Decisions, Decisions: '05 F430 & '04 360 Spider

Is the 430 a coupe?? I would agree on the overall styling of the 360 being better than that of the 430. That said, the 430 has so much more in power and ride than the 360.

I prefer the coupe over any 360/430 spider, have never liked the lines of a spider.

The 430 sounds very, very tempting if only $5k difference.


Post pics when you get the car!


Robert

 

I had a year '00 360 red/tan coupe and now have an '07 430 red/tan coupe... so I can give you a direct comparison. There's no comparison. With the possible exception that the 360 is a more "beautiful" car, the 430 is a better car in every measurable way.

The curve ball for you is the 360 is a spider and depending on now much you'd drop-the-top, this could make the decision for you.

You live in Florida... having a Spider there would be VERY cool. I live in Cali and I _love_ having my Gallardo Spider and 993 Cab. During the spring and summer months, the tops on these cars rarely, if ever, go up.

Now if you could find an affordable '05 F430 spider, we likely wouldn't even be having this discussion... would we?

Good luck with your decision.

Frank

 

And I'll disagree with Robert.

I'm a spider guy. I personally like the lines of a spider (top off obviously) better than the coupe. Of course, I tend to always favor a convertible in any car I've had, whether an MG, Corvette or a Ferrari. I did contemplate getting a F430 coupe when I was shopping for my 360 spider, but to the power and refinement issues weren't enough for me to 'settle' (my term here ) for a coupe.

Of course, this is all subjective; it's what YOU want most in a car. If you're not really a dyed in the wool spider guy, I'd opt for the F430 coupe, as it beats the 360 in every measureable way. I’d go with the F1 in the F430 as it’s much more refined that that in the 360. I’m a stick guy in a 360.

I'm also of the opinion that the F430 is just as pretty as the 360; I will surely be swapping my 360 spider out for an F1 430 spider in 2 to 3 years as soon as the prices REALLY tank when the F430 replacement starts being sold.

 

external looks wise.. the 360 is a better looking car than the 430 in my opinion.. as a matter of fact I would say go for a 2003 murceilago if you do not get the modena.. you can find those at around 430 prices..

I love the looks of the 360 modena.. and I don't dislike the 430.. but I didn't think all the design decisions they made were so spectacular. there are exceptions..

I think in black the 430 looks good as the specific design cues are less evident..

I think the spider in dark silver / black interior (like in the 2006 movie "miami vice") was a very very sharp looking car..

but if it was me making the decision I would choose 360 modena or Lambo Murceilago..

and I do realize that the 430 is better car in the engineering department than the 360..

 

I skipped over the 360 to an F430 mainly because of the belt/maintenance issue and the E-diff. I thought the 430 was a bit more aggressively styled but the 360 is certainly pretty.

I personally like them both stylistically. I just prefer the superior engineering and ease of maintenance.

Oh, I have a spider and it's top is never up, rain or shine.

 

Is the 360 an F1? After driving both an F1 360 Spider and an F1 F430 Spider, I can tell you that I would never want to own an F1 360. If I were to buy a 360 it would be a stick shift and if I were to buy a F430 it would definitely be an F1. There is a huge difference between how well the F1 works in the F430.

 

Get newer car!...Better technology all around.

G/L

 

430 all the way. even though i do think the 360 does look better

 

The cars are quite dissimilar, drive both and the decision will/should be obvious.

 

I suggest going for a 430... unless if it is a 360 challenge stradale within your grabs...
Looks wise I prefer the 360

 

looks = 360
performance = 430
0.02

 

I have both and prefer the F430 if I could only keep one.

 

I prefer the looks of the f430 and of course the extra performance.

 

F430 is the better car overall, but if you're set on an open-top experience then you know what you need to do.

 

the f-1 transmission on the 430 is the way to go.

 

So true!

 

I just swapped my 2002 360 coupe - manual for an F430-Spider-F1; For me, no brainer - a 430 must. They both look good; which one is better is very personal but for performance & fun wise - F430 for sure.

 

Are the prices really only $5k apart??? I've been watching the market contemplating the same question, but my understanding was that the market was about $30k difference ($140 area for a '05 430 coupe, $105-$110 area for a '04 360 spider)...

Maybe I'm not watching the market close enough, but IF the F430 was only $5k more, I wouldn't even hesitate...The ink would be dry before I finished writing this post!

 

Your spider is out in the rain?

 

I think the 360 maybe more, perhaps closer to 120-130k$ and the 430 coupe is more like 130-140k .. more like a $10k difference

 

I'm not sure about that...there is a 2004 360 Spyder on FerrariAds for $107,900...

 

drive both.. I did last week.. the 430 will be yours