Greetings, Old newbie here. Looking to downsize the fleet and get One nice toy to hold me over until that ride in a Black Cadillac wagon. Had a 308 GTS many years ago that started getting expensive to keep up so it was sold and I still miss it but would like something else. Really only Two cars that interest me in my price range (low 100k ish). Heart wants a Testarossa, Brain says a California. I know, way different directions. Will be something just to cruise around without any real high performance desires. Mileage will be a couple hundred miles a month tops. Resale value not a big concern. but don't want huge repair bills. What do the experts say?
Ferraris are not a part of the brain, when it comes to them, its the heart that matters, thats why you see so many people with more money than brains, and there are lots of them in Ferraris unfortunately. My heart does not skip a beat when I see a California, but it does with a Testarossa, when I see these people driving around in their 550 HP Calis or 650 HP Portos, I look and say, Oh geez,they might as well be driving a convertible thunderbird, present company excluded. Im talking about what I see here where I live. If your going to buy a front engine Ferrari, make it a V12 .I am not an expert, Im someone who has the blood of Ferrari running through my veins, so for me, its always been about the passion, the driving experience,the heart racing !! not the status bull**** that you see all over. Thank you
If you want to minimise your bills go back to a 308 or 328 - tr won't work for you - California would best meet your needs if it was an official dealer CPO car with 2 yr factory warranty which might cost a little more upfront but repay both in peace of mind and bill potential I do however fear your parameters as described are too tight for you to be comfortable https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/help-best-entry-level-ferrari-100k.625171/ Many similar discussions
If your main objective is cruising around, I'd go for a California. Pretty sweet car to drive around. You can drop the top, and you dont need to wrestle it. TR will be more of an experience, that's for sure. But overall it is a cumbersome car to drive. Super wide, hard clutch, heavy steering at low speed...
First I will say that if you have a budget of $100k and concerned about maintenance costs, resale value will be important so I will include references to value. Each choice has challenges..... For the TR, there will be large repair bills, but those may be offset by some appreciation. It also has a manual transmission which is a must for fun weekend driving. On the California, there is an issue with the transmission on early ones so the general advice most give is to start with the “30” model. If you are a convertible person this would be a fun choice.....but they will keep depreciating down to who knows where.
Thanks for the input. Lots of solid info on this site. TR may be too much of a reach, but the CA looks to be the most likely result. I do like this one... 2013 Ferrari California | eBay Still have some research to do.
As has been said, I hear repair bills on a TR can be significant. So $$ and hassles. The Cali is the "smart" call but don't buy one if your not thrilled with it. How about an F430? Should be in your price range and really just a much more modern 308, which you say you loved.
That color combo is what attracted me to the Cali. Been in the car business too long to know to not even look at a German car! None of the late 3 or any of the 4 series does anything for me. Drove a couple of Gallardo's coupe and rag, was not impressed at all for the money. Still may end up up back in a 308 and add some later wheels/tires and A/C that works.
You’ve been “in the car biz too long to know to not even look at a German car” with the price point of low $100K. Really? What a joke. Porsche owns that space. You think a beaten 430 is a better sports car than an almost new Porsche?
A 911 is the only car I ever owned for less than $1000 a year, including taxes, consumables and servicing (and I didn’t do it). 5 years cost me under 5k. Chalk me up for suggesting the 430 too. I like the coupe better than the convertible, but ymmv.
+1 for the F430 - certainly it's not the best price/performance proposition (I'm not sure any Ferrari gets this title) but it's modern enough to provide a decent reliability and limited maintenance costs, and it's a true "exotic" car. The Testarossa may be relatively cheap to buy, but its cost of ownership will be on another level if it is bought to be used (even moderately). A California is a competent car, but not really special - as a daily driver it has its merit but the sense of occasion when driving it will be limited.
Well a Testarossa is cheaper to maintain than though. Think about it brake job on a tr 1k, ceramic brakes on a f430? For having had one it was easy and cheaper to maintain than a modern car but not user friendly unles u like older cars like I do. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've always been a ferrari owner on a budget and as long as you buy smart you can still make it out alive. I'd probably avoid a TR or a 355 and go for either a 328/360/430. Bought a CS in 2012 when they were quite cheaper than now and has not given me a single problem since then, just regular yearly services and two belt jobs.
I have to agree with the guys on the German cars. I’ve owned Porsche 911‘s for 22 years straight. Definitely the most reliable sports cars of any discussed on this link so far. And relatively inexpensive to maintain. Do they have the gravitas of a Ferrari? Maybe not as much, but it is a car that you will actually be able to drive headache free and not see you’re mechanic on a very regular basis. here in the Midwest we only get to drive our sports cars six months a year. So I don’t want that car to be in the shop for weeks or months at a time well the mechanic works on it.
I've owned a 328 and currently have a 360 so I agree with this. However, the words "Ferrari" and "budget" are mutually exclusive. Like with a 360 (or any other Ferrari or exotic), you could spend either $5k OR potentially $20k in the first year or two of ownership.
The ceramic brakes last a long time if the car does not go to a track - and an F430 should never need an engine-out service...
Im telling u for owning a ff, a 355 and having owned a TR the tr was by far cheaper. An engine out is like 6k, brakes and parts are cheap. They just rare. The ff is way more expensive. Onlly thing the tr is weak for is the diff but the sensation in it just like the 355 are 10x new stuff to me Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
WRT the Ferrari vs. Porsche discussion, the latter will not serve its purpose as a special car in later years. Does not tick that box IMO.
Testarossa and Cali experience are so different. One is hard to manoeuvre, no PAS, gated manual which grumpy when cold, swaggering looks and a pretty bad Fiat plastic interior. Two seat fixed roof twelve cyl mid engine. Pretty analogue. The other is easy to drive (for a Ferrari), deliberately made as a DD, PAS, DCT, modern, pretty digital, much more luxurious interior, two plus two hard top cabrio front engine V8, looks good but nothing like as standout. I mean, it depends which you prefer. There isn’t really a comparison you can make. You’d remember the Testa as more distinctive, but you have to be a particular type of person. The Cali is a better car for most people.
I would also recommend test driving both, one will usually speak louder to your heart... (unless your that one guy that test drove 6 Ferrari, alas it yielded a completely 'equal' experience)