There is a Silver 328 at a dealer here in town and I took it out for a test drive today. That drive has totally eliminated any desires for a 308, its going to have to be a 328 for me after that drive. The power is great, the looks even better and the handling...well I did not test that to its limits I was a good boy, we let idle for about 2 minutes while getting ready before leaving the dealership and then I took it very easy until it was warm, I kept it under 3,000RPM and just enjoyed the sound and driving in traffic, then came the freeway and a warm motor, a onramp never sounded so good. Not a nice day for a drive with the top off but I am convertible kind of guy so off came the top and I must say it was nice with very little wind buffeting, sorry to say the Mondial is also off my potential car list. One thing I noticed was after about 20 minutes my neck and shoulders hurt, I found that the seat was fairly reclined (more than I am used to) and I was straining my neck to be able to drive, I had adjusted the seat so I could reach the pedals prior to leaving, if I straightened up the seat back then I was too close to the steering wheel, I like my arms extended. I am only 5'8" this should not be, correct ? My wife says it might have been stress but I feel it was just because the seat was so reclined and I wanted to see where I was driving, moving the back of the seat more vertical brought my head awfully close to the windshield as well as putting the steering too close for me. Not sure what happened and I assume I will find a comfortable positions once it is in my garage. Had a few other issues with the car and will move on in the near future for another 328.
It does take a bit of time to get acclimated to the interior. I'm 6'4", and my 328 seemed a tight fit when I bought it, but I find it comfortable now. But after 30 years of Italian cars, I'm used to the semi-reclined position. (This is also the seating position in an F16 Falcon fighter.) It's the (unaccustomed, to me) bolt upright seating of the EVO that gives me a pain (in the back of my thighs, where the seat bolster cuts into them). I've seen one article that described the seating position in Alfas as "the Italian judgment that God erred when creating elbows". (The first time riding in my Alfa, my flight instructor also commented on the similarity to fighter plane seating.) After lots of semi-inclined Alfas, what took me a while to get used to is the angle: the seats are angled in 308s and 328s: your feet are closer to the car's centerline than your head (due to the front wheel incroaching into the footwell). So in addition to having your chin just above your chest, you also have your head turned very slightly to the left to look forward. But if you're getting neck pains after 20 minutes, ... well, I'm not a doctor, but I'd guess that none of us are getting as much "limbering up exercises" as we should. (Is our national "flower" the couch potato? ) Getting into the car in a parking lot with the top on also takes a bit of experimenting to find a workable "ingress procedure", and is a bit of a limbering up exercise itself.
I'm 5'8" as well, and have a 328 GTS. I keep the seat reclined and my arms comfortably extended, hands at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel and I'm very comfortable in the car. Usually it's the tall guys who have problems. The pedal position takes some getting used to, and I always wear either my Puma driving shoes (size 7D ) or casual shoes with a narrow rubber sole. There is a slight angle adjustment in the steering wheel, BTW, but I think you have to loosen couple of bolts under the steering column to do this, so it's not exactly intuitive. Obvously I agree with you about the looks, sounds, etc. I originally set out looking for a 308, but the 260bhp in the 328 keeps the car respectably quick, and with a Tubi it makes some amazing music. It's also lighter, I believe, than the U.S. version of the 308. It's a wonderful car to drive - the heavy steering at parking lot speeds really pays off when you're underway and of all the convertibles I've owned this is the most enjoyable/least punishing with the top stowed. Take another extended drive and make sure you're comfortable. You made a good choice by being 5'8", though. For the neck pain... well, if you're a Ferrari owner just hire a masseuse.
No no no. Cruise by the sorority house at the nursing college for a massage. (Am I old enough yet to be a dirty old man? )
I like my arms extended when I drive and found the seating postion extremely comfortable until after 20 minutes or so. I assume once in my garage, I will find it very comfortable. Kind of like when I switched from sport bikes leaned over the gas tank to my cruiser bike now, first few hundred mile ride I was sore all over from muscles I did not know existed, now I find myself getting sore when I get on a sportbike. Coming from 30 years of FIAT ownership, I did not expect this to be an issue and I really believe it was just soreness from a new seating postion that will take 3 or 4 drives to overcome. I did find the pedals offset to be "amusing" the first few shifts. I do like the idea of a masseuse however Since I am passing on this 328 due to other issues with this 328, I won't have the chance to take it again for a long drive, I don't feel that would be fair to the dealer. It was worth the drive though, now I know what I want. I had been looking at Mondials because they are true convertibles and I have the cash. With some financial stretching I started looking at 3.2 cabs from the QV's because all I have read here is that the 3.2 motor is a stronger motor and more reliable, this car will be a near daily driver for me, I have 2 other cars and a motorcycle but they get very little use compared to my FIAT Dino currently. The very best part is that my wife liked the car a lot and is enthusiastic about a 328, although to be able to afford one I will have to sell my Dino she was willing to "advance" me the cash I would be short until I sold my Dino. Oh, before anyone says something about me stretching to buy it means I can't afford to maintain it (have I been reading F-Chat too long?) the FIAT Dino is not cheap to maintain, I have a very good idea what I am getting into here.
Make sure you put the top up and down on the Mondial a couple of times, and drive it on the freeway. I find the targa top MUCH more convenient and more "private" -- in that everyone's not staring at the back of your head. I also like to put the top back on if the car's going to be parked for a while - no problem with a targa, excessively wearing with a ragtop. The 3.0 QV engines aren't necessarily bad, but you do get improved electrical components with the 3.2 (I'm assuming the Mondial 3.2 parallels the 328) that were a big selling point for me.
For me putting a spacer on the steering wheel made all the difference on driving position. Bought it from Hill Engineering- a sponsor here. I'm 6'2" and fit ok in my 328GTS. With the top on move the seat forward a bit and put more recline on it so the noodle doesn't rub on the top.
Underneath the dash by the steering column you will find two nuts that you could loosen and move the steering wheel up and down. patience is the keyword as it is tight to get to.
