Need honest comparison of driving "feel" of 308/328/348/355

just buy a 328 already

 

My ex 328, 355 and 512Bb are all very different but similar in a Ferrari sort of way.

The 328 I owned really sold me on Ferrari, a great reliable car though having spirited performance is not adrenalin rush fast. The 328 felt very solid handled well and cornered good, ride was firm, my only negative with the car was when the targa top was off the cowl would flex considerably, especially if the car had not driven for a while and the tires were a bit flat spotted, so I hardly ever drove with the top off.

The 355 is very different, ride is better and handling is a major step up, with its 5" lower engine placement and transmission drive lines under the axles, rear mounted radiators its incredible the way to can steer it so precisely with the throttle, its also significantly faster than a 328, I went for a group run this weekend and it was just as fast as a Diablo or Galardo or 360, a 308/328 can't keep up with these types of cars if you do spriited long distance runs with them.

In the 355 you don't get the heat from the front radiators as they are in the back and the a/c actually works well in high temps above 110', seats are very comfortable in the 355 as well I drove all day long when I bought my car driving 100 miles in 2 days, after a few hundered miles in my 328 you felt it as the seats are very thinly upholstered and I got a bit uncomfortable.

 

The 512 is totally different than my old 328 in every way, huge torque off idle and much faster. The weight bias is very different in the BB vs 328 so they handle very different as well, the 512 is a very raw driving experience like a 60s Ferrari race car vs the 328, I would flip the stereo on in the 328 at times but in BB I have bought a top of the line Alpine system with remote a year ago and still haven't installed it yet as I have no desire to do so, the BB is much more of a challenge to drive which can be exhausting after awhile but very fullfilling.

 

328 is the way to go. Reliable, still looks great, excellent resale value. 328's in general habe been in the same price range for the past 7 years.
308GT4 are great drivers, but many reliability issues. 308's same as 328 but less power.
348 and 355. 355 has the power and looks but not as reliable as the 348.

 

IMHO, the question you are posing is the wrong one. You are trying to compare four very different cars. Sure, they are all F-cars, they all share some common heritage, they sort of evolved up the line. But it's like asking for a comparison of a 1967 Corvette, a 1979 Corvette, a 1988 Corvette and a 2001 Z06 Corvette. Each has its own characteristics and things that make each desirable and undesirable. The same is true for the 308/328/348/355 comparison.

I think the question you should be asking yourself first is, "what am I looking for in an F-car?" Once you know what it is you are looking for (driveability, styling, power, comfort, handling, bling factor, cost to acquire, cost to maintain, etc., whatever else might motivate or excite you), then you can look at each of the cars realistically and find the one that best suits what you are seeking in a car. Otherwise, trying to compare or evaluate cars in a vacuum is meaningless.

 

in my opinion: ( I've owned a 308QV and now have a 328 ) and have driven both the 348 and 355... its the speed and acceleration that are the difference... in the 355 it all happens a lot faster and the steering is lighter at most all speeds, the Targa's dont seem to shimmy as much as the 328, but the actual feel is of a much more modern car... I did not like the airbag steering wheel... but clutch brake & throttle were all lighter and seemed more responsive...

the 328 in my mind is the perfect Ferrari balance of feel looks and low cost running... the 355 is a spectacular car, but the cost of ownership for me is way too high.

 

Lol.

James, the 328 is slightly shorter than the 308 (7 inches or so), weighs less than the 308, goes faster and stops quicker. The carb'ed 308 has an extra degree of rawness, but in the whole spectrum of car-dom the injected cars are all basically the same car with differences that only make sense to people who hang out on FChat.

I was in a 355 last week and it certainly throws you back against the seat in a way no 308/328 will do. You don't get the 'tucked-in' (or 'cramped', if the glass is half empty...) feeling of the 308/328, and it is brutally powerful. But that all comes with a price tag. And I've done runs with the Gallardo/430 crowd in my 328 - on public roads, in real life, the 328 hangs in there fine.

I speak from direct experience here: the agony you're going through here far exceeds the amount of grief (and there will be some...) any good 308/328 will bring you. Go find a late injected QV or 328, buy it and post pics.

 

If the faster cars get caught in traffic, the open road is a different story

 

True, but the state of California has thoughtfully arranged for traffic everywhere, around the clock, to help out 308/328 drivers and rein in the F430 guys.

 

I was on a club run a couple years ago and I can tell you that any 308 will have a very hard if not impossible time keeping up with the newer cars on a longer spirited drive. We all stopped for lunch and left in a group. The afternoon drive was through some mountain twisties with not much traffic. The destination was our hotel for the night. At the back of the pack were two 308's and a BMW. The rest of the group was literally at the hotel and checked in before we caught up with them. It wasn't because we were lagging or not pushing it either.

I think some of the comments above really hit the nail on the head. If what you want is the fastest car you can afford, then figure out how much you can spend and look for the best car in that price range. If you want a realiable, fun to drive, quick but not the fastest car around, look at the 328's again. I've driven my 308 and a friends 328 and I thought they behaved very similar but the 328 had a bit more power.

Now the 430, that's a whole different ball game there!!

 

What this guy said.

Nice thing about Ferrari, has something for everybody (sort of). All those cars are very different.

 

LOL! +1

 

Each successive model is better than the one it replaces in almost every way. I have owned a 348, 355, and a 360, etc. Each model was better built, faster, etc. But "fun" and "better" to each of us is relative. Some may like characteristics of one model over the other. Certain things about the 328 might be more appealing than those of a "better" 355. It comes down to buying the model you enjoy driving the most. The 328, 348, 355 spread seems to be narrowing a bit so the money difference between a nice 328/348 and a decent 355 is no longer a major factor.