Only thing I’m still struggling with the FF is it’s length in very twisty roads; the car’s length shows there...in sweepers it’s perfect Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The FF is not a true sports car for twisty roads. The FF is for everyday use. It puts a smile on my face every time I push my foot down. I think of it as a 4 seater Z06 Corvette with luxury. I have a gated 430 spider for back roads. But the FF makes going to Costco or run errands totally fun. New pic of my car Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
I love the way the seats fold down to hold stuff. I had boxed wood flooring in it. I am looking forward to taking it to the FCA meet in Scottsdale next week. That should be good for 2000 miles
Some questions come to mind. You say that there in reality probably won't be that many opportunities for you to take all the grandkids along. So this to me definitely raises the question of the importance. I don't know your situation, but if the case is that your grandkids come to visit a few times a year for instance, why not just purchase a two seater if that's your personal wish, and then maybe splash out on a bit of extra luxury for a few weekends or the like each year, and rent an FF or Lusso to treat the family to a bit of fun when the opportunity is actually there? Best of both worlds. That being said, the FF is a great car and very fun. Main thing is this. It is BIG. It is long and wide, and while it does drive in a nible fashion, there's no getting away from the fact that it feels BIG. Not heavy, just BIG. It is very comfortable as well, and definitely has easier ingress and egress. This leads me to my final question. Why not the F12? It settles in nicely between the two, is not much larger on the roads than the 458, has a super high level of comfort, but also retains a very special allure due to its Jekyll/Hyde nature. The unique rawness the F12 possesses, means that it actually has an uncanny ability to feel fast and alive at slower speeds if you want it to. This I tend to feel is a bit of a drawback with both the 45i and FF. One needs to push to really make them come alive. The personality of the F12 means that it manages to feel special all of the time, even when the car settles down for a sedate cruise. Ingress and egress is great, and the ride is on par with the FF in bumpy road mode, and firms up more once you put it in SPORT or RACE. Give it some serious thought. It's a visually stunning Pinin design, and perhaps that middle ground performance and comfort you are seeking. Its sense of occassion.is rivaled only by the 812 and some VS cars imo, and its ability to feel fast and unhinged at slow speeds is unique.
Copilot - You raise a good point. Biggest challenge is the F12 price. Despite my leaning toward the FF I’m still seriously considering the 458 for the exact reason you mentioned - limited time with grandchildren versus opportunity to drive the 458 daily, if I choose to.
There is a nice FF posted under the commercial cars section at the top. It has Maintince as well and you can probably get the Ferrari power train warranty. Personally I wouldn’t get the one you linked. Missing most of the desirable options- pano roof, suspension lifter, carbon fiber wheel with leds, etc. I didn’t worry about the extra miles on mine, at least I know it wasn’t sitting for extended periods. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I would agree with you David but then again, I’m in Europe as well. One thing I’ve noticed is that the desirable options and colours in Europe are not the same as in the US. The carbon steering wheel is a case in point. You will find few FFs in the US with that option. Ditto the suspension lift. And Americans find crema over rosso a complete turn off whereas Brits love it. The one thing which seems to be common across both sides of the pond is the desire for scuderia shields.
Echoing what others have suggested - get an extended warranty. I too was concerned about repairs, and looked into getting ppi for the FF, and discovered that they were still under the 7 years free maintenance and few independents had really seen/worked on FFs. Experienced f-technicians said it’s hard to diagnose any potential ptu issues. Best advice was to put the car on a lift and remove the under cover to see if there are any obvious leaks. Lack of undercover screws or mismatched screws could also indicate a car that has been worked on more than normal or careless mechanic (though it’s not a guarantee of a bad car by any means, just another piece of looking at the entire car’s history). I got my FF at a Ferrari dealer and they offered 2 years extended warranty for the price of one year, which was a no brainer for me and gave me some peace of mind regarding potentially costly repairs (though I’ll admit when you get those manitteno failure messages, there’s the stress of the car potentially breaking down and having to be flat bedded to the delight of everyone passing by with a cell phone, with or without a warranty). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Very interesting indeed. Here in mainland Europe, there's generally not much faff about the CF wheel. People seem like the leather bound LED version though. Each market has its "thing". In the US, it's Rosso Corsa over Beige or Cuoio. Here it's usually Rosso Corsa over Nero, and many actually order something other than Rosso Corsa. I find that there's a bit of a "My First Ferrari" stigma associated with Rosso Corsa where I am, especially Rosso Corsa over Cuoio or Beige.
I wonder if the depreciation delta between FF, 458 and F12 will make up for the price difference? I'm a huge fan of the FF, and I do think it's a marvellous car. It has a wonderful two sided nature for sure. But, and this is where I think the thing is. If taking the kids along is not a real priority as it seem not to be, buy it for yourself. As you say, you have daily access to it, and it has to put a smile on your face every day. For a very pure Ferrari sportscar experience, yes the 458 is the better car. If the F12 is out of reach, and it's your only Ferrari, I will have to go against the majority here and say you have a very good chance of choosing right with the 458. I think the 458 is right for you if the F12 is a no go. I read what you write, and my thought is this. The 458 you seem incredibly passionate about, and very much smitten with. The FF strikes me as something that has to be justified somehow. That leads me to believe that V12 and back seats for the kids be damned, the 458 is what really speaks to your heart. Will an FF disappoint? I'm quite sure not. But I suspect that it won't make you smile the same way when you get into your garage on Sunday morning, or reminiscence over the days exploits while relaxing in the evening in front of the telly. You can justify a purchase like this if it's an add-on. But if it's your main go-to special car, a car that has to be justified will often leave lasting impressions of doubt.
Again, a very well reasoned and intriguing answer to my post. Thanks. As I consider your perspective I think the issue is lack of familiarity with the FF. I've only seen it from afar, never even been in one. So the logical part of me thought of intended uses, agreeing with your "two sided nature" of the car, and considered the FF as a logical car to investigate. As you point out, cars aren't logical purchases, at least not the ones that instill passion. So there is indeed a risk that I may "fall out of love" with the FF, looking back at the 458 as "the one that got away". Your post forces me to consider that - and I appreciate you taking the time to write it. On the other hand, the 458 was the opposite experience. It was "unobtanium" when it was launched, so far beyond my budget as to be impossible to attain. So when I had the opportunity to drive a friend's car, it was love at first sight - kind of a like dating a supermodel. The lines, the looks, everything was wonderful. And to top it off driving it to speeds in excess of 180MPH was truly intoxicating. But the truth is that in reality I'll never again be able to drive at that speed, or anywhere close. Compared to my three pedal 360 spider from years ago the 458 is in another universe. That brings me to another understanding, again with your help. Truth be told, when I had the 360 I found that ownership was less enjoyable than the dream of ownership. My home city is fairly large with traffic and rigorous speed enforcement. There are lots of 35-45MPH roads around town, and I found myself exceeding those speed limits by amounts that would create serious issues if I were cited. I didn't drive like a maniac, just enjoying the car and far below its capability, as well as my own driving skill. Still it was frustrating having a race horse that I drove like a horse and buggy. Add to that the issues of sticky switches, catalytic converters that were approaching the end of their useful life, a clutch that was the worse for wear from prior owner abuse (or lack of skill), and the lack of roads to enjoy the car fully, left me feeling a bit disappointed. I still loved looking at it, but driving it was not as enjoyable as hoped (yes, there were times when it was joyous, but for too many miles it was being driven at 3/10s or so - quickly becoming less than wonderful). I sold it before the prices took off (poor timing), but other than the "pride of ownership" feeling, my repair bills and the rest didn't reach the pinnacle of ownership that I hoped for. Since then I bought a 2017 manual transmission Mustang GT - just a "stripper". Since Ford was changing over to a new 2018 version of the car there were tons of rebates. I bought the car for $30K out the door - an amazing deal. It's not a Ferrari (but it does have a horse logo!), but it does have a lot of V8 torque low in the rev range, making for an engaging ride. It also has 4 seats, another plus for the grandkid rides. While I thought it would be a "keeper" I found that the view from the driver's seat was something I couldn't get used to. Unlike the sleek perfect sight lines of the 360 the Mustang's long hood, coupled with it's very high height from the driver's seat made it a very difficult car to drive on a "racing" line, or even moderately aggressively on the street. The lack of visual precision made it frustrating. Ferraris have a tendency to spoil people! I then bought a Tesla Model 3, RWD, and it's as far removed from the 360 as possible. Instead of the analog engagement of the Ferrari there's the "ipad" feel of the Tesla. Wonderful features, very engaging torque/acceleration, but very heavy and the suspension is light years behind the Ferrari. I want to thank everyone who took the time to reply, and welcome additional comments. Frankly, I didn't realize how much I've missed the 360, "warts" and all. And now, with Ferrari moving away from manual transmissions, I wonder if any modern Ferrari will give me the engagement that I enjoyed over the years from my analog days of yesteryear. The Mustang was crude, with cheap feeling interior bits/pieces, and for me had very poor sight lines, but it was a true manual transmission car, cost almost nothing (relatively) to buy/own, and checked the grandchildren box as well as the "fun to drive", and "pretty good sound" boxes. You've given me a lot to consider - my sincere thanks to all!
I would add that what I loved so much about the 458’s is that they are an absolute thrill to drive below the speed limits. Very few cars tick this box. I found the opposite true of the 360 and 430. FWIW.
Still researching alternatives. Local dealer has the listing I posted earlier - 2014 FF white/chocolate with a few minor options, about 15K miles. He also has car on eBay, expiring auction today with a current bid just over $100K, listed as below reserve. It's being offered as a non CPO car, and is being sold through a subsidiary location, not the official Ferrari dealership. The sales team told me that they are technically independent, not recognized as a Ferrari dealer by FCA. They don't necessarily give their used cars the same inspection as an official Ferrari dealership. They also cannot offer an extended warranty. The asking price is $147K, I'm thinking of offering $125k. A second are is for sale out of state from a well known authorized Ferrari dealership. It's a 2015 FF, white/tan, has some added options (roof, LED steering wheel). Under 7K miles, plus full CPO with 2 year warranty. Asking $160K. Would be very tempted at $145K, but that seems like a stretch given the warranty, miles, etc. I like the look of the local lower cost car, but I'm concerned about the potential for expensive repair if the front AWD module acts up - I'm told it's a $25K repair. Having a 2 year warranty from an authorized dealer gives me a lot of comfort. My dilemma is resale - I'm not sure if either car will work for me, and there are several FFs for sale nationwide. My guess is that resale can easily be $100-$120K in less than 2 years. Which car would you consider, and do you think my resale fears are accurate or overblown? Same question about front drive module. Again, many thanks.
I got the lift on mine....useless...pano roof...also useless unless u are in the back Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm with Natkingcolebasket69 on this: 1) I ordered my 2016 FF with suspensionlifter, however my dealer, Autoropa, manage to order the car WITHOUT the suspension lifter - I can not say that I so far with 3.5 years of use, I can say I DON NOT need the suspension lift at all - so even though Autoropa missed that, is does not matter. 2) Pano - Natkingcolebasket69 is correct, it is not something you can enjoy from the front seats. However I still like to have it - but in no way needed at all.
Thanks for the replies. What about the AWD issue? Does that suggest that getting the car with the CPO Ferrari two year warranty is worth the added cost for peace of mind?
So far I had ZERO issues or problems with the AWD system (or the front gearbox) - Out of the one's I know had issues here in Sweden, they were early 2012 year model. That does not mean everything is bulletproof at all - however <fingers-crossed and all that> I am happy to say that my previous MB SL and BMW all had more issues than my current FF. My main concern is the dealer here in Sweden, Autoropa, and the very poor, not to say really bad, behavior and lack of respect in my car (twice I have the car repainted, all due to Autoropa personal not being able to handle my car with respect).
You don’t need a CPO car to warrant the gearbox. You only need New Power Warranty which costs €5k pa here in Europe. The CPO warranty is much more comprehensive. The New Power can be applied to any car.
Thanks for the info - the dealership with the 2014 FF can't offer either a CPO or New Power Warranty since they are not technically an authorized Ferrari dealer, just "affiliated" with the authorized dealer located in a different city. I've "chatted" with someone that had a transmission/AWD issue, and it was expensive and frustrating to correct.
Getting a New Power Warranty applied even if the dealer is not franchised is not a problem - they simply take it to the nearest official dealer and have them conduct the checks and apply the warranty. Negotiate the price you want to pay and then add the cost of New Power and make the purchase conditional on the car getting New Power on it. This is exactly what I did when buying my FF. the selling dealer had lost the Ferrari franchise so they sent it to the franchised dealer across town to have the New Power warranty applied.
If you are thinking about resale at all I wouldn't get the 2014 you listed as it doesn't have most options someone would want. I would take a look at this one: https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/attack-135-000-snow-plow-drivers-wanted-2014-ff-white-black-25-000-mi.611496/ They can make it contingent on getting a Ferrari powertrain warranty I am sure. If you like the color the white/tan 2015 is not a bad option. It has the pano roof and carbon fiber steering wheel+leds. It also has apple carplay which is nice. I would 100% take that one over the white/chocolate car. I think its worth $10-15k more with the warranty and options. I don't have the suspension lifter and found that I am fine without it so far. I do have the pano roof and love it. It makes the car feel more open. Good luck!
Question regarding insurance, and although this seems out of order in this thread, well just have patience... In Sweden our insurance for the car, as in the normal car insurance, includes what is included in the Ferrari warrants. So I simply Don use the Ferrari ones. Is this unique for Sweden or am I missing something?
i have the lift and have used it several times just to be safe lots of times in nyc areas.. as for pano everyone claims that you dont see it from front drivers position. i am 6-4 so i sit with seat far back therefore i see the pano above me and it absolutely give a very open and airy feeling! i have been in other ffs w/o pano and what a difference.. and for the rear passengers that is the first thing they love and notice
It’s super easy u take the car to Ferrari they inspect it cost u 300 bucks and happily take ur money to warranty it. They all do it Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
