Considering a 2+2 to replace a 458 so I can do fun things together as a family, like FCA drives. how’s the FF compared to 612 in terms of - rear seat space - sense of driving something special - driving feel (steering, handling dynamics) - sound, rpm range - reliability - cost of ownership (scheduled maintenance like timing belt but also common problems) Any other pros and cons of each? I actually like how both look so that isn’t really an issue but I would like to be able to comfortably take passengers in the back, small children in car seats and as they grow up, more adult sized people.
I now have an FF and before that a 612 Scaglietti. The FF is a much more modern car. Although the 612 is a beautiful car, you will experience with the FF that it has been in development for many years: The space for the rear passengers is much larger. In the 612 you can't really sit properly as an adult, while in the FF you certainly can and comfortably.! The accessibility of the rear seat is also much better. As for driving dynamics: this is much better in the FF. In the FF you are on the road with the car, while in the 612 you have the feeling that the car is on the road with you. The sound is beautiful in both cars, with the V12 scream being louder in the FF. As for reliability: buy a car with a known history, preferably maintained by a Ferrari dealer or specialist. Have a purchase inspection carried out if you have any doubts and want certainty. Ownership costs: there is hardly any difference with regular maintenance between the cars. Known issues for the FF: the FF can give problems with the DCT and/or PTU which are expensive repairs, for which there are better alternatives on the market than the Ferrrai repairs. You can find a lot of information about that in the Forum. Especially if I also had small children with child seats etc., then the choice would not be difficult for me: go for the FF! Good luck and have fun with your (planned) purchase!
This is a great overview. Much more practical than the comparisons at the 456 forum. FF is definitely what I want. My child likes red so maybe a darker cherry red or something. Would those be hard to sell later on? Likely would keep for at least a decade.
I did the same comparison about a year ago. I was between a 612 and FF. I came across a stupid cheap 612 (yes risky I know but I don’t care) and honestly if the timing of stuff had been different, I would have bought that and been happy with it. My use is the same as yours. My daughter regularly comes to age appropriate FCA events with me in the back seat. I took it to a car show with two car seats in back and that was a hit. I am glad I ended up with an ff for the same reasons outlined above: big back seat, v12 scream, modern ish electronics and drive, 4x4 ish ability (biggest reason I went ff over 612 since I drive it year round) a rear facing car seat is tight behind you if you’re tall. Forward facing ones are no problem.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Well, I can literally do a side by side comparison. I'm figuring you are probably going towards an FF, and I think that is right for your situation with a child, or two. I pretty much agree with Mark's assessment. You are getting a much more modern vehicle. My 612 is a 2008 OTO with 64K miles, and the FF is a 2015 with 26K. Definitely more rear seat space in the FF. I actually went out and measured it. With the passenger seat all the way forward the FF had 9" of knee room while the 612 had 7". However, I will tell you we have had two adults in the back of the 612 for day trips and everyone was comfortable. I did have to move my driver's seat up a little, but then I normally have it way back. I definitely feel I'm driving something special in the 612. Both handle well, the FF is a little tighter, but then it is 7 years younger. I just had the shocks rebuilt on the 612. When I got the 612 I thought it was fast, but the FF is scary fast. My 612 has a factory upgraded exhaust and it is far better than my FF. If you want better sound there are threads here for upgrading the exhaust system. Both cars have been very reliable. On the 612 I had an oil line to the gearbox burst and on the FF I had an oil line to the PTU burst, so pick your poison. Regular maintenance is about the same, but the 612 needs a belt change every 5 years, not a big deal. I think you are better off getting the FF, even though the 612 is my baby. My wife can drive the FF anytime, but she knows not to even ask to drive the 612!
So this is something I am thinking about quite a bit. I own a 612 (picked it up new at the factory), have some seat time in an FF about 10 years ago, and am seriously thinking about adding a GTC4 Lusso. The 612 is a superb grand tourer, and the end of Ferrari's line of touring cars dating back to the 250GTE (although you could argue that the GTC4 Lusso is actually the end of that line). The FF has more rear seat room for sure, more trunk space-- especially if the rear seats are folded down-- and all wheel drive, if that matters to you (it does to me). They are both fantastic cars, with more performance than you will most likely be able to use. I think for what you want, the FF is probably better. I drove for 2.5 weeks through europe in my 612 with my wife and two kids (8 and 11 at the time), and it was great, although the trunk space was limiting. I want to add the GTC4 Lusso because I want a Ferrari I can drive in the snow and over mountain passes where there might be snow. So that's my thinking, but it in no way replaces the 612.
The FF remains a sought after car, despite the colour. I have a Rosso Maranello (3-layer paint) myself and think it is great, but there is no accounting for taste.
FF and GTC4 colors are interesting... I have been tracking GTC4 serial numbers for a bit as I'm starting to look for one, and right now I have about 28 cars in my database (I'm only looking at V12 cars), which are currently on the market or were on it recently. Of those cars, 15 are some form of Grigio. 4 are some form of Bianco (white), 3 are Nero (Black), 3 are some form of Argento (silver)... so 25 of 28 are basically gray, white, or black. Of the remaining 3, 1 is red, one is 2-tone silver and red (so not sure if it should be included here or above in the silvers), and one is Canna di fucile, which to my eye is pretty much gray... so basically 27 or so of the cars in my sample of cars on the market currently or recently are gray, white, or black. To me, that says that a color which is not gray, white, or black should be worth a premium since they are so rare, but what do I know? I do know if I had ordered one back in the day, it would have been something other than gray, white, or black.
"I have been tracking GTC4 serial numbers for a bit as I'm starting to look for one, and right now I have about 28 cars in my database" "Of those cars, 15 are some form of Grigio. 4 are some form of Bianco (white), 3 are Nero (Black), 3 are some form of Argento (silver)... so 25 of 28 are basically gray, white, or black." Geeze Don, I think psychiatrists have a term for that kind of obsession. "To me, that says that a color which is not gray, white, or black should be worth a premium since they are so rare, but what do I know?" Yea, that is one way to look at it. On the other hand, it may also tell you there are very few buyers for cars not gray, white or black. So that can have it's own positives and negatives. Anyway, good luck on your search. I want to see you with that V12 Lusso!
I prefer the styling of the 612, with the right color it looks unique and classy. I don't like the shooting brake looks of FF and GTC4 but, well, to each their own. If you consider a 612, try to find the OTO version (upgraded F1 gearbox among other improvements) or at least a 612 with the HGTS/HGTC package to enjoy the sport exhaust, the V12 sounds much better.
I searched the European Ferrari pre-owned site, and same basic thing-- but there was a spectacular TdF blue Lusso in France! https://preowned.ferrari.com/en-US/a/europe/used-ferrari/france/gauduel-sport-sas/gtc4lusso/ZFF82WNB000242954-1726734364036 Image Unavailable, Please Login I have concluded that interior color is more important, as I will probably end up with a gray one, and then I will wrap it into either TdF Blue or a dark green.
Lusso and FF were mostly in pretty subtle colors. I think the rationale was that people who drive these more frequently prefer them in a more subtle color so as to not draw attention to them. I daily drive my Lusso (white) in southern Georgia and hardly anybody notices it... which is nice.
The colour thing is interesting. In South Africa Ferrari’s are for a large majority Rosso Corsa. Close to 70% of FF’s are red which in my opinion doesn’t suit the FF as well. White is second. But a lot of cars get specked by the dealer (interiors mostly Nero) and then sold off the floor or once on the line so they are pretty conservative as the market isn’t huge.
