575 vs. 550 at Current Prices ?

On balance, I'm liking the 575--which I consider to be a driver & I do not plan to resell...ever. However, it cost 40% more than the 550 when I bought it.

I previously owned a 550 & now have a 575. One key thing is the 575 F1 clutch--when I bought mine, the dealer replaced the clutch for me--but obviously a 50% worn clutch will be an expensive fix & wouldn't be nearly as frequent a maintenance item on the (manual) 550. The 575 clutch causes me to be more careful when starting on hills or driving in traffic.

Other than that, I am having fewer problems with the 575 than with the 550 (550 was a '99, 575 is a 2002, mileage was the same for both) -- 550 had problems with the door latches, stereo, "slow down" light coming on. The 550 also had a problem with the battery running down quickly if it wasn't used very regularly, causing it to occasionally stall out soon after startup if it did not warm up for a while. These were major annoyances for me and I am very happy to not have to deal with them anymore.

575 is criticized as being "soft" but is actually more comfortable for frequent use (even in sport mode), and so far, does not scrape its nose on the pavement at all -- this was a daily occurrence with the 550, even on steep off-ramps, etc. Ride height difference is thus noticeable from a driving perspective, but not so much from the perspective of appearances. 575 also feels more solid (ie, better build quality), is not as rattly over rough pavement, and the sun visor problem on the 550 has been fixed in the 575. 550 windshield wipers were rather cheap and ineffective--575's are much smoother (not an issue for residents of Dubai or Cali, I guess, nor for those who refuse to expose their f-car to moisture of any type).

575 also pulls a bit better in the mid-rev range due to slightly more power, also--as if you really needed more power than the 550 delivers.

Interior design is overall better on the 575, IMO, though I am not a big fan of the 575's digitized clock and fuel gauge, but these are small issues.

575 has a softer exhaust note than the stock 550--I am sorting this out with a mod exhaust, but the 550 did sound better with the tubis & I hear that the 575 just has a different sound, even with mod exhaust--could be an issue for some owners.

External design is also a matter of taste--I liked the 550's design better when I owned it and now I like the 575's better--you will probably fall in love with both equally. However, 575 looks much better with the chrome grille, IMO.

Hope that provides some perspective for you...

 

Check out the "either/or" thread and the end result.

 

I have been observing the market for 575s over the past several months. It is a fact that decent 2002 575s can be found between $110,000 and $119,000. Pricings have certainly been falling in this market segment. The asking prices for 550s, generally, seem a bit high relative to 575s. My theory is that the 550 market is slow to adjust and capitulate to the dropping 575 prices. No doubt the spread between the 2 will continue to narrow in absolute dollar terms. I would target a 575 for around $110 and a late 550 around $85. Ironically, I believe that it may be possible to get a better deal from a dealer on a 575 that is in inventory (this also applies to 612s) as they are frequently sitting on (floor planning) cars that are rapidly depreciating through their acquisition costs. A private seller may not be seeing the market as clearly and will be slower to capitulate to reality. I have no ownership experience with either vehicle, but have been also considering a purchase. My current car is an 03 db7 coupe. I like the big 12 cyl GTs alot, and have been looking for the next one. DB9s, 575s and even 612s have been on my radar screen. I eliminated the 550s because I wanted an f1 transmision. In reading many many many postings on this site and elsewhere there appears to be a clear consensus that the 575 is a superior car to the 550 .............just more modern and tighter. The earlier post in this thread was perfectly representative of most others comparing the 2 cars. Still...........the 550M is a GORGEOUS automobile. I visited my sister in Boston yesterday and there was a gleaming yellow 550 in the garage of her apartment building. At 85k............so tempting.

 

550 pricing appears lower that I estimated ...........

 

The more I've read on these threads about f1, the more inclined I am towards finding a manual tranny in my next f-car. (I'm not looking to get a 550 or 575--fairly similar to the 456M in daily driving if not at the limit). I think the manual will be superior over the long term for both cost and reliability. In addition, many posts here have said that the F1 upshifting in auto is jerky (read about but haven't tried it in a 575, but I drove and found f1 upshifting really unpleasant in a Gallardo and Audi supposedly did a good job with theirs).

The new f1A is supposed to be a real improvement, but that is only available on the most recent 612s and 599s. The earlier 612s were recalled for f1 problems that stopped the car dead in its tracks. The guys who track their cars seem to prefer the F1, but not many people track 575s, so there is no advantage in that.

Even though it may not be keeping in character with the car and it may depreciate more rapidly, I'm pretty tempted to get a manual 612, even if I were to prefer the color combo of an F1 car more. Considering that the 575 had an early iteration F1, I'd stick with a 550. There are lots around to choose from, so have fun shopping.

 

My 2004 575M has F1 (I wanted F1) and shifts very smoothly once you learn to do it. In normal vs sport mode if you let up slightly on the throttle as you up-shift, just like you do on a manual transmission, the shifts are as smooth as any manual. Plus when in sport and shifting near the redline, the shifts are extremely positive and faster than any manual transmission. I really like the F1, especially when downshifting for a corner, where two touches on the paddle and you are down two gears in a flash with perfectly matched revs. The 575M had the transaxle really beefed up for the F1 with triple and double cone synchro rings, so I am not worried about transaxle life and the F1 units have been generally reliable.

My 575 has the Fiorano Handling Package and is not soft by any means. I have no idea why anybody would use the Auto mode even in rush hour traffic and I have never even selected it since I owned the car.

I am with Robie, I love the 575 and find it an excellent choice for all-around driving pleasure. Sometime in the future, I may replace the exhaust with one a bit throatier, but right now I am enjoying the V-12 purr.

Taz
Terry Phillips