| Author | Message | ||
| Gene B. Radcliffe 1979 308 GTS (Brcbank)
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For midwest autocross the 348 is in Class X with the 12 cylinders, F40, F50, F355. 328 is in the lower Class A. If you want to see what cars of other makes are comparable in the minds of the autocross experts go to www.madisonautocross.com and look at these tables in the rules. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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I was in a carbed 427 Cobra putting out 550hp and weighing 2300lbs. The thing was un-Godly. It was so quick you didnt know what the hell was happening other than you were pinned to the back of the seat. A totally different drive than the Ferrari. I gotta get one someday. | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
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The ERA 427 Cobra must have some SERIOUS power. My 512TR has me really spoiled powerwise, its amazing to have come from a 308QV to a car with about the same weight & nearly twice the hp. Talk about an eye opener  Also Ive learned to toss my big redhead around just as well as my 308 | ||
| Stephen J. MacKellar (88gtb)
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On the way to my 1988 1/2 328 GTB with 6K original miles, I have had a 93, 95 and 96 911, a 97 M3, several Camaro SS', and most recently my 3rd ERA 427 Cobra. The 328, while not the 'fastest' of the bunch pushes all the right buttons for me. One of the other posters mentioned the 'sterile' driving experience of the M3. That feature is shared by most of the others I mentioned. There is nothing more visceral than the Ferrari. In comparison, 10 months of owning the Ferrari is like a lifetime for me noting how quickly I sold/traded the other ones. This is a REAL car and there is no looking back for me. The other thing that I am always struck by is a reminder that the Ferrari is still 10+ years older than the other cars I have had and nothing compares in my opinion. I can't even imagine what the experience must of been like in 1988 given what else was out there. For the first time in many, many years, I am at automotive 'peace'. Does it sound like I love this car - you bet! | ||
| BobD (Bobd)
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What a great subject.. and it really is personal preference. Also look at the 328 Buyers Guide article from Forza (2/99). They loved the 328 and praised its dependability compared to the 348 including the fact that it is much less expensive to repair. And I can attest to the reliability factor... I've owned my '89 328 for over two years with zero problems. ZERO. And the unbelievably classic look compared to the 4/5's TR look of the 348. Personal preference! | ||
| John Cortina (Johncort)
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Caribe, I agree with you, my kids love going for rides in my 328. A few weeks back I took my 6 year old to a soccer game and all of the coaches were asking for rides afterwards. Performance is not bad either and certainly the sensation driving a Ferrari at speed is something no other car will get close to. John. | ||
| Danny R. West (Dan_West348ts)
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The first day I came home with the Ferrari was June of 2000. When I entered the street I live on, a culdasac, all the neighbors came running out of their house with beers. They had known that I flew to Salt Lake City to pick up the 348 and were anxiously awaiting me to arrive home. We ended up having a three hour impromptu party. It made me feel as if I had won a major racing event. To this day my neighbors will come over to look at the Ferrari. It is a special feeling. I do give them rides in it. Dan | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
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what year M3 ? I have an 84 308QV & she will keep up with 1st gen M3s on the track all day long. The M3 is nice but the 328 may not equal its performance but it will certainly get u a lot more attention I would take a 328 over a 348 cus of its looks & cus of what Ive heard about the 348s handling at the limit, not good. The 328 is no Dog so dont worry that much about performance | ||
| Sam NYCFERRARIS (Sam)
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Give 'em a ride and they will be hooked for life... my older sister's boyfriend had a Opel GT and gave me a ride once and I was hooked on sports cars forever....still have an affection fo rthose europa, triumphs and fiat spyders. | ||
| Arnaldo Torres (Caribe)
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Since you guys are also discussing attention gathering in this discussion, here it goes... I had my TR for two weeks only, but man, what amazing two weeks! This past weekend I decided to wax it all up (not that it needed it, but I just couldn't resist). Meanwhile, a neighbor had a Baseball team's party under way at our HOA pool which is right across the street from my house. After the waxing I decided to open my garage and go out for a ride. I very slowly backed out of the garage down my driveway and into the street, paying lots of attention so that my spoiler did not scratch. By the time I was down on the street and ready to move forward, I looked to my side and there were about 10 teens, boys and girls, standing on the sidewalk, and many more that just stood and looked right thru the pool fence, dripping wet, looking in awe at my car, many of them giving me the thumbs up, and exchanging expressions and laughs in pure amazement. I tell you guys, I have never seen such a response for any of my neighbors Vettes or Porsches. I guess that probably makes me the coolest guy on our street. Anyway, I know my kids certainly think so, and that is good enough for me! Caribe. | ||
| Martin Wiescholek (Miami348ts)
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Gheez, I love this. I could spend most of my day reading these messages. Owned both cars! 328 is a classic look, nice, it is the last Enzo car and therefore will always have that certain....special thing. In general both cars were most reliable to me. Fixing yourself...now here is something I would not suggest. Unless you are a trained mechanic for Ferrari I would not touch the car except for oilk change, filter change and new light bulbs. I also changed the inside plastic covers in the center console. They melt...anybody with that problem? That is as far as I would take that fixing. I have a work shop manual for the 348 which gives you all the steps on how to work on that car. Frankly I would not even try. Changing headlights is hard enough. To me the choice was clear. The 328 has 70's engineering in its base. The 328 is basically a 308 which has been reengineered over the years. The 348 is 80's engineering. The reason why Forza said the 348 Spyder is a 355 with a $50K discount...because the 355 is a 348 reengineered. This is a way how Ferrari can ceep costs down and make the car division profitable. Believe it or not but at $ 170,000 for a new car, they barely make money. So it is not a Honda or a Corolla that changes every year. Before you all start screaming...Ferrari does re-engineer all its cars almost every year. Learning from mistakes, the base is still the same! And nothing bad about that either. That 70s or 80s engineering is still much better than most of the other "new" s'#*§ that is manufacturer by the big automakers. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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Danny, I too have noticed that. In NJ there are a lot of those people that hang out in the fast lane, but they all seem to more over for the Ferrari. And with the Vette, one time I was in town and there was a brand new Vette behind me. We stopped at a light and all these kids came running up the sidewalk to get a closer look at my 16 year old Ferrari, running right past the new Vette. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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Another important thing to remember about the 348 which is definitely the better performer of the two, is that if you get one that has been cared for you will likely get a car that has been sorted out by the previous owner and doesn't have the alternator problems, etc. The only thing about the 348 that you will never be able to correct is the shifting, I've never driven a 348 so I cant say how it is, but many say it is below Ferrari standards. The 328 is more reliable in the sense of you being able to easily fix things compared with the 348. But the 348 is still a car and can still be fixed. Dont let people scare you off of either the 328 or 348, go with the one that you feel will give you the most out of it. You cant really say which will be more work, maybe you'll get a really reliable 348, maybe a bad 328. One thing that I like about the 348 is that it is newer and parts are easier to come by. You cant assume that maintanance will be more (other than the major service) because you dont know until you see some cars if your car will require that much maintanance. I love them all, but I personally like the 348 more than the 328. It's a hard choice, but with the 348 you get a more modern car (climate control, driveability,etc). I say go with the one that you think looks and performs better for you. Get a real good, sorted through one and then worry about maintanance later. | ||
| bob behner (Ferrari4bob)
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scott,I think you should go and road test both cars and then pick which one you like.I myself self like the 348ts in fact I have two one red and the other is yellow.You also can due a lot of your work, on your car(s) being there is a lot of information out there. I due a lot of my own work my all of my cars I personally think most of the FERRARI Dealers are a rip off.most of the mech.think their gods gift to the FERRARI world.I could go on and on and on.I also like the 288gto if your looking for speed we can build you one whatever way you would like it. | ||
| leo martorana (Azeus)
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Let me add a note from the UK - I've driven a 1998 M3 and consider it to be an extremely competent but totally sterile driving experience. I own a 348 which I do not drive to work but use as much as possible. The more I use it the better it feels. The Ferrari is a completely involving car which tells you exactly what is going on 100% of the time. Service costs - use a specialist and you'll be on a par with BMW dealers. | ||
| David Albright (Dalbright)
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Drive both the 328 and the 348. You'll definitely noitice the difference and opt for the 348, as i did. The 348 definitely has better styling, performance and overall badboy image. Don't worry about what magazines or other people say. Everyone has a different opinion and you'll go crazy listening to all or them, mine included. Good luck! BTW - Remember...either car is going to be expensive to maintain. | ||
| Danny R. West (Dan_West348ts)
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This morning I drove my 348ts to work. I work in Santa Clara, CA. There are many sports cars in the Bay Area. People in California have a "bad" habit of driving in the fast "inside" lane and not wanting to move over for faster cars. However, when they see my 348 pull behind them, they seem to want to yield the lane so I can continue past them. I also notice the looks I receive from other drivers. This particular morning I had to pass through Milpitas, CA. At the stop lights, 6 of them, I had a compliment at each one from other drivers and people crossing the street. All the compliments were the same, "nice car". The Vette next to me at the light did not receive such a compliment. It makes you feel really good when people take notice of your "nice ride". Yes, there may be discussions about M3s and other sports cars as to their speed off the line. But I will wager that an M3 has not received the compliments that a Ferrari will get. Dan | ||
| Chuck Rine (Chuck348ts)
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Chris_N_Chicago is onto something. There are definitely folks out there who hate the 348. But hey, if we all liked the same things, what a dull message board this would be. | ||
| Awang (Wang)
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Where the new M3 is concerned, even the 348 is not much of a challenge. Only a late model 355 will be near comparable. Don't even mention reliability... My 328 serves my purpose and is relatively cheap to run compared to a 348 and the midrange is kick with its go kart handling. Cheers | ||
| Chris_N_Chicago (Chris_N_Chicago)
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As always, you are right on the money. Ferrari's are slow off the line, but nothing compares to the 60 - 100mph blast they do ... However, I think a 348 Spider might take an older M3 off the line. And really , I wasn't joking (for once)...Forza liked the 348 Spider...thanks for not spamming my @#$. | ||
| Warren E. Smith (Magoo)
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You said it all Rob. MAGOO | ||
| Warren E. Smith (Magoo)
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You're OK in my book Chris and you certainly do have the right to your opinion. MAGOO | ||
| Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
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Scott, if you're worried about the 328 not living up to the M3, then let me tell you my experience. I have a 1993 325is and it will take the Ferrari off the line any day. It is also easier to run it around town hard shifting quick every 3 seconds. After running the Ferrari on the track for the first time this past weekend, I know where the Ferrari is truely at it's best. MSR CC had only one 2nd gear turn and only a few shifts between 3rd and 4th. Let me tell you, hardly anything in my life has been as thrilling as taking that 328 through a corner full throttle in 3rd gear and then shifting to 4th and hitting 105 mph by the end of the straight. Nothing! | ||
| Chris_N_Chicago (Chris_N_Chicago)
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Scott, Take things with a grain of salt. This site should really be called "348haters.com" Check out Forza's 348 Buyer's Guide, they called the 348 Spider a 355 with a $50k discount. Okay, let the bashing begin... MAGOO, and BretM be kind ; you're my only friends on this site. | ||
| Daniel B Reese MD (Dbr328gtb)
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Regarding 328s- I think there is an unneccessary premium to be paid (about 10K)for 89s vs 87s and 88s with only major difference being ABS and wheels (you decide which you like better). I would consider a 87/88 (they were well sorted too)and use the extra $ for maintanence. Not trying to start a fight, guys, just giving an alternate opinion. Dan | ||
| Chuck Rine (Chuck348ts)
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Scott, I think your summary on the pros and cons of each model is generally on target. I started out looking at late model 328's. After more than 2 years of research, the price I was willing to pay had risen some and I started looking at 348's as much for the looks as for the increased performance over the 328. There seems to be a divided opinion at FerrariChat on the 348 - some people (including me) like the short, stubby, agressive styling and some don't. The 328 has more svelte, curvaceous looks, and looks better in red than the 348, which I think looks best in darker colors like blue and black. If you're going to get a 348, get the most recent one you can afford, or get an earlier model that has had all of the updates, particularly the alternator. | ||
| S. Long (Sml)
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Scott, welcome. I too had this mental debate, but alas, I went with a 1989 328GTS and never looked back. In fact, as part of my due diligence, I rented a 1993 348 ts and a 1988 328 and found the former to be the better performance car, but the classic styling and overall "feel" was well superior in the 328. I suggest renting both cars and "feel" for yourself. You hit the nail on the head with your concerns about both cars...a well informed consumer is a smart, and ultimately happy consumer. Both excellent cars, but I went for the classic style. If 328 is your choice, opt for the 1989...last year in the model, ABS, years of refinement, all (most) bugs are out, and easy (relative) to maintain. | ||
| Scott A. B. Collins (Scott)
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Hi all--first post. I am about to make the leap into committed Ferrari lust, and I am trying to make an informed and reasonable decision. I am soliciting input from those who have owned, serviced, or researched one or both of these cars. My take from FORZA articles and others seems to be as follows. Later model 328's were very well sorted, very reliable, performance is good, but not stellar. Service costs are reasonable (relatively), and some work can be done at home. 328GTS a bit flexy with the top panel off--noticable more on the track then the road. 348 not Ferrari's brightest moment, though later cars (starting with the introduction of the Spyder) were good. Cable shifting feel poor versus the 328. Service costs (vs 328) higher, but performance better. Cannot be serviced at home. The purchase costs for low milage excellent condition cars seems to be similar. I would plan on driving the car on the weekends, perhaps occasionally to work. A rare track day would be in the cards as well. I currently drive a BMW M3 (my daily driver). While there is a lot more to the Ferrari driving experience than 0-60 times, etc, I would like the Ferrari to run at least close to the M3 (thus I'm a bit concerned about the 328's performance). Any and all thoughts are much appreciated. |