Do you regret moving from 458/488/F8 to 296?

I have had 458, 488 and F8 and I don’t regret the move to the 296 at all. Personally, I find it to be an all around better car and a very nice upgrade. The performance is better than all of them and the sound is better than the F8 and 488. While the heptic controls aren’t to write home about the UI is better than all three prior cars.

Looks are subjective but to me this is a much sexier looking car and gets a lot more comments than any of my prior cars. I’ve also had a Pista but I am not factoring that into this equation. Just my .02 and others may vary. I’d be interested to hear from @jm2 since he just got his?

 

Like yourself, I've had a 458,488 and an F8. So far I am a fan of the 296. I'm not a fan of the haptic controls, nor the multitude of screens. But us old guys have a steeper learning curve I guess.
Ask me again in a few months, and I'll have a better understanding of the car.

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Basically same as mkraft3003 said ⬆️⬆️⬆️
Had the same lineup of cars (other than the Pista), and no regrets. Have to get used to the haptic controls but not a big issue. Performance is fantastic, sound is good (definitely better than the F8), and the styling, this being personal of course, is on par or better than the F8 , 488, 458, depending on what styling cues you like.

 

Like you I bought a new 458, 488, and F8, all Spiders. I loved them all. Hands down I think my new 296 GTS is even better looking, definitely better and more fun driving, and sounds great. It feels like a big event each time I drive it.

 

You should ask the same question in the 458/488/F8 forum ...

 

I had a regular 458 (2 actually) and a speciale. I miss my Speciale, somewhat because I bought it for $330k during covid and I'd be in great shape financially on it (which is a dumb reason to own a car) and partly because it was pretty cool to own such an iconic car. I wish I'd have kept it. However, regular 458, it's nowhere near a 296.

 

Regrets, not in my vocabulary

I prefer my F8 over 296. 296 not to my liking..
I rather buy top of the range in hybrid, SF90.

 

Raw means a lot of stuff to different people. Some people think having a low, loud car = raw, but their low, loud car has a things like a lift, AC, bluetooth, and other creature comforts. Reality is those same people just want to feel like they've made the right choice. Validation for people comes in many forms: hearing (a) stranger(s) in a car forum tell you you're right, seeing YouTube reviews of how great your car is, reading car magazine stats about how much better your car is than another, seeing the value of your car go up, hearing the dealer tell you how beautiful your car is whenever they see it, having your loved ones ooh and ahh about your car, seeing co-workers talk about it with envy, seeing random people on the road turn their heads to look at it when you drive by, or simply the feeling you have when you park it up and look back as you're walking away.

All of the above are natural human emotions, and Ferrari does a really good job finding ways to design and market to meet those very difficult to quantify metrics for feeling special.

Back on topic, the 296 checks a lot of boxes, but the how you feel in the car is not an easy to define spec that is universal. There are cars that people believe are grail cars so they lust for them. There are people who don't own any of these cars, and so they feel like one could be perfect for them knowing nothing about what it's like to actually own and drive one.

When you speak to dealers, remember to keep in mind why they could be saying what they are saying. If you're second guessing your 296 allocation, there's a long line of people who would be happy to snatch it up. Sets up the dealer with a stronger relationship when you buy something that you're sure you want. It also means that when the VS comes and people that want it cannot get it, the alternative options like the 296, SF90, etc become excellent Ferrari approved cars to have in inventory.

And for folks that prefer to have a 'last of the fill-in-whatever-floats-your-boat' model, then thats a win for the dealers too. The fact that someone prefers to keep an older model is a win for Ferrari as well. Every model has something that someone out there considers 'special' about it. Heck I'm sure there's customers and fans out there that think the original California is a super special car for some reason.

Equally, every model has the realities of what isn't so special or great about it. No point in listing the drawbacks to each model that I'm aware because it's pointless and only hurts people who are completely happy with what they own. As I said in a recent post, as long as you can live with (or don't know about) the not-so-great characteristics, then power to you, enjoy!

All this amounts to how you feel. Don't let how others feel about a car influence you into feeling a certain way. For this amount of $, you should be 100% about your choice because of how it makes you feel when you drive it, see it, etc.

All that said, I love my 296 GTB

 

I ran a poll in January 2023, on mid-engine cars and which 2 of the following people would keep. I specifically limited them to "current" levels of performance. By "current" I mean something that feels like 1G of force on acceleration. A 0-60 of 2.7 seconds is roughly 1G averaged. Even though the 458 Speciale is slightly slower, I put it in the poll.

The cars were: 458 Speciale, Pista, Pista Spider, F8, F8 Spider, 296GTB, 296 Spider.

The results were quite interesting. Out of a total of 288 votes, the 458 Speciale got 113 votes. Next most popular was the Pista with 47 votes, the 296GTS with 37 votes. Next up was Pista Spider with 33 votes.

The 296GTB received the fewest votes with only 18 votes. Next to last was the F8 Tributo with 19 votes and the F8 Spider with 21 votes.

After the poll was up, I was asked to put up lots of different cars like the 6-speed 360 or the 355 or the 430. I didn't because it was a comparison of "modern cars" that fit into the "1G" feeling of acceleration.

Of course, there aren't a lot of votes to be statistically robust. But as the voting was occurring, the results stayed symmetrical to the end.

What this told me was a preference to have a true NA car with a 1G feeling. Next up was the model winner of the Pista (80 votes) over the F8 models (40 votes) and the 296 models (55 votes). So there was a real draw to the Pista's perceived NA from ICE. Because of the turbo, I will call it NA Lite since it is replicating a larger displacement. IMO, the F8 models were viewed as an intermediate step to skip. And on the 296 side, a potential signal that the 296 aftermarket would be much stronger on the GTS vs GTB.

It also showed that Spiders/GTS type with 91 votes had a distinct edge on Coupes/GTB type with 84 votes. Pretty close.

I was surprised to see the 296GTB having the fewest votes, thought it was only 1 less than the F8.

At the end, the poll said people want their modern NA mid-engine, followed by a modern ICE car coupe and then the newest available spider. It looks like the F8 has become an intermediate stop between both models. It will be interesting to see if the market feels this way about the 296 spider in several years.

I believe this data is replicating the current market that FourWheelTrader is seeing in sale data. According to his channel, the Pista has 0 to -1% depreciation while the F8 has -9%. So maybe my poll was a good predictor.

Side bit: no one shouted to have the base 488 in the poll.

That thread is here: https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/7-mid-engines.670966/#post-148948861

 

I think we should update the poll..re-do the polling
Driven long enough to have a valid opinion..

 

Poll should include only those people who own a 296. The question the OP posed is does anyone regret making the move. Someone going for a test drive didn’t make the move to answer the question.

It’s very hard to comment on a car from a test drive or two. I’ve driven cars that I’ve fallen in love with on a test drive and after owning it for 2 months I sold it as I disliked the car. Conversely I’ve tested a car that my initial impression was this is not for me and ended up buying it and falling in love with it.

 

A few questions:

· Was the poll set up so that one could rank the cars? Or was it just a 'vote for one car' poll?
· Did you omit the 458 SpecialeA and 488 GTB/Spider for a reason?
· Did you intentionally separate coupes & spiders?
​

Visibility of the poll and the way the poll is set up has a big effect on results.

 

Owned;
Scuderia
458 Spyder
458 GTB
488 Pista
F8 (driven extensively for a day in Tuscany)

We now own a 296 GTS.

In every meaningful way to us the 296 is superior by a significant margin. Spend time with the 458, 488 and F8 and then with the 296 you will come to the same conclusion. Historical reference: 458 vs. 430. Do you remember when the 458 hit the market, literally car magazine reviewers cried the car was so amazing (vs the 430). The 458 skipped a generation of normal car evolution.

Ferrari did it again with the 296. Drive a F8 back to back with a 296 and you won't believe the difference. Its truly mind blowing.

I cant wait for the VS version.

 

Yes it’s true the way a poll is set up has a big effect on results but despite any shortcomings the results are still valid as they stand. Yes I would have loved to see the SpecialA in the mix but se la vie(It is Bastille Day after all)
Of all the standard production 4xx cars the 458 was the best(F8 included) The Speciale was better than the 458 and I preferred it over the Pista(never owned one but drove it enough to have an opinion) despite the Pista power advantage(but the Pista is the best looking of the bunch!)
I have not had the pleasure of driving the 296 as I moved on to the 812SF and later GTS because of the unbelievable sounds to go with the performance. But I am considering the 296GTS- it sounds, performs and looks better than most of the 4xx cars.
And the limits of the car surpass the 812 handily.


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Well put. My point only being that not many have had a chance to sit in or even drive a 296 so I'm not surprised by the poll. The Speciale is simply a car that is a lot of fun to own. It has its fair share of problems though, but let's let people meet their heroes when they are ready.

 

Perfect questions.

Yes, I did intentionally separate spiders from coupes as I have noticed the disparity in aftermarket prices between both. Notably in long term price depreciation %.

The poll was set up so 2 votes could be given. The poll was for what 2 mid-engines would be kept.

I used 2 votes because at that time (January 2023, 18 months ago), there were few 296 shipped or even fully reviewed but there were a lot of thread posts about whether hybrids would have great performance, customers would buy mid engine hybrid, etc. I wanted to find out what people would think of hybrid versus turbo. More lux vs more raw, and finally NA vs anything. Always, someone who would say all of the non-NA cars would be horrible.

I specifically used these cars as they are roughly 0-60 near 1G. Psychologically, people feel a sense of excitement at 1G as that is the physical feeling of falling. This is a thesis of mine.

At 2.73 seconds for 0-60mph, that’s an average of 1G, the Pista and F8 have been tested at 2.7 seconds. The 296 at 2.3. The 458 Speciale at 2.8 seconds, which is close enough. The 458 best is 3.0 and it is not in the 1G club.

I wanted to test mid-engines that people thought or felt was in this zone. The 458 is not in this zone. The 488 is but I rarely read threads comparing the Pista, Speciale, F8 or 296 in a comparison with it. I also wanted to constrain the list as much as possible to the goal of what the most exciting cars of the modern cars that supply them most exciting 1G zone. It was not a poll constructed by committee as I had a specific focus.

I had a sneaking suspicion that there would be many votes for an NA car.

So that’s why I picked these cars.

I would encourage someone with a different focus or a different list or who wants to rerun it, to construct it now that we have many 296s driven.

Hopefully this help explains why I picked what. Thanks to all that participated.

 

The 296 handles better than 458/488/F8 models. It is undeniably faster, with the most satisfying power delivery due to the hybrid system. Sounds better than 488/F8. Looks are subjective, so leave that out (I happen to think the F8 is the best looking of the group). It's a revolutionary leap over the prior models in just about every metric.

That being said, I cannot possibly hate the haptic controls more and would throw a hex upon the designer if I could. I got back in my F8 for the first time in a few months lately, and just thought to myself...."why? why do a complete 180 degree turn from simple, classical controls"? The upgraded F8 interior was just perfect, timeless and functional.

The 296 is also an unknown as it comes to reliability, the 488/F8 were pretty bulletproof overall (not counting sticky buttons, glue issues, dumb stuff like that). Overall, it's the best driver's car and the one I kept reaching for the keys on....that says a lot. Will be interesting to see how the haptic controls evolve when (and if) Ferrari decides to listen to customer feedback. I haven't talked to a single person that "loves" them.

 

There are different ways to assess cars, and people making judgments sometimes do not want to accept their real reasons...
Anyway, here are my (obviously biased, but based on actual driving experiences) opinions:
- if rarity / show off factors are at the top, the Speciale wins, followed by the Pista (if driving does not matter, the Speciale A and Pista Spider are even better)
- if performance and efficiency are at the top, the 296 wins hands down
- if performance compared to price is on top, the 488 (always dismissed by non owners ) wins easily (it's actually a lot faster than a Speciale, by the way)
- the F8 is in-between, maybe for people with balanced mindsets: it is new enough to be accepted as not cheap (compared to the 488), so it still has some show-off credentials; it's better performing than a 488 (or Speciale, of course), so it has some performance credentials without the overpricing of a Pista or the controversial hybrid system of the 296.

 

Thank you for your reply.

I didn’t include the 488 GTB as few people bring up the car in comparative discussions. Originally the poll was just going to be do you prefer Pista vs F8 vs 296. It grew out of discussion regarding hybrid and its effect on brand. I threw the Speciale in as I thought a pure NA car with as close performance would also be a good test regarding hybrid.

I think having polls are a good structure with some data for discussions. Versus the few amount of expressed personal opinions. Which is what I wanted the poll to be.

 

How is the 296 selling? Is a new 2024 296 coup worth a $50,000 over sticker bump to have it now? How long a wait to order a car? 2 years?

 

About as well as a bag of ice in Antartica.

 

they are selling fine, but secondhand prices are certainly reflecting the serious bump in MSRP vs. the prior cars (as well as a weak overall market right now, high financing costs, yada yada). You shouldn't be paying much over MSRP for a coupe. Higher sticker cars are certainly going under MSRP at this time, low MSRP's probably close to sticker or slightly above/below. I have a well optioned 400k sticker car listed for 419k, had two offers and it's going to sell a little below my asking but above sticker. Many sellers think they can get a big bump over sticker, and those cars are sitting (and will continue to sit).

This also assumes retail pricing (aka a Ferrari dealer) which is where the majority of used 296's will sell at.

 

Regular production Ferraris rarely sell for huge above MSRPs prices for prolonged periods anymore as Ferrari has priced their cars to leave little on the table. The 812GTS may be an exception and is still hanging in there but even they are starting to ebb a bit. That will accelerate as the 12C spiders hit the market.
The 296 is an unknown quantity in terms of reliability and cost of battery replacement as many Ferraristi know about the La Ferrari battery cost( the new battery warranty will help). The SF90 has been out longer than the 296 and its prices continue to drop.
In the end buy the car you love. Clearly faster, quicker at this performance point rarely means a better car to own as the Ferrari lovers on this site have spoken thus far- Speciale and NA ICE only cars rule. That may change next month or next year as Ferrari comes out with hybrid 3.0(LaF 1.0, SF90&296 2.0) or heaven forbid an EV that mimics an NA V8 or V12 so well in linearity and sight and sound but with the added performance we will giggle all the way to the speeders jail cell.


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i prefer my 812 gts but i like the 296 and f8 as well .