Update on California purchase.....advice/input appreciated.

I am getting much closer to making a purchase, possibly as early as next week. After some feedback from fellow Fchat members I removed the California T and am focusing on the 2013/2014 California 30. No luck finding a Rosso Mugello, so Rosso Corsa it is! Here is my list:


https://www.themarkmotors.com/vehicle-details/used-2014-ferrari-california--boerne-tx-id-35781882

This California 30 is the closest and only 6 hours from my house in Texas. 9363 miles. $109,888 asking price. It is well spec'd and has many options I like (Carbon fiber driving zone, carbon fiber central bridge, 20" wheels, yellow tach, yellow calipers, premium stereo, parking sensors, Daytona seats). Only negative is no CPO warranty. Third party warranty is available, but I have no experience with 3rd party warranties). Positives are distance, low mileage, well spec'd, and close to me.



https://www.ferrariofsandiego.com/used-San+Diego-2014-Ferrari-California-Base-ZFF65TJA9E0196159

This is a CPO car in San Diego with 2 years New Power Warranty. 10,031 miles. $112,900 asking price. Spec'd - Carbon fiber driving zone, carbon fiber rear molding, Daytona seats, 20" wheels, parking sensors, yellow tach). No real negative on this one except the distance. Positive is CPO warranty, well spec'd, and price seems reasonable.


https://www.ferrariofpalmbeach.com/certified/Ferrari/2014-Ferrari-California-1694fed30a0e0a6b033eb21ad8b6e3b6.htm

This is a CPO car in Palm Beach FL with 2 years New Power Warranty. 7536 miles. $114,795 asking price. Spec'd - Handling Speciale Package, Daytona Seats, Yellow Tach). Only negative on this one is missing the carbon fiber driving zone steering wheel and distance. Positive is the CPO warranty, low mileage, handling package, and price seems reasonable. Just really missing the carbon fiber steering wheel.


https://www.blackhorsemotors.com/vehicle-details/2014-ferrari-california-convertible-9967f25bcd540041a51d1ccfb15daaee#

This is at a private dealership in Naples, FL. 5656 miles. $124,900 asking price (WTF?). Spec'd really well. Carbon fiber driving zone, carbon fiber central bridge, yellow tach, yellow calipers, parking sensors, Daytona seats). Positives are well spec'd and lowest miles. Negatives are no CPO warranty and asking price is unrealistic in the current market.


I dread negotiating on cars and dread the process. I'm awful at it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I would appreciate any and all input on my journey. Mike with Yellow Compass here on Fchat is also searching for me and I've done business with him before.

Cheers, and I'm sooooo close to having another Ferrari in the shop!


John

 

For the extra uptick in price, I'd get one of the cpo cars at an official dealer. But that's just me and my comfort zone. The HS package is a nice add per several testimonials on F-chat...T

 

Number two sounds good to me. It's a nice combo of age and miles. Does it have HS? We have that on our 2013 Cali and the ride is really comforatble!

 

It's rare, but I've seen Mugello Cali's. If you can wait, I'd watch for the color you really want. All of us secondary market buyers have to live with what others have ordered from the factory, but I've made that exact mistake before. I go through fcars every few years, always well depreciated just out of warranty. I also really wanted a darker red, metallic or otherwise. I watched a few go by, and then I was ready to purchase and there were no dark reds available so I settled for Corsa red. It lasted a little over a year before I moved into a Rubino Cali T.

My thoughts on HS. Very subjective. You could buy the finest performance suspension for a 612 for instance and it doesn't come close to the FF, finest sports suspension of the F430 won't come close to a 458. When the car is home in your garage and you're not comparing and contrasting, you'll never care you don't have an HS, at least I wouldn't. But then like I said, it's personal choice. I never buy the best television either because the cheapest one is just last year's technology. I bought our first 65" at Costco for $500 a couple years ago and my braggart father in law bought the latest 4K next to it for three times the price. His TV looked exactly the same as mine displaying 98% of the content available. A couple weeks ago I bought a brand new 65" 4k Samsung for our loft at $479. I don't like to guild a lily. Unless there's a good benefit, something I'll enjoy regularly, I'd rather skip the instant gratification knowing I bought an HS and have the continued gratification that I saved money on something that I would never notice day to day. But that's just me. FWIW I had a Cali 30 and I thought it was an incredible drive. Doesn't hold a candle to the Cali T.

 

Check out this dealer. I see 2 or 3 Calis. Every few days they get new inventory. I bought my Cali T from them November of last year, and when you search on FChat you see many positive reviews on them.

https://www.marinoperformancemotors.com/used-cars-west-palm-beach-fl/

 

Andrew that dealership had a 2011 California in the Rosso Mugello/ Cuoio color combination that first attracted me to the combo, but it was a 2011 model. I am pretty set on a California 30.

 

Just realized I may have already posted this in another forum. haha

I see. If you are adamant about getting a Cali and not a Cali T, then for sure you would want the Cali 30. Seems many of the issues, specifically with the transmission, were sorted out in the 30.

 

I do like the red, but yes I love the Rosso Mugello, it would be so hard to wait. I drove the California 30 and a 2016 California T back to back. The T was more refined and more powerful, but the California 30 was no slouch and put a smile on my face the entire time. My budget is 150k and the Cali T is well within my budget, but I like to change cars every 2-3 years and the 30k to 40k (or so) that I will save by going with the California 30 will make it easier to move to a Portofino in 2-3 years (at least that is what I'm telling myself ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).

 

Food for thought, from someone who's had the same habit as you, been through six so far. For the record, I've sampled a couple of rear mids, couple of front 12's, and a couple of Calis. Listen, the Cali T is 0-60 in 3.3 seconds, the interior is finally comfortable, the stereo finally perfectly acceptable, and I know for a fact I'll never want for more performance. And I have the color I want. There are always rubino, fiorano or rossa california Cali T's out there. You may get in one and decide you're home. I could change my mind. Who knows. But at the moment I think I'm done shopping permanently. The Portofino is IMO less attractive and has nothing I will ever want.

 

That would be the dream, to find my weekend car that I didn't feel the need to switch every 2-3 years. The CaliT was a consideration but a couple of Ferrari Techs advised me to focus on the California 30 because the Cali T seemed to be prone to developing an oil leak that was not covered under warranty and was expensive to fix. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Hadn't heard that but that's life as a Ferrari owner. When I bought my California, there was still a good bit of fear over the DCT transmission. It has turned out in time to be less of a concern than people might have thought. I have a 2006 Cayenne Turbo S that I adore, estimated maintenance is $3,000 a year by the book but I do better than that sourcing my own parts and using Independants. All high performance cars are supposed to cost us money in maintenance. I have never been bitten by a hugely expensive Ferrari repair but if I ever get hit with a five-figure oil leak I'll just figure I'm due.

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Do tell ... first I've heard of a leak in the T.

I've had both a 30 and now the T ... Bob's right, the T is that much better, but I did love my 30, too. No question the 30 sounded better than the T, but the T is much more powerful.

I would lean toward the HS package, especially on the T, the exhaust would make it worth it to me. However, if you've ever checked out Harry's Garage on Youtube -- wonderful English guy who does great driving reviews and commentaries, the one he did on his Testarossa made me want to go buy one -- he did one on the Cali T with the HS package. He found the suspension too stiff for his liking on the car without being able to hit the "bumpy road" button on the T, which softens the suspension to the Comfort level while leaving all the other Sport settings intact. You cannot do that on the Cali 30, so I'd want to drive it first with the HS suspension, depending on your roads and what kind of driving you like to do. He thought the car was ideal on the T in Sport with the bumpy road button engaged but much too stiff otherwise. I love the T in Sport with the bumpy road option on for these New England roads, but I'm not doing any track or street performance driving anyway. He made some comments on the improvements in the T, he was not a fan of the original Cali but I don't think he ever sampled the Cali 30.

 

Appreciate all the feedback gentlemen, all good food for thought. I know we have all been in this position (close to purchase, searching, debating). It is an exciting time for sure. Truly blessed to have these options.

 

Yeah the exhaust note on the T does leave something to be desired. I may at some point consider a capristo upgrade. I've listened to them online they don't really sound that much better. A turbo is a turbo.

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Hi Bob!

This is my exact thought, as well!!!!!!

Hoping to find a nice Cali 30 or Cali T very soon!!!!

 

Good to have you back.

I don't get why they changed up the Cali T to be honest. Maser was wise enough to ride out the GranTurismo body style for a solid decade when they realized they had a winner. Maybe the Cali T isn't as perfect as I personally think it is. Far as I'm concerned it's one perfect car.

 

This was super evident to me when I bought my T ... they had two new Portofinos on the showroom floor and there was just something about the blockiness and the plastic ground effects and rear bumper that turned me off. Maybe it's because the Cali T seemed like a subtle streamlining (and marked improvement) to the original Pininfarina California design, and the evolution to the Portofino got that much more sharper and more angular ... something which maybe looks more "masculine" but also, to me, evokes styling cues like a late model Camaro/Mustang. I'm sure it's a great car but it doesn't speak to me. The Roma went the other direction, much more streamlined, but I think too far the other way.

Then again, I love the 458 and I think the 488 looked great, and the F8 is dynamite, so who's to say? I'm sure the Portofino is an awesome drive and it does look a lot better when those plastic pieces are carbon fiber or body color.

 

I agree on the Portofino. The Cali design was not the best, but did not deserve the hate some had. The Cali T is gorgeous and a delightful upgrade on design over the Cali. The Portofino however, just doesn't look as nice as the Cali T to me. The design is indeed more "angular". I am not a fan of the rear nor the side of the Portofino. With that said, the front is a nice improvement.

 

Common oil leak in T? That's news to me. Did that tech also tell you about all the roof failures of the Cali non-T?
If you're avoiding a T due to an oil leak issue, get back on track, because the T is super reliable.
Piper makes a good point about colours and interiors. You might lose the N/A engine, but you gain so much more everywhere else. Much better performance and the comfort level, fit and finish is just a different game. I cannot for the life of me see what makes a Cali 30 a better choice. To me this only makes sense if you cannot afford a T or cannot live without the N/A engine

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I am aware of the roof issues in the early California models as well as the DCT issues in the early models as well. Obviously just because one can afford something doesn't make it the best choice for one to purchase. I have a self imposed budget of 150k, not because that is the most I can afford, but because that is what I am personally comfortable spending on a weekend car (and yes, the California T is well within my budget). The biggest change for me is scaling back on my "weekend car collection". I currently have too many and I'm not spending enough time enjoying them all. So they are all going and I will keep one Ferrari. It will have my 3,000 sq. ft. shop all to itself. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I agree the California T is more refined and more powerful than the California 30. I was also surprised at how well they reduced (almost eliminated) the lag that one normally associates with Turbo engines. It is barely noticeable. However, I also really enjoyed my time in the naturally aspirated California 30 and had a smile on my face the entire experience.

I must admit the feedback has led me to add some California T models back on my list (my wife also liked the more refined California T), but I have not made up my mind yet. I will make a decision soon and I'm sure I will be happy with whatever I end up with. I'm looking forward to many top down drives this summer.

Cheers,

John

 

I paid $126,000 for my Cali T because it had 24,000 miles on it when I got her. It wasn't about the price but the fact that it was rubino over cuoio which is my kryptonite. And frankly I love the fact that someone else paid the depreciation. Doesn't bother me at all that I have 26,000 miles on my car now. $150,000 is plenty of budget and I wouldn't be super concerned about a well driven car either is my point.

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You live in Texas, better get cracking if you want to drive top down! [emoji2] We do most of our top down driving in the Cali in fall, then spring, then winter, almost never in summer. Too dang hot!
T

 

There is something special about that Ferri Rubino (I just refer to them as burgundy/ruby red) shades over cuoio. My absolute favorite.

 

Right???? That is why I cannot be patient enough to wait for my dream color combination to become available. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Early morning summer drives are ok, as are late evening, but then one must deal with all the bugs.

 

Bob could share some pictures?