Forgive me if this is a dupliction, but thought I should post in all model specific discussions. My search did not uncover what I was looking for so forgive me if this is covered elsewhere. Feel free to refer me to existing threads as appropriate...I have owned two, a 348 Targa and 355 Spider and now thinking about re-entering the Ferrari world but having trouble with the choice. My love is not top speed but performance, pushing the limits (safely of course) on challenging mountain roads. To do so you need a car that clings to the road in the hairpin turns with enough power to keep up the pace as you continue to climb when leaving the turn or taking advantage of the rare opportunity to overtake the tourist ahead. The 348's 300hp was just enough. It was beautiful and reliable (mostly) but the hard ride aggrevated my bad back, and no matter what they say about weight distribution, the manual steering below cruise speed was a pain. The 355 was almost as road loving, certainly more comfortable, power steering a blessing and the extra HP a joy. Unfortunately mine had more electrical problems then you could imagine and I swore never another one. Now I am almost back, but want to keep costs manageable. My considerations are the Mondial cabrio or the 328 Targa (It must be open air for max. appreciation of the mountains). I have yet to be able to put either through their paces, but I am sure you can guess my concerns...do they have sufficient power for my purposes, particularly the older ones...can they handle the turns (particularly the Mondial)...and are they reliable (is it true what they say about the Mondial electrical issues)? I realize these are different cars and you may find the choices unusual, but I find the Mondial a beautiful car. I enjoy the luxury part. I love a cabrio and the uniqueness of the 2+2 is a big appeal for me. Of course, it depends on how much performance I will be sacraficing. The 328 (I assume the 308 not enough power for me), well it seems to be one of the best cars they ever built. Price wise, in my area, the Mondial seems to be stable. The 328 huge swings and I honestly can not figure out why. In any event, what ever experiences you can share and comparisons you can make to the 348 or 355 would be of great help.
I think that after having owned both the 348 and 355, the only logical choice is going newer not older (i.e. 360/430)... if 300hp was just enough, the 328 will not satisfy. DF
I have owned a Mondial 3.2 coupe, IMHO in black it looks great, it is a great cruising car, comfortable on long trips, but it is not a canyon beast. If you opt for the cabrio version you will have even less structural rigidity. My car was written up in Forza # 60? in a comparison with a 328.
I have a '83 308qvGTB & 95' 355 Spyder. Night and day. My understanding is the 328 is simply newer than a 308, so a few more HP & a few less issues due to age. But these cars are showing their age. You really have to do your homework or you may be paying for a lot of postponed maintenance. And they can not keep up with newer cars. Depending on the year, you might get ABS and power steering. Keeping in the Mondial family - a T might not be bad with the 348 engine. But otherwise your just getting (flame suit on) a family sedan 308/328. Though you can get a convertible. Look for lots more electrical issues. The 308 is a fairly raw drive. It's been likened to a go-kart. Depending on your size, it might not be comfortable. The interior will probably be showing age. I have driven mine from NJ to Canada & back several times, and at 6'3, 190lbs, it wasn't a problem with a few stops on the way. The 308 has the looks (for me, anyway) in that department. The 355 is like a cadillac to the 308. My wife loves driving the 355. I haven't driven it any significant distance to talk about comfort. Though I have gotten some nasty sunburn getting stuck in traffic with the top down. The viseral impact is incredible. If you really like mountain driving, and want reliability, I'd go 355. Only if the 328 had the suspension recently redone, would I consider it. BTW: Definitely go stick with any model you purchase.
If you have had both the 355 and 348 then you should know what you want to get back into. A smaller car like the 328 or 308 or Mondial wont thrill you much now. Why not try a 550...its one of the more reliable F-cars and has lots of power. Oh but you want a view as well. It ain happening with the 550 unless you want to spend big bucks and boy is the barchetta a beauty. Image Unavailable, Please Login
In agreement with several others on this thread, I think you'd be unhappy with the 328. Before buying my 355 Spider - -- which I love, by the way -- I was all set on a 328GTS. That is, until I drove one. I had 308s in my 20s and enjoyed them but the 20+ years since have not been kind to them. When I got back in (a 328, this time) I was very disappointed. It felt really dated: heavy steering, sluggish, hard handling, ran hot, cramped cabin, etc. Very underpowered. I also seriously considered a Maranello -- first the 550, then the more updated and modern 575. Great GT car, no question. But not a nimble mountain pass kinda ride, IMHO. I came away thinking I would not drive it all that often. I also really wanted an open car -- Spider or even GTS -- which is not an option with Maranellos (unless you go Barchetta or SuperAmerica, which is heckuva lot more $$ and not nearly as pretty) I lump the Mondial in the same camp as the 328 -- dated, underperforming. The 355 still sounds like the ride for what you're looking for, but if you don't want to repeat something you've already tried, then a 6-speed 360 would be my choice. Not as pretty as the 355 in Spider form, but well-built (for Ferrari), fairly reliable (for a Ferrari), and now getting to become a heckuva value.
