I did consider a 355 too and actually turned down several nice ones.

For me it was the issue of build quality overall. Not being one that was going to use this car as a daily driver the Porsche through my studies would be less problematic than that model. That being said, the 355 from what I have learned is actually a better car when driven more often. Numerous non-mechanical issue arose in the 355 like dash shrinkage, plastic coating wear in the interior and I just didn't want to deal w/that.

None as of yet.

As others have stated, do the homework....they have few issues in comparison.


If I may add, I too have owned a NSX, just sold in March of this year. I felt the 355 wasn't that much of a step up from the NSX IMO. You could argue that either way which is of course not the point of you thread. The tt, NSX and 355 are all differing animals, from the sound of a 355 w/tubi at red line, the all around quality and feel of the NSX and a character/power of a TT, at the end of the day its up to you. On the other hand, if you intend to mod a tt, the sky is the limit w/o question.

Good luck.

 

I have a friend that has a brand new 575 and in 1500 miles he has had THREE tow trucks,

 

I have always wanted a Ferrari. I bought my Lotus instead and it has spent more time up in the air than on the road. I have driven many Ferrari's and love them all. It would be hard to imagine anyone who has qoned one who has not experienced ridiculous repair bills. There are numerous web sites that document this. While I would LOVE to have a 360, even if I could afford the intitial cost I don't believe I could ever afford the Mainatance, especially if I wanted to drive the car daily.
I drive my TT daily and it has been excellent mechanically. Problem is all those damn mods...........

 

Dear Mitch,

The F355 was the first Ferrari witch could be used als so called daily driver. But if you really want to drive 15k Miles per year I don't think a Ferrari would be the right car for you. Did you ever seen a Ferrari with much more then 100k miles ???

I don't or if so, then with the second or third engine and gearbox

With a 993TT you could easely make more then 100k miles and the car will not be so expensive to maintain as a Ferrari....

Don't missunderstand me the sound and the design of a Ferrari is nerly perfect. The stomach say Ferrari but the had say Porsche...

Regards,
Robert

 

Have never owned a Ferrari, but always wanted to... until I saw this website: http://www.nsxfiles.com/f355_update.htm.

 

Thank you for your comment. On the way back to Indiana from Canada today I saw both an F355 and a 996 Twin Turbo and it got me thinking about each. While I am considering the 993, the fact that it was a turbo made me start to imagine blasting through the gears and covering large sections of ground in very little time. I saw the Ferrari and began to wonder if it would make the drive. It is hard to decide because I did recently read about an F355 with 104,000 miles on it and no real issues ever. Seeing as how I can only buy one of them, I will have to decide eventually.

 

So, if I can get them to throw in a tow truck with the F355 would that be a deal maker?

 

I appreciate all of your comments so far, and look forward to many more. Right now I am torn between the emotional side that loves the sound and looks of the Ferrari, and the practical side that says the 993 Twin Turbo is a better choice for me. Luckily my wife is understanding and thinks either one will be fine. (Although she prefers the Porsche because she thinks it looks better from the back.)

 

Dead on!
Sounds like you have also a wife with a very good taste..

 

Meeyatch1,

I lusted for a 12-cyl Ferrari and bought a Boxer. I'm glad I did it but, as the saying goes, my two best days with it were the day I bought it and the day I sold it. I spent $20,000 on repairs/maintenence over 2-1/2 years and it spent 30% of the time in the shop. During the buyer's inspection, a cam seal leak was discovered that lowered the price by $10,000, and the air conditioner broke for the second time as the new owner was leaving my driveway. I drove it about 3,000 miles and it had 32,000 miles when I sold it. All totaled, it cost me more than $10 per mile!

The F355 will be better, but may also have many similarities. If you plan to get one, make sure you subscribe to the Ferrari Market Letter and send an e-mail to the publication's owner, Gerard Rousch. He keeps data on all Ferraris and can probably tell you something about the car you're considering. Also send a note to Michael Sheehan (ferraris-online.com). He'll give you some advice.

I have a lot more confidence in my 993TT and it's much quicker (though miss that Ferrari sound). The biggest advantage for me has been having a back seat for my kids, which means they get to share and I get to drive it more.

 

Thought about a 355 and 512 before the 993. The frightful potential of MASSIVE bills for service and repairs scared me away from them, though as said a 355 with Tubi et al is one of the finest sounding cars ever I think.

The 993 doesn't have the same character as a Ferrari, though will be superior in terms of drivng dynamics. I bought mine because it offers a more stable long term ownership experience regards both repair bills and residual value compared to anything Italian.

The only thing I regret about buying mine is that I want to modify it now!!

All that said, both P and F cars are great, its just the Porsche sounds the way forward for the type of driving you intend to use it for.

Hope that helps.


Martyn.

 

Hi.

You will be hard pressed to get completely unbiased answers here. I think the tt is the smarter car, but neither is what I would trust on a long drive.....all the time..... The last 993tt was a 1998..... Me, I would probably get an AMG monster for the long drives or an RS6 with a nice Audi used warranty, and one of these cars for "fun"...


Me, I just like the Porsche more.

What I find remarkable about 993 is that everyone says they are amazingly reliable...the best P cars ever, etc. I have never heard anyone say any F car was really reliable, not even a dealer. Sure, they are getting better, but so are Skodas.

Good luck.

 

Having owned a Ferrari for 11 years (which I bought new), the only way to buy a Ferrari is to own it new (with a warranty). The problem with used ones is that the cost to maintain is so high, most people that own late-model ones (ie driver cars, not collectible ones) defer/delay maintenance and the next guy foots the bill (which is very, very expensive). If money is at all a concern, either get a car with a warranty (and sell it before it expires) or do not get a Ferrari.

All that having been said, I am completely thrilled with the time I spent with my Ferrari. Unbelieveable cars that Porsches don't compare with on a visceral level. However, on a real world, day-to-day level, Porsches are much better than Ferrari's.

 

I looked into trading my 993tt for a 1995 355berlinetta. I test drove the ferrari. The sound is incredible. The performance of the engine is not so incredible. While this car is not slow by any stretch, it ain't no 993 turbo.

The car is absolutley beautiful. I do like the look of the 355 better than the 993tt but only marginally. If you don't like people staring at you don't buy a 355.

As far as reliablility forget it. My mechanic BEGGED me not to buy the 355. The maint. is a total nightmare. He told me that after about each 5,000 miles you are talking major expense.

If you want a car that you can rely on and is fast as hell and good looking go with the porsche. If you want a piece of art for your garage then the 355.

As far as price range you will pay more for a low mile ferrari.

The porsche will never leave you stranded.

 

Meeyatch

The one piece of info that stood out in your initial post to me was you will drive 15k miles a year. In this case I would have to say the tt is the way to go for you.

I nearly bought a tt last year but a great well sorted F355 came my way and I couldnt pass it up and I am glad I didnt. I was looking for a fun weekend car not a daily driver, and the 355 was the best choice for this, the looks, the sound, the handling and overall balance of the car is fantastic..did I mention the sound LOL!. Purely on an emotional level the ferrari is in a league of its own IMO.

I also recently bought a c4s and though its not a turbo, it is a superb car in its own right and feels more solid and planted to the ground than the 355 and its a alot of fun also.

Do not listen to all the doomsdayers regarding ferrari's. I have had zero problems with my 355 after 1 year of ownership. Saying this you have to buy a used ferrari with great care. It goes without saying they are not nearly as bullet proof as the tt. The PO had done alot of work on my car replacing valve guides, manifolds, headers which are known problems on the early 355's. All big dollar jobs for sure but by the time I bought it all problems had been documented and fixed. I was very lucky in that the PO took great care to document all work on the car and the car was not a garage queen which is also very important to avoid when buying a ferrari. I just wouldnt want to use it as a daily commuter as it draws far too much attention, not necessarily a bad thing once in a while but its just not meant for daily commuting IMO.
Good luck with your decision.