Buying a California
Discussion
Im comfortable buying dealer, trade or private. The further to the later the more careful you have to be with your checks. Just check they own it, have it inspected and if its got any manufacturers warranty left even better!
I know im far fussier with my cars than any dealer or trader I've come across, so if I can find a like minded enthusiast to buy from then all is good!
The Cali's are lovely cars. I considered one myself but in the end couldn't stop myself from buying a 458. Plus I didn't need the practicality of a Cali.
I know im far fussier with my cars than any dealer or trader I've come across, so if I can find a like minded enthusiast to buy from then all is good!
The Cali's are lovely cars. I considered one myself but in the end couldn't stop myself from buying a 458. Plus I didn't need the practicality of a Cali.
Edited by Chris355 on Wednesday 15th November 17:07
willy wombat said:
If I could add another 10 pence worth, I’ve owned 5 Ferraris and would be petrified of buying one from anyone other than a franchised main dealer or a trusted independent like Roger and Claire at the Ferrari Centre (it will always be KHPC to me). I am not implying that there is anything wrong with the dealership you have mentioned but Ferraris are complex cars and I would always want to buy from somewhere that properly understands them.
Here are a couple of old posts from when I bought a California. I have had various Ferraris, including 360 and 430 plus 360CS before I wrote the following, FF, Speciale and 488 Spider since.
Although the second post about the negatives is longer, it is in response to a question I was asked. The first post about how I still believe the car to be a proper Ferrari holds true. Other cars are more visceral (CS, Speciale) still others are better/faster (488, FF) but the Cali has a screaming V8, brilliant DCT, great packaging, I personally liked the look and most of all, it felt like a Ferrari. The prices are barely different to when I bought mine, five years ago.
Forget the Maserati and depreciation comments.
Quote...
I've had mine for 6 months now and have been able to drive in good conditions over the last couple of months. My conclusion is that 'soft' is not really the right adjective.
A better way to describe it would be 'dual personality'. It is not as scalpel sharp as a 458 but that doesn't detract from the experience. There is something very unique and rewarding about the California. It is more of a 'car' than the mid engined V8s and is really usable.
I always thought 'usable' was a euphemism for 'not the last word dynamically but what do you expect if the car is practical?' Not so with the California. It is a car designed for a purpose and though it is not without its faults it is a fast, rewarding car to drive and a true Ferrari, but at the same time a car you can use regularly and easily. It allows you to have more of the Ferrari experience for more of the time - which can only be a good thing.
There is also something very likeable about it that I can't quite put my finger on. A combination, maybe, of a lot of things - the dials, the seating position, the leather smell, the bonnet when viewed from the driver's seat, the sound, the relentless torque delivery from the DCT gearbox, the baffle sound on the overrun. I'm growing to love it!
LukeyLikey, when you say it is not without faults, what have you come across. I keep looking at them and as you say something very likeable about them, plus the thought you can use it as an all rounder.
I mentioned on another forum that there is something a little strange about the body control around the straight ahead. It gets easily and unnaturally unsettled by ridges, ruts and potholes. It feels like they have tried to get a plush ride by reducing body control until the car is firmly into the turn, when everything weights up nicely and starts to give really good feedback. It can give the car a loose feeling when you're driving briskly and on fairly (but not completely) straight roads.
I suppose it is a feature and part of their solution to the 'dual personality' thing I mentioned before. I don't much care for it though. The rear particularly can feel detached and I suspect it is very softly sprung - especially in comfort mode. Sport mode helps it but doesn't eradicate it. (My car has magnaride).
In comfort mode, at high motorway speeds you get a good ride when the suspension is moving slowly but if you hit a ridge or bump, the dampers lock up and transmit too harsh a jolt through the body - can even be as harsh as my CS at times and I therefore think it could be better given the Cali's brief.
In auto mode (rarely used but sometimes it makes sense) the kick down is poor and the Cali feels like a much slower car than it really is.
There are also a few little quality issues - no big deal but issues I have heard other people mention, such as the passenger mirror not dipping when reversing. Mine sometimes does and sometimes doesn't (at the moment it angles in towards the driver which is no use to anyone! It's scheduled for a warranty repair).
Also, the MW reception is terrible and the auto wipers seem to have a mind of their own - they are slow to come on and get to the right speed and slow to go off when the rain stops. Not a big deal but a bit annoying when you spend £100k+. I'm having it checked but I reckon it might be normal.
My car is Nero Daytona. Now I've had black cars before but never one that attracts dust like this one - it is unbelievable. I just cannot keep the rear of the car clean for any time at all. And with the hood down the buffeting in the car is noticeably higher than the 430 Spider I had before it. No doubt due to the 2+2 layout but a negative nonetheless.
Do I forgive it? Of course I do.
Although the second post about the negatives is longer, it is in response to a question I was asked. The first post about how I still believe the car to be a proper Ferrari holds true. Other cars are more visceral (CS, Speciale) still others are better/faster (488, FF) but the Cali has a screaming V8, brilliant DCT, great packaging, I personally liked the look and most of all, it felt like a Ferrari. The prices are barely different to when I bought mine, five years ago.
Forget the Maserati and depreciation comments.
Quote...
I've had mine for 6 months now and have been able to drive in good conditions over the last couple of months. My conclusion is that 'soft' is not really the right adjective.
A better way to describe it would be 'dual personality'. It is not as scalpel sharp as a 458 but that doesn't detract from the experience. There is something very unique and rewarding about the California. It is more of a 'car' than the mid engined V8s and is really usable.
I always thought 'usable' was a euphemism for 'not the last word dynamically but what do you expect if the car is practical?' Not so with the California. It is a car designed for a purpose and though it is not without its faults it is a fast, rewarding car to drive and a true Ferrari, but at the same time a car you can use regularly and easily. It allows you to have more of the Ferrari experience for more of the time - which can only be a good thing.
There is also something very likeable about it that I can't quite put my finger on. A combination, maybe, of a lot of things - the dials, the seating position, the leather smell, the bonnet when viewed from the driver's seat, the sound, the relentless torque delivery from the DCT gearbox, the baffle sound on the overrun. I'm growing to love it!
LukeyLikey, when you say it is not without faults, what have you come across. I keep looking at them and as you say something very likeable about them, plus the thought you can use it as an all rounder.
I mentioned on another forum that there is something a little strange about the body control around the straight ahead. It gets easily and unnaturally unsettled by ridges, ruts and potholes. It feels like they have tried to get a plush ride by reducing body control until the car is firmly into the turn, when everything weights up nicely and starts to give really good feedback. It can give the car a loose feeling when you're driving briskly and on fairly (but not completely) straight roads.
I suppose it is a feature and part of their solution to the 'dual personality' thing I mentioned before. I don't much care for it though. The rear particularly can feel detached and I suspect it is very softly sprung - especially in comfort mode. Sport mode helps it but doesn't eradicate it. (My car has magnaride).
In comfort mode, at high motorway speeds you get a good ride when the suspension is moving slowly but if you hit a ridge or bump, the dampers lock up and transmit too harsh a jolt through the body - can even be as harsh as my CS at times and I therefore think it could be better given the Cali's brief.
In auto mode (rarely used but sometimes it makes sense) the kick down is poor and the Cali feels like a much slower car than it really is.
There are also a few little quality issues - no big deal but issues I have heard other people mention, such as the passenger mirror not dipping when reversing. Mine sometimes does and sometimes doesn't (at the moment it angles in towards the driver which is no use to anyone! It's scheduled for a warranty repair).
Also, the MW reception is terrible and the auto wipers seem to have a mind of their own - they are slow to come on and get to the right speed and slow to go off when the rain stops. Not a big deal but a bit annoying when you spend £100k+. I'm having it checked but I reckon it might be normal.
My car is Nero Daytona. Now I've had black cars before but never one that attracts dust like this one - it is unbelievable. I just cannot keep the rear of the car clean for any time at all. And with the hood down the buffeting in the car is noticeably higher than the 430 Spider I had before it. No doubt due to the 2+2 layout but a negative nonetheless.
Do I forgive it? Of course I do.
You're easily put off! But then you were one of the people who saw the Cali as a rebadged Maserati, so I suspect you really want a 458 anyway and that there's a bit of confirmation bias kicking in! 
That's fair enough. The 458's a fantastic car, but it's much too flamboyant for what I want, and if I'm honest a car like that deserves a far better driver than me. (The fact that it would cost twice as much as a Cali is, of course, neiher here nor there!)
There's no such thing as a perfect car, and I'm sure that if you started a thread about buying a 458 - or, indeed, any car at all - you'd get people who'd owned them and could identify faults with them.
The criticisms by LukeyLikey seem pretty mild to me, and I got the impression that he liked the car overall. That's also the message I've taken from nearly all the people who have actually owned one - that perhaps contrary to their expectations they've really enjoyed owning them. I've so far not heard anyone say they were really disappointed with it or just didn't like the car.
I've found the comments on here extremely helpful, and overall they've reinforced my decison to buy one.
And the project is now one step closer. I contacted the hire firm offering the Cali for £500 a day and said I didn't want it for 24 hours, so we did a deal whereby I can pick it up in the morning and take it back later that day for £250, which I think is fair enough.
It should enable me to get a good feel for the car without the pressure of a dealer trying to sell it to me and without the stress of having someone else in the car when I just want to concentrate on driving it.
We've also agreed that if it's crap weather on the day I can change to a different day, which was important to me..
So I'm really looking forward to it - the perfect Christmas present to myself!
That's fair enough. The 458's a fantastic car, but it's much too flamboyant for what I want, and if I'm honest a car like that deserves a far better driver than me. (The fact that it would cost twice as much as a Cali is, of course, neiher here nor there!)
There's no such thing as a perfect car, and I'm sure that if you started a thread about buying a 458 - or, indeed, any car at all - you'd get people who'd owned them and could identify faults with them.
The criticisms by LukeyLikey seem pretty mild to me, and I got the impression that he liked the car overall. That's also the message I've taken from nearly all the people who have actually owned one - that perhaps contrary to their expectations they've really enjoyed owning them. I've so far not heard anyone say they were really disappointed with it or just didn't like the car.
I've found the comments on here extremely helpful, and overall they've reinforced my decison to buy one.
And the project is now one step closer. I contacted the hire firm offering the Cali for £500 a day and said I didn't want it for 24 hours, so we did a deal whereby I can pick it up in the morning and take it back later that day for £250, which I think is fair enough.
It should enable me to get a good feel for the car without the pressure of a dealer trying to sell it to me and without the stress of having someone else in the car when I just want to concentrate on driving it.
We've also agreed that if it's crap weather on the day I can change to a different day, which was important to me..
So I'm really looking forward to it - the perfect Christmas present to myself!
Pro Bono said:
You're easily put off! But then you were one of the people who saw the Cali as a rebadged Maserati, so I suspect you really want a 458 anyway and that there's a bit of confirmation bias kicking in!
That's fair enough. The 458's a fantastic car, but it's much too flamboyant for what I want, and if I'm honest a car like that deserves a far better driver than me. (The fact that it would cost twice as much as a Cali is, of course, neiher here nor there!)
There's no such thing as a perfect car, and I'm sure that if you started a thread about buying a 458 - or, indeed, any car at all - you'd get people who'd owned them and could identify faults with them.
The criticisms by LukeyLikey seem pretty mild to me, and I got the impression that he liked the car overall. That's also the message I've taken from nearly all the people who have actually owned one - that perhaps contrary to their expectations they've really enjoyed owning them. I've so far not heard anyone say they were really disappointed with it or just didn't like the car.
I've found the comments on here extremely helpful, and overall they've reinforced my decison to buy one.
And the project is now one step closer. I contacted the hire firm offering the Cali for £500 a day and said I didn't want it for 24 hours, so we did a deal whereby I can pick it up in the morning and take it back later that day for £250, which I think is fair enough.
It should enable me to get a good feel for the car without the pressure of a dealer trying to sell it to me and without the stress of having someone else in the car when I just want to concentrate on driving it.
We've also agreed that if it's crap weather on the day I can change to a different day, which was important to me..
So I'm really looking forward to it - the perfect Christmas present to myself!
That's fair enough. The 458's a fantastic car, but it's much too flamboyant for what I want, and if I'm honest a car like that deserves a far better driver than me. (The fact that it would cost twice as much as a Cali is, of course, neiher here nor there!)
There's no such thing as a perfect car, and I'm sure that if you started a thread about buying a 458 - or, indeed, any car at all - you'd get people who'd owned them and could identify faults with them.
The criticisms by LukeyLikey seem pretty mild to me, and I got the impression that he liked the car overall. That's also the message I've taken from nearly all the people who have actually owned one - that perhaps contrary to their expectations they've really enjoyed owning them. I've so far not heard anyone say they were really disappointed with it or just didn't like the car.
I've found the comments on here extremely helpful, and overall they've reinforced my decison to buy one.
And the project is now one step closer. I contacted the hire firm offering the Cali for £500 a day and said I didn't want it for 24 hours, so we did a deal whereby I can pick it up in the morning and take it back later that day for £250, which I think is fair enough.
It should enable me to get a good feel for the car without the pressure of a dealer trying to sell it to me and without the stress of having someone else in the car when I just want to concentrate on driving it.
We've also agreed that if it's crap weather on the day I can change to a different day, which was important to me..
So I'm really looking forward to it - the perfect Christmas present to myself!
There's one you might not have seen posted up for sale here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1476226932463208/
nb. I don't know the car, I've just seen the ad.
nb. I don't know the car, I've just seen the ad.
I have had my California for nearly 3 years now, and have really enjoyed it, i have done a number of European trips and the car is happy cruising down the motorway or spirited driving through the mountain passes, i use the car most weekends and at present have no intention of ever selling it.
I bought the car from a main dealer and had 2 years warranty, when i did take it back in to the main dealer for a vibration at idle, i was told that this was a characteristic of the car, not happy with their response i took it to an independent Ferrari specialist who changed the engine mounts which where damaged and this has dramatically improved the vibration at idle.They also changed for me the Spark Plugs which according to the Manual only need to be changed at 100,000 kilometers (changed at 20k) they definitely needed changing at that time, something to keep in mind as main dealers will not do this as part of the normal service.
I have heard all the comments over the years about it not being a real Ferrari, was supposed to be a Maserati, etc..
I love the looks/comfort/drive/speed (more than enough for me) form me it is a Hard Top/Convertible/pillarless Coupe, ticks all the boxes for me and that is all that matters.
God luck with the test drive and if you want to Pm me to ask any questions or advice please do.
I bought the car from a main dealer and had 2 years warranty, when i did take it back in to the main dealer for a vibration at idle, i was told that this was a characteristic of the car, not happy with their response i took it to an independent Ferrari specialist who changed the engine mounts which where damaged and this has dramatically improved the vibration at idle.They also changed for me the Spark Plugs which according to the Manual only need to be changed at 100,000 kilometers (changed at 20k) they definitely needed changing at that time, something to keep in mind as main dealers will not do this as part of the normal service.
I have heard all the comments over the years about it not being a real Ferrari, was supposed to be a Maserati, etc..
I love the looks/comfort/drive/speed (more than enough for me) form me it is a Hard Top/Convertible/pillarless Coupe, ticks all the boxes for me and that is all that matters.
God luck with the test drive and if you want to Pm me to ask any questions or advice please do.
If it helps your thought process, I never even thought of buying a California until I was given the opportunity to drive one up the hill at the first Moving Motorshow at the Festival of Speed. Having driven one I had to have one and bought a three month old example with 250 miles from a main dealer the next week. And I never regretted it.
100 IAN said:
There's one you might not have seen posted up for sale here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1476226932463208/
nb. I don't know the car, I've just seen the ad.
Thanks for the link - unfortunately it's LHD, which I don't think would be a great idea.nb. I don't know the car, I've just seen the ad.
One point I mentioned in the original post that's not been addressed is the question of whether I'm likely to get a better deal if I take out some finance on the car. I've heard that because the dealer gets paid commission they may be prepared to accept a lower offer.
Does anyone know if this is true? If so, any idea about how much commission would be paid, so I can pitch my offer accordingly?
sparta6 said:
I’ve had my exhaust replaced with a capristo exhaust and it makes a hell of a difference....and now reduced to £84k. I might just go kick the tyres...
jtremlett said:
have some history on this car. It was supplied new by HR Owen to a London-based first owner and first registered on 14 April 2010. Four owners in total (not unusual). It was last offered for sale by HR Owen in March 2016 at £104,950 (11,900 miles), reduced to £102,950 in May 2016 when it then sold. Then offered for sale by Saxton 4x4 in August this year at £92,000 (now on 16,000 miles), reduced to £90,000 at beginning of October and to the current asking price of £88,000 at the end of October. I would be guessing but very surprised if it didn't have full service history with HR Owen at least upto when they sold it 18 months ago.
Jonathan
Jonathan
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