488 vs 458 ride comfort

I d say my 488 rides a little smoother than my 458.

 

488 is more comfortable in bumpy mode, wet or sport auto. The shifts are less jerky even when the engine isn't warmed up yet. The tech is newer. This is from my two albeit short experiences with the 488 vs my 458. But when you put it on race mode and get on the throttle its noticeably much faster to 100 and to redline.

 

488 smoother ride overall . Just a more refined car but also a complete animal !

 

This exactly. The car is more comfortable all around, even in race mode. I found the same to be true tithe 430 to 458. With my 458 I always used bumpy road mode in the city especially if I was in race. To be honest I often forget to put my 488 in bumpy road.

 

In auto, since that is the mode people would be most likely to be driving in for the city, they should make bumpy road mode standard and then switch it off if you want.....not the other way around as it is on my 458.

I assume it's still the same on the 488. I think they have it right on the Porsche's where it is automatically set on the softer mode for normal and sport, then it automatically switches over to harder mode when in Sport + but you can switch it back if you want.

One less button to push for most people when driving in city in auto.


Cars:

2013 Ferrari 458 Spider
2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cab

 

I would not want that change. I don't like the twitchy roll that occurs in the 458 when using the soft mode.

 

Must just be me then. Maybe I'm just too used to everything with an adjustment on it starting lower or softer, then changing it to higher or harder.

Come to think of it........now that it's summertime in Vegas, I would be a fan of the A/C in these cars starting in a full blast mode, then I could hit the switch to turn it on barely. Now THAT I would forever be sold on!


Cars:

2013 Ferrari 458 Spider
2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cab

 

I own a 458 spider so I have much more experience than with the 488 that I recently test drove.
I did noticed one very significant difference in the "comfort" area you are asking about. At low RPMs, maybe 2000 - no more than 3000, the 488 seemed to not mind the shifts either up or down the way a 458 seems to say, "why are you shifting at this RPM"? This aspect made the 488 seem much more "comfortable" around town. But, the exhaust - no I am not going into the scream argument - the exhaust just seems to be louder in the low revs even in sport. In the 458 in sport mode you can quiet the engine. The 488 seems louder lower in the range. This makes the dichotomy of increased tractability/comfort but increased cabin noise odd. I like that I can make my 458 "soft" and quiet or hard and loud. The 488 seems to only have one exhaust character.
In regards to the suspension issue, the 488 has the next generation set up. It is very supple. The extra width of the tires may be what gives the steering a slightly heavier feel than the 458. Although the rack may be as fast, the front end is less darty (something I like in the 458) but more planted (something I liked in the 488). Apples and oranges to me. I like both for different reasons.
Hope this helps get you what you are looking for.
Best

 

It seems the shocks on the 488 have more bandwidth in the magnetic adjustment. Soft is softer, hard is stiffer. I can definitely feel this difference.

 

Being able to tone down the 458 in sports mode (vs. race mode) is fantastic. I really love that about the car - it's almost like having two cars in one.

Myself, I use race mode on the highway sometimes just for the heck of it. But many times, I prefer sport mode because then it's quiet in general, but becomes louder if you get into it a bit on acceleration. That alone is a fantastic feature of the 458; one that makes the car super enjoyable and very easy to drive and live with day to day.

I have not driven the 488 yet, but I think if you are going for a daily-driver, then you really should consider how great the 458 is in that department. As I've mentioned, on other threads, I even opted for the Italia over the Speciale, simply because of how nice it is to drive day to day.

Ray

 

Good question cause AC in my 458 is really terrible.

 

I've read this comment from others as well, and now wonder if for some reason this is an individualized issue. The AC in my 458 (2014 Spider) is very good, it can get so cold I have to back off the fan. I'm in FL where we've seen some unusually high temps for this time of the year recently (crossed 100 deg. several times), and very high humidity. Left outside for 30 min. raises the cabin interior temp to 120+, but my AC always quickly cools the cabin (less than 5 min.) and within 15 min. I'm backing off the fan. I like it COLD, and get that with this car. Sorry for the hijack!

 

Regarding the AC in the 458 and 488, the "Auto" function does not control fan speed. If you want it colder, turn up the fan speed.

Agree with what is said above about the difference between the 458 and 488. Also, the throttle sensitivity on the 488 is not as twitchy/high strung as the 458. This makes the 488 a bit more comfortable -- it also increases the speed difference (beyond the additional engine power) because you can generally drive the 488 one gear lower than the 458 while remaining smooth on the throttle.

 

This is a very welcome thing in my opinion. I simply find the throttle response of the 458 Italia and Spider to be way over the top. They even toned it down quite a bit on the Speciale, so that in itself says something about how overly sensitive they made it. Going for a 488 Spider test in early August and I'm really looking forward to this. I mean hit a small bump, cough or adjust your leg a bit and the car jerks.