Need advice on buying the mrs a Cali

You should be able to buy additional warranty from a dealer. I would not use outside warranty companies. I've had many comments that her rear end looks much better with the new car (the car not the wife ). I like the front better too with the new car. I drive the crap out of mine so I don't worry about miles. My 2016 Cali T has 16,000+ miles, got it in October 2015. Although it is at my dealer now with a possible turbo failure, it has been trouble free!

 

I went with a T because I wanted the new engine. I love it. I even took it to the track, it was a blast.

 

When you mention the 2014 I presume you're talking about the California 30 and the 2015 has to be the California T. Both cars have 7 speed DCT transmissions which are a joy, but the engines are very different. The Cali 30 has a 4.3 l aspirated V8 (480 hp) and the Cali T a 3.9 turbo V8 (550 hp). Aesthetically they look a like and choosing one or the other is more a question of personal taste.

I own a 2010 Cali and I've driven the Cali 30 and the Cali T and my personal opinion is that both cars are great but give slightly different sensations. The Cali 30 has a great engine sound, ranging from high and low frequencies, and is a pleasure to drive and listen to specially with the top open. The Cali T has more power than the Cali 30 and accelerates faster but being a turbo the power is felt I would say in a different and more civilized way and while accelerating I felt a slight lag. The sound to my ears is mainly in the low frequencies and personally I much prefer the music of the aspirated engine. In driving terms both cars are excellent.

The Cali T substituted the Cali 30 in the end of 2014 and because the model is the newer version which is still in production, the prices are obviously substantially higher than the ones of the the Calis 30 which already had some depreciation.

In principle both cars are still covered by the initial 3 years factory warranty but concerning this subject it's better you wait for the opinions of the american owners which are much more familiar than me with the specific packages available in the USA.

 

You may want to consider within 2 years a new Cali may very well be on it's way. That will drive prices down on both.

If it's a wife car and she's going to use it as a DD, and likes a GT'ish car, I'd say the Cali T is hands down the better car. I don't know what Ferrari did to make the Cali ride like it does, but I find it way too harsh and shaky. I like a hard and firm car, but firm and hard is not the same as harsh. I think they managed this much better in the Cali T.

Regarding depreciation, I actually think the Cali T will provide you with the lesser loss overall. The cars are close in age, but by that time, the Cali T will most likely be viewed as the more modern, faster and desirable car.

As for looks? That's pretty personal. I like the Cali T better.

But at the end of the day you have to let your wife drive both. Then she can tell you what SHE likes. Why would you get her the model she don't want, just to save a tiny bit in the end. Make her choose and be happy. And even if she says, "I don't care, just get one of them", have her drive both back to back. She WILL then choose what she likes - they are that different.

If she chooses the cheaper option, give her a nice weekend stay somewhere. If she chooses the expensive model? Do the same...

 

If you are worried for depreciation just get an early build first gen Cali at around 100k and dump it in two years. The Cali T will depreciate just like the previous gen. The 30 will still dip as well. Is your wife a car girl? If not, I doubt she will notice a difference

 

Wise man.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

As far as the ride goes, I test driven an older Cali with the magneride shocks and it was very smooth compared to say an F430. I agree that a Cali with standard suspension is harsh as is the F430. Then again they are two very different animals.

 

Yes, but if you drive a Cali with magneride and a 458, you'll notice the 458 is quite a bit firmer, but a lot less jarring. To me it seems like they didn't get the spring rate quite right for the softer chassis drop top or something along those lines. I actually think a 430 rides better than the Cali without magneride. Harder and firmer yes, but not as harsh and rough.

 

This is exactly why I think you should let her choose. What may seem like a subtle difference in ride to some, may seem huge to others.
If she likes a nice car, but at the same time is not a "speed freak", I'd say ride quality and comfort takes precedence over N/A throttle response and sound, along with a more sorted chassis. Question is not which car you'll take the greatest hit on, but what car she'll enjoy the most. So again, get her what she wants after having her drive them both.

 

Californias with Magneride shocks ride better than those without. If ride comfort without compromising handling is important, be sure the car has Magneride.

 

+1

...and the Cali suspension feels even more compliant and communicative with the Handling Speciale (HS) option.

 

What percent of early Cali's (2010) came with Magneride and what percent came with the HS option?

And what was the cost of those two options?

 

My Cali is a 2010 and has Magneride and when I was searching through many Calis for sale in europe before I bought mine, I remember that the great majority (+- 80%) of cars from 2009 to 2011 didn't have Magneride. I have no idea what's the approximate proportion in the USA but based on logic my guess is that the % of Calis in the USA with Magneride is probably higher than in europe because the american new Ferrari buyers normally order more options than the europeans.
The HS option cars which were available in europe when I did my search were really a very small % (around 5%) and based on the same logic referred before I would say this % is probably higher in the USA

Concerning the cost of those options in the USA I'm certain there are here several american owners that can give you the accurate values.