Most Reliable Ferrari W/$90K

You have a lot of options in that price range. Can you be more specific as to what kind of style you prefer? Mid-engine? 12 or 8? Newer or older?

 

Two 328's.

 

355

 

Door number 2---355

 

I feel that a 355 is the best choice in your price range. I went through a similar exercise about a year ago and am very happy with my decision.

 

Two $45,000 328s- one GTS for open air and one GTB for better handling. Even if one is in the shop (rare) you still have another. Seriously I may go for 550. Prices should be at this level very soon.

 

I vote 355 too.

 

Most reliable:
328 or Mondial 3.2; I hear a later 355 is pretty well developed in reliability as well.
Ferrari reliability is usually directly proportional to the time a model has been in production and development.
Seems to me if you drive them regularly they are more reliable than if you don't.
Have fun.

 

Is there a 90K 360? I was looking for these - but the majority seem to hold their value extremely well - most appear in the 135-160K range, if not higher for clean, low mileage editions.

I'm in a similar situation, (right around the 100K price limit) and concerned about maintenance esp on a F360, and yet looking for a car that can hold up to say 3-5 track days a year, without requiring a major engine overhaul.

Cheers,
-Darryl

 

A 355 is just over budget. Believe me. Also reliabilty and Ferrari cannot be mentioned in the same sentence. Your Ferrari will be the most unreliable thing you have ever owned but will give you the most smiles per mile.

 

The most reliable Ferrari for $90k ?

Two 328's for $45k each

 

When I did the research last year to buy the first Ferrari, most people (mechanic, sales man, multi-F owners) told me 328 is.
Keep in mind if something major goes wrong, $4K won't be enough. Thus be careful what you buy. Try to check the maintenance record of that car as much as possible.

W/ your budget though, I will buy 355 GTS. Sounds great, looks cool, and drives comfortably, too! I love my 328, but it reminds me that it is a sport car, not sporty cars!

Or you can save up to extend your budget, and go for 512! (I'm in the market for 512M so don't compete w/ me now)

Yoshi Ace

 

Esprit,

You won't touch a 360 or 550 with what you've budgeted ( Not good
ones anyway). But the remainder of your list? Wow, if you're not partial
to any one Model (Yet), take your time and drive a few. Find one you like, Inspect every inch of the Car with theowner present. If it's at a dealership, ask if the owner can be present when you do theinspection. Ask tough questions, then get serious. Make sure all service records are in order and
up to date. Service records should show mileage at time of service. If service intervals don't add up and the guy tells you he did the Oil and Filter change himself, ask to see the receipts. ( A person who keeps meticulous records is a good indication of Pride in Ownership). Do a Carfax (Vehicle History Report), check the Odometer that the numbers line up correctly (mileage role backs ARE possible and if any number on the odometer is out of sync. Walk!).
Don't let euphoria stymie your judgment. If everything checks out, pay for
a PPI then pay the price, or make an offer. This is a big-ticket item, like buying a House! Think first with your Head ( The one on your shoulders),
and let your Heart follow. When you're ready to finalize the deal, take a day and go over it with someone you trust to make sure you've covered everything. If not, you could be out 3-4 years of your allotted maintenance in the first year or less! …Good Luck!

 

Esprit,
a 355B should fit your budget nicely. The 150 miles should be no problem, you simply hire a flat bed company to transport your car to the repair facility, no big deal. Shouldn't cost more than a few hundred bucks.

 

For that money, a 355. But you picked a 348 over a 360??? Have you ever driven both of them? One is a horse and buggy with an egg slicer on the side and the other is the finest sports car on the planet under 500k.

 

Hey, that's not fair. The last few years of 348 (93-95 Spyders) had the quirks worked out and were a great car. As far as looks go, I love the 348, incorporates all the retro beauty of 308-328, adds the TR flair side and rear, and gives a more-than-subtle hint of what's to come in the 355.

 

I love the idea of two 328's (a GTB & GTS). Seriously, if you are worried about service costs just get one really, really nice 328 and save the rest of money for upkeep. I've had mine since April and I drive it a lot. I've put about 9k miles on it since then and it has been very reliable. Good luck!

 

The #1 onyour list is the 512 Boxer and it is the car to get. If it had been properly maintained and driven over the years it will be very reliable. Do not get a garage queen though. You will get the true 12 cylinder Ferrari experience and have a little money left over for oil changes ect.. Do not, I repete, DO NOT settle for a v8 car. You will always look back and know that you could have had the lovely flat 12 of a Boxer for the same money. Plus, a Boxer will hold its value much better over the years. And $4k a year for future maintenance is more than enough. In fact, I would even recommend a TR or 365GTC4 over one of the little v8 dinos.

 

F355B

 

328 GTB/S (your choice) and a sorted 330 GT 2+2

 

Interesting question, but I'd like to state it a different way. Namely, I'm not sure that you can say that one model of Ferrari is more reliable than the next. Being low-volume cars (and yes, 4,000 a year still qualifies as low volume), Ferraris tend to have problems that need sorting when new.

Over time, the problems unique to each model become known and, in most cases, fixed, e.g., the value guide problem in early 355s. I don't know this, but I'm sure that Boxers had some issues that need to be factored into this equation. Another example are 308s from the early 80s, or the 1989 328 versus earlier years.

So maybe the better way to ask the question is this:

What model AND year of Ferrari is the most reliable for under $90k.

My answer is a early 465 GT (not the auto).

Dr "Reliable" Tax

 

I just traded my 328 GTS for a 355 GTS F1 definately go for the 355,and incidentally i also live about 2 hours from the dealer.
best regards
Dave McGuire