FF tomorrow....?

Tomorrow should be interesting. I've yet to drive the FF and am heading an Frankfurt tomorrow to do so.

I like just about everything I've seen on and about the car. Have seen many, sat in a few while at my dealer but have never driven it.

The "problem" is that here in the summer my 458 and R8 are both sitting for 3+ weeks at a time because between family time and office time I'm just not getting the chance to drive them with the limited seating.

The interesting part for me is to see if the FF is something I'll want to get at all, if so will I add to the group or will I decide to replace one of the others. I don't expect it to be but hope that after a drive it's clear which way I want to go!

I've enjoyed reading all your thoughts and stories on the FF so far. It's been helpful in gathering ideas as I've contemplated (and ruled out) any and every 4+ seater out there from an SQ5 to a Panamera, Turbo S, M3/5 RS7, Astons and on and on. I think if anything is going to get me out of my current family car it'll have to be the FF.

Thanks for the input and let's see.....

 

I had much the same problem so I opted for an FF for our cross country trips. More Ferrari miles from behind that magnificent V12.

Do you get it "all" with the FF? Almost. It is much more refined and elegant that the 458, but it is not as raucous or quite as nimble. It is an amazing driver's car, unique I think because it can do so many things. The FF is comfortable yet howls like a wolf (the 458 is more like a bear). I love them both. So far I have no urge to sell.

Compared to other 4-seaters: Others offer more electronic aids and widgets, along with plenty of torque from the turbos. The FF is different in the driving experience: sounds, feels, and smells. Drive them all and see the differences. That alone is fun.

 

I also have driven the other possible 4 seaters, having now used the FF for 15,000 miles apart from disappointing radio/nav the driving experience is excellent.

You will find it is such a capable car for all conditions, I can't think of what would be a similar replacement????

No doubt this will provoke some ideas?

 

There are none!

 

You are going to love the FF. That is my prediction!

John

 

Well I am surprised that I did not leave with an order. My wife and I drove a very well spec'd FF for quite some time today, had it up to 290 kmh and on all types of roads we then just drove through town for some time and there was something that just lead me not to make a deal.

I cannot put my finger on it. We drove the 458 up to Frankfurt, had a wonderful drive with a stop on the way for a work appointment and then got in the FF, found it to be quite comfortable and enjoyed the drive but not in a way that struck me as "I need to order one". I am disappointed as I fully expected to leave with an order.

It was an overall feeling throughout the drive but one specific point id like to touch on is the engine and exhaust note. You really are removed from it. So many say that the V12 sound of the FF just trumps the 458 and to that I say nonsense. The sound in the car and the volume at which it omitted through the entire chassis / exterior is not even comparable between the two cars. From 6-8000 rpm the FF sounds nice but does not have the same note. Thats not why you buy the FF but it was an argument I've read from many and cannot agree with. The sound is not bad but so often you hear that once you have the FF 12 cylinder you forget the V8……

That aside I cannot put my finger on the exact detail that kept me from speccing a car. I think I will give another drive in a month or two to see if my feelings change.

First of all I did learn today that no matter what I will not be replacing the 458 with an FF. I may add one at a later date but replacement is out of the question.


We also had the pleasure to take the new California T for a drive. It was a nice car, the Nav unit worked much better than the FF system which was still the older unit even though the FF was just a few months old. The Turbo motor certainly has nice low end torque. The sound of the turbos were nice but left the overall volume lacking. The turbo lag was minimal, I have experienced worse in other cars. With a bit more power and in the 458 replacement you will have a very quick car from all RPM ranges.

So I suppose today a little progress was made, not in the direction I expected when leaving the house this morning but I am glad that I am not on the fence and wondering what to do now. Ill be patient, drive one again and if I feel the same way I will move along.

 

Very interesting and i totally concur on the noise levels in the ff, it's just too quiet. I prefer the v12 sound to the v8 of the 458, but there simply isn't enough of it in the cabin in the ff. to me ferrari has missed a trick and Should of put a more vocal option on the ff via a switchable system so you can chose when u want it loud or quiet

When I has mine I put a novitec switchable exhaust on it and found that really helped the sound a lot

 

Help - I am addicted to my FF - 3000 miles in 5 weeks

I am in therapy as it is SUCH a practical supercar..

Devonboy

 

I think if you are looking for an extremely loud high-end family car, your search may indeed take a long, long time.

An RS7 may be no more exciting to the driver than an FF, but at 1/3 the price, it's really not much of a commitment to buy one, certainly not one you need to agonize over. I guess it depends on your priorities.

 

I am "reprinting" the comment I made on a similar thread:

"Aftermarket exhausts are a matter of your preference in sound. The FF is very quiet inside the cabin due to extensive sound proofing. Evidently Ferrari wanted to create an ambiance in keeping with the intended use of the car. It was too quiet for my taste so I added the Novitec sport exhaust.

My advice is to disregard the sport exhaust, buy a nice one and see how you like the sound. If you want more, add a good aftermarket system."

I will add that with the Novitec exhaust it is perfect for my purposes. I can run along at high speeds with the valves closed if I so choose, nice and quiet for long trips. Or I can open them up with a touch of throttle or a switch of the manettino, and we have the wonderful howl of the V12, loud and clear.

 

I think you are correct, I was thinking about that while driving and realized that the exhaust could possibly be solved with a good system.

As far as a comfortable everyday car goes... absolutely comfortable and well appointed. Really the only thing that set me back in that area was the antiquated tech in the car. I drive about 40.000km a year in the car that this would replace. Unfortunately it lacked a lot of what I would need I could not do it with that system. I wish they had an FF with the new system for me to check out. I will see if I like the new system enough to sway me there.

It was said above that I may take quite some time to find what I am looking for in a 4 seater and unfortunately that may be true. I am not particularly looking for a loud car rather one that excites me and one that will make me want to take the family for a drive on a Sunday on some of the beautiful roads around us. A car that while cannot equal the driving experience of the 458 in every area could at least make me not wish I was in it instead.

I am going to give the FF another shot, take it for even longer and maybe get to some of the areas and roads I am more familiar with so I can see it more as I would use it.

 

As an every day car, the Germans are still better. But with a good sport exhaust, the FF can be a good contender if you look for emotions and sound in your everyday car. The story says the big F four seaters aren't perfect cars for daily use, but they allow you to drive a Ferrari every day and everywhere: they are perfect for who is looking for that, a prancing horse on the everyday car. Who doesn't care of the prancing horse on the bonnet and doesn't look for strong emotions while driving for work or with the family, maybe doesn't need an FF as a DD car.
412, 456, 612, FF: none of them is better for daily use than a big Mercedes V8 coupè, but everyone is much more emotional than a Mercedes and has a prancing horse on the bonnet and on the steering wheel too.

ciao

 

The FF was not intended to be a loud, blingy,Ferrari, theres plenty of other models.

It is intended to be able to cross country in all conditions effortlessly and precisely giving excellent driving feedback without tension on long trips.

As a daily drive it works well although the tech issue is a major problem with all FF's to date
I am waiting for 2015 model year with Apple Carplay and revised infotainment should have that for January delivery.

Until then I'll just keep getting lost and listening to the iPhone!!!!

 

don't quite understand the comment ff not intended to be loud and blingy..as I said earlier ferrari could have made the sound switchable so u have both options. So much of the f car experience is the passion which is pretty much directly linked to the sound ... I had a 612 some time ago and that sounded better, than the ff

Ferrari should have put a switchable system
On it to ramp up the volume for those times u want a good f car blast
And as I have said before the infotainment is just annoying in such a car, again ferrari needs to sort this. I have a high spec'd 5 series and to be honest half the time I would rather be in that than the ff just for the long journeys with stuff that works and a really good sound system , so much so I have a bmw m5 30 jahre on order... 600 hp , carbon ceramics, bang and Olufsen sound , akrapovic exhaust ( oem fitted) ... So let's see how close that gets to the ff experience. Already know I will prefer it inside, but it certainly is no ferrari , but hoping to get close with the exhaust and power etc
I don't want to knock ferrari as I love the brand but I really wish they would sort out the ff, it's so close to being perfect but then misses in silly ways that I am sure ferrari could sort ... Surely a high end infotainment company would fall over themselves to work with them.. And. Come on a switchable exhaust is pretty satraightforward to sort too

 

A few thoughts

We've had a 458, have an FF, then onto F12 and Speciale. We kept the FF.

We LOVE the FF - the way it drives, the "practicality" (relatively speaking), even the looks. Awesome car. Totally agree, the infotainment is a few generations behind. Having said that, it plays all the music, gets all the radio stations, and navigates fine. I've tried a Carplay prototype and I think that will go a long way to solve that issue, though (at least to us), it's not make or break.

I would suggest that if you compare driving/sound/turning sharpness in an FF vs. 458 back to back, the FF is going to definitely feel softer/quieter. However, hours into a cross country or running errands, the FF will feel perfect. To us, the 458's are awesome when you are (just) driving. The FF is perfect when you want to enjoy the drive while doing something else, or going long distances. FF is also superior in any form of inclement conditions.

Exhaust/sound is relatively cheap to improve, we're pondering the Novitec. Last weekend we put 500 miles on the Speciale, in the rain. PLENTY of sound. In fact, after about 150 miles on highways, maybe too much NVH. (though race seats were comfy the entire time!)

Last thought - you're looking at some serious $ high end cars. FF or otherwise, pick what you're going to love. I might have picked up an RS6/Avant or M5 wagon if they were sold in the US, who knows.

 

My experience is that after an 800 mile jaunt, we arrive refreshed in the FF, in far better shape than my old BMW. As for the technology, it is not what I buy cars for -- to me these are things that malfunction and cause problems, but I understand why other people want them.

 

Fair comment noblesse and I totally agree when not comes to the likes of the 458, the infotainment stuff just didn't bother it was a stunning drivers car and the infotainment was not that relevant to me

On the ff if ferrari is to tout it as the great grand tourer then a grand tourer is as much about the interior if not more so than the rest of the car and the ff does not cut it on that front for many prospective owners ... In fact just completed 1000 miles in a range rover , more or less the same trip I did in my ff, and I have to say I found it more relaxing and refined in the rr than the ff, obviously missed the odd blast and that lovely sound , maybe it's just me getting old!!
Having said that I keep looking at the Speciale for the ' out for a blast' car so maybe there is life somewhere in the old dog yet!!

 

Many many great posts here thank you all.

It's funny as in the 458 I have not yet once turned on the radio, I've never connected an iPod even though I have the interface and never intend to. I've used the GPS only a handful of times and it's more to see estimated arrival times vs actual directions.

As said above in a day to day tourer these things are needed in some instances. A good gps is a must, I still couldn't care less about the audio interface as time car in the car is s time for me to think. There are a few things missing such as the phone book and address communications and I think the new car play remedies these points.

I'm looking forward to another drive to see how I feel the next time around. I'm drawn to the car for the reasons that I'm turned away from other cars.


I don't have an attention complex. I prefer not to be on the radar but at the same time I don't want to spend 129.000€ on a car that looks and feels identical to a 60.000€ a7 aside from acceleration. Same goes for M cars For the money I want the car to be special. I felt the ff had a subtle look that can go unseen but still give you excitement when desired. My initial drive didn't expose all of that but I'll revisit and hope to find it. This is a car I want to love and the idea of it is really there for me. I guess that's why I'm surprised I left feeling the way I did.

 

I had similar experience with the FF. Just never engaged me.

 

I think we can "split the difference" on the technology. I agree that a good nav system is a must in a cross country car or DD, and the FF system is primitive. I actually do like the sound system though. The doo-dads that do not impress me are the so-called "driver aids" being offered in upscale cruisers such as lane change warnings, heads up displays, and collision avoidance systems. Next on my list for scorn is keyless entry/ignition, a source of much repair misery on my X5M (otherwise a great car of its type), and the electronic door closing mechanism for those of us who are unable to properly slam a door.

Yes, the Speciale will keep your blood at a boil, for as many miles as you use it. My 458 does that for me. And the FF may not quite boil my blood in the same way but it definitely keeps it simmering on those long jaunts.

 

Around here, when there is a spot on the highway, people speed up and fill it. They don't let you in. I've had blind spot systems come in handy a few times a year every year I've had them in a car. I wouldn't say its indispensable but its nice to have in a daily driver.

 

Hey Noblesse,

Thinking of getting a FF slightly used. The depreciation is turning them into a huge bargain. Same cost as a Cali, get a used FF. Much better car. Tons more practical and powerful. Already have a Cali so, move up?

What am I missing?

SV

 

That sounds very healthy...

 

Interesting thread. Concerns are valid. I bought a one year old 458 Spider last week. What fun! The best is sharing the experience with others. I will be ordering the FF mainly because that's the only way to get it the way I want it. I will keep it for at least a few years. As for an A7, I had one six months and hated it. Noisy, bad ride. I have a MB S350 and like the driver aids, etc. But it removes you from driving. I was turned off by the FF rear lines until I drove one. The driving experience is what I want for a long time. I will improve the exhaust so as to enjoy the sound more and hope that the '15s have improved infotainment system. I just keep remembering how the FF feels. Outstanding!
Cheers

 

Join the crowd -- though it is a small group of knowledgeable fanatics. Yes, the "Panzers" do not make driving fun. They are great and can have lots of torque but just no fun. Luca used to call them "refrigerators."