2017 Ferrari 488 Spider Consumer Reviews

This car as not given me any problems but I needed to get rid of it because I needed a 4 seat car . This car was very fun to drive while I had it and it was perfect.

We previously had a F360 F1 Spider and a 2020 Portofino. The 360 was too much of a toy and the delicious howl of the engine freaked my wife out whenever I got a little overly enthusiastic (lol). The Portofino was much more refined, including modern features such as BlueTooth and GPS Nav, but the look and ergonomics just weren't our cup of tea. And then we ran across the 2017 488 Spider. Blue Corsa with a black wrap treatment to the green house and engine covers, plus some discrete carbon fiber touches. She was flat-out gorgeous. But I still had to test drive her. The test did not take long. Ergonomics are superb. Forward and side visibility is excellent (Blind Side Warnings would still be very much appreciated though). The view of the hood sloping away and the raised fenders is intoxicating. And she is so refined. In automatic mode, with the manettino switch in "Sport" and "Bumpy Road" engaged, the transmission shifts smoothly, and if you drive her "normally" there are no surprises. The car can be totally effortless to drive. Want to set your hair on fire? Switch to "Race" and push the "Auto" button, placing the transmission into Flappy-Paddle mode, and hang on. The engine revs so quickly that it's had to avoid the rev limiter in 1st (almost impossible) or 2nd gears. Hit the rev limiter in third? Ease off the throttle and wipe the grin off your face. In 4th? Might as well just pull over and collect your speeding ticket! It all happens QUICK. Handling is rock steady, glued-to-the-ground confidence inspiring. The brakes are best described by someone who said, "If you stomp on the brakes, you'll think it had begun to rain, but the water on the windshield is actually the tears ripped off your eyeballs!". Bring your A-game with you if intend to take a 488 to its limits. Oh - and it has an automatic Formula 1 Drag Reduction system that knows "not" to activate if it senses that the roads might be icy. How cool is that? She's comfortable - I spent an entire day in her without so much as an itch. With the minimal center console, the interior really feels spacious. Compared to the claustrophobic Corvette C8, the 488's interior feels like an arena. The standard stereo is actually pretty decent. I can't see the value in paying an exorbitant amount for the JBL stereo upgrade (JBL? Really? C'mon Ferrari. You're kidding me, right?). The retractable rear window provides good wind protection when top-down, and with the top up, you can retract the window to listen to the engine (a sweet touch). Overall, it's quite a civil environment for a long trip too. Prior to the 488, the greatest GT I ever owned was an '03 Jaguar XKR Coupe. It may still be the best GT ever, but where the XKR was more GT than sports car, the 488 leans the opposite way. It is absolutely a GREAT sports car, but it's also a very suitable GT. How great a sports car is she? I don't know yet. Despite having raced some small roadsters years ago, none of them compared to the mass and power of the 488. I'll wait for a track day (and an INSTRUCTOR!) before I explore the limits of this fabulous car. Trust me: You definitely want one.

you should get this car