Ferrari vs. Porsche upkeep

Yes

 

I've never had a Porsche, but my BMW 635 was much more expensive to maintain than either of the Ferraris.

 

I have a 430 and a 997TT and the porsche scheduled service is every 20k miles or 2 years and costs less than a 1000$, none of that yearly 2000$ fluid change crap of the Fcar.
Not to mention the clutch, in the TT it costs about 2-3000.00$ and it is good for over 50k miles, try that with an F1 transmission.

 

For what it's worth, the 12K miles service of the 599 was less expensive than the equivalent service for our old Merc S Class....and marginally more expensive than the last service on our old 911.

The 599's service was 800 Euros (+/- $1100).

Now, extending the factory warranty for another year was quite painful at roughly 6K Euros (over $8K)

 

The reality is you'll put more miles on a P-car. Given that, the P might be more expensive considering it goes through tires etc. IMO you take a bigger depreciation hit(and quicker) on the P if you buy new.

Given the same mileage, an F is probably the same while the car is under warranty. Fluids more expensive on the F but you don't need tires quite as soon etc. as on the P. Out of warranty and same mileage an F can kill you, period. F parts are probably twice what P parts are, maybe more.

 

Other than the parts costing significantly more, no.

Oh, and the labor costing a lot more, too.

So, other than parts and labor, no.

 

From what I see, costs of maintenance largely depend on the honesty of the dealership that you use.

I wouldn't be so sure about that

 

Am I the only one who finds this post hilarious?

 

In my case, the insurance is cheaper on both of my Ferraris so I used that as the excuse to jettison my Porsche, proving that one can rationalize the irrational. Now THAT'S funny.

Life's too short to drive ordinary, run-of-the-mill cars. LOL

 

Yes, both are.

VW-Audi-Porsche/BMW/Mercedes come from relatively large car companies, where parts are shared across model ranges, and dealership and service networks are extensive. Lots of competition. (And Honda-Acura, Toyota, et al do it even better.) They are designed for economical servicing. Although the Asian cars always seem to be much less expensive, possibly due to even more component sharing.

Ferrari and pre-Audi Lamborghini make/made exotic cars, with all the good and bad that comes with that.

Want window seal for a Porsche 996? There are probably hundreds of them in stock right now in the U.S. Want a rear window seal for a Ferrari 328? There were two available last year, one in the U.K. and one somewhere else.

Need an F1 gearbox actuator switch for a 355? There's a one for sale secondhand in Pilota classifieds right now for $2000 - a nice savings off list.

Need your Porsche serviced in Cleveland? There are at least two Porsche dealerships even in a relatively small, not especially affluent city that has snow and salt on the road 4-5 months annually. Your Ferrari? Nearest dealers are Chicago or Columbus.

Moreover, Ferrari service intervals have historically been frequent, in a the racing tradition perhaps, while mainstream carmakers assume the owner won't open the bonnet for months or maybe years.

I'm at a loss as to why people insist on comparing Porsche to Ferrari. Totally different companies, philosophies, manufacturing organizations, supply chains, etc.

 

I think its because Porsche is the safety car for a lot of F-car buyers. Personally, when I was on the fence about getting a Ferrari because of the maintenance costs, a Porsche was the natural choice--racing heritage, relatively inexpensive to maintain and mostly bulletproof. I have met a lot of Ferrari lovers who got Porsches because they were afraid of the perceived costs of F-car ownership. Unfortunately, as you pointed out, the two cars are night and day. A porsche is cool and competent, a Ferrari is an italian woman in a slinky black dress running down the street with her hair on fire .

Ferraris are addictions, Porsches can be rationalized.

sincerely,

an F-car addict.

As for the OP's questions. Ferraris will ALWAYS be more expensive to own and maintain then a Porsche over the long haul due to supply and demand. Ferraris are limited production automobiles made by a manufacturer who provides minimal support for the older models (I believe they comply only with the legal minimum of 9 years). Porsche supports their cars and their customers FOREVER.

 

Mile per mile, there is no question that it costs more to keep a Ferrari running (this means it is actually driven) than a Porsche. Don't ask me how I know this to be true.

The only real question is the factor? Is it 2 times? 3 times? 4 times?

Dale

 

Ha, Ha. Nice description Joe! Very well put.

 

I agree. Having owned and worked on both, they are totally different.

You are also right about porsche parts supply. EVERYTHING is available, and you can usually get it overnight, at prices that for the most part are the same as a Nissan or Lexus. For example, my last major service on my last 911 Carrera cost me about $170 in parts (plus oil), and that included everything needed to change/replace/adjust/carry out every possible service on it.

Every engine part is available, every transmission part is available, to easily do complete rebuilds.

The Porsche factory has made a big effort to keep parts available for their old cars. And they few things that might not be available from the factory, there are plenty of excellent reproductions made.

Ferrari on the other hand, wow! It seems like they forgot they ever made any cars before 1999. And because of such limited production, there isn't all that much reproduction stuff available.

I sure miss my 911s . . . they are truly fabulous cars. I like the Mondial I have (and the 308 I had), but for the first time in a few decades I am Porsche-less and am having withdrawals.

Am currently looking for a 70-73 911! Those cars, particularly those with Mechanical Fuel Injection, are pure magic. And, they have the benefit of being able to be driven umm, vigorously, every day, and when something breaks or wears out, you just replace it. I don't really feel like I can do that with the Mondial.

 

Depends on what models you are comparing.

For comparables, lets take an '87 Carrera v. an '87 Mondial or 328.

Drive semi-regularly, say 7500 miles per year.

IMO the Ferrari will cost at least 4X as much, over 5 years, and that's assuming no catastrophic failure.

 

LMAO

 

The reason people compare is probably the number one reason holding someone back from buying an F is maintenance and repair costs. So, given the two it might make sense for some to buy a P if getting buried is a concern. Many F owners can afford the admission but if the car started to go sideways with repairs they'd have to reconsider their ownership. Seems like a logical analysis/comparison if money is a concern.(of which few would admit to)

 

BUT............do you WANT a Ferrari, or a much more common Porche?

 

I love this...

 

While Porsche and Ferrari are being compared, I'd like to put out there that I think these are the two best sports car makes ever.

I think they make an unbelievable pair as they are equally AWSOME, but are different.

IMO, you can't compare these two cars to any other brand-even Lamborghini, Maserati and Aston Martin.

As far as maintenance costs, it will always be that Ferraris are more then Porsches, but that's ok, I told you they have differences.

Steve

 

I think you're on the money. Not only are Porsches cheaper to keep running, (putting nomex on) I'd take an '89 911 over an '89 328 any day of the week. Sorry, Ferrari fans. But I'm a car guy first and a Ferrari fan second.

Dale

 

At 4 years and 40,000+ miles of ownership of a 996TT (no warranty), my running costs (everything but gas) have equated to $0.13 per mile.

Yes, 13 freaking cents per mile for a 500+ hp monster...

If performance, reliability, racing heritage, and running costs are your benchmark, you can't beat a Porsche Turbo

But if you are looking for a true exotic, Ferrari & Lambo are the price of admission.

 

(Priming flamethrower...)

The '89 911 looks like a frog, with accordion bumpers. If you're going to modify and track it, sure, it's an automotive cockroach. Otherwise it's (yawn) another of 100,000+ used 911s.

If you can handle the belt service cost, the 328 is a pretty special car.

Yes, it costs more to maintain than a Porsche. That's why everyone else has Porsches.

Amen.