Buying my first Ferrari - 2010 California w/46K miles?

Typical recent thread http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/california/517563-looking-2010-2011-california.html

There's a few more about choosing older California - try a search (top right) in this section first on '2010' and then anything else that spring to mind

 

Phil,

Welcome, great choice the car is beautiful and a great combination. Based on the recent experience I've had when I bought my 2010 Cali in Germany after a long search I would point the following aspects as critical to help your evaluation:


1) Mileage: 46K miles even for the california is quite a lot of milage and as you certainly know that's one of the main factor of devaluation of the price. Even if you only do 5K miles a year and if for some reason you decide to sell the car before the ferrari approved warranty expires, you'll have in your hands a Cali with 56K miles which is a lot and will not be easy at all to sell even if it's a bargain.

2) Price: The price IS average for a Cali with 46K miles but the 24 month Ferrari Approved Warranty is a plus and will give you peace of mind for this period.

3) Extended Warranty: Once your 24 month Ferrari Approved Warranty will end you have to be aware of the fact that unless you make extended warranties (normally by periods of 1 year) you might have a retarding bomb in your hands. In France I don't know how much a 1 year warranty extension will cost but in Germany for a 2010 Cali the price is around € 7K. Another thing you'll have to take into consideration is the fact that Ferrari dealers only make the 1 year warranty extension after the car is fully inspected so with this kind of mileage there is always the risk of them not renewing the warranty.

4)Mechanical problems: Some Calis have roof opening and closing problems and here you can read several threads about this subject so make sure this particular one isn't one of them. Probably one of the most important mechanical issues is the gearbox/transmission(DCG). Several Calis from 2009/2010 are reported to have had issues with DCG around the 20K Km and in many cases the gearbox was substituted. That's fine when you have a Ferrari Warranty that covers this particular but if you don't the bill can be as much as € 25K.


In my search for a Cali which took several months I defined several priorities:
A maximum mileage 20K Km, clean record in terms of service and accident free, existence of extended warranties from the time the initial 3 years was finished (earlier cars), paint work and interior in good condition. My final short list had six cars (4 in Germany, 1 in France, 1 in Switzerland) with prices varying from €110K to 130K (before discounts) and ages ranging from 2009-2012.

My impression is that you can buy in Germany or even in Switzerland from official Ferrari dealers a 2010/2011 Cali with at least half of that 46K mileage for a final negotiated price ranging from € 100K and €110K. My only doubt is if they'll give you a 24 month warranty but any Ferrari warranty is valid for all of europe. Before committing with one Cali widen your choice, compare , show interest to sellers and ask for final discounts. You might be surprised how they come after you.

Good luck in fulfilling this dream……..

 

Price is not too bad if the dealer knows the history of the car!
I sold mine with same mileage and brand new Cali T wheels for 90.000 euros.

if with that mileage there is no bolster/steering wheel wear. no scratches on the door sills and door cards, then you know the owner has been taken care of the car too.

 

I have a 2010 california and my advice is to stay away I had roof issues and electrical issues the warranty will probably cover it but having your car in the shop when you want to enjoy it sucks