296 Owner reviews?

Is there a way to at least turn the volume down on the warning chimes?

 

There is for certain chimes but not others. I managed to get the dealer to turn it right down to a sensible level for the parking sensors and think it may be possible to do yourself thru various on screen menus. However for the stupidly loud chimes for seatbelt not fastened, speed limit exceeded etc they said can’t be adjusted ?

 

Perhaps the speaker where the chimes are broadcast could be wrapped in some sound deadening material to reduce the volume. Is there a separate speaker behind the dash?

 

Thanks!

 

I want to say a few words in defence of the haptic controls. Sure, it took a day or two to get used to them but now I know just what sort of touch they respond to and have no problem making them work.

The second thing I did after getting the car was to turn on the automatic lock for the wheel, so that when driving I don't accidentally brush the speech button - the first thing I did was reduce the volume of the crazily loud warning beeps.

I love the clean, uncluttered look of the dash and if the multitude of haptic controls is the price for not having an ipad superglued to the dashboard then I am more than okay with that.

Also, I don't think the chrome exhaust is as big a problem as some people say. Mine looks fine after 2000 miles and it kinda goes with the silver prancing horse above, and with my silver wheels.

I find it easier to keep the exhaust tip clean than I do one of the wheels, never mind all four (that's not to say that getting the black exhaust tip is at all a bad decision).

Just my two cents...

 

I agree with the haptics comment. I heard so many horror stories but I like it. I'm into tech so maybe it helps. LOL

 

Reminds me of people not liking the Lexus touchpad, but I found out if you use your middle finger, as opposed to your index, like you would with a regular laptop trackpad, it's damn great. And no fingerprints on the display. I do miss how ultra-low-maintenance that car was.

 

Thanks for the positive comments

 

Sadly still does not change the fact that using haptic controls on a not ideal road surface often leads to the wrong outcome, I cannot tell you the number of times I have gone to do A and a slight bump in the road has lead to me doing B, then I might have to undo that and try and do A again – it is a very poor UI.

 

I agree 100%.
Way back in the 1980's, Buick tried the screen control strategy. It was maddening. You'd go to touch the screen and hit a bump in the road and wind up hitting something different than the desired outcome. 40 yrs later, mfg are still trying to replace buttons and physical controls.

 

If you drove without your hands then you would not have this problem.

 

Yes. I love it. I ordered the AF model. Although firm suspension...not harsh and for me very livable. I ordered the regular seats as I do find the Carbon buckets harsh regardless of suspension. My SF90 had the Carbon buckets but was a non AF...very uncomfortable seats...a very hard ride even with bumpy road. I like the 296 so much so I sold the SF90.
I now have an allocation for a 296 Speciale.

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• Btw...the haptic controls are a little better...they are not just smooth now. Glad Ferrari on future models.went to buttons.

 

Very interesting to hear how you enjoy the 296 versus the SF90 especially regarding the seat choice. Is your 296 Rosso Imola or a different color red? Stealth mode without the Assetto Fiorano version livery stripe to.

 

Love the color, Jor. I also went with the AF package but no stripe. I totally agree that the AF suspension is firm but not punishing and I haven't regretted not having the lifter as it negotiates my driveway and other minor inclines just fine as long as I can go in at an angle. I went with the race seats which are quite firm but quite frankly are comfortable enough for a long drive. They're far better than the carbon race seats I had in my BMW M4 which were horribly uncomfortable.

The haptic controls suck and sharing a single screen with tachometer / speed and carplay is just a horrendous design failure. But the driving experience is so good that I largely ignore all that and just use Bluetooth audio plus Waze on the phone mounted to the windshield.
Currently I've got around 3000 miles over 8 months with perhaps 800 track miles on the original Michelin PS4s. I don't say this often about street cars, but it's an excellent track day vehicle. Fast, sharp steering, responsive brakes and unlike most street cars you can run it session after session without brake fade or heat soak or too much tire wear as long as you're keeping it reasonable.

 

I got my 296 GTB in Mar 2023 and have been enjoying it immensely. My 296 GTS is expected in a few days / weeks (is in NJ port). I listed my GTB for sale and the reception to the listing is bad; hardly any bites. While I am not hung up on # of cylinders, prospective Ferrari buyers are it seems, per my dealer. The car is objectively spectacular in all metrics - acceleration, stability, braking, sound, technology (and looks). I sincerely hope buyers in the used market will warm up to this car in the coming years.

 

I passed on the stripe. It is Rosso Imola.

 

Yes I agree on resale. People are hung up on V6...although this sounds better and performance is better than the V8 predecessors. Sounds better than the SF90 and is more visceral.

 

That Rosso Imola is beautiful for your 296, thank you for your comments on the SF90 experience.

 

Very nice. I am about to take a 1000 mile trip in mine.

 

Yes you can.. the manual discusses it.. it’s in one of the Set Up menus… Note it doesn’t work for all warning chimes but helpful for things like parking sensors…

 

Thanks, I’ve been trying to tone the seatbelt warning chimes. Dealer couldn’t do it either.
I did tone down the parking sensors.

 

Just completed my trip. Why do Challengers, Camrys, and Mustangs all try to race?
I will say this...when you are cruising at 80 on a US Interstate and you punch the gas on a 296...its go to jail quick.
Overall a really compliant ride and I have the AF package. Although the suspension is stiffer than the regular it is very smooth. The only issue I had is due to injuries forcing me to stop an stretch every couple of hours.
As far as gas mileage...I was mildly shocked at the range I was able to get.
I am still not a fan of the controls and will never be but outside of that...really enjoyed the trip.
I did get a lot of compliments and curious inquiries..
Lastly I have seen reviews comparing this to the 750s which is a great car...but some of what these reviews state are either lies or they actually didn't drive the car. I have driven both and prefer the 296.