ready to buy a 458 - any advise?

About the insurance: 458 seems quite reliable for a car of its class. However, you dont know how the previous owner(s) have flogged the car. So, can you afford not to get insurance, i.e. can you afford a DCT repair for let's say US$ 8000 without having blinking an eye? If yes, then do you feel lucky? If your answer is again "yes" then don't get the insurance.

Model year: If I was buying a 458 and could afford a 2013 then I would certainly get a 2013 or up as DCT seems to have been improved as well. If I had to get a 2010 or 2011 then I would probably try to get one with higher miles or one which has already had the corresponding repairs/recalls.

Regards,

CF

 

Best advice is to buy what you like. They are all generally very reliable. Very few of the pre '12 cars have retained their burbles and pops, as most have been updated. So I think get the spec you want in as new a car as possible. If you plan on using the car instead of parking it in your garage to look at, the difference of a few thousand miles now shouldn't make a difference down the line. E.g if you buy a car with 6k miles vs. a car with 9 k miles and you then put an additional 15+ k miles on it over the next three years, I'd say the build year will be more significant to value than whether the car has 21 or 24 k miles on it.

As for the crank shaft issue, I believe all cars with that problem have been recalled and fixed.

 

I have a great car for sale if interested
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/ferraris/535620-cpo-2013-rosso-corsa-458-italia-38xx-miles.html

 

Plenty of carbon, larger wheels, racing seats a must. Ideally a classic colour or three , avoid boring Rosso C.

Ideally some design in the seats - diamonds etc. Alcan.

Take time plenty around.

 

Spend some time scrolling down and reading the threads here that regularly cover exactly the same ground

 

The crankshaft issue is a non-issue.

The difference between 11 and 12 cars is some software changes (although most 11 have been changed to 12's anyway) and 12's still get the "free" maintenance program.

I personally liked the coupe more than the spider. Spiders are more expensive but people do like to be seen in them. Spiders started as a '13 model year.

Get a good one and don't worry so much about the price. You don't buy these everyday so don't let a good car go for a few grand. It's not a contest on who bought the cheapest one. Find one you love and fall in love.

 

My 2010 $58 that I bought in 2010 has been trouble free.

Happy car hunting

Lee

 

Get the color and options you want as your first priority so it looks just the way you want it. After that choose price, then year and mileage last. The cars hold up well and you wont notice 1000 miles vs 20,000 miles when driving and owning it. Same with a 2011 vs 2014. Enjoy!

 

Just bought a 2012 yesterday.

 

And for some reason I wanted the the LED lights on the steering wheel. There are a ton of cars out there, so get the lights. They are fun. Cruise Control some have , some don't same with Navigation, I just liked the 2 years left on the service for the 2012. Watch out for sticky issues. Yeah they are out there in these newer cars. If porsche ever produced something that got sticky, they would never sell another car, but Ferrari has had sticky problems for over 20 year..... I mean.... why fix a bad thing, when they sell out year in advance.

So look around, the Rosso Dino is a nice color. I like Yellow with the black top.
Keep us updated.
John

 

Buy the car you want, as others have advised. While there are a lot of cars for sale, you will quickly find that because of the ability of the first owners to pick among many different options and colors, it could be hard to find just the right car for you. Some really like the sport seats, for example, but I prefer the full electric seats because of their adjustability and memory for when my wife drives the car.

 

Racing seats ...good option.

 

Plus you can always put a wrap on it for more interesting look.

They are just a car, so have fun with it.

 

Same here my 2010 has been perfect...I just don't drive it enough!

 

Bought a 2010 not too long ago. Love it and has been reliable. Would buy at least one year ext warranty, just because you don't know the car.

 

Hate to be finicky but the word is advice(noun)not advise(verb).

 

Because of the way it feels, I dislike carbon fiber on the steering wheel. The carbon fiber steering wheel is the only thing I dislike about my 458. Well, maybe that and turn signal buttons on the steering wheel.

Have fun. Get a car with cruise control if you can find one. Nice for long trips and helps avoid speeding tickets.

 

Just pu 2014 w extended warranty. I switch from mclaren to F .

 

Yes, but the parts designed to be held are covered in leather. The exposed CF portions at 11:00-1:00, and at 5:00-7:00 aren't really where you should be holding the wheel.

 

Hi All,

just like OP, I'm currently shopping for a 458, I'm open to spider, but prefer coupes just a bit more. But options such as racing seats and as much Carbon fiber as possible is the most important part. My budget is flexible, of course I would want to spend less if possible, but if it will compromise with car's condition because of the year, age, etc, I would pony up a little bit more (within reasons, $200-$260k).

So my question is does buying a 2012+ (includes the free maintenance) really worth the premium?

Thanks for your time!

 

Great advise, valid for every prospective buyer.

My advice: buy a 458. Highly addictive machine like no other. Once you've tasted it, you'll never be the same and no other car will quite fit the bill. Life's too short not to own such a wonderful thing like a 458. Of course there's a lot of "information" (rumours) on the internet regarding maintenance (as with every other Ferrari car) that may put off a first time Ferrari buyer, but as you can see on Ferrarichat using the Search tool, owners are pretty happy with their cars, most are falling in love with it even more as time goes by, and few consider selling their 458...Even after the presentation of the 488 or...Ever!

There must be a reason and believe me... There are several

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

You must not take long road trips. Who sits there all day, mile after mile, with hands at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock? I rest my left hand on my left thigh for the long haul and hold the wheel at about 7 o'clock.

I also like continuity of steering wheel feel when turning. One doesn't get that with epoxy resin sections of the otherwise leather wheel.

The epoxy/carbon fiber section has no functional ergonomic purpose. To me, it's just bling. LED's are very nice but I think the better choice would be an all-leather wheel with LED's seated in the leather.

 

The standard, by the book maint averages to around $1000+/- per year. So, a 2012 has perhaps 3 years left...easy math. Not big dollars obviously (even if you double it under the assumption that the last few years might have more scheduled maint - I once calculated it by year, but have forgotten the exact numbers). Annual depreciation alone will be five figures. Ironically - given the amount of import some place on it - the "by the book maint" is the smallest cost in owning one of these...