360 vs. 348...Don't Laugh......Yet

My Dad has a 360 6-speed coupe, and I have extensive driving experience with it. Therefore, I have extensive experience with both the 360 and the 348.

I find it proper to note that when he bought his 360 (his first Ferrari), driving it was the most wonderful thing for me, as it was my first experience with Ferrari. I then bought my 348 coupe.

I will rate the 360 and then the 348 according to your inquiries.

Performance:
360: 9
348: 7

Ergonomics:
360: 7
348:7

Reliability:
360: 8
348: 6

Cost of Maintenance:
360: 8
348: 6

Attention factor:
360: 8
348: 9

I must add my own here.

Fun Factor
360: 8
348: 10

My comments to follow.

 

You've said it all... ;- )

 

I must justify a few of my ratings, lest I be condemned to hell by the 348 haters!

I think the 348 gets more attention than the 360 because it's much rarer. People don't really know what it is. It's more of that 80s, old-school design that people may slightly recall but haven't seen in years. It might be safe to say that the 80s are a real nostalgic time as far as Ferrari enthusiasm is concerned (and for me, in all aspects). People see rappers, celebrities, and the local rich guys with 360s, but they don't frequently see 348s, Mondials, 328s, etc.

As for ergonomics, the 360 doesn't really have anything I can think of that 348 doesn't have except for Xenon headlights and a workable radio. The 360 wasn't showered with gadgets and amenities when it was designed. The climate control system in my 348 is terrific. And here's what I care about: visibility. The visibility in the 348 is second-to-none. There is nothing obstructing your vision on the side of the car, whereas in the 360 you have a real blindspot behind the passenger seat. Further, the blindspot continues toward the rear of the car because you cannot see through the wall of the engine compartment when you look over your right shoulder. Also, I find the headroom to be better in the 348. I am 6'0", but with a long torso. The left part of my head hits the pillar on the ceiling when I drive the 360. Also, the drooping center console of the 360 gets in the way of my right knee.

And now for the fun factor. To me, the 348 is SO much more fun than the 360. I won't even drive my Dad's 360 because there is no point! The 348 is a very fast car -- not as fast as the 360, of course, but it feels plenty fast, especially with that loud racket behind you as the engine screams to the 7,400 RPM redline! The 360 has a wonderful engine sound as well, but the 348's is more "raw."

Back to the point. The 348 is more fun, to me, because it lacks power steering and because it takes some effort to drive. It is a "sportive" drive. The 360, like most modern sports cars, can be lollipopped. You can drive it with one eye shut and with one arm. Not true with the 348 (although in my 348 I have mastered the art of eating, talking on the phone, shifting, and driving at the same time ).

If you're interested in raw, pure fun, the 348 is for you. If you are looking for refinement with enormous power, 8500 RPM screams, and fairly straightforward driving, then the 360 is for you.

 

Dave nailed it, above.

Can you work on the 348? Absolutely. It's the easiest car to change spark plugs that I've ever worked on. Everything on the car bolts/unbolts or screws on/off or plugs/unplugs.

You *do* have to change a couple of things to reduce your maintenance, but they are easy to do.

For example, you want to unplug each of the 348's electrical connectors, and then you want to apply Stabilant 22A onto the exposed metal contacts. This fixes many 348 issues and no doubt prevents far more.

Replacing your dash board bulbs with LEDs lowers your current draw as well as prevents current from flowing in reverse when a bulb burns out. This will prevent lots of idiosynchric problems such as lights staying on after you've removed your car key, etc.

And of course, you want to change out the OEM tranny fluid for Red Line or Royal Purple so that you can actually shift into 2nd gear while your 348 is still cold.

These are pretty simple things to do. You *can* change your tranny fluid. You can replace old technology bulbs with LEDs. You can wipe a little liquid onto your metal electrical contacts (especially on your Grounds and spark plug coils).

On the performance side, only the 348 Competizione is going to match up with the 360 in speed...but the 348 has handling that will be competitive (it may even weigh less than the 360, not certain about that point, though).

On the looks, the 348 Spider and the 360 Spider are both going to have a similar "wow!" factor to a generic crowd.

The 360 wheels are actually a very nice addition/upgrade to the 348, by the way.

The 360 has an entirely different semi "frameless" aluminum design, so shadetree repairs of the 360 body are going to be out for any large-scale damage.

Not so with the 348. The metal panels come off and can be repaired or replaced as desired. The steel frame can be welded, too.

The 348 is simpler in that it doesn't have power steering (which means no power steering pump, hydraulic lines, extra belt accessory on the engine, etc.). The 348 doesn't have a power top, so compared to the 360 that means no power-top computer, hydraulic pump, etc. The 348 doesn't have driver-adjustable shocks, so no suspension ECU, electric shock actuators/motors, etc.

Heck, the 348 doesn't even have power seats, so you've got at least 2 fewer motors there that could burn out.

Likewise, the 348 doesn't have airbags and their maintenance demands/risks (e.g. that is a *bomb* sitting inside the 360 steering wheel!).

And the 360's F1 transmission/computer/pump/clutch is another long-term cost/maintenance issue that the 348 dodges.

 

You can get most of the same features minus some speed with a 308/328 and save even more money...

 

ND:

Smart post.

 

Thanks for the excellent comparison between the 348 and the 360 Modena. I am saving up for my first classic Ferrari. I really lik the 348TS and also the newer F355 Berlinetta but that costs more. Hopefully, in six years I can pick up a nice 348 Spyder. I do also like the Maserati Spyder but its not as classic as a Ferrari.

 

Judge! You'd be hard-pressed to obtain a 308 or 328 Spider (there were what, 4 of them??) for less money than a 348 convertible!

ABS?! Perhaps on the 1989.5 328. But more than 300 hp in a stock 308/328?!

Climate control? Adjustable ride height?

Dry sump racing oil system?

Motronic 2.7 (used on the Ferrari F50, Porsche 964)?

Digital brake, climate, and engine real-time diagnosis and error checking?

 

Even Ferrari claims the GTS in the evolution of the spiders.

End of the day, for real world driving with our stupid speed limits, you'll still get the same amount of fun out of the older cars as you will the newer cars. Less stuff to break too...

 

Well said.

 

when you have a look at the performance numbers of the 360 vs 348...may be there is a difference...(but not that much...)
but sitting in the cars, the 348 feels as fast as the 360...and yes the 348 is more funny to drive...
In fact, for the price of a used 360...i'd rather buy a 512 TR...
Why to pay many $$$ for a 8...when you can get a 12...

 

I don't think comparing peformance of the two cars is fair at all. Plain and simple the 360 kills the 348. Is faster, quicker, and handles better.

I think both cars are fun to drive. The 360 offers a better experience.

The 348 does offer a great experience though - it's nothing like the 360 however. If you want to make a point of $ per fun factor, then I think there is an argument for the 348. Everything else though...many of the categories the 360 wins with authority.

With that said. I love my 348.

 

360!

*laughs

 

I did not see a "cost of depreciation". You have to believe a 348 is near its bottom, while the 360 still has a long way to go. I believe 360s will settle around $90,000.