Most Reliable Ferraris?

I agree completely.

I’ve owned my ‘88 328GTB for 31 years and she’s never left me on the side of the road. Anyone who can fix a 1980’s Volvo can fix a 328.

Alan
N.J.

 

I w

Before I opened the link, I thought to myself "if it doesn't have the 328 at the top, the article is BS".

My Mondial 3.2 was absolutely bullet-proof and a pleasure to own. I even daily drove it NYC-area traffic for a while, and loved it more and more as time went on. I couldn't believe how great that jewel of a 3.2 motor ran -- docile when driven in normal traffic, but still hugely visceral when you put your foot into it. I didn't have garage space to keep it, but it's definitely at the top of my "regret selling" list.

 

The writer is an idiot.

 

Nothing modern. Ferraris are full of gadgetry and Ferrari is notoriously cheap when they shop for that stuff, then they dont support it.. The 4wd system is a disaster and any examination of the basics of the system will leave any competent engineer shaking his head and saying "No, they wouldn't do anything that dumb". We have all heard of the routine and expensive issues with the DCTs and their short service life. Then there are the Hybrids, the reliability and battery issues. What I hope is a case study in business schools (maybe even med school psychiatry classes) is how they can price them so high and the buyers just accept the fact for the sake of economic survival they need to buy outlandishly expensive additional warranty coverage for when the dash goes to blue screen and it coasts to the side of the road. The 599/430 are the last that make any sense. Some of what I reject is industry wide. No one is building a car that is expected to be around in 20 years. Our newest car right now is a 2003. Her and my DD both have 175,000 + miles. I will not buy new anything. Anything either of us gets in the future has already been built.

 

Not that you asked me, but…

I agree w Brian in that the F430/599 are about as reliable as they come, assuming that they have been properly maintained throughout their life.
( 360’s a close 3rd place )

The only caveat I would add is that the California has also proven to be a reliable vehicle in my experience

…. as for the DCT argument , Remind me how many 308 had their engines rebuilt early on… once that was done, I think they were relatively low maintenance and reliable as long as they were maintained appropriately as well.

Thiughts?

S

 

308 engine rebuilds were limited to the 80-82 cars and were done under warranty. Ferrari used substandard rings and pistons. In 83 the switch was made to post Victorian Era parts and the problem was gone. That was in the old days when Ferrari really stepped up and spent whatever it took to make problems go away.

 

Using recalls, and the number of them, as a component of reliability is just silly.

 

It was more about the fact that most cars have problems, that are usually worked through, and those cars prove to be reliable long term.
Jury is still out on Hybrids and full electric, IMO

S

 

This. And I was amazed he listed the California, which seems to be a rolling minefield of potential issues in a high volume model.

If I had to bet on "reliable", I'd go with the 328 and possibly a manual F430 coupe. Anything modern goes on a lease while under warranty.

 

On the DCTs we will see. One data point for me on them. During their development I was keeping a pretty close watch. Mercedes was very disenchanted ( I am unsure what they are even putting them in) with life span, long term durability and dictated some changes that the balance of the industry blew off. One was to slow shift speed I recall. I was not a fan of the technology and I see no reason to change my mind. Its overly complex for a very small return even if you do like the driving experience which I am not terribly fond of. To me it moved the experience just that much closer to a Barcalounger. To me a great sports car is about the experience and not about achieving an ultimate level of performance we cannot use on public roads anyway.

 

The key seems to be that the older the car, the more likely that any major issues are known and have a reasonable solution. Looking at the California, the early known problems were the DCT transmission and the roof. There's now several folks who repair the DCT transmissions rather than Ferrari's initial fix of "replace the entire unit." The same with the roof -- people now understand what hydraulics get weak, what plastic parts will need to be replaced by aluminum, etc. And the fix has gone from "replace the entire roof unit" to "call up Joe and have the sliders fixed. The parts are new on Ebay." We're seeing the same with the PTU on the FF/Lusso.

Hybrids scare the hell out of me, but I presume in 15 years there will be "the guy" to whom you send the big battery and it comes back fixed.

 

A known fix to me does not equal reliability. We have known for decades how to fix Lucas electrical components. That does not make them any better.

 

I never got my 458 to enough miles to need it, but my F12 got a new DCT around 28k miles. Having recently passed 51k miles a few years later, I'm anxious about what could happen. Third party repair [internal gasket replacement] runs about $15k I think.

 

True, and that's welcome news. But the fact that inferior OEM plastic parts were installed in a $200K car is problematic. There will always (we can hope) be "the guy" who comes up with a better aftermarket solution, but we shouldn't have to go there. I suspect those of us here are a bit cleverer than the average consumer with regard to finding solutions for flawed cars. Does that make the listed cars reliable?

 

You know in the late 40's and early 50's that was about the life of automatic transmissions. Did we really need to go back 75 years in reliability?

Really? Maybe I am just stupid and need this explained to me.

 

The transport of lithium ion batteries is subject to hazardous materials regulations, even when fresh from the factory. The shipping of lithium ion batteries, which are known to be defective, is either a bureaucratic nightmare and/or major liability.

This is challenging for OEMs; for an end user the easiest way of dealing with this is to get rid of the entire car before the battery fails.

 

I have a 328 and its fairly reliable -- for a FORTY YEAR OLD CAR. I put in about $12 grand in maintenance stuff and upgrades it needed over the years. Hoses, Fuel Injectors, CV boots, timing belt service, door mechanisms, misc electrical issues, modern AC system, etc etc etc. Its going back next week for an oil leak and some minor things that bug me. If I bought a used F430, most likely that wouldn't need to happen.

I think any Ferrari car made after 2005 is pretty bullet proof. If they go bad they cost a lot is the issue. The 328 is cheaper when something goes bad. A well maintained 360 is more reliable than a poorly maintained 328.

So to me the definition needs to be clarified of what is "reliable". If it means everything works perfect, then the 328 is not number 1. If it means you can drive it a lot and not pay a lot for the privilege, that's probably true over the others.

Many know I'm restoring a 67 Fiat Dino Spider. Aside from the electrical system and the internals of the motor, this car is so darn simple. Its refreshing. There are no mysteries of electronics going on. You turn the key and electrical contacts has the battery energize the fuel pump to pump fuel to the carbs, the starter spins, the coil sends spark to the distributor which sends that energy to a spark plug at the correct time, the carbs suck air and mix it with the fuel --- Bang! You release the key and warm it up. Step on the clutch, move the gear lever, release the clutch and you move.

 

I think your "so darn simple" point is the key. I recall watching a buyer's guide video on an F430 Spider, in which the owner did an excellent job discussing every common problem that could crop up, including the elaborate top mechanism. It was a long list. Yes, it is 20 years newer than a 328, but all cars get old. Complexity is a multiplier. When the F430 Spider hits 30 years, there's just a lot more to fail -- expensively -- and the modern Ferraris are much more complex. A 328 with all components in top condition should be reliable, but realistically most of them aren't mechanically as new.

Age complicates the reliability question. I could truthfully say my 1993 911 has been 100 percent reliable, but I've spent plenty on bushings, fuel lines, HVAC components, tail light lenses, etc., to keep the car running as new. Call it a rolling preservation... A new Lexus buyer would say I'm nuts, but I trust the car and when stuff needs replacing due to age I'm ok with that.

Maybe "reliable enthusiast car" is a category separate from what normal car buyers would regard as "reliable."

 

I'm not familiar with the reliability of the other models in that article, but from my own experience I can't fathom any model being more reliable than a 328. Since new my 1989 328 GTS, has never had a single mechanical issue, not one! And the only electrical issue was a sticky hazard switch. With 25k on the clock it has only required normal maintenance, such as annual fluid changes, belt service every 5 years, and the 15k and 30k major services (both of which I did earlier than prescribed), plus consumables. The car looks and drives exactly as it did when it rolled out of the showroom. It's one of the most reliable cars of the 50 or so I've owned!