550 or 355?

Of course the 550.

The 550 is an amazing machine.

They are both beautiful, the 550 often referred to as a GT car, this does not change that fact that it is brutally quick.

The 550 is the last non-F1 Ferrari and I believe will be highly sought after many years from now.

John

 

I went from a 95 355 B to a 2001 550. Certainly, they are different cars, each with their own unique attributes.

If your looking for a highly visible, tossable, high reving F-car....the 355 is tough to beat. The only suggestion I would make is to possibly consider an upgrade to the 360, it seriously ups the eight cylinder ante.....
So, if you like being noticed, and that V8 pitch enthralls you...a change to the 550 might not please you in the long run.

On the other hand, the 550 is a real package with many talents.
Where as you really have to rev the 355 to get any sort of decent acceleration, the 550 is much more responsive, at any RPM.
Interior finish is also FAR superior to the 355, which I always felt had a crappy, plain-jane interior. The 550 just wraps you up in a very, very nice cockpit....the comfort factor also goes easily to the 550. As far as practicality goes, the 550 has tons of room (for an Fcar) and also can slide in under the radar...since it isnt quite as outrageous looking as the 355. I think it also a stunner, but in a more classic, refined way....
I always dreaded long commutes in the 355, it got wearisome after about 2 hrs...the 550 you could drive for 12 hrs straight, and still be rare'in to go another 12, no problems!
Although not quite as tossable as the 355, the 550 can certainly handle very well indeed, and it will give you all sorts of pleasureable feedback at the wheel. With a Tubi exhaust (or even better, add an X-pipe!) the sound is glorious, different from the 355, but awesome just the same.

Maintenance wise, the 550 is one of the most reliable F-cars ever built. Im sure you know all about the potential, costly problems which can lurk in any 355...so I won't bother going over them here. Let me just say these scary words "valve guides" and/or "exhaust manifolds"....

If you search the current and old Ferrarichat forums, I believe F-chatter Doody wrote an excellent piece comparing and contrasting the two different cars. Lucky for him, he didnt have to choose one over the other, he owned them both

For myself, I don't regret the change for one second, but I can also tell you that of my many friends which I have been able to give a "spirited" ride to in both cars...not one said they prefered the 355 over the 550.

Either way, good luck with your decision...they are both great cars...just different.

 

I can only imagine what the difference in response would be if you posted this exact same thread in the 348/355 section.
The contrasting opinions would be most interesting, and helpful, I'm sure.......

 

DONE !

 

I've owned a '97 355B and sold it for a 996TT, waiting for the right 550 to come along ( not many in Malaysia..our 'awesome' roadtax based on engine capacity put paid to big motored vehicles). As Goldy says, a different drive than the 355 and I concur with him on his observations. Also for the fact that the 550 is a twelve cylindered Ferrari and one that I believe is a keeper.
Bobafett's signature of a bodybuilder in an Armani suit..yeah..right on! Go for it!

 

Jeremy Clarkson did a handeling test a few years back and some of the cars included the F355, ferrari 550, Poc, pug, nissan ect ect. And the 550 won hands down. Quite impresive and you can get the down load of the video on any of the down load sites.
I own a 355 and i would change to a 550 when i am ready for change. Great cars.

 

Sounds like a real bargain for the 500. If you drove the 550 and are infatuated with it, I say go for it!
BT

 

550.... I went that route since major service will cost 1/3 of the major on a 355.

 

The 550 also won Performance Car of the past 10 years with EVO magazine.

 

I can just imagine the additional accolades they would have bestowed on the 550 had they tested yours instead of a stock model!

One of the things that I truly love about the 550 is that while it has awesome performance (acceleration, handling, driver feedback)....it also can provide awesome luxury, refinement, comfort and practicality.
Not to mention, it is as reliable a car as any Ferrari ever produced, if not the most reliable. It is truly the best of both worlds! Just as Ferrari intended it to be.......

 

I have just sold my 355 spider as stage 1 of my car upgrade plan. I haven't decided what to replace it with, but the choice is down to 2 cars, an Fcar and a non Fcar. No surprises for guessing that the Fcar option would be a 550M. Without doubt the best performance/reliability/looks/refinement/rarity value Ferrari of the moment.

 

It's not that the 355 is so slow, as you say, it's not too bad when you get the revs up. I's just that when compared to the power of the 550 (especially when considering the entire rev range/ torque issue), well, there simly is NO comparison...it blows the 355 away.

The car I traded in on the 355 was a 996 TT x50, so I obviously noted a huge decrease in massive acceleration...but the Fcar was still a babe in those "other" areas of driving appreciation (eg. sound, feedback, looks, rarity). The 550 had all those...plus even more, IMHO.
I never regreted the switch to the 355 for a second, but then later on, I never regreted the switch to the 550 either.....

You've driven them both,.... go with which ever one makes you happiest....this is the only TRUE solution to your 355 vs. 550 question.....

 

Agree with everything already noted. However, over the long haul, the 355 has a classic Ferrari aura that the 550 lacks. Maybe its the looks, the sound, the high rev's, the need for greater driver involvement. The bareness of it all!
As a whole, IMO, while the 550 is a superior car in most respects - it is not a superior Ferrari to the 355 which is more rooted in the past.
If more modern driver comforts are more your thing, then go with the 550.
Additionally, I seriously question whether the 550 can hold its value - especially with the 599 on the horizon.

 

I thought this thread was called "355 OR 550", not "355 v the 550" Why compare the two cars in tearms of power. The 550 is a V12, of course its got more balls. Comparing the two cars in power tearms is like comparing a light heavy weight with a super heavy weight in a match.

 

Comparing two different types of sports cars without a discussion of their comparative accelleration traits....would be like discussing two porn stars without comparing which gives better head. Its not as simple as saying..."the one with the bigger lips..."

As with the 355 or/vs. the 550, they are both faster than absolutely necessary for public roads...but their relative accelleration characteristics are quite different....beyond the simple 0-60 realm of qualification. So, they are both fast...but in different ways.

 

I agree with your viewpoint almost entirely...it is very well put.

Yes, the 550 has refined some of the Ferrari rawness out of the car compared to the 355. And, the look of the 355 is simply strunning. I would say the look of the 550 is more classic in comparison. No one car has it ALL, im afraid I guess I consider the 550 to be an acceptable comprimise of rawness, luxury and performance...of course, that is according to my preferences. Believe me, if I could have kept the 355 and got the 550, I would have in a heartbeat....I loved that car, my first Ferrari..sniff,..sniff...
My best advise has always been buy whichever floats your boat the most...because only you know what you like best.
That being said, I am giving my opinion as someone who has been lucky enough to own and spend some time with both cars. I figure thats what the original poster was looking for....

The matter of holding value was never really brought up as a concern, but in this respect, I feel they are about equal.
Consider that the 355 has had 2 "similar" models come out already...the 360, than the 430. The 550 has had the 575 come out, with the 599 almost ready for deliveries.
I suspect that earlier editions of each respective cars are about bottomed out for the next little while at their respective levels...ie, the 95-97 355's and the 97-99 550's. Yes, they will both go down more in the future...but in relative terms, I wouldnt consider one a "better monetary investment" over the other.
If you are talking about the 2000-2001 550's or the 98-99 355's, Im sure both will take a further beating before they stabalize above their earlier model types....Its a coin flip as to which will retain its value better.

Just my opinion, and worth every penny you payed for it!

 

I still have my 355 and its a totally different driving experience. In fact if it were notfor the badging and the beautiful gated shifter's you would think you were driving unrelated cars such is the difference.

The 456m is a big heavy car 2+2, with gobs of torque and grunt. Apart from the obvious that it is a luxury front engined V12 GT car it is a much more civilized driving experience in normal driving than the 355 which is a balls to the wall screaming automotive work of art that is a blast to drive high in the rev band just to hear the glorious V8 wail . On the 456m which is very similar to the 550 flick the sport button on and flick the ASR traction control off and the 456m becomes much more than just a luxo GT car, and this is where Ferrari excel over the competion. In sport mode the shocks tighten up the engine becomes more responsive the cars sounds better(with Tubi exhaust) and feels like a much smaller car. In effect you forget you are driving a a big GT. And boy just floor that accelerator in 3rd gear and its like being shot out of a cannon, the torque is absolutely astounding to me and the 550 has more HP than the 456 again.

I wanted the back seats to include our small kids in the outings Etc!. If I did not have kids there would be a 550 in my garage no doubt...either way the 355 is staying. I am very fortunate to own both and they compliment each other very well. Too totally different cars each brilliant in their own right. I would hate to have to choose between them but really there is no contest, the 355 to me is Ferrari and it was my first so its special in that respect also.

 

Well said. However, relative to newer cars (e.g. 575 or 599 or 430 or 360), you won't lose too much value on either the 355 or the 550. They're both great cars in two very different ways. Nice then that they came from one fabulous manufacturer!