9th Feb 2007, 05:50

I believe the gentleman was probably referring to reliability when talking about quality………something that sadly I would agree with. The amount of very low mileage Ferrari’s is testament to their appalling reliability. The Japanese / Korean boys have shown how this should be done. There can be no comparison to performance or desirability however in the overall stakes Porsche appear to have all these issues covered.

13th Mar 2007, 04:01

I too have a troublesome F430. Keeps warning me to "SLOW DOWN", even at very low speeds.

11th Jul 2007, 06:31

If your Ferrari tells you to "slow down", perhaps you are driving it a little too hard? Or, what about getting it checked? Look up your manual and you will work out what do do. I am sure that there is a section in there about this warning.

I find it laughable that people can compare the F430 to a Korean car.

Obviously everything in the Ferrari reeks of QUALITY. Everything you touch is handstitched leather, cool aluminium alloy or carbon fibre and a work of art. Your Korean may have leather seats and alloy look dash, but simply SIT in a Ferrari and I guarantee you will appreciate the difference in quality.

Reliability? Well the Ferrari is very impressive given the amount of technology and engineering. Even Mercedes Benz knows there is a trade off between complex engineering and reliability.

Take the manetino on the steering wheel on the Ferrari as an example. The car is engineered to tame all that power depending upon the mode that you choose. For example, use "ice road" and "wet road" modes in bad weather and all that power will be tamed in poor conditions. Choosing "sport" mode will enable more spirited weather (when circumstances permit) whilst you have the option of "race" mode for track work. You can even turn the CST off (if you dare).

I have driven an F430 in the rain, and let me tell you "wet" mode was very impressive. The car was as easy to drive as, er, a Korean car in the dry! Um, it was a little faster too. Seriously -- the one suprising thing about the F430 is how easy it is to drive DESPITE the incredible amounts of engineering (at least assuming you are in the right mode)

Now I doubt your average Korean has the technology or engineering of a Ferrari (quare whether a typical Korean needs to tame all that power?). And I don't doubt many Korean cars make very reliable transport.

But that's a bit like comparing a pencil with a Mont Blanc fountain pen. Sure both can write, but... you get my point?

31st Aug 2007, 05:27

I wonder why there are so many very low mileage Ferrari`s for sale... some with two or three owners and under 2k miles? It surprises me therefore if these cars reek of quality and reliability why sell them?

14th Nov 2007, 17:06

There are very few people who use these cars as daily drivers, consequently the low miles--then most just want something new--I doubt very much that they sell them because they are problem cars--

1st Oct 2008, 22:56

Comparing Mont Blank pen to a Bic pen is futile. Ask yourself if it suits your purpose. To place ideas on paper - well then, I'd rather get a dozen Bic pens than one Mont Blanc.

What about Ferrari? You want social status and performance. But if you can afford a Ferrari, you can certainly afford a daily driver BMW and save the Ferrari for the track and highway cruising.

Who do you want to show up? Complete strangers on the road, soccer moms in their SUVs? Come to the track if you want a real ego boost; otherwise, isn't it a little pointless? Much like coffee cans on a cheap import...

25th Jun 2009, 22:30

Ferrari and Hyundai definitely can't be compared. Their aims as companies are completely different for starters. Last time I checked, Hyundai was busy building a reputation for itself to get to the same level of consumer confidence and excitement as Honda. Ferrari? Well, people that buy those don't read consumer magazines and make comparison in regards to reliability and build quality. Ferrari care more for bettering themselves in the performance segment to which they are also marketing themselves. They have been around for ages and are arguably one of the (if not the most) recognized name in sports cars.

The low mileage reliability issues that everyone is so awestruck about are quite simple. It's exactly that, the fact that they are hardly driven. The Italian Stallions need to run! It's the cars that are 10 years old, still in mint condition and with only 1500 miles on them that should be avoided. Sure, they will hold their value better. Ferraris should be driven though, and not saved for "the next guy". It's a big misconception that higher mileage Ferraris are more prone to breaking and quitting. Au contraire, a well driven, well maintained Ferrari is a cheerful Ferrari.

15th Mar 2010, 14:36

The fellow who wrote on 25th Jun 2009, 22:30 speaks the truth. I own a Ferrari and have a number of friends with Ferraris of all vintages, and I can tell you a number of truths most people don't seem to know.

1. There are 2 types of cars: cars for transportation and cars that exist for their own sake; call the latter a car that caters to passion and emotion, not the need to get to the office.

2. There are at least 3 kinds of car buyers: the practical, the egotistical, and the passionate. While I am sure many people buy Ferraris as a status symbol, I also know many people who buy a Ferrari because they awaken the spirit. Many people die before they are dead. Drive a Ferrari and you may be surprised to discover you died quite a while ago and have just been reborn. To hear a 430 Scuderia at full chat is to know God. Most Ferraris will do that to you.

3. Most Ferraris are low mileage because they are expensive to maintain and they do require religious maintenance. Please don't compare them to relatively common-place cars that can run for 40 thousand miles between oil changes, because the owner is too cheap or too lazy to take it in for service. When a poorly-maintained Ferrari breaks, your choice is simple: throw it away because no one wants it, or sell your house to get it fixed.

3.5 Ferraris are no more or less prone to breaking than any other good car from companies that have been in the business a long time, they just cost a hell of a lot more to repair -- because the mechanics are specialists and they can get away with charging you the price of a cheap car for an oil and belt service. Even wealthy people don't want to burn money, so they drive only as a Sunday treat; this helps keep the mileage low.

4. Most passionate Ferrari owners feel weird been seen by others because they don't want to be judged harshly. It is inherently politically incorrect to flaunt money in the face of the masses, at least we've been conditioned to feel that way. What most people do not realize is that the $300,000 Ferrari cost less than a new E-Class Merc when purchased a few years later. Although be cautioned, purchase price is not the real cost of the car, maintenance is.

5. There are much more comfortable and inexpensive and quiet ways to commute than in a Ferrari. Many Ferrari owners only drive their cars occasionally because they're not that practical to drive more often.

6. Don't kid yourself, there really are few things in life that can compete with a Ferrari for pure aural and visual excitement. Drive one and you'll realize that your everyday car is totally rubbish.

7. Oh, one final thing. Many people who own Ferraris can't actually afford them in the same way that one can afford a Honda Accord. And it helps they can generally sell an older Ferrari for same or more than they paid for it, provided the mileage isn't outrageous. So it helps to keep the miles reasonably low, but not too low as a non-driven Ferrari costs more to put right.

That's it.