NSX vs. Ferrari 328 GTS

[Eggman]

All,

I am having a major dillemma and would like your feedback. I am in love with two women, and not sure which I should go home with. ;-) The possible purchase date of anywhere between 6 and 12 months likely.

Comparing cars is simply full of opinions, and as such, there isn't really either a wrong/right opinion. However, I love both the 328 and the NSX. The only thing that is bothering me about the 328 is the possibility of reliability/maintenance problems. On the plus side, when it comes to the 328, they are generally regarded as the "Camry of Ferrari's" making the pill a little less difficult to swallow. And although I don't consider car purchases as investments, a properly maintained 328 might actually hold or make a little in the long run. They seem to have been doing pretty well.

I truly love the NSX too. I would realisticly get more seat time with the NSX than the Ferrari. Reliablity issues? Not a second thought. Price continuing to drop and the eventual infiltration of a more, shall we say, juvenile entourage of owners is concerning to me. I LOVE the idea of this group; mature as a rule.

So....shell out the comments. Help me! Remember - knowing that you need help is the first step....

Thanks in advance,
Chris

------------------
1994 300ZX TT
Stage VI+ (auto)
338 rwhp - 380 rwt

 

[David Allen]

It's my opinion that the 328 doesn't hold a candle to the NSX in any department.

------------------
David Allen
'00 Silverstone NSX-T
Comptech SC, Headers, Intake, Exhaust & a little Mark Basch tweakage

 

[nsxtasy]

I agree with David. Keep in mind the place of the 328 in Ferrari's recent evolution. Most of the Ferraristi I know readily acknowledge that the 308 and 328 were both crap, in terms of both reliability and performance. The 348 marked the first step on Ferrari's road to improvement in both these areas. The F355 is generally considered the equivalent of the NSX in performance, and the 360 Modena to have surpassed it. You often see comments comparing and contrasting the F355 or 360 to the NSX. It's very rare to see anyone compare the 328 to the NSX because the 328 isn't even in the same league.

If you are concerned about the market value of your car, get an early (1991-94) NSX. Their market value has been stable for the past 5-6 years.

 

[NetViper]

Here is a link that might really help make up your mind.
http://www.4car.co.uk/

Go to videos and pick the Ferrari 328. It puts a NSX vs a 328 and a porsche 911.

Personally, I have sat in both cars (but never driven the F-car). The NSX is SOOO much nicer inside. And there is no comparison in performance. Like Ken said, you pretty much have to go with a 355 to compare to even the older NSX's.

Good luck!

 

[David]

If you have driven any of the 308/328 series F cars hard, it is no comparison. The 328 is not quite as pig slow as a 308, but it just isn't a fast car. Also, they push (understeer) very hard and do not handle especially well. Add to that really poor ergonomics (the classic 'ciao sophia' seating and truck like steering wheel) and the cost of even a basic service and the Ferrari starts looking more and more like driveway jewelry.

 

[Jimbo]

Let's continue using the metaphor you started with.

You're in love with two women.

Both are equally stunning and attractive. One's Italian and one is Japanese.

The Japanese woman is impeccable. She doesn't come from a well-known family - or as least as well known as the Italian woman. She's exotic, reliable, polite and you could take her anywhere and feel comfortable. You can take her to the opera or the racetrack or even cross-country. In fact, she's so exotic looking that one time when you were out with her someone commented that she looked Italian or.... True, some would say she doesn't come from an exclusive family but she still has an interesting and fascinating background and who cares what other people think! Oh you might find a flaw with her if you looked real hard, like that small birthmark or her black hair (that some people don't like) but you would be nitpicking. She's also very affordable but you will need to buy her a fair amount of shoes.

The Italian woman comes from a very exclusive family. She is also very attractive and exotic looking. She's not quite as well kept and fastidious as the Japanese woman however. She also has a nasty drug habit. She's not reliable at all. Sometimes you can't even wake her in the morning. But she does come from an exclusive family so you put up with certain things because of what your friends and peers think. She's also very needy. Some would call her a high-maintenance woman.

-Jim

PS: And the Japanese woman is much much better where it counts....

------------------
1992 NSX Red/Blk 5 spd #0330
1991 NSX Blk/Blk Auto #3070 (Sold)
1974 Vette 454 4 spd Wht/Blk
Looking for 76-79 Honda Accords

[This message has been edited by Jimbo (edited 20 May 2002).]

[This message has been edited by Jimbo (edited 20 May 2002).]

 

[ilya]

Jimbo, props on the creative and well written comparison.

 

[nsxtasy]

Yes - especially the part about the shoes.

 

[ALLAN]

in my opinion, having owned both a 328gts, and a 308gts qv, and having put thousands of miles on both, reliability is not an issue. starting with the later 4 valves these cars are bullet proof. i in no way baby my cars and assure you, that i put both these cars through hell,( i have nitrous on a diablo for christs sake) raced them,beat them, and generally pounded the piss out of them. never failed me once. maintenance is not much more than the cost of an nsx or porsche, and actually many parts are cheaper. ie clutch kit is about 600bucks compared to about 1000 for an nsx. the a/c blows cold, although not as good as the nsx. nsx is more comfortable, and faster, although there are many small adjustments that can be made to these cars which greatly improve power to over that of an nsx. the ferraris engine sound is also unmatched by the nsx. from an investment standpoint, the 328 will be worth more than the testarossa and the 348 in the long run. their design is timeless.no doubt an nsx would make a better track car, but for a nice cruise, id take the ferrari anyday. the ferrari is the kind of car, that at the end of the day, you just have to take one last look at it before you go to bed, and the kind of car you just cant wait to get into in the morning. having owned 2 of these ferraris before, i have to say, i cant wait to get another. i dont believe id buy another nsx. as some others have pointed out by saying the 308 and 328 are slow pigs, id hardly consider the nsx to be fast either, as it will get blown away by just about anything out there today also. so if you havent guessed it yet, my opinion, ferrari all the way.

 

[frisbee54]

I've put many miles on a 308&328 I didn't have any reliability issues as the cars never gave me any problems but it was always in the back of my mind what will it cost me if it does break, I'd buy them with a fresh svc. done, and sell it half way till the next svc. was due as they are $,also when I drove those I used them as my daily driver but I was younger then, hell when I was a kid I used to sleep one the ground without a pad but I won't do that any more either,my tolerence levels and pain thresholds have decreased as I hit my 40's, so to make a long story short I really enjoyed my F cars but now they would be to slow & uncomfortable to go back to now.Doug

 

[dwdrake]

The 328 is a wonderful automobile. One that has been taken car of and has very low low milage is a special car to own. I have owned 2 328's and found them both to be a very emotionally fulfilling ride. These cars are dated and the power and speed stat are have been equalled by some very cheap cars that do not fill the bill in the gut. I had a 355...now that a much better sports car...the costs are high and maintance is out of sight. The 348 was not the change by Ferrari to solid cars. That award goes to the 355. True Ferrari fans consider the 348 the weakest Ferrari and a bad design. I LOVE the looks a feel of the 348. But in the end the NSX is the sportscar for me. It beat up Ferrari (along with a bad times of the the early 90's). The 348's simply did not move off the lots. They had to rush back to the design boards to make the 355 since the NSX crushed them. The only thing wrong with the NSX is that it does not have the Ferrari name. The Ferrari name is very powerful...it can not be denied. The NSX in the end is the over all best design...fits like a glove, smooth, balanced. The 360 is the better Ferrari which is finally better than the NSX. Honda is coming up to bat in the next inning. I think Honda will plan the next NSX to eat the 360.....DWDrake

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by ALLAN:
the kind of car, that at the end of the day, you just have to take one last look at it before you go to bed, and the kind of car you just cant wait to get into in the morning.

Sounds like a good description of the NSX.

Originally posted by ALLAN:
id hardly consider the nsx to be fast either, as it will get blown away by just about anything out there today also.

You're kidding, right?

Here is a list of all the cars under $100,000, current production models sold in North America, that can "blow away" the current NSX, stock vs stock:

Viper
Corvette Z06

That's it. Two cars, out of several hundred car models on the market.

If you want to look at cars that cost a whole lot more than the NSX, then you can add Ferrari, Lamborghini, and the 911TT to the list. Still not a whole lot of cars.

So the NSX can get "blown away" by just about anything except... just about anything.

 

[David]

Originally posted by frisbee54:
I've put many miles on a 308&328 I didn't have any reliability issues

You were lucky (it can happen - I had a bullet proof RX7). Every person I know who had a 308/328 for more than a few years got clobbered with expensive repairs. I drove a 600 hp turbo 328 that was a lot of fun, but that is the only one out of at least a dozen that impressed me at all. I just called Ferrari of Houston and they told me they would charge $18K to fully rebuild a 308 or 328 motor. That's half the cost of the car.

 

[ALLAN]

no, the nsx definately does not have the "look back at me one more time" appeal of the ferrari. sorry, but numerous camaros,corvette c5's,supras,mustang cobras,porsche 996's,993's,older turbos,rx7 twin turbos,and countless lightly modified jap "rice" cars will easily run with, if not outrun an nsx. again im not trying to put down the nsx, i own one, and these are real world experiences.

 

[prova4re]

Having owned a 308 328 testerrosa and now a 91 nsx its a tough call. If your looking to show off the F cars are the messuring stick that all cars compare to. But they do have there problems not as fast as they look its a shame to have such a nice car and get your ass kicked buy a mustang big price difference! They tend to break if you dont drive them and somr times they are pricey to fix my tr 15000 mile service 7890.00 to repace timming belts. But some of those guys are right a bout the late 308s as long as you have a quatrovalve you should be ok mine got 80000 miles bufore i sold it . the 328 is a great car as well better and more improved than the 308 just as fast as the nsx the only problem with the nsx is every one will ask you is that a Ferrari .

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by ALLAN:
no, the nsx definately does not have the "look back at me one more time" appeal of the ferrari.

That’s your opinion. I doubt that many people here would agree with it. I sure don’t.

Originally posted by ALLAN:
sorry, but numerous camaros,corvette c5's,supras,mustang cobras,porsche 996's,993's,older turbos,rx7 twin turbos,and countless lightly modified jap "rice" cars will easily run with, if not outrun an nsx. again im not trying to put down the nsx

Actually, it sounds like you are trying to put down the NSX. It is ridiculous to compare modded cars with stock cars. Anyone could just as easily make the same ridiculous statement about your Lambo: “A Camaro/Mustang/Supra/etc can be inexpensively modded to blow your Lamborghini away, so therefore your Lambo is slow and you were foolish to spend all that money to buy it blah blah blah.” Yeah, right. We’ve heard statements like that before (about the NSX), and we all know how silly those comparisons are. You can mod any car to be faster than any stock car around. This is not news and it does not mean that the stock car is slow.

Originally posted by prov4re:
the 328 is a great car as well better and more improved than the 308 just as fast as the nsx

A “great” car? Well, “great” is a matter of opinion. Most of the Ferrari owners I know would disagree with you. “As fast as the NSX”? Definitely, decidedly not, according to the magazine tests. Heck, even the more-powerful 348 which succeeded the 328 was significantly slower than the NSX; it only managed 6.0 seconds in 0-60 testing (Road & Track, September 1990), which is slower than any published test of an NSX, even the ones with automatic transmissions.

I think the biggest difference between the NSX and the Italian exotics is that I have yet to hear a single instance of a snobbish NSX owner going around a Lambo or Ferrari forum telling lies and talking smack.

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 21 May 2002).]

 

[Eggman]

Definitely some opinionated posts here. Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I suppose I should spend more time with the NSX and the NSX community for a more personal connection. I have only attended one NSX function (mini NSXpo a little while ago).

Chris.

------------------
1994 300ZX TT
Stage VI+ (auto)
338 rwhp - 380 rwt

 

[Pittsburgh Steeler Fan]

As the previous owner of four 911 Turbos, three NSXs, two Ferraris (328,348), a ZR-1, a Viper RT/10 and a Lotus Espirit V-8, I believe the question to be considered is this: Are you primarily interested in the driving experience or making a "fashion statement"? If the former is true, the NSX is the answer. If the latter takes primacy, buy the Ferrari.
BTW, Ken, you need to add the Espirit to the very short list of cars (Viper, Z06) capable of defeating the NSX in 0-60 and 1/4 mile runs.

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by Eggman:
I suppose I should spend more time with the NSX and the NSX community for a more personal connection. I have only attended one NSX function (mini NSXpo a little while ago).

Chris, you might want to consider coming to NSXPO 2002, which will be held by the NSX Club in the DFW Metroplex November 6-10.

 

[hendu]

IMO, the only thing better about the 328 is the little tag that says FERRARI, however, to a lot of people (including me) that little tage is HUGE. I say the NSX is the BETTER car, but if you want a Ferrari then get a Ferrari. I don't think you will say "gee I really wish I would have bought the NSX" you might say "I hate this piece of crap, why in God's name didn't I buy the Honda" but that will go away once the car is back from the shop

-Mike

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1994 Red/Black NSX #418
Forums Nazi Groupie

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by Pittsburgh Steeler Fan:
BTW, Ken, you need to add the Espirit to the very short list of cars (Viper, Z06) capable of defeating the NSX in 0-60 and 1/4 mile runs.

Not according to the magazines. Test numbers for the current V8 Esprit (not Espirit) are the same as the current NSX (usually around 4.6 for 0-60, thirteen even in the quarter). BTW, the same is also true of the BMW Z8.

 

[cojones]

I'd suggest you compare:
- 348 with 3.0L NSX
- 355 with 3.2L NSX

Looks are pretty subjective, suffice to say both look good. And can be improved with $$ aftermarket enhancements ($$$$ for the Ferrari).

NSX has edge in build quality and consistency, reliability and cost of ownership, as well as ergos, comfort and everyday driveability. Although the 355 comes close. Italian leather sure smells good.

Performance? I believe the 355 is marginally quicker, but not by much. A cash-ectomy can take you anywhere, but most F-car-specific mods cost at least 2-3x those for the NSX.

Owner groups of both marques both seem to be fun-loving, dedicated enthusiasts, etc etc..

Ferrari undeniably has "marque cache"... so how much of THAT you want to factor in will undoubtedly influence your selection/position... my badge-independent choice is the NSX.

################

Now the 360 Modena / Spyder -- completely different class IMO. Time for Honda to step up to the plate.

[This message has been edited by cojones (edited 21 May 2002).]

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by cojones:
I'd suggest you compare:
- 348 with 3.0L NSX

NSX wins. Easily.

Originally posted by cojones:
- 355 with 3.2L NSX

Very close in most respects.

Which should tell you where the 328 stands.

 

[POWERED by HONDA]

Originally posted by ALLAN:
no, the nsx definately does not have the "look back at me one more time" appeal of the ferrari. sorry

I'm the complete opposite. I bought my NSX from a Lotus dealer that clearly has more Lambo's and Ferrari's than NSX's or Lotus'! I didn't care too much for the Lambo's or Ferrari's, I drooled at the Blue NSX that I eventually bought.

 

[ALLAN]

yeah, i could see why you wouldnt care much for the lambos, ferrari and lotus's and drool over a blue nsx! lol