Anyone have a 2011 California & can advise on running costs
Discussion
Hi guys,
Ive always fancied a California and the early ones have come down to a realistic level, so wondering just how reliable they are. I currently have a Maserati Gran Cabrio and had a Granturismo so used to Italian running costs. The Masers have been very reliable so wondering what the experience of the guys who own a California is in terms of how reliable they are, if there are things that go wrong you need to look out for and typical service costs etc..?
I must admit I love the Gran Cabrio, but just after a bit more speed.....
Cheers
Mike
Ive always fancied a California and the early ones have come down to a realistic level, so wondering just how reliable they are. I currently have a Maserati Gran Cabrio and had a Granturismo so used to Italian running costs. The Masers have been very reliable so wondering what the experience of the guys who own a California is in terms of how reliable they are, if there are things that go wrong you need to look out for and typical service costs etc..?
I must admit I love the Gran Cabrio, but just after a bit more speed.....
Cheers
Mike
I have had my 2012 California since July and use it almost daily for work. It had just been serviced prior to delivery so not sure what the servicing costs are.
I have just replaced the two pneumatic struts in the boot that had to come from the factory in Italy and it cost £113 for both...fitted.. at a Ferrari main dealer so not all bad.
The only issue that I have is the right hand side cushion of the drivers seat that takes a lot of weight every time I get in and out of the car with it being quite low. The leather has started to perish a little, nothing major but will probably have it refurbished before next summer.
I have also had a roof module fitted that allows the roof and windows to be opened and closed using the key fob. The standard method requires you to sit in the car and hold the button down throughout the process which is a bit 1980's.
The radio is not digital and poor reception and you cannot update the SATNAV with a software update.
I have just replaced the two pneumatic struts in the boot that had to come from the factory in Italy and it cost £113 for both...fitted.. at a Ferrari main dealer so not all bad.
The only issue that I have is the right hand side cushion of the drivers seat that takes a lot of weight every time I get in and out of the car with it being quite low. The leather has started to perish a little, nothing major but will probably have it refurbished before next summer.
I have also had a roof module fitted that allows the roof and windows to be opened and closed using the key fob. The standard method requires you to sit in the car and hold the button down throughout the process which is a bit 1980's.
The radio is not digital and poor reception and you cannot update the SATNAV with a software update.
CitySlicker said:
You’ll spend an awful lot of dough for very marginal gains. I’ve also heard a few horror stories about early California ownership. Why not have a look at McLaren, vantage v12 et al
Thanks, surely the same issue with McLarens as I hear they are pricey with anything that needs doing as so specialist, is that not the case? Ive seen some early MP4-12Cs for sensible money, and although Id love one, the price of things going wrong put me off somewhat. Also Astons are poor in terms of reliability, have a few mates that have them and they have spent tens of thousands putting issues right, and the only one I like is the DB11, which is sill a bit too pricey. Its a third car for me, so used occassionally so cant be too much of a money pit, obviously things can go wrong and in any of these cars it can be pricey, but prefer it to be a rare issue, rather than the norm.
Cheers
Mike
V8Smith said:
CitySlicker said:
You’ll spend an awful lot of dough for very marginal gains. I’ve also heard a few horror stories about early California ownership. Why not have a look at McLaren, vantage v12 et al
Thanks, surely the same issue with McLarens as I hear they are pricey with anything that needs doing as so specialist, is that not the case? Ive seen some early MP4-12Cs for sensible money, and although Id love one, the price of things going wrong put me off somewhat. Also Astons are poor in terms of reliability, have a few mates that have them and they have spent tens of thousands putting issues right, and the only one I like is the DB11, which is sill a bit too pricey. Its a third car for me, so used occassionally so cant be too much of a money pit, obviously things can go wrong and in any of these cars it can be pricey, but prefer it to be a rare issue, rather than the norm.
Cheers
Mike
vanman1936 said:
No sure about reliability negatives. I had a Masser GT and had it serviced at a Ferrari specialist and they viewed the Cali as pretty solid / good everyday car.
I've weighed up buying a California for everyday use, but I've read quite a few scary tales about gearbox issues with them, and £30K~ £40K repair bills.I know it will be a minority of cars that are affected, but the risk of the gearbox going tits up is just too much of a gamble for me.
I had a Maserati GT and took it to a Ferrari specialist for work
Once they had an early Cali in there for an engine rebuild.
It was 7 years old and had some insane low mileage on it like 8000 miles. The engine was making a hell of a racket and Ferrari wanted £50k for a new engine
The place I was at rebuilt it for him for £13k all it and it was fine. Early engines had an issue but they should be fixed by now - worth looking into.
If you're OK with a Masser GT then I can't see the costs being that much higher mine was pretty expensive when things needed doing
Once they had an early Cali in there for an engine rebuild.
It was 7 years old and had some insane low mileage on it like 8000 miles. The engine was making a hell of a racket and Ferrari wanted £50k for a new engine
The place I was at rebuilt it for him for £13k all it and it was fine. Early engines had an issue but they should be fixed by now - worth looking into.
If you're OK with a Masser GT then I can't see the costs being that much higher mine was pretty expensive when things needed doing
In true PH style, the OP has asked for people who own a Cali to recount their ownership experiences. And yet loads of folks who haven’t even owned a Ferrari, let alone a Cali are giving their tuppence worth.
My advice to the OP - go on to Ferrari chat, use the search function there and you should get the answers you seek from people who own the cars.
And BTW, the gearbox issue tends to affect early cars and costs about £5k to fix.
I have an Aston V8V and it has been supremely reliable but it’s nowhere near as special as a Ferrari.
My advice to the OP - go on to Ferrari chat, use the search function there and you should get the answers you seek from people who own the cars.
And BTW, the gearbox issue tends to affect early cars and costs about £5k to fix.
I have an Aston V8V and it has been supremely reliable but it’s nowhere near as special as a Ferrari.
I have a 2011 California which I have owned for 4 years. Had 25k miles on her when I bought her and now has 42k so I am fairly well placed to comment on costs.
Generally the car has been a joy and much more reliable than a C63 and F type that have been owned over the period. There have been a few electrical gremlins involving front seat heater, parking sensors, electronic boot opening and TPMS which is common with most Ferraris- but otherwise pretty solid. These have mostly been sorted out during service - not cheap but replacing parking sensor and TPMS less than 600 quid each.
These electrical faults tend to happen when the car hasn't been used very often so my advice would be to use regularly and keep on trickle. The irony is that people pay much more for low mileage garage queens but in my opinion you are better off with a car that been used and looked after as the niggles tend to iron out over time.
Only repair of note was a leaking shock which needed replacing. This was best part of 2 grand but was covered under warranty. Actually parking sensor was covered under warranty as well.
So all in all a relatively trouble free and reasonably priced experience. Apart from service (1k) and warranty (2k through Warranty Wise) plus the odd tyre and brake pad not bad at all.
Budget 4k a year and you should be fine.
Generally the car has been a joy and much more reliable than a C63 and F type that have been owned over the period. There have been a few electrical gremlins involving front seat heater, parking sensors, electronic boot opening and TPMS which is common with most Ferraris- but otherwise pretty solid. These have mostly been sorted out during service - not cheap but replacing parking sensor and TPMS less than 600 quid each.
These electrical faults tend to happen when the car hasn't been used very often so my advice would be to use regularly and keep on trickle. The irony is that people pay much more for low mileage garage queens but in my opinion you are better off with a car that been used and looked after as the niggles tend to iron out over time.
Only repair of note was a leaking shock which needed replacing. This was best part of 2 grand but was covered under warranty. Actually parking sensor was covered under warranty as well.
So all in all a relatively trouble free and reasonably priced experience. Apart from service (1k) and warranty (2k through Warranty Wise) plus the odd tyre and brake pad not bad at all.
Budget 4k a year and you should be fine.
Speculatore said:
I have had my 2012 California since July and use it almost daily for work. It had just been serviced prior to delivery so not sure what the servicing costs are.
I have just replaced the two pneumatic struts in the boot that had to come from the factory in Italy and it cost £113 for both...fitted.. at a Ferrari main dealer so not all bad.
The only issue that I have is the right hand side cushion of the drivers seat that takes a lot of weight every time I get in and out of the car with it being quite low. The leather has started to perish a little, nothing major but will probably have it refurbished before next summer.
I have also had a roof module fitted that allows the roof and windows to be opened and closed using the key fob. The standard method requires you to sit in the car and hold the button down throughout the process which is a bit 1980's.
The radio is not digital and poor reception and you cannot update the SATNAV with a software update.
Any link for the roof module? I have just replaced the two pneumatic struts in the boot that had to come from the factory in Italy and it cost £113 for both...fitted.. at a Ferrari main dealer so not all bad.
The only issue that I have is the right hand side cushion of the drivers seat that takes a lot of weight every time I get in and out of the car with it being quite low. The leather has started to perish a little, nothing major but will probably have it refurbished before next summer.
I have also had a roof module fitted that allows the roof and windows to be opened and closed using the key fob. The standard method requires you to sit in the car and hold the button down throughout the process which is a bit 1980's.
The radio is not digital and poor reception and you cannot update the SATNAV with a software update.
ANOpax said:
In true PH style, the OP has asked for people who own a Cali to recount their ownership experiences. And yet loads of folks who haven’t even owned a Ferrari, let alone a Cali are giving their tuppence worth.
My advice to the OP - go on to Ferrari chat, use the search function there and you should get the answers you seek from people who own the cars.
And BTW, the gearbox issue tends to affect early cars and costs about £5k to fix.
I have an Aston V8V and it has been supremely reliable but it’s nowhere near as special as a Ferrari.
What an unpleasant and pointless post, it’s posts like yours that ruin PH IMO, not posts from people adding to a discussion with their perspective or information. And the irony being that you also have not owned a Cali either. Your contribution is possibly the most useless and pointless on this thread in fact. Didn’t your parents tell you ‘if you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say anything’? My advice to the OP - go on to Ferrari chat, use the search function there and you should get the answers you seek from people who own the cars.
And BTW, the gearbox issue tends to affect early cars and costs about £5k to fix.
I have an Aston V8V and it has been supremely reliable but it’s nowhere near as special as a Ferrari.
mudnomad said:
Any link for the roof module?
I suspect he means one of these : https://smarttop.shop/Thinking of getting one myself, but worried it would void any warranty issues with my roof.
davek_964 said:
I suspect he means one of these : https://smarttop.shop/
Thinking of getting one myself, but worried it would void any warranty issues with my roof.
They’re just plug and play, if you’re really bothered then keep the Ferrari one in your car. If you breakdown or the roof gets stuck and you need to get recovered then swap them back at the roadside. Did this in my Porsche, I hope no one is offended that this highly relevant knowledge was gained with a different brand of car. Thinking of getting one myself, but worried it would void any warranty issues with my roof.
jakesmith said:
What an unpleasant and pointless post, it’s posts like yours that ruin PH IMO, not posts from people adding to a discussion with their perspective or information. And the irony being that you also have not owned a Cali either. Your contribution is possibly the most useless and pointless on this thread in fact. Didn’t your parents tell you ‘if you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say anything’?
Oh dear. You again. Perhaps you should heed your own parents if that was their advice. And for the record, I didn’t opine on the Cali specifically, I merely offered advice on things of which I have personal experience so as to counteract the misinformation from people posting on the basis of second hand knowledge and hearsay.
If you actually had any knowledge or experience of the issues concerned, you wouldn't have been so quick to judge and label my contribution 'useless and pointless'
Edited by ANOpax on Friday 11th October 12:55
In 2013, I had a 2011 Cali for a few years and traded in a 2010 Maser GT-S Auto for it. I bought and sold both through the same main dealer group so had peace of mind with a warranty on both vehicles. So basically, my running costs were tyres and pads on the Maserati.
Like you, I wanted to scratch the Ferrari itch but I probably enjoyed owning the Granturismo just as much. Both were really good cars but the Maser was really useable and the back seats were always a plus. Only real issues I had with the Ferrari were all sorted under warranty. The brakes squealed like hell until you put proper heat through them and the boot mechanism failed once - and would not go up. Obviously it started to pour down right after the roof failed and my wife had her handbag in the boot with her phone inside. That was a fun conversation at the time... All fixed by the dealer under warranty though in a day or so. My Cali was grigio titanio but I wanted any colour other than rosso corsa for that car.
The battery is temperamental if you don't use the car regularly and all sorts of warning lights came up when you turn the ingition on. I changed the battery after a while to a better Varta one and this went away but I understand that you can avoid all this by plugging the car in to a battery conditioner - which I could not do as park the cars on the street. Also if you are asking about running costs, I used a lot less petrol on the Ferrari than in the GT-S.
Have fun looking and get a cool colour!
Like you, I wanted to scratch the Ferrari itch but I probably enjoyed owning the Granturismo just as much. Both were really good cars but the Maser was really useable and the back seats were always a plus. Only real issues I had with the Ferrari were all sorted under warranty. The brakes squealed like hell until you put proper heat through them and the boot mechanism failed once - and would not go up. Obviously it started to pour down right after the roof failed and my wife had her handbag in the boot with her phone inside. That was a fun conversation at the time... All fixed by the dealer under warranty though in a day or so. My Cali was grigio titanio but I wanted any colour other than rosso corsa for that car.
The battery is temperamental if you don't use the car regularly and all sorts of warning lights came up when you turn the ingition on. I changed the battery after a while to a better Varta one and this went away but I understand that you can avoid all this by plugging the car in to a battery conditioner - which I could not do as park the cars on the street. Also if you are asking about running costs, I used a lot less petrol on the Ferrari than in the GT-S.
Have fun looking and get a cool colour!
ANOpax said:
Oh dear. You again. Perhaps you should heed your own parents if that was their advice.
And for the record, I didn’t opine on the Cali specifically, I merely offered advice on things of which I have personal experience so as to counteract the misinformation from people posting on the basis of second hand knowledge and hearsay.
If you actually had any knowledge or experience of the issues concerned, you wouldn't have been so quick to judge and label my contribution 'useless and pointless'
Oh dear. You again. Another pointless and hypocritical contribution from a non-owner of a California. If only you had bought one, rather than the car Ferrari built when they realised the 120d was selling well. Jog on lad. And for the record, I didn’t opine on the Cali specifically, I merely offered advice on things of which I have personal experience so as to counteract the misinformation from people posting on the basis of second hand knowledge and hearsay.
If you actually had any knowledge or experience of the issues concerned, you wouldn't have been so quick to judge and label my contribution 'useless and pointless'
Edited by ANOpax on Friday 11th October 12:55
For clarity, you do not own a Cali and are criticising other non-owners of Calis for commenting on a thread. What an odd character you are!
Edited by jakesmith on Friday 11th October 15:23
jakesmith said:
Oh dear. You again. Another pointless and hypocritical contribution from a non-owner of a California. If only you had bought one, rather than the car Ferrari built when they realised the 120d was selling well. Jog on lad.
Sigh. I give up.If you have nothing useful to add, why post? In fact, one wonders why you bother to frequent the supercar forae at all given that you have never had one.
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