355 0r 360?

[lambo_xx]

I (after very little deliberation) decided to buy a Ferrari , now i am a very big fan of the 355's styling, i think its gorgeous and i love the pop-up head lights, however i also love the 360. I'm not a very big fan of the F1 gearbox so i would definitely be opting for a manual. Anyway i was just wondering what's the performance difference like? is there any difference in handling and easiness to drive? Are either of them reliable?

[mike360]

not driven the 355 but 360 ive had for 2 and a half years and is a dream to drive and 100% reliable so far...

heres the difference in peformance

not a big difference unless your a raceing driver and plan to go above 180

f355
0-60 mph: 4.7 s[2]
0-400 m: 12.9 s
0-1000 m: 23.7 s
Top speed: 295 km/h (183 mph)

360

0-62 mph: 4.5 s[1]
Top speed : 186 mph (299 km/h)[1]
downforce: 180 kg @ 300 km/h (without rear wing)
lift/drag: -0.73:1
EPA Fuel Economy: 10 / 16

but apparently the 360 technology has come on leaps and bounds from that of the 355 so i would say go for the 360 !

[Jonty99]

If you get an F355 with a sports exhaust and if you leave the Cat bypass permanently open, its every bit as quick as a 360. Main thing was the added downforce of the 360.

My choice is definately F355, Im picking up a gorgeous yellow spider at the end of this month after having a look at both. The 360's styling just wouldn't cut it for me.

PLUS! 360's are still depreciating, F355's haven't moved price for the past few years! Get the F355, in the long run it may very well be a better investment as they're pinned as future classics. And definatley steer clear of the F1 box, its horrid and slow!

[mike360]

Jonty99 said:

And definatley steer clear of the F1 box, its horrid and slow!

no its not ! i didnt realise you were schummacher

[kippax]

lambo_xx said:

I (after very little deliberation) decided to buy a Ferrari , now i am a very big fan of the 355's styling, i think its gorgeous and i love the pop-up head lights, however i also love the 360. I'm not a very big fan of the F1 gearbox so i would definitely be opting for a manual. Anyway i was just wondering what's the performance difference like? is there any difference in handling and easiness to drive? Are either of them reliable?

One day I hope to be in the same position & if I was now this is what i'd go for http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...
I think in TDF blue both the 355 & 360 are stunning

H

[GreigM]

360 is a hugely improved drive - the low-down torque in the engine makes a big difference which makes it much more driveable

[burriana]

AND ... you can look at the engine without opening the cover in a 360

[tony h]

Jonty99 said:

If you get an F355 with a sports exhaust and if you leave the Cat bypass permanently open, its every bit as quick as a 360. Main thing was the added downforce of the 360.

My choice is definately F355, Im picking up a gorgeous yellow spider at the end of this month after having a look at both. The 360's styling just wouldn't cut it for me.

PLUS! 360's are still depreciating, F355's haven't moved price for the past few years! Get the F355, in the long run it may very well be a better investment as they're pinned as future classics. And definatley steer clear of the F1 box, its horrid and slow!

dont be puffed in by asking prices on 355s, they have come off and by a fair bit - i wouldnt be paying over 40k for anything but last f1 cars

[Ade355]

Jonty99 said:

PLUS! 360's are still depreciating, F355's haven't moved price for the past few years! Get the F355, in the long run it may very well be a better investment as they're pinned as future classics. And definatley steer clear of the F1 box, its horrid and slow!

355s have moved in price a lot in the past few years! It was pushing 70K for decent 355 Spider 5 years ago. Now you should be able to get a cracker for 40K.

Also, 355s are way less reliable (In my experience of both) and cost more to service than a 360. I personally dont like the 360 at all but you have to give it credit where its due.

[Angelis]

Asking other people which Ferrari to get is like asking them which woman to marry.

You need to test drive both before deciding.

[renmure]

If I were choosing between the 355 and the 360 then I would choose the car that I thought looked the best and which I really felt shouted out FERRARI to me. If its the 355 then go for one, if its the 360 then get that. If they are fairly equal then go for the 360 since it is probably the better car. My decision was 355

[BrendonJ]

easy to make a 355 faster than a 360 for not too much extra cash - decat/capristo/chip

And Lambo xx, from my experience 355 owners tend to be a far better looking bunch than 360 owners

355 wont depreciate as much, but re service costs they seem to be about the same

You could just go down to Verdids and compare them side by side to see which style you prefer?

[Murph7355]

Angelis said:

Asking other people which Ferrari to get is like asking them which woman to marry.

You need to test drive both before deciding.

Absolutely.

And don't listen to tonyh or Ade on prices. Good cars can still fetch over 40k. Buy a munter at your peril

[Jonty99]

mike360 said:

Jonty99 said:

And definatley steer clear of the F1 box, its horrid and slow!

no its not ! i didnt realise you were schummacher

It is on the F355

[spidermanUK]

Murph7355 said:

Angelis said:

Asking other people which Ferrari to get is like asking them which woman to marry.

You need to test drive both before deciding.

Absolutely.

And don't listen to tonyh or Ade on prices. Good cars can still fetch over 40k. Buy a munter at your peril

And exceptional ones even more! I refused an offer of £55,000 for my 355 about 6 weeks ago!

As for which to go for.....simple. The 355 is the car the 348 should have been. The 360 is the very poor relation to the 430!

The 355 is an infinitely prettier car, and is simply more of an event to drive than a 360.You'll spend a huge amount of time smiling whilst driving a 355, and a lot of time cringing and getting frustrated driving a 360.

And yes, I've owned all 3 and done at least 6000 miles in each of them! And TBH if you want to squeeze the last ounce of performance out of a car.....buy a Caterham!

[GreigM]

spidermanUK said:

[
The 355 is an infinitely prettier car, and is simply more of an event to drive than a 360.You'll spend a huge amount of time smiling whilst driving a 355, and a lot of time cringing and getting frustrated driving a 360.

Interesting as I had the completely opposite experience and felt the 355 was poorly put together and a poor drive, so went for the 360 which I felt was a huge leap forward in terms of engine and handling - what did you find frustrating about it? I also think the 355 is looking very dated now and much prefer the look of the 360 - so Iits all subjective really.

[moc]

I was looking at both 2-3 months ago, the F355 really is a pretty car, I never got round to driving one as I fell for the 360 after driving it also having at sat in a F355 felt the interior was too dated for my taste (fickle I know !!) and I knew that after a while of being in there I probably would at some point wish I was sat in a 360

[Paracetamol]

The 355 is lovely but you always look like you are on your way to a classic car show...the pop up lights and wedgie shape has had its day. If you like this type of styling then go for a Gallardo. If you want modern Ferrari design language and a useable car that is not prone to rusting then go for the 360. The only backward step I experienced in the 360 was that you needed to remove the gearbox to do the clutch (11 hour job!). This was made better by the fact the belts do not require the engine to be removed- however the two operations happen at the same frequency so Ferrari havent done onwers any favours on this!

[ditomaso]

360 all the way. F1 shift is fantastic, just ensure you keep it in sport mode, never normal. 355's are pretty cars, but way less reliable than a 360.

I have to admit I've never owned a 355, jumped from a 348 to a 360 manual, then onto a 360 F1 Spider which was far better than its modena equivalent.

Like Angelis says, only you can make the judgement - but owning a Ferrari is a very special experience indeed.

[casper355]

ive owned a 355 and a 360. All i can say is get a 430 mine arrived yesterday-stunning car brother, the best.