop case. It is not meant to store anything whatsoever. The MY04 Gallardo’s generally aren’t that comfortable IMO. The seat pushes your lower back out, and can become extremely irritating after an hour or so of driving. The MY06 Gallardo’s are significantly more comfortable and have better appointed interiors however. It’s also a b*tch to get in and out of when you’re trailoring- if that’s ever a concern- due to the small windows.
-The 360/F430 has enough room to fit a weekend bag and then some. We’ve picked numerous clients up at the airport without any issues whatsoever. They are comfortable in and around town and during spirited driving.
-Both stereos/radios suck, and for anyone who says “why do I need a radio when I have a V8/V10 behind my head?” have never driven in stop and go traffic on a Friday on the George Washington Bridge. It’s miserable.

Appearance/Attention:
-Hands down, anywhere you go and in any circumstance the Lamborghini gets exponentially more attention- both positive and negative. Everyone has something to say. Kids smile, old men ask questions, women gawk. I’ve been asked a half dozen times if the Ferrari was the new Mustang, if it was my fathers car, etc.

High(er) Speeds:
-The Lamborghini, due to its AWD and weight (not to mention torque) really comes alive when being pushed hard in the corners and back roads. The only thing more impressive than the acceleration is the deceleration. UNBELIEVABLE! They are faster then the 360, but not the 430, but it’s an extremely different feel. They might as well be polar opposites

Engine Sound:
-It’s all a matter of opinion; I prefer the Ferrari’s V8 personally- with a Tubi exhaust and straight pipes (for the 360) or a Capristo for the 430. The Tubi for the F430, IMO, didn’t sound all that great. We have Tubi’s on the MY04 Gallardo’s and it sounds much better than stock. The MY06 Gallardo’s don’t’ need an exhaust as they come well tuned from the factory

If I had to own one:
-My driving is much different than most as I spend a ton of time in and around NYC, parking on the street, at clubs, dinner, shopping, etc. If it were to be my daily driver and snow wasn’t a factor, the F430 would probably be the car. It doesn’t get as much [negative] attention, as is significantly more fun to drive at lower speeds than the heavier Gallardo. The Gallardo also feels somewhat bland after a while. Speed isn’t everything, and the German’s over-engineered a bit of its soul out of it.
-If the car was bought solely to pick up girls; Gallardo Spyder hands down. No car besides the Murcielago gets more attention. Ever.
-A Sunday/track car: Probably, again the F430. I prefer the RWD feel.

Lamborghini screwed up originally by flooding the market and overproducing and undermarketing the Gallardo. MY04’s are unbelievably cheap, and as they keep producing all these BS special edition cars (Nero, SE, etc), they’ll only become cheaper. MY06’s are worth the extra $$ to the MY04s, hands down.

Conversely, if you can spring for the extra $$ and plan on holding on to the car, the F430 IS WORTH THE EXTRA $75k. Over the course of 3 years of driving, you can easily save $20k, and god forbid something goes wrong internally, a lot more.

Overall, both awesome cars. I wouldn’t own a 360 out of warranty as I’ve seen tons of nightmares. I wouldn’t touch an MY04 Gallardo, even if it was given to me. Too many issues. The F430 is great, but its almost too perfect. I like the raw feeling of the 360 a bit better, but as the F430 is more reliable, has a warranty, and is faster, I’d take one. Probably in Spider form as I prefer open air driving.

It’s imperative that a potential buyer drives BOTH cars extensively before buying either. I don’t understand how someone can spend $100k+ on a car without really getting to know each car on an intimate level. Test driving a car will not give you a good enough perspective of each car; I cannot stress enough that everyone should spend the $1-3k renting each car.

Take care.

 

good to know

attention!! - if anybody feels like giving away a gallardo they can PM me instead of KennyH, hah

as for the ferrari vs lambo war...im not a fan of the f430 or the gallardo's styling IMO. and i can't stand how the gallardo is nicknamed the "baby mercielago". but i love the looks of the diablo and merci, and love the styling of the 355, 360, 550/575, 612, and 599. I've never been in an f430 but ive driven numerous 360s and i hear the f430 is a significant improvement over it (as if it needed improving). so if this is an f430 vs. gallardo battle i'd have to say neither. but if its ferrari vs. lambo i'd go with ferrari.

 

This is a great point. When I get to drive fun cars, I never get relaxed enough in them to really get a feel for it. I tend to drive like an old woman out of respect for the owner and my lack of real skill. If I were to buy a Ferrari, Lambo etc. and was undecided what to get, renting one for a week would be the only way to go.

Ken

 

Nobody ever went broke overestimating the depth of stupidity of the average guy on the street.

Seriously, excellent review of both marques, and I agree with most of what you have to say, except that in my opinion the 430 doesn't need an aftermarket exhaust.

Gary

 

I personally find Ferraris (or most exotics for that matter), with the exception of the F430, to be quiet/boring without an exhaust. From the factory, stock, it sounds awesome. We opted for the upgraded Tubi racing exhaust and had major quality issues (which resulted in a near catastrophe)- thus replaced it with an expensive, albeit better sounding, Capristo. The 550 has an amazing note when pushed, but is as quiet as a 5 series without a Tubi.

 

For 1% of the value of the car (that's the general rule of thumb for pricing rentals), you're able to get use the car in a real world environment- how you'd generally use the car. We have customers rent the cars just to take their kids to school, go to the supermarket, commute to work, go to dinner with their family, etc. You can't get that from a dealer.

 

I hope you're prepared to mortgage your house if/when something goes wrong. First model year cars ALWAYS have bugs. I've seen everything you can possibly imagine with MY04 cars. Besides the expense in repairing, the downtime is a pain. $10k repair for someone who can afford a $150k car isn't a big deal, but being carless for a month is.

 

Agree with Gary(SF) about the need for after market exhaust on 430. On the 430, with the bypass valves (open?) there is no muffler in the exhaust stream; it is an almost straight shot from the cats.

Steve

 

Think about the average person in this country. Not the average person that you know, I mean the average person in the U.S. *By definition*, half the people in this country are dumber than they are. Scary thought...

 

But some more than others. The first model year limited production car, from scratch, from a new manufacturer, on a new chassis has more.

 

I only drove 2 Lambos (6.0 and Countach 25th ).

Loved the Diablo, hated the 25th.

Cant comment on the Gallardo experience yet.

 

I work in an exotic car dealership, and though I have not been fortunant enough to drive both, The consensus is that Lambos lake "soul." They are great cars and great performers, but they don;t have the heart that a F-car does.

 

apple and orange.....two completely different cars and both have SOULS but just two different souls. i love them both equally but differently. asking me which one i love more is like asking me which one of my chidlren i love the most.


now, to address your question of which one is better driving overall, it really depends on the model years of each car. as a rule of thumb, the newer the model, the more reliable. i'd take my 360 on a 4000 miles trip. however, i was a nervous wreck whenever i took my 92 512tr to a neighborhood starbuck for fear of the thing dying out on me at at intersection for no reason (as it had done repeatedly). with the lambo, i'd probably take anyone of my diablos on road trips but probably not exceeding 1000 miles......now, if i had a new gallardo or murci, i might the same about it as i do about my 360........hopefully, it answered your question.
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Both cars have style and speed. The problem with the Lambo is you cannot see to the right. This makes changing lanes very dangerous. Therefore I drive a Maranello.



12 cylinders or walk