whats the 'best' ferrari to buy....

Fatbillybob knows what he speaks. There is a section on this forum for every model, budget and desire. You really need to experience the different models and have a feel for all of their idiosyncrasies.

I have owned mainly v8 mid engine Ferrari’s all early 90’s to 2011. I have experienced v12 cars but never owned them. 360 Styling kills it for me. They are not aging well in my opinion. But a gated 360 is a great price point and probably has some up side. NG Supercars has a sorted factory gated 360 for sale that is tempting.

A 550 is a great car, especially sorted. Will not be gated in that price range and F1, while I love it, has needs for long term ownership. At 6’4”, I find the 550 and 575 to tight to enjoy - pass for me.

430, comes in at a nice place. Modern touches. Lower maintenance, but can have some whopper bills. Yet, a lot of Ferrari for the money. A factory gated 430 is a keeper, but none in that price. Can buy a converted car and that is a good option, with caveats.

355 is my jam! Had 9 of them. Maintenance is a non issue. It will never be driven 15k in a year by 90% of the owners. Reality is 5 years if you drive a ton for belts. 8 for normal 2000 mile a year guys, maybe even more. Techs damage cars. Over servicing causes issues. Maybe 4-5 people in all of USA can do perfect, no excuse EO on 355 with zero defect. Most cars have human error at some point. I speak of certainty with 9 355 owned.

Pass on 348. Like the looks, but hard to do a 5 speed and just slow.

308 and 328, great, sorted original Magnum PI greatness. Slow, awkward at times, but still great cars and can enjoy for under $100k, even way less. I’d buy a 308/328 over 348 these days.

599 is really a good place to be. Tremendous value and probably moving up in value. Looks are polarizing. I am not a huge fan, so pass for me. But maybe someday, I give in for the engine and comfort. I do fit in them

Again, 355 is my car….. but, I just bought the best, most perfect Ferrari, and the modern version of the 355. I will not go back, except for investment purposes. The best Ferrari is the 458! Sounds is amazing. Easy maintenance. Can have big repair bills like steering rack or trans, but aftermarket and independents are solving those. Really a ton of Ferrari for the money. Starting to see appreciation for the right cars. Hard to find a truly nice low mileage one owner cars under $200k, but spend more money and buy the best 458 you can afford. What I did and I really can’t afford it. But I hope my planning and deals come in, so that I can keep it for decades. Wife even loves it. Truly enjoys riding in it. She does like the 355’s but sees the value and modern touches in the 458.

Hope that helps and I am sure you have 12000 more opinions coming. [emoji2956]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

True, you can get a nice 997S coupe, whatever gearbox you want. But not what the OP asked.


Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

I think a 550, 575 or 599 in that range might not be the best, but you should be able to get a really good 456M GT

 

McLaren has too many expensive and unreliable issues. Lucas lives!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I would look towards Aston Martin and McLaren if my budget topped out at less than $150k. For one, a 650s is ALOT of fun for $130k….so you can have some money left for the OEM warranty which is required IMO. Like most of their post 12C models, the trouble spots are electronic or electrical in nature, no real expensive issues like failed engines…..looking at you Porsche 991 Gen 1 GT3

 

Aston Martin Vantage is tempting because the breathtaking depreciation curve lets you get into a coupe or convertible, V8 or V12. Aesthetically I think it will age more gracefully than any of the others mentioned here. It has sports car proportions.

For under $150K, that’s undoubtedly what I would be shopping among the more modern options. The Porsche 997 is arguably better, but it has the ubiquitous 911 silhouette— only serious enthusiasts will know what you have.




Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

Aston has the styling and raucous V8 that Porsche just can’t match.

 

But Porsches run when you turn the key.

 

It’s actually not a small point. Mostly I see my tech for oil changes.

But… most of us here can deal with higher maintenance cars. This isn’t LexusChat.


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

I like to drive. I don't like to **** around with cars. I'm 71. Drive she said.

 

If deviating from the OP's original question to other marques, its depends. For me at 6' 1" and wanting a spyder, I didn't fit in the Huracan (not even close) or 570S (but it was close though). The 570S is a lot of car for the money, super-car like styling (personally not a huge fan of the rear), carbon fiber tub, dihedral doors, V8 and would be in the OP quoted price range of $100-$150K (especially for a coupe). I personally didn't care for the engine sound and found the seat adjustment buttons of the 570S a PITA. But instrumentation was well thought out and not the funky ergonomics of the 458 cluster/radio/nav until you go to setting ride settings. The other plus for Mclaren spyder is that they're hard-top like the later F-cars (458/488/F8+ etc.) so get benefit open top and almost coupe like with top up. As a bonus with the carbon fiber tub you don't get the weight penalty for extra stiffening the chassis so perf numbers between coupe/spyder are close. Styling/perf of the 720S is nice, but heard the suspension can be unreliable (along with some of the electronics) and given the 570S price/perf point they took a strong depreciation intiially. If going with the marque, the 570S would be preferable over the 650...everything just better/more reliable as many of the kinks got resolved.

However depending on how old you are, you might tire of getting in/out over the "hump" in the door of the Mclaren. Willing to go to a coupe opens these models back up as you get more headroom. But from depreciation point of view F-Cars will hold their value better. I saw some stats that indicated average year on year depreciation was around 25% for Mclaren, Lamborghini was around 15% and then Ferrari was 7%. Obviously that's very general, specific models (like limited builds) will do better, other worse . 458's are holding value and the right cars starting to go up. 488's are following a more traditional F-car depreciation/dropping.

I'll go back to maintenance, if a DIY'er this can bring cost of ownership down substantially. All of these cars annual maintenance is going to run $1800-2200 depending on who does it. Some will be easier than others. Getting a oil reset tool for Mclaren is going to be harder than for F-cars which have several vendors now support.

 

Cars actually running is overrated….

Not why we buy them…..LOL

Give me a 275 4 cam without an engine over anything Ferrari makes today

 

The 550 does and will always tug on my heart strings. They’re beautiful cars!

 

That’s what I’d buy in this range …

MDS

 

The next one……

Drive some and see what pulls your heart. They all do different things and we bring different desire and use case to our hobby. I loved my 430, now love my 16M but I can get in others to scratch different itches.
Best is relative and personal. Having had 10-15 mid 8s, and assuming that you want less maintenance and a cruiser/racer then I would go 599. 2010 high mileage 458 could be close but not 150 and id an amazing drive. Not to be personal but ergonomics are important also. I didn’t buy a Mclaren 720 S because it was harder to get in and out of and that made it less fun to use.

You said drive- to where, when and why? Drive for drive sake, or drive and use as an excuse. I will say I use and drive all my Ferraris and the more I use, the easier they are to use….. For me, I am partial to the 12s. Even or especially the modern 12s. I love old, but don’t want to wrench or deal with a lot of service/problem solving etc.

Drive for errands, for fun, and out to dinner? But with that in mind and my sense of your answers, 599. Buy one soon, because the 550/575 market is going to push the 599 up IMHO

Drive all the time? FF. Ugly sexy ( had two and a Lusso) and the spark, the noise and the utility is beyond that of all others. The only down side is after a year of an FF you’ll want a 599 or F12….

AND its not a marriage, you can switch with (little) cost.

good luck


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I wouldn't call anybody who can afford to buy a $250K toy vehicle "middle income".

 

This 550 on BaT is an exceptional example--it will probably fetch an exceptional price.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1998-ferrari-550-maranello-13/

 

The 599 is actually pretty good on track (as long as you accept brakes and tires wear).
It may not be as easy to drive as a rear-mid engine car, but it's front-mid, not front engine like the 550 and 575 - so it's very well balanced, and its superb power delivery makes the rest. It can surprise quite a few other cars on track... I believe its dual personality is what makes it so appealing.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Income refers to what a person makes from employment, investments, etc.

I have been saving up for over 4 years already for a purchase 18 months from now, at which time I will hopefully have put aside all the money.

A middle income guy who knows how to save....

 

Id buy a California as its the best daily driver

if its just a fun car then Id get a gated 360

 

IF it can be caught for the price cap suggested I would get a nice 550.
My second driving choice for a driver is the CALI30 .I think it has aged well and sounds very nice…reminds me of a 911 from a practical standpoint….

 

A 328 would be great! Fun and pretty simple..with good A/C for the Texas heat. Decent clearance for crappy H-town roads. A nice driver wouldn't freak me as much out as much with parking, pot holes, and a-holes