348 or NSX which should i buy?

Every week, I switch from my 355 to my NSX. The NSX feels like a toy compared to the Ferrari. I don't track either car, but both handle very well. NSX is definitely easier to drive, and drive hard. Yes, it drives like a Civic and has a dash like a Civic. A big plus is that it has an AC that works very well, like a Civic too. If you are budget minded, there is no choice but the NSX. While it doesn't have the Ferrari sound, it will not leave you unsatisfied.

Davd

 

I am actually not bashing Ferrari here. I like Ferraris more than NSXs. I wouldn't be a consultant on Ferrarichat if I didn't! Nonetheless, I'm just defending the NSX from flaw-ridden arguments. If you want to say what you "feel" that's fine, but you persist on saying things are "a fact" when they are just your opinion.

It's nothing personal between you and me, but I'm just trying to steer this guy to an NSX for the right reasons and not create an image for the guy that we are saying, "You should have X, but just so you know, X is not as nice as the Y we have which we are telling you *not* to get." Reminds me of the Stanford professor who told me with my grades I should look at Duke and Georgetown because I probably couldn't get in to one of the top programs.

That was what they did to get the 267mph run. An American engine, ZF transaxle, B&J drag racing transmission, Ford ring and pinion... that car was as close to a Ferrari as a "Funny Car" is to a regular Camaro!

http://www.bobnorwood.com/Terminal%20Velocity%A0%20Norwood%208_2-Liter%20Power%20on%20the%20Salt.htm

 

I'm a big Acura fan. Own 2 of them. In the '80's was a big NSX fan.

Saw one this morning on the street and would NEVER trade my 348 for one. IMO the NSX is looking very dated. Not to knock reliability or drivability as I'm sure the NSX would be superior to the Ferrari. But that's why I have an Acura as my daily driver and a spot in the garage for my Ferrari.

 

I must have a flaw in my research, or memory, I could have sworn is was a Flat Twelve
Ferrari engine.

I think I gave an honest evaluation of a Ferrari VS NSX selection in my previous posts.
I suggested the guy go for the NSX if he is on a tight budget, or doesn’t want to deal with the typical Ferrari issues. I’ll say it once again there great cars.

I noticed you steered clean clear of the sound the same, or sound as good issue. Good choice,

You know I know of a person that is putting a Northstar V8 in a stock F-288. It happens undeniably. Darn you got me. But the fact is, (excuse me, my opinion is!!) it is because of the Ferraris Strength in design that allows modifiers like Bob Norwood to do what they do, and select the cares he chooses to do it with.. Unfortunately he to my knowledge, has never selected a Honda to improve upon. I might be wrong on this too.

Listen you can’t be all bad, if you love Ferraris. I personally do think Ferrari 348’s are a money pit, like I said a money pit of passion, but a money pit just the same. This is also my opinion,

Now I’m going to take my beauty out for it’s weekend romp. I have to say I think it’s nice to drive a well kept Ferrari, and that’s a fact.

 

Maybe we are car lovers and can appreciate cars in general. Doesnt matter the name of the hood or the price, Im a car fan.

If speed is a concern, Id buy the NSX. Nice aftermarket scene and reliabilty is a non issue.

 

I love the NSX primarily because to me it is forever associated with Ayrton Senna. I drove a friend's car briefly some years back - a 1991 car with unassisted steering. The car looked great and handled superbly. Sounded great too. My friend was a happy owner with the car extremely reliable in his ownership.

The NSX was judged superior to a 348 in its day and hence prompted Ferrari to build the 355 and Porsche to build the 993.

But I am now saving up money so that I will be able to buy a 328 or 348. My justification is that I always wanted a Ferrari for its looks, involvement and ability to make me giddy as a school boy. Being driven in an 355 and 348 confirmed my belief that no other make will do. I don't really give a damn about raw accel, braking, cornering numbers. I don't drive that fast anyway.

 

Now THAT I can agree with! Drive safe.

 

Have to agree with everyone. I started with the NSX, great car, alot of bang for the buck. As far as dated, com'mon it is more "modern" than our 348's

 

Definitely drive one of each before deciding. I cross-shopped a Lotus Esprit TT myself. Some advice I've seen on the site - "the most expensive Ferrari you can buy is the cheapest to purchase", "buy price, buy twice". I'd be concerned about the auctions.

My theory is that a lot of the after-market add-ons cause the dead batteries - stereo's, radar detectors, and alarms. Mine's "virgin" and can sit for months without problems.

1. any obvious signs of accidents, cut lines tight, same paint colour, any signs of abuse? the good ones will look brand new (or better). Any fluids leaking from the clutch or engine? when the oil temp is in the middle of the guage - is there oil and in good shpae on the dipstick? any signs of water leaks in the trunk, or interior. Are all the bits and pieces attached and solid? Do the windows go up and down (slow is normal). Do you have 5 gears - only 2nd gear could be beligerent until warmed up. The biggest expenses are engine and transaxle if something breaks. Has the car been cut up for subwoofers and other crap ( ). Is there a solid paper trail showing consistent milage and maintenance - at least once a year to a real Fcar mechanic. Has the major been done in an interval you're comfortable with. Are the tires and rims in good shape. Leather wear on the outside drivers seat bolster and the steering wheel and pedal/carpet wear are good indicators of mileage - do they match the odo. does the tach bounce around or is it correct. do all the guages work. does the gas tank release work. the electric door locks and door pulls. is the toolkit there and complete (with Ferrari tools - not no-name, especially the tow hook(!) and are there threads to use it in the front bumper?). As tough as it is, don't be awed by the Ferrari name - it's a car, and on the good ones everything can work like a car.

I looked at one 348 that was in very rough shape (was told by the dealer it just needed a tune-up). remember - these guys are selling dreams and want to make "ferrari" profits; usually with little knowledge (and lots of ignorance).

2. all tb and ts 348's had the black "boxer" trim. Most have been repainted matching body colour. The euro only GTS, GTB, and all the spiders were one colour.

3. no way! ha - that's a good one! every 3-5 years you do need to have the belts changed, and that's an engine out job. I've heard it's 4 pairs of bolts to undo the engine sub-assembly and 4hrs of labour each way. Is $1k every 5 years a deal breaker? My last oil change through an independent, and a bunch of other stuff done, was $500 CDA.

4. This is where the game gets expensive - these are limited volume cars without a lot of demand for parts (compared to a Porsche or Chevy). If you're careful, there are much better values than FNA pricing for many parts.

Don't buy the cheapest you can find unless you have great mechanical abilities and knowledge, and have priced out all of the work needed. A lot of these cars, especially the ones on the low-end of the market, have been bounced off a wall somewhere. Some have been fixed well and some haven't. I saw one 328GTB with a hunk of fiberglass dragging the ground on a dealer showroom ("car needs nothing - perfect in every way") . Same car had some pretty tired and cracked suspension bushings. They all look shiny on the outside, that's the easy stuff!

 

All very valid points. Except #2. '93-'94 tb/ts's in US all had SS paint, which was body colored lower panels and rear deck. Mind you only 160 were imported to US in form of Serie Speciale and Serie Challenge models in '93-'94.

 

ahh yes - forgot about the "specials". Thanks

To the original poster - the premium for the special editions likely isn't worth pursuing.

Forgot to add - that depending on where you're from, emissions test results and verify there're cats installed (cheaper to take them off than to buy them later).

Take your time - there's always a better car around the corner. And don't be afraid of looking outside your city. I purchased mine from the other side of the country with the help of an expert on Fchat.

I gave up on my search after being so frustrated with the attitudes and poor cars. Bbut the darn thing got under my skin and I had to have one in my garage.

I believe some of the 348 Challenge cars are ocassionally listed cheap - but can be very difficult to register for the street. Would be great fun for a weekend track car though. I believe these are different from the Series Challenge cars?

another clue to accident damage is body trim bits missing - like the 348tb or Pinninfarina badges. Wheels mounted backwards means the dealer doesn't know 348's.

good luck, and let us know how your first test drive goes when you find one to drive!

 

I think Ferrari's are beautiful and exotic cars. But I think the NSX is just as beautiful and exotic. I think some of the posters here should do there research and read up a little bit about the NSX. Obviously if you ask questions in either forums there is going to be biased opinions. I love and respect both cars and I would think a lot of the car guys on here would feel the same way. Personally the only car that will be "replacing" or sitting besides my NSX will be a 360.

Both cars have passion but Ferrari does have a higher caliber name brand and does cost 2 to 3 times the amount of the NSX. So obviusly quality of the interior will not be as nice. To each their own on how they want to make opinions of different cars. But as a car afficinado like many of the guys on here you would know that there are other great cars out there besides Ferrari. Also there are so many NSX/Ferrari owners out there just some are too afraid to say so.

Here is one Ferrari owner who proudly owns a 1996 red/tan NSX amongst hos other toys.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and I look forward to joining this club soon.

 

To the original poster, GET one that fits your budget, preference, and satisfaction.


To all the replies, STUPID, STUPID, and STUPID.

 

Ha! Kind of true.

 

That is amazing.

If you want a Ferrari, get the 348. If it truely is a Fcar you want, no matter what else you get you will be unhappy.

If you want the better car, in EVERY WAY THE BETTER CAR, choose the NSX. Performance, reliability, technology, design, build quality, interior, and everything else except for engine note, the NSX is the better car. I think that I have to resort to a 1970s Pinto to find a worse interior than a 348's. But yet I can understand completely why people want 348s; they're Ferraris and their choice of future cars comes only from what offerings from Ferrari fit their needs and abilities.

IMO, the F355 comparison is a better one. But if you are including things like reliability and anything that includes any costs, I cant see how the NSX wouldnt win that comparo either.

If you're going to track the car, Id strike the Fcar off the list entirely. Not that they're not "track cars", but they're just not durable enough. Their racing "heritage" is a fasade, IMO, to disguise the need for frequent rebuilds and other tollerance issues. But yet, I still see why people love Ferraris. Id love a F355 Challenge car myself. Just doesnt fit my lifestyle. The NSX does.

 

Funny, I had a ride in a 355 challenge car and it sure felt weak under 5,000 RPM. In fact, I was not impressed in the least. I was expecting something MUCH faster than my NSX.

The 360 I drove was MUCH faster than the NSX and I fell in love with it. However, the car had only 600 miles on it and it already had problems. We had to pull over on the interstate because the CEL came on. The owner put the car in reverse, drove for 50 ft and then light went off. Then we kept driving. WTF! His words on my car were "I love my Ferrari, but I am not sure it is worth the extra money over your NSX".

Anyway, I think the 360 is a better car than a NSX, a 355 might be equal to a NA2 NSX. However, a prime member just bought a 355 and here are his exact words:
"initial impressions: loud, noisy, poor build quality, uncomfortable, not faster than NSX, cheap materials

but hey.. it's got "soul" right? "

Personally, I love both Ferrari and NSX, or any exotic car, but nothing makes me more annoyed than a bunch of brand snobs who have never driven the car making stupid ass comments.

As for the original point of this thread, get the NSX. If you want a Ferrari, save up for a 360.

 

This is an interesting question. I have a NSX and I've thought about what I might get to replace it if I ever needed to. For me, the knowledge that the car will start everytime and get me where I am going is relatively important, as are the following factors: great handling, great looks, and uniqueness.

As much as I love the looks of both the Gallardo and the 360/430, I would rather not deal with the repairs. Dealing with Ferrari or Lambo repairs is just as much about the money as it is dealing with the inconvenience. I don't have the time or inclination to deal with the repairs.

Thus, a Lotus Elise is a compelling option, but I've heard they are not much fun to live with. The new Z06 is amazing, but its too common for my tastes.

While I know many won't agree, other than a CGT, P cars aren't particular attractive in my eyes (and they are a dime a dozen here in the DC metro area).

Thus, for the foreseeable future, I'll be keeping my NSX.

Good luck in your decision. Feel free to come over to NSX Prime and take a read through our forums to get a sense of problem areas (very few), upgrades, and events.

 

There's been much talk of passion and heritage, mostly as intangible qualities lifting the 348 beyond direct comparison with the NSX.

It's interesting to note that when the NSX debuted in 1990, Honda was top dog in Formula 1. From 1986 to 1991, Honda took six consecutive F1 championships partnered with Williams for the first two and then McLaren for the next four.

In the world of sportscar racing, the NSX achieved a GT2 class win at the 1995 Le Mans 24H (finishing five laps ahead of the highest placed GT1 class F40 nonetheless).

Another interesting piece of NSX trivia is that Gordon Murray, McLaren's famed supercar designer, regarded the Honda as the sportscar benchmark of overall balance during the development of the F1.

 

I don't know if this was mentioned before but you might want to check out a GEN I Viper. One can be had for a little over 30k. You would be hard pressed to find a car as unique, as fast, as reliable, as rare and ESPECIALY as fun to drive as a Viper.

I track mine about 8 times a year and with just a grand or two in Mods it is an incredible track car as well. I easily have one of the fastest cars every track day I attend.

 

Buy the NSX and stop bugging us. You just cannot compaire the 2 of them. If you don't get it, then you just won't get it until you own one.

 

If money is no issue get whatever your preferences tend to.
If it is get the NSX.
Besides image, history, sound or whatever I got the NSX because I admire the Japanese of building such a reliable sportscar. The NSX is NOT comparable to any other japanese car. I hate people saying it's like a Civic. It's like calling a Ferrari the better FIAT Seicento which it certainly NOT is. If you don't believe the car-magazines and are able to build your own opinion you should come to the conclusion that both cars are really exceptional.

 

Exactly. Have been on both sides of the fence it helps give better, more informed, perspective.

 

Calmly, and well stated. Good post.

 

You have an F40 and an NSX??

 

No I think he's referring to someone else.