2014 Ferrari FF resembles minivan, but travels at 208 mph

So you say that all you want for the holidays is a Ferrari?

The first snowfall may change your mind, because few presents are as impractical as a Prancing Horse, especially when bad weather grounds it to the back of the garage. (Sadly, the insurance payments continue.)

And yet every rule has an exception, and I recently drove Ferrari’s: the FF coupe. On a weeklong test in late November, I braved snowstorms and gravel roads while carting around Thanksgiving groceries, a Christmas tree and even a baby.

This Ferrari isn’t like the others: The FF is as close to a minivan as the company is likely to get, albeit one with a claimed top speed of 208 miles per hour. Shaped like a futuristic hatchback, it has a long, slinky hood and slung-back cabin. It’s got two doors and four seats that comfortably fit adults, plus a highly usable trunk.

The FF even has all-wheel-drive, a first for the Maranello, Italy-based maker. Of course, practicality only goes so far: The base price of $302,450 rose to $375,087 with options. See? Still a Ferrari.

The car was first released as a 2012 model to mixed reviews. Some find it ugly, others odd. I first drove it in 2011 in the Italian Dolomites, but it’s the kind of vehicle best experienced at home, doing the stuff you regularly do, especially as the holidays approach. Run errands, ferry family, negotiate lousy weather.

Here’s how the week shook out.

My 15-month-old son is soon staring up through the massive sheath of perfect curved glass that makes up the roof, affording a great view of the New York City skyline. The panoramic roof is a brand new option to the 2014 model.

Some 100 easy miles later, we arrive. The suspension is forgiving over potholes, and the bucket leather seat seems like it was built to the specifications of my lower back. Refreshing. Glance at gas gauge. Need to refuel soon.

Shopping done, pack two frozen Butterballs and a dozen grocery bags into back hatch. A man approaches and asks, “How much?” When I tell him almost $400,000, he shakes his head. “Trust fund kid, huh?”

Take the long way back. Frozen turkeys clatter around under hard braking.

The car is stable, braking surely even in slush and patches of ice. The car has 20-inch wheels and all-season Pirelli tires. The heater also works well, something you might not have counted on years ago.

This isn’t the best handling Ferrari on the market -- those are the mid-engine cars like the 458 Italia -- but it is unquestionably still a Ferrari. It corners flatly, and you can blast through gear shifts. Need to refuel again.

Christmas, with all the attendant family and errands, is coming. I could really use another Ferrari.

THE 2014 FERRARI FF