FF Owners Feedback?
Discussion
HI Guys
Looking at getting an FF.
Now with my daughter I'm just finding the 2 seat toys arent getting used anymore, so was looking for something a bit more practical, and special, that would take the 3 of us.
Had been toying with a 2 seat toy, but saw one today at the dealers (along with the Speciale) and have been considering it for a while. 458 - wont get used at the weekend as doesnt have 3 seats etc.
Would really appreciate some feedback from owners if possible.
Will be looking to use pretty much every day, although wont be my only car.
Much appreciated.
Or am i getting soft........
Looking at getting an FF.
Now with my daughter I'm just finding the 2 seat toys arent getting used anymore, so was looking for something a bit more practical, and special, that would take the 3 of us.
Had been toying with a 2 seat toy, but saw one today at the dealers (along with the Speciale) and have been considering it for a while. 458 - wont get used at the weekend as doesnt have 3 seats etc.
Would really appreciate some feedback from owners if possible.
Will be looking to use pretty much every day, although wont be my only car.
Much appreciated.
Or am i getting soft........
GordonF430 said:
HI Guys
Looking at getting an FF.
Now with my daughter I'm just finding the 2 seat toys arent getting used anymore, so was looking for something a bit more practical, and special, that would take the 3 of us.
Had been toying with a 2 seat toy, but saw one today at the dealers (along with the Speciale) and have been considering it for a while. 458 - wont get used at the weekend as doesnt have 3 seats etc.
Would really appreciate some feedback from owners if possible.
Will be looking to use pretty much every day, although wont be my only car.
Much appreciated.
Or am i getting soft........
Hi Gordon,Looking at getting an FF.
Now with my daughter I'm just finding the 2 seat toys arent getting used anymore, so was looking for something a bit more practical, and special, that would take the 3 of us.
Had been toying with a 2 seat toy, but saw one today at the dealers (along with the Speciale) and have been considering it for a while. 458 - wont get used at the weekend as doesnt have 3 seats etc.
Would really appreciate some feedback from owners if possible.
Will be looking to use pretty much every day, although wont be my only car.
Much appreciated.
Or am i getting soft........
I'm in a similar position albeit with 2 kids under 3 and my 2 sweaters and even my 911 is now hardly used, it's all in the range Rover very time..
I've now tested pretty much everything that looks capable in this segment and for me the FF is the one if cost is no barrier. I've driven a couple now and I can't believe how capable they are, and how tractable they are as an everyday car. For me that's been the test, it's hugely impressive at speed obviously, but the real eye opens for me was that it will just cruise and bimble in traffic too without feeling like it is a fish out of water...
I'm selling my Aeromax now which I will surely regret in 20 years time once the kids have left home, but right now rationalising my fleet and getting a do it all car I can take to France with the family for a week or just nip down the shop is enticing.
Let us know how you get on...
I bought a new one in September. I've covered just over 5000 miles in it. Here's a few observations:
Firstly, It goes like hell ! The power of the car is astonishing. The gearbox is magnificent, super smooth and a joy to use; either in auto or manual mode. I live in London and use the car virtually every day.
I've owned a couple of Ferrari's that have been fitted with manettino switches, the one in the FF is the first one that actually seems to do something meaningful ! The car has been used all winter, in all conditions and I have always felt completely safe and in control. I've taken the car and the family and our luggage for a few long distance jaunts. One of the kids is 6ft 1ins tall, I get no complaints when he's in the back. The glass roof gives the car a fantastic sense of space and brightness. The Hi-Fi and DVD systems are first class. This is the first Ferrari I've owned, where, on long journey's I don't get numb bum. The bumpy road button, in sport mode does make a big difference.
On the down side: There are some minor, but very annoying electrical issues. The car seems to think it constantly needs a service. The seatbelt handover has never worked, the heater fan randomly blasts out hot air, at full tilt and the Hi-Fi will occasionally and without warning, go to full volume !
The Sat Nav is a joke for a car with a RRP of circa £260k. The bluetooth telephone system is a bit fiddly, but usable. One other slight downside that I'd mention is, the engine noise, it's a bit refined. Finally, the car is physically imposing, making parking in town an experience that is not for the faint hearted, think 599. with a bigger ar$e.
Before I bought this car, I borrowed one from the dealer for a week and then went on a day out at Millbrook. I'd recommend that you give the FF a proper workout. From a technology perspective, in my opinion, the FF makes it's rivals from Aston Martin, Bentley and Mercedes seem agricultural. Compared to the 612 One to One, the FF is in a completely different universe, in all areas except engine noise. However, the performance, right across the power spectrum, for a car this size is nothing short of spectacular. All that said, I really fancy going back to a two seater.
Firstly, It goes like hell ! The power of the car is astonishing. The gearbox is magnificent, super smooth and a joy to use; either in auto or manual mode. I live in London and use the car virtually every day.
I've owned a couple of Ferrari's that have been fitted with manettino switches, the one in the FF is the first one that actually seems to do something meaningful ! The car has been used all winter, in all conditions and I have always felt completely safe and in control. I've taken the car and the family and our luggage for a few long distance jaunts. One of the kids is 6ft 1ins tall, I get no complaints when he's in the back. The glass roof gives the car a fantastic sense of space and brightness. The Hi-Fi and DVD systems are first class. This is the first Ferrari I've owned, where, on long journey's I don't get numb bum. The bumpy road button, in sport mode does make a big difference.
On the down side: There are some minor, but very annoying electrical issues. The car seems to think it constantly needs a service. The seatbelt handover has never worked, the heater fan randomly blasts out hot air, at full tilt and the Hi-Fi will occasionally and without warning, go to full volume !
The Sat Nav is a joke for a car with a RRP of circa £260k. The bluetooth telephone system is a bit fiddly, but usable. One other slight downside that I'd mention is, the engine noise, it's a bit refined. Finally, the car is physically imposing, making parking in town an experience that is not for the faint hearted, think 599. with a bigger ar$e.
Before I bought this car, I borrowed one from the dealer for a week and then went on a day out at Millbrook. I'd recommend that you give the FF a proper workout. From a technology perspective, in my opinion, the FF makes it's rivals from Aston Martin, Bentley and Mercedes seem agricultural. Compared to the 612 One to One, the FF is in a completely different universe, in all areas except engine noise. However, the performance, right across the power spectrum, for a car this size is nothing short of spectacular. All that said, I really fancy going back to a two seater.
I borrowed an FF from a dealer a couple of months ago and have also driven the car at Millbrook. The performance is epic for such a big car. What mostly impressed me at Millbrook were the brakes. There was no fading despite the fact that the high speed stretch was driven again and again. This is a feast of engineering.
For everyday use I found the car to be too big. The doors are massive so trying to get people into the rear seats when parked at Heathrow or Westfield is a challenge (provided you have found a space were it fits). It has enormous presence with people commenting on it everywhere you turn up. The teenagers fitted in the back but it was not a comfortable fit for longer journeys - say like a Range Rover or something like that as you sit quite low and cushioned in, but space wise they were ok. I kind of wanted it but the family vetoed it so i went and bought a Range Rover Sport Supercharged instead. Herein lies the problem. You can have 3/4 of the fun in a supercharged Range Rover with 100 % of the usability. For the difference in price you buy a 458. Even with the great discounts that are to be had with this car it is still going to be a big depreciator - enough to run two cars that a better fit for purpose in their own way.
For everyday use I found the car to be too big. The doors are massive so trying to get people into the rear seats when parked at Heathrow or Westfield is a challenge (provided you have found a space were it fits). It has enormous presence with people commenting on it everywhere you turn up. The teenagers fitted in the back but it was not a comfortable fit for longer journeys - say like a Range Rover or something like that as you sit quite low and cushioned in, but space wise they were ok. I kind of wanted it but the family vetoed it so i went and bought a Range Rover Sport Supercharged instead. Herein lies the problem. You can have 3/4 of the fun in a supercharged Range Rover with 100 % of the usability. For the difference in price you buy a 458. Even with the great discounts that are to be had with this car it is still going to be a big depreciator - enough to run two cars that a better fit for purpose in their own way.
Thanks for the feedback guys.
I had actually been thinking about doing what Chris Harris has done, and buying one in the £160-180 range post the major depreciation. (was about to replace our rangie when he did that too!)
If a 640d Msport that I've been using as my daily runner, and we also have a few 2 seater cars.
initially started off down the 458/Speciale route, but realised that just like the Gt3 they were destined to spend 95% of their time in the garage, as I cant use them on weekends with the wife and kid.
I've an atom and lotus for track stuff, so it really was to try and find something to make the day to day run more fun, and living north of the border, I've lightly trafficked country roads on the way to the office in the morning.
Having to leave the fun cars in the garage and use the 640d (superb buy tiny in the back) or rangie has been a pain when the suns in the sky and I'm gong somewhere thats fun to drive to.
My first F430 a few years back was great but I wish I'd known;
1. suspension was too soft to track
2. suspension could cause car and would ground on b roads & compressions
3. warning light telling me to slow down would love to spoil my fun (after thrashing it!!)
4. paintwork was poor and only covered by a 24 month warranty
Despite that, still loved it.
My dealer is arranging for some time in one, although there is a bit of my wondering how old I've now become that I'm steering away from the 458 route and after sitting in the Speciale this weekend.
The glass roof was in the example i saw at the weekend though - absolutely superb - couldnt believe what a difference it made to the interior.
Some of the trim, door openers etc seemed a bit low rent for a cart with a £260k asking price, but start the engine, and wow. Sat Nav slight worries me given how rubbish the electricals seem to be on my previous cars.
Looking forward to seeing how it feels with the 4wd and I think I'd need that to genuinely use it all year round.
I had actually been thinking about doing what Chris Harris has done, and buying one in the £160-180 range post the major depreciation. (was about to replace our rangie when he did that too!)
If a 640d Msport that I've been using as my daily runner, and we also have a few 2 seater cars.
initially started off down the 458/Speciale route, but realised that just like the Gt3 they were destined to spend 95% of their time in the garage, as I cant use them on weekends with the wife and kid.
I've an atom and lotus for track stuff, so it really was to try and find something to make the day to day run more fun, and living north of the border, I've lightly trafficked country roads on the way to the office in the morning.
Having to leave the fun cars in the garage and use the 640d (superb buy tiny in the back) or rangie has been a pain when the suns in the sky and I'm gong somewhere thats fun to drive to.
My first F430 a few years back was great but I wish I'd known;
1. suspension was too soft to track
2. suspension could cause car and would ground on b roads & compressions
3. warning light telling me to slow down would love to spoil my fun (after thrashing it!!)
4. paintwork was poor and only covered by a 24 month warranty
Despite that, still loved it.
My dealer is arranging for some time in one, although there is a bit of my wondering how old I've now become that I'm steering away from the 458 route and after sitting in the Speciale this weekend.
The glass roof was in the example i saw at the weekend though - absolutely superb - couldnt believe what a difference it made to the interior.
Some of the trim, door openers etc seemed a bit low rent for a cart with a £260k asking price, but start the engine, and wow. Sat Nav slight worries me given how rubbish the electricals seem to be on my previous cars.
Looking forward to seeing how it feels with the 4wd and I think I'd need that to genuinely use it all year round.
1500 miles up in an FF now, got a big road trip next week at half term that will see another 1500 miles on it....love it, best car I ever owned. Yep the seatbelt handover is rubbish, the satnav/radio/hifi is average at best ( mine is the std one, not the hi power ) and indeed a £260k car deserves better. Find it a bit annoying that in my BMW 5 series I get the Bang & olufsen system , yet in the Fcar get billy basic.
Still it does the job ok.
That's the downside.
Upside, 7 yr old goes in the back, very comfortable car, mine has the glass roof, so lovely ambience in there. Makes a great sound, yes its a little quiet, but I have ordered up my switchable Novitec exhaust so that should resolve that. The V12 to me just sounds so much nicer than the V8 in the 458, V12's are to me, just a little bit more special, and they sound just so much nicer. Car is epically fast, steering quick, handle very well indeed. Plenty of space for gear too. Car doesn't feel big at all,I have had 2 Italia's and a spider,on the 458's I had to fold the mirrors to get it in my garage, on the FF it goes in without doing this, so actually where it counts on width when it comes to the a & b roads, the FF is no wider than a 458. Yes its a bit longer, but width is the thing on the road, so its daft to think of a 458 as being a small car & an FF as being 'massive'. Car also shrinks round you nicely at speed. I would say on a blast by myself it is 9 10th's of what I had in the 458, its that close to me.The trade of for that last tenth , is I fit better in an FF, I am 6'5" and was ok in the italia, spider annoyed me as you lose a little bit of legroom because of the rear shelf, so always felt a bit more cramped for me, the FF is far far better to be in.
Mrs has a rangerover,but we go everywhere now in the FF ( weekend trips etc I mean ) I still like it to be the third car in the house as it makes it still feel special when you go out in it for a weekend jaunt. I do think whatever you drive everyday you get used to , and it loses some appeal, always nice to get in the 'special' car on a weekend.
Its so nice to be able to go wherever in the FF, in whatever weather, I am not precious about it like I was with the 458, and its great to enjoy it with the family , but also still find it very enjoyable for my solo blasts.
I also really like the looks, and really only had a lot of good feedback on it.
Still it does the job ok.
That's the downside.
Upside, 7 yr old goes in the back, very comfortable car, mine has the glass roof, so lovely ambience in there. Makes a great sound, yes its a little quiet, but I have ordered up my switchable Novitec exhaust so that should resolve that. The V12 to me just sounds so much nicer than the V8 in the 458, V12's are to me, just a little bit more special, and they sound just so much nicer. Car is epically fast, steering quick, handle very well indeed. Plenty of space for gear too. Car doesn't feel big at all,I have had 2 Italia's and a spider,on the 458's I had to fold the mirrors to get it in my garage, on the FF it goes in without doing this, so actually where it counts on width when it comes to the a & b roads, the FF is no wider than a 458. Yes its a bit longer, but width is the thing on the road, so its daft to think of a 458 as being a small car & an FF as being 'massive'. Car also shrinks round you nicely at speed. I would say on a blast by myself it is 9 10th's of what I had in the 458, its that close to me.The trade of for that last tenth , is I fit better in an FF, I am 6'5" and was ok in the italia, spider annoyed me as you lose a little bit of legroom because of the rear shelf, so always felt a bit more cramped for me, the FF is far far better to be in.
Mrs has a rangerover,but we go everywhere now in the FF ( weekend trips etc I mean ) I still like it to be the third car in the house as it makes it still feel special when you go out in it for a weekend jaunt. I do think whatever you drive everyday you get used to , and it loses some appeal, always nice to get in the 'special' car on a weekend.
Its so nice to be able to go wherever in the FF, in whatever weather, I am not precious about it like I was with the 458, and its great to enjoy it with the family , but also still find it very enjoyable for my solo blasts.
I also really like the looks, and really only had a lot of good feedback on it.
Edited by chris5150 on Monday 31st March 08:58
I've just driven to work in mine, having used it at the weekend to take two 3yr olds to Goodwood.
As others have posted: its comfortable enough to use everyday, rapid enough to have fun & special enough to be an "occasion" car.
I am very fussy about noise, and love the sound the FF makes.
Downsides? It's HUGE - this takes a bit of getting used to on a DD basis. Apart from that, I can't think of any.
I bought mine as an ex demo, as I had been waiting for the prices to come down to a sensible level.
It's no substitute for a Range Rover or a weekend toy, but as one car that does it all I think its pretty hard to beat.
As others have posted: its comfortable enough to use everyday, rapid enough to have fun & special enough to be an "occasion" car.
I am very fussy about noise, and love the sound the FF makes.
Downsides? It's HUGE - this takes a bit of getting used to on a DD basis. Apart from that, I can't think of any.
I bought mine as an ex demo, as I had been waiting for the prices to come down to a sensible level.
It's no substitute for a Range Rover or a weekend toy, but as one car that does it all I think its pretty hard to beat.
I think you hit the nail on the head...
As one car that does it all, it is hard to look at anything else.
I have 2 small children (1new baby) and it just makes sense to have something that we can all go out in as a family that can carry the stuff, and make me smile too. It's not a replacement for a range rover, it's an ideal companion. With a young family I have little time to devote to maintaining an ever expanding collection of cars.
Seems I'm copying Chris Harris if I do though, I might look like a stalker.. just swapped the mrs RRS for a v8SC Autobiography... In green.
As one car that does it all, it is hard to look at anything else.
I have 2 small children (1new baby) and it just makes sense to have something that we can all go out in as a family that can carry the stuff, and make me smile too. It's not a replacement for a range rover, it's an ideal companion. With a young family I have little time to devote to maintaining an ever expanding collection of cars.
Seems I'm copying Chris Harris if I do though, I might look like a stalker.. just swapped the mrs RRS for a v8SC Autobiography... In green.
A lot depends on the colour as well, and I find they look a lot better with the challenge style wheels like on the link above, but even its mum couldnt argue its beauty.
I guess its all relative and money no object I would agree the FF looks a lovely car, it can however only go the same way as all the other mass produced V12's and I fear unless you do a Chris Harris you could probably drop big numbers easily.
The Mc shift thingy could be interesting and look value.
Its a nice predicament to be in I guess, I am looking at potentially changing to a 430 from a 360 having had the 355 previously, however the jump this time will cost circa 25-35k I have posted before on the subject of change and that is a big difference this time round, enough in broad terms for a 355 and a bit more for a 612 that I dont need, but makes you think.
Cayenne turbo and 458.
Pannemera turbo and 430.
I guess its all relative and money no object I would agree the FF looks a lovely car, it can however only go the same way as all the other mass produced V12's and I fear unless you do a Chris Harris you could probably drop big numbers easily.
The Mc shift thingy could be interesting and look value.
Its a nice predicament to be in I guess, I am looking at potentially changing to a 430 from a 360 having had the 355 previously, however the jump this time will cost circa 25-35k I have posted before on the subject of change and that is a big difference this time round, enough in broad terms for a 355 and a bit more for a 612 that I dont need, but makes you think.
Cayenne turbo and 458.
Pannemera turbo and 430.
The two cars point doesn't work though if you have kids...
I could keep my Aeromax and buy an S65L for the same money as an FF... But I wouldn't ever drive the Aeromax and the s65 would suck on the road compared to an FF Rapide or 612. Also I can't drive the family down through France in the merc and then take the aero out for a run in the mountains the next morning.....
I could keep my Aeromax and buy an S65L for the same money as an FF... But I wouldn't ever drive the Aeromax and the s65 would suck on the road compared to an FF Rapide or 612. Also I can't drive the family down through France in the merc and then take the aero out for a run in the mountains the next morning.....
Maybe its just I am a crap driver, but to be honest the 'out for a blast' driving experience of the FF and 458 is so close to me as to make ownership of a two seater pointless, so I wouldn't bother with the 'two' fast car garage either. In my experience my hybrid 5 series wafts along, so I don't really drive it fast, same with the Mrs RR, so the FF is the 'go fast' car. I like the contrasts
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