David993S

....or, for a different point of view from someone who currently owns both, one could also read the multiple posts I've made on here comparing my
993S to my 360 F1.

I do think comparing a 993 and a 355 is a more appropriate comparison than a 993 to a 360 as the 360 is a far superior performer. However, a 355 is more costly to maintain than a 360, and a 360 is slightly more expensive than a 430 to maintain. But with each car, one has to spend more to buy.

I did a quick comparison of all my maintenance/repair costs for the 993 vs. the 360 and was not surprised at the findings. This is certainly not scientific and there are always lots of variables, but generally speaking this is a real world comparison for each. First, the base line:

1997 993S, purchased in 1999 with 8800 miles on the odo.
1999 Ferrari 360 F1 purchased in 2001 with approx. 10,000 miles on the odo.

I still have both cars, and today, the Porsche has approx. 45,000 miles, the Ferrari has 49,850. Both have been either maintained by the book, or slightly more frequently.

I'm not going to list every cost item as that would take too much space ( I keep every bill and record). These total costs are "all-in" meaning I have included everything from oil changes, to tires, to clutch replacement, to brake pads, to replacement of failed parts, etc. i.e. ......everything except gas, a broken windshield, clear bra, anything that wasn't necessary. I did not include any items fixed under warranty, just the things I have paid for.

The total cost for running the two cars to date?.................

Porsche: $14, 849
Ferrari: $18,048

Not that much different is it?? Frankly, and as you would read in my previous posts about my ownership experience, I've had more problem/repair issues with the 993 than with the 360. It's just that the 360 is indeed a little more expensive to maintain.

Just some food for thought, especially for those that start their posts with "I've never owned a Ferrari, but I've heard........"

Cheers.

sprinky911

Nice post David993! You are going to make me go purchase a ferrari for the first time in my life! Not that i haven't thought about it hundreds of times before!

nathan1

I am a life long air-cooled 911 guy and have had at least one since I have been 16, so I certainly drink the Kool-Aid. With that said being a true car guy I have always loved Ferrari as well. I have owned a 355 Berlinetta, 2 360's (F1 and a 3-pedal) and a 430.

I won't comment specifically on the 348 because I believe it to be the least desirable modern Ferrari, so I wouldn't own one.

They are so distinctly different that it's not really a fair comparison. The Ferrari feels MUCH more exotic, draws 100 times the attention of the Porsche, sounds outrageous and just feels much more like an exotic. The 355 was much more to maintain the the 360 or 430 which actually were all very reliable and relatively inexpensive own and operate. I love the look of the 355 but they do have LOTS of potential and expensive issues. The 360 is markedly better and the 430 even better than that. Go over to Ferrari Chat and spend some time learning, good guys very similar in feel to the people here on Rennlist. Just like with 993's do your homework, enlist the help of people more knowledgable than yourself and get a PPI.

With all that said if I could only have one it would be the Porsche without question. The Porsche is like a perfectly broken in pair of jeans. They just flat work! Their timeless beauties, are well built, fun to work on, have great parts and enthusiast support, draw appreciative stares (but no 3 finger salute like I commonly get in the Ferrari) and have a driving characteristic all there own. So if your lucky buy both!

ryano

The problem with the 348 and 355 are they require engine out services and they are quite frequent. I have had the same debate in my head and I came to the realization that if i were to buy a F car it would need to be a 308/328 or something newer like a 360/430.

NP993

I lust for a 355. I really, really want one. I sit and watch youtube videos of them. The 993 and the 355 are the two most beautiful modern cars ever made, IMHO. I will have one. I am Jeremy Clarkson in this Top Gear from the 90's.

timothymoffat

Thanks for that video Noah. I remember reading JC's article about wanting/buying/owning a 355 in the mid 90's. The wanting something different (green) but defaulting to red, the kneeling to sign the papers at the dealer (impressive dealership, strolled through the lot myself in November of 1995), the bit about being so worried about it if you took it somewhere that you'd drink too much to calm down and then couldn't drive. Great stuff.

A 360 is the car that tempts me. Titanium/black 6-speed coupe, shields, challenge grills, leather racing seats. Please PM if anyone wants to gift me. Thankyou.

cavlino

I think I have seen the car you are talking about in the AutoTrader, I say go for it! My first Ferrari was black, a 1989 328 GTS. By the way for those that think the 348 and 355 cost more due to the engine out service. Most of us only do this service every 5 to 7 years, I have been on the 7 year plan. The other big difference is the clutch replacement costs for a 348/355 versus a 360/430. The 348/355 is the simplest clutch ever to replace its minimal labour a couple of hours max and the clutch components themselves a couple of thousand dollars max. The 360/430 on the other hand is double digit hours labor wise while the clutch components are about the same cost. So the dollars saved in not having to drop the engine out of a 360 is chewed up when you do need to change the clutch. The 430 on the other hand is the cheapest to maintain but the price of entry is steep compared to a 360 let alone a 348 or 355.

laurence '97 C4S

Owned a mid-80's Ferrari from new for 11 years. Owned my '97 C4S from new for the last 17 years.

There is no comparison in the cost of operating the Ferrari v. Porsche. The Ferrari, while a fantastic experience both visually and aurally, when compared to the Porsche 993 is for all practical purposes like driving a Toyota compared to the Ferrari from a MAINTENANCE cost perspective. Anyone who says otherwise is blinded by the Ferrari mystique.

That having been said, the new ones are "supposed to be" better on the maintenance front, but I would tread lightly if maintenance $s are an issue.

Finally, if you can afford it, owing a Ferrari at least once in your life is highly recommended. One funny story about my ownership experience: I was driving through main street of a small tourist town, stop and go traffic, with a pretty blonde in the passenger seat. After a few minutes, she turned to me and said, with a toss of her hair, "I can't believe all the people that are staring at me!" I smiled and said, "What do you expect", not having the heart to burst her bubble and tell her it was the Ferrari that was gettig all the stares.

David993S

Really? You must have missed the numbers in post #16. I'd say nearly $15,000 to maintain a 993 for 45,000 miles is extremely high. A 993 really shouldn't have cost that much to maintain. I doubt I spent that much on any of my previous 5 911's and I put more miles on those cars.

laurence '97 C4S

All I can say is your experience is polar opposite to mine; and, I am confident to most others. My 993 has cost very little to maintain over the years (granted it is very low mileage but so was my Ferrari). My Ferrari, on the other hand, was the opposite with very expensive service. Prime example was a $5,000 service in late 80's for leaking seals.

doc_porsche

i say if you can afford both...... why not?

Stealth 993

I have friends with both F355 and 348 Spyder.

The F355 is faster then a 993 but cost more then a fleet of 993's to maintain. My friend had to put shocks in in several times (fail more then factory Monroes and cost 6X as much) and had a clutch service done at 46kmi for $30k! Granted they also changed the belts and some other things, but that is out of my budget. The fit & finish is CRAP! He has dirt that is under the clear coat in several places.

The 348. It sounds AWEOME, drives like a truck and is SLOWER then the 993, it's also less fun to drive. He can't keep cats on the thing, it always overheats there are 3 computers to control the engine, L-bank M-bank & R-bank they don't get along. He only drives it on nice days and it's in great shape, he spends about $5k on it a year to maintain on average. He drives it so little he want to sell it, cost per mile is WAY to high.

He can't believe how cheap the 993 is how much you get out of it for the $$. Our insurance is also far cheaper and MPG is also way better. The F-cars are fun to look at and sound great, but not for someone how likes to drive all the time and not have the car in the shop for almost as much time as you drive it.

Ed Hughes

The uber-silly maintenance costs of owning a 355 were experienced by two friends, both car guys in a big way, not afraid to pick up a wrench.

Then there is the statement mentioned above about being able to drive a 911 variant to the track, enjoy a couple of days of driving, and then drive it home. I don't think you can do that very many weekends with an "older" F-car.

There are always going to be exceptions. A friend of a friend has a 430 that racks up a lot of miles with few issues. But, then again, I think they have a better rep than a 355.

JM993

Kinda a shame with Ferraris - at least from my perspective. By the time they started getting their act together from a quality standpoint, they lost me on the styling. The 355 was the last pretty Ferrari (IMHO) until the 458 which is disqualified for me not only from a price standpoint but also because there's no manual trans option.

Engine out services are not really a big deal to me. However, subpar and expensive parts are. Still, I'd consider a 355. Trouble is, with Ferraris, there always seems a better Porsche option at the same general price point. In 98 when I bought my first 993, a 328 or 348 were in the same range. Today, a 997GT3 doesn't cost all that much more than a nice 355.

One more thing - I wouldn't trade my 95 for a 355. Maybe the 97.....

RS man

I don't own a Ferrari but if I were to chose between 348 and 993, it will be hands down 993.If its between 993 and 355, and one had no concerns about spending more money in maintenance then it will be 355. My brother owned a 355 with less than 10K km but during his short ownership, he had recurrent issue with the car leaking coolant and each time cost him a good wad of money - he sold it for 993RS which he has sold I believe to someone in PCA (yellow RS). Now if it is 993RS vs 355 it will be RS hands down as it keeps appreciating and hence I cannot let mine go having thought about swapping it for Challenge Stradale Now I need to find a decent low miles Clubsport...