1990 Ferrari Mondial t Coupe 3.4 litre V8 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Fantastic car. Everything you read about Ferrari is true

Faults:

Coolant leak from expansion tank cap.

Broken fuel injection relay.

Faulty heater valve.

Broken sidelight lens.

Poor reception on stereo.

Hood gas struts failed.

General Comments:

The car is superb in every way.

Handling is excellent, as you'd expect, and the steering wheel is alive in your hands.

The suspension can be adjusted to give a smooth ride over bad roads, but still performs like a Ferrari when you go faster.

The sound of the V8 engine behind your head at 8,000rpm is intoxicating.

The car will take 4 people, but there's not much legroom in the back.

Faults have been minor, mainly detail items; after all, it is twenty years old.

Servicing costs are £500 for the annual service and the cam belt service (required every 3 years) costs £1500.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th March, 2011

1989 Ferrari Mondial t 3.4 liter from North America

Summary:

Best for the $$$$$$$

Faults:

Top leaks during average rain.

CANNOT find service port to recharge the air conditioning unit? Any help?

General Comments:

Love the car, it got me back in shape, in order to get in and out.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th July, 2006

12th Jul 2010, 05:42

The air con recharge port is underneath the engine at the front, you'll really need the car on a ramp to recharge the air con.

1990 Ferrari Mondial t 3.4 liter from North America

Summary:

A fun-to-drive, maintenance and reliability nightmare

Faults:

Power window (driver side) failed.

Power side mirror (left) failed.

Coolant hose in the engine ruptured.

Computer chip failed and shutdown the engine.

Motorized seat belts failed.

Thermostat failed.

Clock failed.

Fuse box failed.

Exterior black trim fades badly.

Windshield trim de-laminates quickly.

Original paint is thin in places.

30,000 mile service costs $10,000.

General Comments:

Look folks, this car is not for the faint of heart or the light-of-pocketbook. It costs a small mint to keep running. The cabriolet ragtop on it takes 10 minutes to put up or down (yes, it's manual), the car fishtails around turns, handles abysmally on wet roads, only does 0 to 60mph in about 6.6 seconds, and is not reliable enough for road trips of over an hour or two.

I've spent about $17,000 on maintenance in the three years since I've bought it. It's now 12 years old.

That said, one does not buy this car for reliability or financial reasons. The reason to buy this car, if you can afford it, is that it's rare (only 1000 Mondial t's were made worldwide), it's a Ferrari, it looks beautiful with the top down and the engine makes beautiful noises.

Driving down the highway in Chicago on a sunny day, I get stares and thumbs up signs from significant numbers of other drivers. This does not happen to Porsche owners, suffice it to say.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th June, 2001

13th Aug 2001, 18:15

Hi,

From all the comments I've read, I liked yours, and I don't have a Ferrari, but I dream about it. I have a friend who owns a Ferrari 348 and it's a 'perfect' machine. Yes it's true that sometimes some small problems come, but with money, everything is possible.

I think when we drive a Ferrari, something inside us changes, and it's like a drug, we become dependents of that Italian machine (the engine noise, feeling the vibrations, people looking at us...) and when we drive a Porsche, the sensations don't come to us, it's only a fast car (sports car), German made, nothing more. I drive a small Boxster.

I think you say all the truths about the car.

I'm from Portugal, sorry about my English.

View 56 more comments