Best Choice - 328 or 348?

Bruce, you ought to easily find a 95-97 355 spider in that price range with service done in decent shape. You shouldn't have to climb above $80k for a nice car, especially if you're considering buying a 328 or 348, then selling it (and presumably taking a bit of a loss) and buying a 355. Check around, autotrader, local dealers, FerrariAds, and you should be able to find a decent car that works in your price range.

 

Good luck with your decision. Here's a link for your research: http://webpages.charter.net/aircover/348/1994Ferrari348Spider.html

 

As much as I love the 308/328, you are well into nice 348 money with your budget and as noted may be closer to 355s than you think!

Enjoy the hunt, go with you gut on assessing condition and previous owners, and test drive all these models, before deciding!!!

I like the FCA Newsletter classifieds, but have purchased thru FerrariAds as well......

 

I think you should drive both and decide. They both offer different experiences, and the styling is fairly different. Compare what you like about each model and what you dislike and then go from there. For me it was the 348 hands down. It felt like it had more zip, and I liked the apperance of it more. These are personal preferences though and yours may differ. My 348 has been great. A few issues, but nothing that broke the bank. I think any Ferrari you buy will give some issue if you own it long enough. The negative 348 talk is un-justified, and if you find a well maintained (with records) car, most of the headaches should have been worked out already.

Good luck.

P.S. There's tons of threads on this siet debating between the models you are interested in.

 

I would buy a low mile 1989 328GTB or a 355B and pass on the 348. The 89 328 will hold its value for sure as this was the last year they made this model.....then after a few years sell your 328 if you still desire to and upgrade to a 355.....but in the end the best way is to drive a 328, 348 and 355 and just see which one you really like....you should know right away after driving all three models.....Having said that I almost bought a 348 a few months ago...but decided on a 328 in the end. I drove both but for me I liked the 328 more. Nothing wrong with 348s though. Everyone has their preference. I would try all three models

 

Go with the F355, they can be had in the $60K range now....even for a convertible....you can find a nice 348 in the $40K range and the same for a the 328's.

 

328's are nice cars, but I think the current prices are too much for the car. The 348 is definitely a better value and a more modern car. If you are looking at it from a driver's view I would say the 348 is better (esp. since you are considering a 355). The 348 is a more raw driver than a 355 with similar proportions.
BT

 

I just purchased an 89 328 GTB. I love the car so far. To me the lines on the 328 are the most beautiful. With that said the 355's were out of my price range and I did not really consider them. I might have gone with the 355 if I had unlimited funds. I really like the car and from what I hear the 355 has less problems than the 348's. The 328 has the true classic Ferrari ride and sound. I thought about the 348, but was advised against it by many seasoned Ferrari owners. Many of which owned them in the past. I do like the 348's look. It is just the problems I heard about were not what I wanted. I am so glad I went with the 328. I love everything about it. You also have to remember that the service cost of the 328 are going to be far less than the 348 and the 355's. I would spend your money on a really nice 328. I was told buy one dealer that most of the people that upgrade to a new car from the 328 usually want there 328 back.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck in what ever you do and post some pics when you get it!!!

 

Amazing how people who used to own the car 15 years ago still influence the market more than the folks who own the properly-sorted cars today.

Maybe the Fchat community is only one small microcosm of the Ferrari world (I doubt it), but most of the 348 owners here are absolutely gaa-gaa over their thier cars. Myself included.

 

very well put

I have owned a 328 & now a 348 spider. I loved my 328, but my 348 is totally a different car. My 328 cost more in repairs than my 348. both were low miles.

328 + 19k miles
348 spider 13k miles

drive them both & get what YOU want.

 

If the looks are not entered into the equation (because that is completely subjective) and you are trying to decide between a 328 and 348 purely on the reliability, cost, fun factor and performance, here is my $.02:

Cost to maintain: 328 is cheaper
Performance: 348 by a mile
Reliability: tie, they are both reliable cars.
Looks: only you can answer this.

If you add the 355 into this, the 355 is a GREAT car to drive and man is it fast, but the 355 has a lot of known issues that can be very expensive. (valve guides, headers, do a search and you'll find them).

BTW, I think your prices are $15K too high across the board. You can get into a good 348 in the high $40's, a 355 in the $60's-$80's and 328s are in my opinion grossly overpriced right now. But remember the golden rule....save a good chunk of your money for repairs and service. Don't buy the very most expensive car you can afford without a stash set aside to deal with potential issues. You may have things to deal with to make the car "right."

Drive both, then decide. The 328 has classic looks, but the 348 is fast and fun and has cheese graters!!

Birdman

 

I agree with JRR. I LOVE MY 348!!! This has been one of the best cars I have ever owned. My 1994 Spider has 105,000 miles and is still going strong. Although I do not claim to be a 348 expert, I don't think you will find a "critic" that has tested one like I have. Don't let a few 348 bashers discourage you from this model. Ferrari Chat has quite a few members that own these cars at the present, and I'm sure most will agree with me. 9 out of 10 348 owners that I have spoken with are very pleased. I am aware that any Ferrari is a large purchase, so just find the model that makes you happy. In my opinion, the 348 is the best value on the market.............

 

Performance per dollar, the 348 is DEFINITELY the best value in Fcars right now.

 

Totally agree with Birdman. The value is in the 348. If you can afford the 355, that's the car to get over the 328 or 348, but you'll experience depreciation which you won't with the 348 and probably won't with the 328.

 

I'd also suggest that you think a bit about how you want to use the car. If you want something to drive every day, take to the grocery store, let the wife drive, etc - the 355 is probably worth waiting for. It's a fair bit "easier" to drive with power steering etc. A weekend car to maintain yourself, or whatever. They're all slightly different

For me, the answer was a 348 spider, even with a 355 budget. Your answer will likely be different.

Whatever you buy, please have an expert check it to verify it's a solid example. There's lots of white lies, lies, and damn lies when it comes ot used cars - and Ferrari's are a lot more to fix than a Honda.

 

What ever model you decide on understand this.

Obtaining a Ferrari isn't the hard part. Maintaining a Ferrari is what is hard.

Even if you get a decent car, be it a 328, 348, or even a 355, you WILL pay a premium on parts. If you don't do your own work you WILL also pay a premium for service.

As has been said, drive them all, then get the best maintained car that you like. If you will be happiest with a 348, then get one. If you will be happiest with a 328 then get that, or the 355 then get that one.

Lastly, if you decide on getting a 348, the brotherhood will welcome you with open arms.

 

I went from an 87 328 GTS to a 94 348 TB to an 89 328 GTB. I put a lot of mileage on all 3. Recently added a 430 to the 328. The 328 and 348 are very different cars. 328's are the last of what I call a "closed set" that began with the 206. These cars share a look, feel, and driving experience that is unlike other Ferraris. Not surprising, since the chassis layout and construction are prety much the same over the span. These are the last of the really small Ferraris. On the road, they have a graceful manner about them in handling that I find very pleasing and addictive, even though their handling limits are actually low by current standards. And the 430 has a similar, graceful manner to it as well though with much greater limits, of course. On the other hand, 348's are more of a handful, even twitchy and my car benefited from all the updates. They need to me handled more aggressively to get the most out of them, but the balance never seemed predictable to me, sometimes tight and sometimes loose, which probably prevented me from really going to the limits. On the other hand, on tracks, I can predictably provoke some oversteer with the 328 at will when needed and get a lot out of the car. It has great feedback and the driver always knows what each wheel is doing. In the end, I think 328's actually handle better and track times on short, twisty tracks in both cars support my seat of the pants conjecture. 348's do have more power and better brakes, put crappy shifters and the interiors are of poor quality. Motorized seat belts are a pain even when they work, and are prone to fail. 328's are pretty well engineered with no weak spots. Many 348's suffer from troublesome electric and engine management system problems, though I do know of a few that have been quite reliable. My 348 was very reliable for the 14K I put on it, but the new owner has not been so lucky. So it is a crap shoot to a degree. 328's have proven to be uniformly quite reliable. Long term, maintenance will be about double in cost for the 348. So, it comes down to which pros and cons are important to you.

Good luck,
Dave

 

That is not true. I know people love there 348's. I too like the style. But you can not say that all the owners of the BAD 348's owned them 15 years ago. The problems persist. They were a transition car and the bugs needed to be worked out.

I agree with you that most 348 owners on this site are gaa-gaa over their cars as they should be, they are great looking and are still a Ferrari. Most people on this site are extreemly knowledgeable about Ferrari's and they know what and how to have there 348's properly sorted. I do not believe that is true for all Ferrari owners.

The man asked for advice on what car to buy. He said he had a budget. So value is an issue, as I can only assume is the maintinance cost. I think you would be hard pressed to find an owner of a 348 and 328 (with the same milage) that says the 328 is more expensive to own and maintain. I am sure there is one, but I am sure most would agree. With all things the same the 348 will cost far for more for every service and will have more problems. Everything from minor interior problems all the way to major electronic problems.

It is not that I do not like the 348's I do in fact like them and I think they can be great cars if you have the knowledge and time to get them sorted out. But for the person that asked for the advice I think the way to go is with the 328 no question.

328's being over priced? What are you taking about. I think they are one of the most undervalued Ferrari's out there. Except for the Boxer. The 328 is on the verge of being a classic. I remember when people were saying the same thing about the Dino. They would call them the poor mans Ferrari now look at them. Would you have ever believed in the late 80's that a Dino would be more than a Testarossa? When you could buy really nice 328 in the $40,000
to $60000 range depending on the condition. That to me is a once in a life time opportunity.

 

Well said.

I fully agree with everyone's assessment that a 348 will absolutely cost more in maintenance dollars than a 328. That doesn't mean it breaks more often -- it simply mean that major operations require an engine-out service (in other words $$).

Yes, they are transition cars. I wonder if one day we'll look back on the 360 as a transition car? Maybe the 456 could be view similarly.

-d

 

Or you could buy a used Indy car.

 

Hi Bruce! You've got some reading to do! There has been a lot of valuable (and sometimes heated) discussion on this very topic. Fortunately, finding this info is quite easy!

In the upper left, click "Search" then "Advanced Search". You want to find all dicussions ("threads") with both 328 and 348 in the subject line... Make sure you're searching all forums.

To save you some time, you can get at the "saved" search here:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/search.php?searchid=582485

24 threads of though-provoking conversation... Enjoy!

The reason why this is such a popular topic is because these cars cost similar amounts (especially in Europe / the UK ), but represent different driving experiences. Most (not all) folks who can do a 328 can also do a 348, but have chosen a 328 for their own reasons. Just about everyone in a 348 could have done a 328, but still chose the 348. Both tremendous cars, but with very clear differences. Just figure out what your requirements are, and go from there! Most arguments boil down to the 328's "classic" looks and reliability vs the 348's additional power, different styling, handling (rumored to be twitchy at the limit without certain updates), reliability (rumored to be not great, almost for sure not as good as the 328's), and cost of ownership (probably higher than a 328, due to a number of factors, including the engine-out service specified for these cars).

--Mike

 

One other issue here, and man you know I love you 348 guys, but since the car comes under (often unfounded, wrongful) "attack" so much, 348 owners are quick to defend their car and point out some of the most positive virtues of owning the car.

So don't consider discussions here a "random sampling". The only thing you can really rely on is to get some sort of expert consensus on the objective stuff from the discussions (yes, 348 has more power, yes 328 costs less to run), go with your preference on the subjective stuff (which do you like better? Do you think 328 looks "classic"? The 348, "racy"?) and figure out what your own requirements and priorities are!