458 or 488 for first Ferrari

[adamellisdj]

Hi guys.

I am in a dilemma and I need some help, preferably for owners of both, past or present.

Here is my dilemma (1st world issues lol)


I own a brand new c63s AMG 620 bhp with all the latest tech. I love all the new tech (all the cameras, adaptive cruise, apple car play, etc).

I like the 458 as it imo looks a bit nicer, sounds WAY better and is a fair bit cheaper. But its very old, and will it feel much faster than the c63s?

Then again, the newer 488 should, in theory, will have fewer issues, has way fewer miles, has a Ferrari service pack for 3 years, is a lot faster, has much better tech, BUT sounds worse and is £20k more. Loads of carbon, suspension lifter, etc.


I am able to put £25k down and based on a £170k 488 with Oracle Finance, I am able to get that for £1450 a month. More like £1600 with Ferrari Finance. Both are secured loans. So makes sense to go with Oracle.

In saying that, Ferrari finance has offered me £1250 a month for a £140k 10-year-old F458. It has no camera, no carbon, but does have amazing seats and the v8 sound. Looks stunning too. No cruise control though and I don't even know if you can listen to your phone on the sound system (it says I pod connectivity)

My heart says 458, but my head says 488 with an aftermarket Inconel exhaust.

I plan on using it as a daily, but I work from home and only do 2500 miles a year, so it's not too bad.

I wish more than anything the 458s were new as my bug barer is the age and old tech.


Part of my says get the cheaper 458 and enjoy the hell out of it. It has a 2 year warranty and I can get into a 488 if I want to in a few years, or even an F8.

The other part of me says, if you are doing this, get the latest model with all the latest gear.

Sound is a BIG deal to me, but so is speed. I want it to feel like a supercar, and I have seen a lot of fo folks say the 458 is slow.

WHAT DO I DO???


(PS, I cannot try these cars due to lockdown but need to buy as I am moving to Spain soon. So..... fked lol)

[johnnyreggae]

Why do you want to buy a RHD car now if you are about to move to Spain ?

LHD gives you all EU cars to choose from

[adamellisdj]

Try getting a finance deal in Spain. Their laws for Expats are INSANE

For example

Buy a £200k house in Spain and it's £60 upfront for the Mortgage (30%) and 13% tax on top of your £200k, which your mortgage, due to Spanish law cannot cover. This means you need £80k + to buy a £20k house. In England, you need £20 and £1500 fees.

imagine trying to buy a Ferrari lol

I will be living in Spain in Winter and England in summer.

[markiii]

458 is definately not slow

[tigertiger12]

adamellisdj said:

Hi guys.

I am in a dilemma and I need some help, preferably for owners of both, past or present.

Here is my dilemma (1st world issues lol)


I own a brand new c63s AMG 620 bhp with all the latest tech. I love all the new tech (all the cameras, adaptive cruise, apple car play, etc).

I like the 458 as it imo looks a bit nicer, sounds WAY better and is a fair bit cheaper. But its very old, and will it feel much faster than the c63s?

Then again, the newer 488 should, in theory, will have fewer issues, has way fewer miles, has a Ferrari service pack for 3 years, is a lot faster, has much better tech, BUT sounds worse and is £20k more. Loads of carbon, suspension lifter, etc.


I am able to put £25k down and based on a £170k 488 with Oracle Finance, I am able to get that for £1450 a month. More like £1600 with Ferrari Finance. Both are secured loans. So makes sense to go with Oracle.

In saying that, Ferrari finance has offered me £1250 a month for a £140k 10-year-old F458. It has no camera, no carbon, but does have amazing seats and the v8 sound. Looks stunning too. No cruise control though and I don't even know if you can listen to your phone on the sound system (it says I pod connectivity)

My heart says 458, but my head says 488 with an aftermarket Inconel exhaust.

I plan on using it as a daily, but I work from home and only do 2500 miles a year, so it's not too bad.

I wish more than anything the 458s were new as my bug barer is the age and old tech.


Part of my says get the cheaper 458 and enjoy the hell out of it. It has a 2 year warranty and I can get into a 488 if I want to in a few years, or even an F8.

The other part of me says, if you are doing this, get the latest model with all the latest gear.

Sound is a BIG deal to me, but so is speed. I want it to feel like a supercar, and I have seen a lot of fo folks say the 458 is slow.

WHAT DO I DO???


(PS, I cannot try these cars due to lockdown but need to buy as I am moving to Spain soon. So..... fked lol)

I cannot admit to be able to help your decision and may make it worse!
I understand your dilemma as I too enjoy the tech in cars and even 2 years now can give more tech in a car.

Indeed the 458 is slow, I overtake them everyday as I drive past stationary ones in the showroom!!
This is indeed a supercar which speaks for itself in terms of speed. 0.5 seconds or a few mph difference in top speed is hardly noticeable in real world situations, only when tracking the vehicle or drag racing. However it wouldn't be to hard to make the 458 match or surpass the specs of the 488 due to the little difference.

I could be wrong however the 458 could become as investment as it is the last of the non turbo Ferrari's and such a beautiful one at that. I recently sold a licence plate for a 458 for £25k. Though it will take time to realise any potential gains, I believe the price is a bargain for something which could be worth much more in 10 years time but it will take at least 10 years to rise, maybe more so as fuel cars are banned. With your mileage I think this would be a great option if you intend to keep it long term. If not then I would get the 488 which will pista many people off! But try to get a 458 with as little mileage as possible.

Jokes aside the 458 has depreciated very little over the last few years, I used to keep an eye on the prices as I had a plate to sell. At the same time I bought the plate I had the opportunity to buy a plate for the 488, the plate was better as it had 1 less number / letter so valued at more, however I went for the 458 plate thinking due to the likelihood of it becoming a classic it would be the better choice as the 458 would increase and the 488 depreciate. Both went for a very similar figure around £500 of each other. At the high end of the market the 458 speciale aperta cars are well over £500k. I have seen some at £750k and one at an unrealistic £1 mill but obviously for offers. This clearly unrealistic but maybe shows the sentiment for the future price increase.

I have asked myself the same question a few times and the 458 always ends up being the one I choose due to the speed specs being fairly insignificant, the sound of the 458, the UPS of the n/a 458 over a turbo car and the possibility of the value increasing.

I am genuinely not trying to sway you one way or the other, this is your choice and whichever you make will be the right one, neither is slow or ugly and interior is fairly similar..
Also i'm sure some Ferraris come with a 7 year service plan but not sure which, i guess this could be an advantage if applicable to the 488.

Good luck and hope to hear about the decision you make.

[Drl22]

I recently bought a 458 so I’m biased but I never even looked at a 488 despite a friend of mine selling his.

It depends what you want the 458 is much more raw, the 488 on that alone may work better for you if you are going to daily it. The 488 is more refined but if you want that I’d suggest going to get a 911.

When you say you like tech in a car, what exactly are you talking about?

[adamellisdj]

tigertiger12 said:

I cannot admit to be able to help your decision and may make it worse!
I understand your dilemma as I too enjoy the tech in cars and even 2 years now can give more tech in a car.

Indeed the 458 is slow, I overtake them everyday as I drive past stationary ones in the showroom!!
This is indeed a supercar which speaks for itself in terms of speed. 0.5 seconds or a few mph difference in top speed is hardly noticeable in real world situations, only when tracking the vehicle or drag racing. However it wouldn't be to hard to make the 458 match or surpass the specs of the 488 due to the little difference.

I could be wrong however the 458 could become as investment as it is the last of the non turbo Ferrari's and such a beautiful one at that. I recently sold a licence plate for a 458 for £25k. Though it will take time to realise any potential gains, I believe the price is a bargain for something which could be worth much more in 10 years time but it will take at least 10 years to rise, maybe more so as fuel cars are banned. With your mileage I think this would be a great option if you intend to keep it long term. If not then I would get the 488 which will pista many people off! But try to get a 458 with as little mileage as possible.

Jokes aside the 458 has depreciated very little over the last few years, I used to keep an eye on the prices as I had a plate to sell. At the same time I bought the plate I had the opportunity to buy a plate for the 488, the plate was better as it had 1 less number / letter so valued at more, however I went for the 458 plate thinking due to the likelihood of it becoming a classic it would be the better choice as the 458 would increase and the 488 depreciate. Both went for a very similar figure around £500 of each other. At the high end of the market the 458 speciale aperta cars are well over £500k. I have seen some at £750k and one at an unrealistic £1 mill but obviously for offers. This clearly unrealistic but maybe shows the sentiment for the future price increase.

I have asked myself the same question a few times and the 458 always ends up being the one I choose due to the speed specs being fairly insignificant, the sound of the 458, the UPS of the n/a 458 over a turbo car and the possibility of the value increasing.

I am genuinely not trying to sway you one way or the other, this is your choice and whichever you make will be the right one, neither is slow or ugly and interior is fairly similar..
Also i'm sure some Ferraris come with a 7 year service plan but not sure which, i guess this could be an advantage if applicable to the 488.

Good luck and hope to hear about the decision you make.

What a bloody great reply. Thanks so much

May I ask what plate you had that went for so much?

My name is Ellis and I got EL15 AMG for my C63s amg for £900 haha. Bargain

I plan on keeping the car so you’re right on it being an investment I guess. Not many are knocking about with red and Creme and plenty of carbon.

There is one but it’s £4K more than the next nearest best one but has 3 x the miles at 7k.

I’ve found a great 458 but zero carbon. I could get a lot of the interior wrapped. I’d just need to find a carbon wheel for the 458 🙏

[tigertiger12]

adamellisdj said:

What a bloody great reply. Thanks so much

May I ask what plate you had that went for so much?

My name is Ellis and I got EL15 AMG for my C63s amg for £900 haha. Bargain

I plan on keeping the car so you’re right on it being an investment I guess. Not many are knocking about with red and Creme and plenty of carbon.

There is one but it’s £4K more than the next nearest best one but has 3 x the miles at 7k.

I’ve found a great 458 but zero carbon. I could get a lot of the interior wrapped. I’d just need to find a carbon wheel for the 458 ??

That's a great plate you have, the value in the plate only relevant to the potential buyer, one person may laugh it off as worthless for obvious reasons but i'm sure the value to yourself far far more than what you paid. Ben may not give you £500 but Eli's husband may offer you £2500 to put the perfect plate on his wife, girlfriend or mistresses car! Also a black screw cap in the right place makes up for the apostrophe in Eli's. Again it also depends on how much money the person has. I bought well over 5 plates and this was over 10 years ago. The 458 plate I bought alone (as it was the most i spent on one plate so stopped) and only a few years back. I still have 2 left but broke even without selling the 458 plate which put me into profit. I had numerous offers but rejected them all. I ended up selling for what I wanted but it took a fair amount of time. I had one guy chase me for almost 3 years for a plate for a 911. He gave me story after story, trying to justify his offer even telling me what I paid as I bought from a DVLA auction so he could look up the price, however the price was without the auction fee or VAT which add up to a good %. I did inform him of this politely but also stated my selling price would be different to my purchase price as in an investment is usually the case. I also asked if he ever quoted purchase prices at a supermarket when he goes shopping! Then one day he contacted me again and said he was ready to buy, he said he had saved up and was ready to make payment in a couple of weeks. I had increased the price since his last enquiry as I do so every 5 years to add on the renewals which then was once a year, it is every 10 years now but informed him I would keep the price the same as when he originally enquired. He then emailed a week or two later to tell me his engine blew up and he didn't need the plate anymore as it was useless to him!! This was clearly a lie, his finance was over and he maybe sold the car for something else, he was clearly struggling financially as the plate was actually very cheap, under £5k. I put the price up by another £1000 and out of the blue without any questions someone bought the plate, it turned out it was someone who owned a well known company who loved 911's and money was not an issue. So hold out if you intend to sell, you can always keep it for sale as it's on your vehicle and if the right amount comes along, take it if you are happy. Don't be put off by silly offers or what someone to whom the plate means nothing says. There are many high value AMG's it could go on.

I would rather not say the registration of the plate as there are some articles on the internet about it as the sale was live tweeted and shared. Also, I made another thread in the 570S section as I was looking to purchase a cheap supercar, the Mclaren 570s. I saw one at a main dealer but it had numerous misaligned panels so I decided to switch or enquire about the huracan. This caused a couple of people to bully me claiming I was a 'dreamer' and pick at my thread with no evidence! It was obvious and a couple of people did stick up for me but a number of other Mc owners jumped in with lashings of jealousy against lambo's. When I looked into a number of these people it was clear they were not in a good financial position and i'm far from rich, so this was a bit contradictory but they were wrong about every point they made but could not see this either! I stopped replying as it was off topic but they didn't. I was surprised, it wasn't what I expected but then I saw many threads like this from the same people getting involved in arguments here. So sadly i'd rather not identify the plate as It would link to my others and other things about me and it's just not worth it to me, I always try to be polite. I'm not the only one and others on the huracan thread I made also made references to Mac guys on here. Also I believe the message system on ph gives your email address to the other person, i'm not sure as i'm new but it seems to so be careful after all you're looking to buy a beautiful car.

I do think the carbon interior is important on the 458, especially the steering wheel, the feel is great and I have carbon steering wheels on most of my cars. Also wrapping the interior is fine but better if the carbon F steering wheel come with the car and is on the spec sheet from the original purchase. Any potential buyer in the future will check this, Also Ferrari dont like it when you 'mess' or improve their cars! If you can hang on as much as you can or go for a car that is slightly more with the right carbon f parts, at least steering wheel. I think the 458 will go down in history for ferrari if fuel cars are banned and they will never stop selling fuel or stop it's availability completely, just for the masses, manufacturing and industry will always need fuel or at least will take much longer to change to electric. The noise and reliability made me switch to the huracan. I believe their was a problem with early 458's but this was fixed and some were recalled for an update which you may want to check has been carried out but i'd be surprised if this has not been done to all 458's now. It was only a small number of the early ones. Also 4.5 litre n/a is probably similar to run as the 3.9 t turbo 488. At town speeds the 488 would be slightly more economical, but not by much. Also 4.5 litre is not bad especially when you have a C63 which is basically an alcoholic. No malice to you or the car intended.

Sorry for my long reply, again!

Good luck

[7GJR]

https://youtu.be/i6jAD2p9Q2o

A little fact-checking is required, but a fun comparison nonetheless.

Also, you will survive without a camera, and carbon. I had carbon everywhere in my 599 HGTE and it ended up being a pain as it was so shiny.

Horses for courses. Not sure I’d be able to decide between them without piloting both.

G

[slow_1]

I've driven both models extensively and my preference would be the 488 - just feels a much better car in my opinion with much better brakes! I'd also go for the sports seats!

[WCZ]

458 every time.

[ANOpax]

adamellisdj said:

My bug bear is age and old tech.

Sound is a BIG deal to me, but so is speed. I want it to feel like a supercar

WHAT DO I DO???

Simple. Buy an 812SF.

Bang up to date tech, newer car, faster and miles better V12 sound. What's not to like?

Plenty of them around as owners trade in for the 812 GTS so you should be able to snag a decent finance deal.

[tigertiger12]

after more thought...
458 for me:

Very possible future classic, will go down in classic Ferrari history, will always be spoken about
Last of the non-turbo engines
Many Ferrari's are now front engine to give more space for rear seats
Mid-engine race car layout
458 race pedigree, has proven race track record
That sound
Fast
beautiful interior and exterior
modern for it's age

out of the two I always end up back at the 458

[Lynxjock]

Been watching the market for a year now, I have just bought a 458 spider, the 488 values are dropping quick quickly whilst a good 458 is holding better ( IMO ) I believe the quick succession of new models with V8 bi turbo engines will mean these models will continue to drop in line with age and mileage whilst I believe a good 458 is a much better option for holding price, I was offered a launch edition 488 spider for 150K with 10’000 miles so I can see the 488 follow the huracan model, Lambo produced too many new models too quickly and you can pick up an early huracan now around £100K so for me buy the best 458 you can, mine can stream music from my iPhone with a £100 Bovee adapter so that covers the music, if you can a 458 spider I think will be better value holder in time

[adamellisdj]

Here are the 2 I am looking at and I have to say the 458 is the best I have seen. It is expensive, but it has some rare options (Race Seats, literally every bit of carbon you can have, almost, Cruise control) and is 2014 with a fair amount of miles.

458
2014
6k miles
2 owners
2-year warranty
£156 is what they will accept

Racing Seats / Full Carbon / Front and Rear Parking Sensors / Cruise Control / Electric Seats

Video presentation - https://video.citnow.com/vt2HM1P90hK

--

488
2018
4k miles
1 owner
2-year warranty + Free servicing until 2025
£166,000 is what they will accept


Ful Carbon / Front and Rear Parking Sensors / Cruise Control / Rear Camera / Electric Seats

Video presentation- https://video.citnow.com/vtfQdpQMfnG



--

Edited by adamellisdj on Friday 5th February 09:04

Edited by adamellisdj on Friday 5th February 09:16

Edited by adamellisdj on Friday 5th February 09:18

[Jonny TVR]

I bought a 488 GTB last October and I love it. However I am starting to wonder whether I should have gone for a 458 as the 488 has already depreciated quite a bit. I still would have had the same level of fun in both but with one I wouldn't have been looking over my shoulder at the dreaded depreciation. I'm thinking of selling my 488 and having a complete change to move to a Performante. This will also depreciate but not by as much and then there is that N/A v10! I think Lamborghini are going down the right route with hybrid none turbo cars in the future, you can still get that N/A buzz. Ferrari Turbo route I'm not sure about. At least I still have my N/A testarossa ... but then there is the argument over injection/ carbs!

[adamellisdj]

Jonny TVR said:

I bought a 488 GTB last October and I love it. However I am starting to wonder whether I should have gone for a 458 as the 488 has already depreciated quite a bit. I still would have had the same level of fun in both but with one I wouldn't have been looking over my shoulder at the dreaded depreciation. I'm thinking of selling my 488 and having a complete change to move to a Performante. This will also depreciate but not by as much and then there is that N/A v10! I think Lamborghini are going down the right route with hybrid none turbo cars in the future, you can still get that N/A buzz. Ferrari Turbo route I'm not sure about. At least I still have my N/A testarossa ... but then there is the argument over injection/ carbs!

Hi mate. Keep the 488 if you have a Testarossa

Are you in the UK?

I bet the 488 sounds poor compared to the Testarossa ha

[ANOpax]

The crema over rosso carpets look great on 80s and 90s Ferraris but they don't suit the modern cars IMO. So that woud instantly rule out the 488 for me.
The 458 carries on the crema over rosso theme but at least the rosso is on the outside so that would be my pick.

Given that you've got a 80s/90s crema/nero over rosso thing going on, and an 812 is outside your budget, take a look at This

And This

And This

And This

[adamellisdj]

ANOpax said:

The crema over rosso carpets look great on 80s and 90s Ferraris but they don't suit the modern cars IMO. So that woud instantly rule out the 488 for me.
The 458 carries on the crema over rosso theme but at least the rosso is on the outside so that would be my pick.

Given that you've got a 80s/90s crema/nero over rosso thing going on, and an 812 is outside your budget, take a look at This

And This

And This

And This

Ahhh I love red. So much that if I get the 458 I will be getting some custom mats and red seatbelts haha. Horses for courses hey.

Hate the look of the F12 tbh.

458 or 488 for me.

I am buying this car for me, for NOW, for fun, but one always does ponder about the value if I was to sell..

I do think the 458 on a late plate with that account of carbon, F/R sensors, Race seats + Cruise will hold much much better than a 488.

I come to the conclusion that I feel the 458 would be a car for life whereas the 488 would maybe not.

I am leaning towards the F458 as I can always sell it later down the line for a 488 or whatever else I want. I have had 2 turbo cars (m4/c63s) and I want the n/a.

I now just need to drive them both. That is truly the only way I can fully decide.

Edited by adamellisdj on Friday 5th February 09:33

[Jonny TVR]

ANOpax said:

The crema over rosso carpets look great on 80s and 90s Ferraris but they don't suit the modern cars IMO.

Agree