1st gen California..any good?
Discussion
I sold my 2011 Grigio Titanio California in February after owning it for 18 months.
It's great having the folding hard top for the warmer months and the car itself is very composed and comfortable for long journeys to the continent and back. It's also quick enough to put a smile on your face when its needs to.
The car had no major mechanical problems aside from the fact that the CC brakes would squeal a lot at very random times. I gave up trying to get them to fix this issue as it really did come and go randomly - no matter how much heat I tried to put through them.
Aside from some minor electrical issues (most of which would fix themselves after turning the ignition on and off), the car was pretty solid. The electrical issues included the roof refusing to open fully sometimes, the mirrors permanently dipping even when driving normally and also the TPMS repeatedly asking to be recalibrated.
I sold the car because I fancied a change, not because it was a bad car.
You probably know this already but the 2011+ cars come with the 7 year servicing pack and a 2 year warranty from a main dealer. I believe it is 4 years from new. If your budget permits, perhaps consider cars post-2011. I bought and sold my car back to Paddy at H.R Owen and always found him to be friendly and honest to deal with.
It's great having the folding hard top for the warmer months and the car itself is very composed and comfortable for long journeys to the continent and back. It's also quick enough to put a smile on your face when its needs to.
The car had no major mechanical problems aside from the fact that the CC brakes would squeal a lot at very random times. I gave up trying to get them to fix this issue as it really did come and go randomly - no matter how much heat I tried to put through them.
Aside from some minor electrical issues (most of which would fix themselves after turning the ignition on and off), the car was pretty solid. The electrical issues included the roof refusing to open fully sometimes, the mirrors permanently dipping even when driving normally and also the TPMS repeatedly asking to be recalibrated.
I sold the car because I fancied a change, not because it was a bad car.
You probably know this already but the 2011+ cars come with the 7 year servicing pack and a 2 year warranty from a main dealer. I believe it is 4 years from new. If your budget permits, perhaps consider cars post-2011. I bought and sold my car back to Paddy at H.R Owen and always found him to be friendly and honest to deal with.
Now on my second California ,first car was a 2011 model year I had many issues all related to the Hele stop start system.
Personally I would avoid any cars with this system fitted.
My second California is a 2012 model year and now has 14000 miles on and has been ultra reliable and trouble free.
Personally I would avoid any cars with this system fitted.
My second California is a 2012 model year and now has 14000 miles on and has been ultra reliable and trouble free.
Ran a 2009 car through to last Year and bought a new 30HS last Year. Minimal problems other than the electrical niggles mentioned in other posts.
These cars are much derided by the purists but, frankly, there is no alternative. It's a Jeckyl & Hyde machine that can one arm cruise like an S Class when you want or spit fire when you want with one click of the Mannetino.
I repeat, there is no alternative to its range of abilities, I even enjoyed the different experience after climbing out of my Scud.
These cars are much derided by the purists but, frankly, there is no alternative. It's a Jeckyl & Hyde machine that can one arm cruise like an S Class when you want or spit fire when you want with one click of the Mannetino.
I repeat, there is no alternative to its range of abilities, I even enjoyed the different experience after climbing out of my Scud.
I owned a California 30 for a year (2012 model year on)
I had my heart set on a Aston DBS Volante, but when I test drove the Cali was blown away and bought that instead.
Echo previous post that it's a great mix of comfort and madness - once you push it the v8 roar and pop/crackles of the exhaust are great and it's very quick to 60.. I got an exhuast override fitted to mine to open the valves on demand.
Also got nice amounts of attention, has the Ferrari touch. 2 back seats are great for kids.
Swapped it for a 458 Spider a month ago but can wholeheartedly recommend the Cali !
Matt
I had my heart set on a Aston DBS Volante, but when I test drove the Cali was blown away and bought that instead.
Echo previous post that it's a great mix of comfort and madness - once you push it the v8 roar and pop/crackles of the exhaust are great and it's very quick to 60.. I got an exhuast override fitted to mine to open the valves on demand.
Also got nice amounts of attention, has the Ferrari touch. 2 back seats are great for kids.
Swapped it for a 458 Spider a month ago but can wholeheartedly recommend the Cali !
Matt
How you finding the 458 after the California ?
Did you go for a 458 Italia or a spider ?
Contemplating the same move love ,the Italia and the engine is visible compared to the spider.
Just not sure if I would miss the convertible.
Also there seems to be roughly a £20 K uplift on the spider.
Did you go for a 458 Italia or a spider ?
Contemplating the same move love ,the Italia and the engine is visible compared to the spider.
Just not sure if I would miss the convertible.
Also there seems to be roughly a £20 K uplift on the spider.
Two different cars really.
I went for a spider as would miss the drop top. Managed to get a 2 year old one with only 500 miles.... So virtually new.
The 458 driving experience feels much faster, raw and "on rails" than the Cali - puts a big smile on my face.
When I test drove it fell in love with the drive...
458 better than Cali (all just my personal views..!)
1) looks - in person it really is a super car with proper wow factor. Cali looks great (esp in person) but less presence.
2) driving experience - absolutely amazing nothing like I've driven before
3) noise - louder by some margin than the Cali especially at redline
4) love that you can drop the rear window screen when the roof is up so you get full noise experience even in the rain !
5) high end stereo is great, better than Cali equiv, although no bluetooth streaming, has an iPod lead
6) for a supercar still happy to crawl around in traffic and can be quite sedate if needed whilst in auto+wet mode.
Cali better:
1) those back seats ! No more kids in the back. My son is happy as he considers it his now, but his siblings miss out..!
2) more refined and comfortable in "comfort" mode
3) better for cruising on long journeys (will not be doing same in my 458)
4) gets less attention, but just enough. The 458 spider always turns heads but also some negative attention sometimes.
5) More clearance on front bumper. I don't have the lifter on 458 - haven't scraped it yet but go much slower over speed bumps than the Cali where was always fine.
6) more practical. Not as wide to park, more boot space, not scared to go shopping with it and park in tight spots at supermarket !
Summary: two diifferent cars. Cali a true GT with a great open roof , great noise and pace when pushing, Great daily driver and practical. 458 a true Supercar whose driving experience takes breath away and makes me giggle, when I take it out it's purely for the sake of driving it rather than going to the shops.
Happy with my choice, but really enjoyed the Cali for a year. Both were my "fun car" as lucky to have other cars for daily use.
I went for a spider as would miss the drop top. Managed to get a 2 year old one with only 500 miles.... So virtually new.
The 458 driving experience feels much faster, raw and "on rails" than the Cali - puts a big smile on my face.
When I test drove it fell in love with the drive...
458 better than Cali (all just my personal views..!)
1) looks - in person it really is a super car with proper wow factor. Cali looks great (esp in person) but less presence.
2) driving experience - absolutely amazing nothing like I've driven before
3) noise - louder by some margin than the Cali especially at redline
4) love that you can drop the rear window screen when the roof is up so you get full noise experience even in the rain !
5) high end stereo is great, better than Cali equiv, although no bluetooth streaming, has an iPod lead
6) for a supercar still happy to crawl around in traffic and can be quite sedate if needed whilst in auto+wet mode.
Cali better:
1) those back seats ! No more kids in the back. My son is happy as he considers it his now, but his siblings miss out..!
2) more refined and comfortable in "comfort" mode
3) better for cruising on long journeys (will not be doing same in my 458)
4) gets less attention, but just enough. The 458 spider always turns heads but also some negative attention sometimes.
5) More clearance on front bumper. I don't have the lifter on 458 - haven't scraped it yet but go much slower over speed bumps than the Cali where was always fine.
6) more practical. Not as wide to park, more boot space, not scared to go shopping with it and park in tight spots at supermarket !
Summary: two diifferent cars. Cali a true GT with a great open roof , great noise and pace when pushing, Great daily driver and practical. 458 a true Supercar whose driving experience takes breath away and makes me giggle, when I take it out it's purely for the sake of driving it rather than going to the shops.
Happy with my choice, but really enjoyed the Cali for a year. Both were my "fun car" as lucky to have other cars for daily use.
I have wanted to love the California for so long, I have probably taken about 10 different Cali's out on test drives between Jan 2012 and April 2015, but i just can't fall in love with it.
I just don't find the handling feel connected and rewarding enough, and the noise isn't quite exciting enough, and the balance isn't quite there nor the feel of agility.
It's so annoying as it's the perfect car for me on paper, but it just doesn't quite do what I want it to, or rather doesn't feel how I want it to feel. Not even the California T, which is certainly a far better car and is a spectacular all round performer, makes me fall in love with it.
As for the 458... well I absolutely love it, it is my favourite car money can buy. That being said I can't really justify the £100k premium over my F430 Spider for a 3rd/4th car that get's used 2/3 times a month. I'll buy one in the next year or two once the 458 Spider get's to around £150k-£160k I'd say. Though if an Italia became available at £120k it would be hard to say no.
I think the Italia is the looker of the 2, but probably it's got to be the Spider just to be able to put that back window or roof down and enjoy that engine noise in all it's glory.
I just don't find the handling feel connected and rewarding enough, and the noise isn't quite exciting enough, and the balance isn't quite there nor the feel of agility.
It's so annoying as it's the perfect car for me on paper, but it just doesn't quite do what I want it to, or rather doesn't feel how I want it to feel. Not even the California T, which is certainly a far better car and is a spectacular all round performer, makes me fall in love with it.
As for the 458... well I absolutely love it, it is my favourite car money can buy. That being said I can't really justify the £100k premium over my F430 Spider for a 3rd/4th car that get's used 2/3 times a month. I'll buy one in the next year or two once the 458 Spider get's to around £150k-£160k I'd say. Though if an Italia became available at £120k it would be hard to say no.
I think the Italia is the looker of the 2, but probably it's got to be the Spider just to be able to put that back window or roof down and enjoy that engine noise in all it's glory.
Wow thanks guys.
Guess I will look at the spider.
Hopefully they will deprecate at the same rate as my 2012 California. is.
Don't really want to test drive one yet, as I am sure the man maths calculator will kick in and I will end up with one.
Just need to find £60K from somewhere.
Thanks again
Guess I will look at the spider.
Hopefully they will deprecate at the same rate as my 2012 California. is.
Don't really want to test drive one yet, as I am sure the man maths calculator will kick in and I will end up with one.
Just need to find £60K from somewhere.
Thanks again
JohnG123 said:
Wow thanks guys.
Guess I will look at the spider.
Hopefully they will deprecate at the same rate as my 2012 California. is.
Don't really want to test drive one yet, as I am sure the man maths calculator will kick in and I will end up with one.
Just need to find £60K from somewhere.
Thanks again
I'm going from multiple Californias to a 458 Spider, can't wait!Guess I will look at the spider.
Hopefully they will deprecate at the same rate as my 2012 California. is.
Don't really want to test drive one yet, as I am sure the man maths calculator will kick in and I will end up with one.
Just need to find £60K from somewhere.
Thanks again
I had a California about two years ago. I moved from a 430 Spider which had followed a 360 Spider, both of which I loved. Why the change? Well, I had a CS sitting alongside the 430 and felt that the move to a Cali would offer something different - newer tech with DCT, 2+2, front engined, a bit less 'shouty' especially in the metallic black colour we chose.
I say 'we' because my wife had quite a lot to do with the choice since I was considering a 997.2 Turbo to sit alongside the CS. She was not in favour so the Cali was a good compromise - if we were going to bother buying a different car, she wanted to feel happy to drive it. Fair enough.
When I first drove it as an owner (the only way you really get to find out what a car is like), I noticed two things. First, that DCT gearbox was a revelation! Absolutely brilliant and transformed the experience. Second, this car has an unusual way of controlling its body into hard cornering, It leans quickly, then the motion sort of stops and the car digs in. Not especially rewarding in the usual sense. I was a bit unnerved at first and wondered if I had made a mistake.
Sometimes I meet people that I struggle to understand at first. "I wouldn't have said it/made it/done it that way..." Often though, if you persevere you come to understand that they just think a bit differently to your own mindset. In time you get to appreciate that your way is not the only way and that sometimes you get to learn something that you would otherwise not have.
The Cali is a bit like that. When judged solely as a weekend toy from a famous manufacturer, steeped in racing history and that latter history being dominated by the mid engined layout, it can only ever be a disappointment. It is neither mid engined or a V12, both staples from Ferrari's history. Instead it is a kind of mixture of things and has its own personality. Like some people, it does things differently to how you expect they should be done but with time you come to appreciate why and perhaps even learn something from them. With the Cali you learn that not every exotic weekend car has to be mid engined with knife-edge handling. There is room in the world for a great sounding, good looking, beautiful to sit in, fairly practical, easy to live with, 2+2, that combines very decent handling with extremely strong performance and good packaging.
I loved the Cali, perhaps unexpectedly. I did sell it after a year, much to the chagrin of my wife, and replaced it with a 12C. It left its mark though and I fully understand anyone who wants to suggest that the Cali is a proper Ferrari, unloved by the press but understood by owners. Still a great car in my mind, if you give it the chance to do what it is supposed to do for you. For some, only a 458 will ever be enough. Don't let their pre-disposition to that way of thinking cloud a picture that for you, could be just the thing.
I say 'we' because my wife had quite a lot to do with the choice since I was considering a 997.2 Turbo to sit alongside the CS. She was not in favour so the Cali was a good compromise - if we were going to bother buying a different car, she wanted to feel happy to drive it. Fair enough.
When I first drove it as an owner (the only way you really get to find out what a car is like), I noticed two things. First, that DCT gearbox was a revelation! Absolutely brilliant and transformed the experience. Second, this car has an unusual way of controlling its body into hard cornering, It leans quickly, then the motion sort of stops and the car digs in. Not especially rewarding in the usual sense. I was a bit unnerved at first and wondered if I had made a mistake.
Sometimes I meet people that I struggle to understand at first. "I wouldn't have said it/made it/done it that way..." Often though, if you persevere you come to understand that they just think a bit differently to your own mindset. In time you get to appreciate that your way is not the only way and that sometimes you get to learn something that you would otherwise not have.
The Cali is a bit like that. When judged solely as a weekend toy from a famous manufacturer, steeped in racing history and that latter history being dominated by the mid engined layout, it can only ever be a disappointment. It is neither mid engined or a V12, both staples from Ferrari's history. Instead it is a kind of mixture of things and has its own personality. Like some people, it does things differently to how you expect they should be done but with time you come to appreciate why and perhaps even learn something from them. With the Cali you learn that not every exotic weekend car has to be mid engined with knife-edge handling. There is room in the world for a great sounding, good looking, beautiful to sit in, fairly practical, easy to live with, 2+2, that combines very decent handling with extremely strong performance and good packaging.
I loved the Cali, perhaps unexpectedly. I did sell it after a year, much to the chagrin of my wife, and replaced it with a 12C. It left its mark though and I fully understand anyone who wants to suggest that the Cali is a proper Ferrari, unloved by the press but understood by owners. Still a great car in my mind, if you give it the chance to do what it is supposed to do for you. For some, only a 458 will ever be enough. Don't let their pre-disposition to that way of thinking cloud a picture that for you, could be just the thing.
Gassing Station | Ferrari V8 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff