348 or Testarossa

Post this in the 348 and Testa areas and you will get more responses. I have a 348 and love it, but haven't even ridden in a Testarossa, but they have to be pretty sweet. May cost a bit more, but you will have to talk to guys that have both or are a heck of a lot more experienced than I...

MB

 

in this market, both represent a pretty nice performance/coolness value. get the 348 first and if you still have the thirst for a few more cyls and a bit more to expect in upkeep>>>get a tr!

high class problem as they say.

pcb

 

I had a 348 tb. I sold it when I bought the TR. Go with the TR.

 

Drive a Testarossa and you should have your answer.

 

Do some searching in the tech section regarding maintenance and known weaknesses of each model..... For me the Testarossa became much less desirable after reading a few horror stories. Buying a car is one thing, paying for 10k in repair bills is another.

 

Wait a few months and you'll be able to add 550s and 360s to your list of sub-$60k ferraris to choose from. 456s are there now.

 

+1, I agree.

 

Don't forget to bring your checkbook, you cannot leave without it!

 

They are both great cars!! Different animals.
(I said that in the other thread, in this section )

I have owned my 348 for over 3.5 years now. LOVE it, great car!!

I went driving in a Testarossa Feb last year with a friend. That too was a great car!! It was a little more cramped up in there compared to my 348. My head was hitting the roof inside the cab and I am nearly 6'2. My 348 has a little more room I think.

Handling wise, it is just as good as the 348.......I think????? We went driving through "Black Spur". It is a really twisty and windy stretch of road in Melbourne, Australia. The Testarossa held its own considering she is a big girl. Although the GT4 that was with us looked to be a little more nimble on the road. So I am assuming the 348 would probably be little quicker through there through the corners.

Power wise didnt really seem to strike me as being much "faster" than my 348. Perhaps felt like it had a little more torque, but overall the car wasnt much faster, if at all. Testarossa has around 90 HP more and weighs around 100 kg more than the 348.

Either way, they are both awesome machines in their own right. I would prefer my 348 (obviously which is why I bought one), but I would still love to own a Testarossa. And I probably will one day in the future.

My suggestion would be to drive both again and then decide which car you enjoyed driving the most.

 

I would think that after five minutes in the Testarossa, the potential customer would just drive straight to his house - irrespective of the salesman's wishes - so that he could get his checkbook without ever having to let the TR out of his sights.

 

Would he be getting out the checkbook to buy it or to pay for repairs? LOL. Look, all I am saying is that the 348 is a great Ferrari to get started with - if you have 10k sitting around for repairs and about the same for a major, then if you like the Red Head, get her, but just know that it will cost you more.

MB

 

Local friend here has owned both, and often tracked the 348. Not sure if he ever tracked the TR, but he bought the 348 new, and still has it. He sold the TR quite some time ago. Another friend also owned a TR, but wasn't completely happy with the size and weight of the car, and much prefers his 328GTS. I thought about buying a TR or 512TR, but decided on a 348TS. I'd still love to have a 12cyl in my garage, but I feel my 348 is closer to a sports car than the TRs. Drive both, and go with the one you want the most!

 

I owned my 348 for 3 years and have had the TR for almost 3 years. To date the TR hasn't cost anymore to own than the 348 and the TR hasn't had all the little things break on it , other than a major service the only thing I have had to replace was the "bullet" connector on the frame rail about $8 in parts. Both are great cars but I prefer my TR. I really don't miss the 348 but I do miss my 328 on occasion.

 

Count one in favor of the 348. Having spent some time driving both (but less in the 348), I think the Testarossa has three main problems in comparison to the 348: one, its physical size is a hassle. It may not weigh much more than a 348, but it is certainly a larger car. Two, its price premium over the 348 isn't justifiable, in my view, and in addition to a higher original price tag, you also have to take into account considerably higher potential maintenance costs. Finally, the Testarossa's clutch is so damn hard to operate that you won't want to drive it as often as the more user-friendly 348. I also feel like because of the Testarossa's size and potential reliability hassles, it feels more fragile than the 348.

It's just my take, but if you buy the 348 you save $20k+ from the outset and you get an easier-to-use, less costly, and only slightly less powerful car.

 

I had the same choice.

I now have a 93 348 Special. The 512 Tr was nice, had lots of speed, but a little heavy and wide. The Tr was also a little tight inside for room for me.

My suggestion is if you can find a Speciale that would be my first choice.

 

They cost more to maintain because they yield a far more enriching experience.

 

I love the Testarossa. I love the style and the driving experience.

I've always viewed the 348 as a cheap knockoff (sorry)

That said, I'm afraid to own a testarossa. Too many horror stories. I would be nervous everytime I left the driveway.

348 ownership doesn't scare me, just have never felt a passion for the car.

So... to answer your question... niether.

If I wanted a 12 cylinder under 100K I would buy a 550.
If I wanted an 8 cylinder I'd buy a 328.

 

Or get an Ecko cheese grater for a few bucks, toss it in a kitchen drawer, and get a real classic Ferrari for the garage.

(OK, seriously, between the 348 and TR, I feel more comfortable in the 348. The build quality is not there, but it's the right size for a driver's car. There's a triple black Spider at Marshall Goldman right now that I think is spectacular and would be the most-debugged of the 348 series. If I were buying a weekend driver, with no aspirations for resale value, I'd get a black metallic or white 512 TR. It has more of the '80s supercar/look-at-me/Miami Vice thing going. But, I'd take a 328 over either.)
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The basket cases are the cars that have suffered from neglect. There are plenty of Testarossa/512 TR/F512 M owners here who will tell you about long-term, problem-free ownership because they've driven their cars regularly and don't haggle over routine maintenance like oil changes and stuff like that. I think you'd really enjoy a Testarossa. Find one that's been properly maintained and recently serviced, and you're in for a life-changing experience.

 

buy a 348...better all around and lower maintenance cost...if you want power buy a 430...




Porsche there is no substitute

 

+1

I have a 348 Spider and have driven an awesome '89 TR. Totally different experiences. The TR had gobs of power, but lacked sufficient headroom (6' tall). It got up and went like nobody's business, however, it felt kind of heavy. I think you would be best served to drive a TR and make the decision for yourself as it definately is a personal preference kind of thing. If faced with TR versus 348, I think I'd lean toward the 348 but they are both, in my opinion, awesome cars. Good luck!

 

The TR is a BIG, HEAVY, and WIDE car - that'd be a huge amount of fun on the open road. Way more than 100kg difference I think. The TR is also more wife friendly imo.

I went with the 348 spider as well - it's a sports car, where the TR is a GT. I'd be tempted with the 550 over a TR.

 

348 gets the chicks!! And it comes in a Spider!!!

 

348 drives better for the streets, for a fun 2 hour spirited drive. Especially if it’s an open top one.

The Testarossa is far more epic in every way, expect as a GT car it’s a bit heavier and less nimble on the streets. The Testarossa is symphonic.

For the same price, obviously the Testarossa because it’s more car. Considering 348’s are half the cost to buy now, I’d get a 348.

Summary: 348 is more fun for a driver. Testarossa is more epic. I have a 348ts and have driven a Testarossa many times, but I’d buy a Testarossa (and sell the 348) in a heartbeat if I can find a good one for reasonable price.

Testarossa has more investment potential imo. But short term, there will be larger percentage gains with the 348. 348s are grossly underpriced imo, they’re a blast to drive and some basic mods get their performance much much better.


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