Roma Test Drive Parameters

The sales manager at my local dealer — Ferrari of New England — handed me the key and said, “Go take a nice, long drive, and have fun.” That was with no deposit or prior discussion of an order. Although I am an owner, service my car there, and have bought two preowned Ferraris there in the past, I am certainly not one of their many customers apt to buy/order every new model that comes in, nor am I anywhere near being on the list for early allocations or special models. Nonetheless, I am always greeted warmly, by name, and feel like a valued customer. I look forward to speccing a car there someday.

I’m sure this varies by dealer, sounds like you might want to shop around.

 

FoSF??

FoSV has their demonstrator and just hands out the key...at least to me!

Do you have a relationship already with a dealer??

SV

 

My wife and I went to Ferrari of New England’s debut of the Roma last month. They had two cars but since it was very well attended no one was going to be able to go out for an extended drive. We went for about a 20 minute drive with our SA on local roads which was more than enough for me. After we brought it back he told me if we wanted to spend more time with it just give him a call to make arrangements. Everyone has their own perspective on this, but I don’t need test drives. We’ve bought a ton of cars over the years (including a Portofino last year) and have rarely taken them for a test drive before we pull the trigger. And when we do, it’s usually a quick drive on local roads. I have too much respect for other people’s property to take a demo out and push it to 190mph. Just my two cents.

 

Roma test drive @ Boardwalk was similar to OP's.
About 20 - 30 mins on surface roads.
Plano is in the midst of the Metroplex suburban sprawl, so hard to get to the back roads from there.
It was long enough for me to get an impression of likes/dislikes for the Roma...T

 

I knew it but Keith beat me to the question. I live in the city now and split time bw SF and Santa Rosa so the Marin location is ideal for f of SF but I will NEVER leave f of SV....they are amazing from the ownership to the guys washing my car. Was in to drop off my SF for a sale and they noticed my taycan was dirty and they insisted on washing it....I said, you can’t wash my Porsche at a Ferrari dealer but they weren’t hearing it. And while we had to wait...they gave us the keys to the f8 demo and told us to go kill time. It’s an awesome dealer.

 

FOG...tho not recently!

SV

 

I got the keys for 4 hours and my dealer knows I won't order one. Just had a go to see what was what. Find a dealer more suited to your needs.

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We drove for almost one hour yesterday with Munsterhuis Sportscars … 6 Roma's present.

As 458 owner it is a different car …. but an excellent (daily ?) driver.

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I was not very impressed. It's a nice car, but it feel like that, just a fast car. It does not have that unique feeling Ferrari steering feel. Slightly heavier and more hesitant. The throttle response is different and definitely not as crisp as the other cars in the lineup. Could just as well be a 911 or Aston. It's not a bad car, but I really did not feel like I was in a Ferrari.
The touch screens... Wow. They will take some getting used to. Hope they feel different in the SF90. Ferrari, ffs, get back to buttons you don't have to look at to use.
I'm not bothered by the visibility, that just comes with the type of car.

The interior feels very nice, but for some reason, I kept thinking Alfa Romeo. Not because of the quality, but rather because of the layout and shapes.

Overall I think a Porto is a better Ferrari. It might be slightly more GT than the Roma, but the Porto feels more like a Ferrari to me.

No thanks.

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I had the exact same reaction which surprised me because I’ve owned a bunch of Aston’s and thought I was going to love the Roma. And don’t get me wrong, I liked it, just not enough to get rid of our Portofino.

 

I drove one for about an hour a couple of months ago and didn't really gel with it. Way too much going on the steering wheel with the overly complex touch controls for my liking. Since they launched the Portofino M with the same 620HP i'd choose this instead of the Roma. The folding top with the new more aggressive looks appeal to me along with the easier to comprehend controls.

 

Which Ferraris have you driven? Those numbers mean absolutely nothing in this context - and I never said the Roma did not feel sporty. A Lusso does not feel sporty, but it is unmistakably Ferrari on all accounts. A Porsche 981 GT4 is one of the most balanced and well driven sports cars I have driven to date, but it is nothing like any Ferrari. Forget all the numbers. You need to experience the cars to know why it does not feel like a Ferrari. Even within Ferrari cars feel very different. The steering of a 488, F8 and Pista feels NOTHING alike despite them sharing all the same parts. They don't have the same throttle feel. The Porto may not be as rigid as a Roma, and in theory the Roma could have better throttle response - but it does not. It is all in the mappi g. They toned it down and made it more docile somehow.
I have driven just about every model Ferrari has put out in the last 30 years, and several older models as well. All modern Ferraris have shared a unique sensation behind the wheel, no matter whether they have been dports cars or GT's. The Roma departs from this, and that was what Ferrari set out to do. At the presentation it was touted as a car for people who sought something easier to drive and live with, and after my 4 hours with the Roma, I can attest that the accomplished their goal. To put it into perspective just how different it is, I can describe it this way. My wife's DD which is a Merc AMG GTR feels more like a Ferrari and blends comfort and sport a lot better than the Roma does. I stand by my findings and my view is that Ferrari has created a Ferrari that could be any generic sports GT.

It's not a bad car, I just don't see any purpose for it. If it does not feel like a Ferrari, there are cars that do the same better.

Forget all your stats. Get some seat time, because that's the only way of knowing.

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I haven’t but would be fun to do

 

You're missing a lot of fun!

sV

 

Ferrari must be listening.. Just got a call offering an "extended" Roma test drive

 

I picked up my Roma yesterday and we own a portofino...need more time but I disagree that the portofino is a better handling, more sporty ride. The Roma feels so much lighter, the engine response in my view is quicker and more linear. It’s an amazing car and feels much smaller than it is. Love our portofino and being a convertible is a big plus but if I had to pick one,,,Roma would be it. My 2 cents