If you found a 991s for $55k, I'd buy it immediately, unless it's a salvage title? What do you know about the car? Car that cheap HAS to have stories or super high miles. Remember, if you are getting the manual with the sport Chrono for the rev matching, it was not on the earliest cars (2012.5).

 

Two different driving cars. Obviously, you need to choose the one you like better. For 997.1 beware of IMS issue.
As for 991 Ss if you can get one in 55k range in good condition with decent mileage it's a steal. I spent weeks hunting 991.1 MT. Finding 997 MT is much easier. Good luck

 

 

 

Don't know how many miles you usually put on a car but the dealers are offering a 2 year unlimited mile warranty on some of the higher milage pre-owned cars.

Might be worth 2K more then a private sale unless the private sale includes the remaining CPO warranty.

 

I sold my 997 (2007) Targa and bought a 991.1 Cab. Both had automatic transmission ...No doubt that the 991.1 is much better than the 997. Both cars were non S.... The ride is better, the engine sounds better, little more luxurious, better style....Spend the money...buy


a 991.1
Abe

 

I would compare a 997.2 2009 or newer versus the 991.1. 2009 had better fuel injection; not really an IMS issue. Can be loads of fun for your purpose.

 

My only issue with the 997, and it's the reason I didn't pursue them any further, is that the interior is looking extremely dated already. Just my own opinion.

If I didn't care about the interior, I'd save the money and have a 997.2 personally. This way, you avoid the IMS isses.

All that said, some folks, myself included, feel the 996 and 997.1 are going to start appreciating in value in the next few years as people start to realize how much of a bargain they are now.

 

Good question. I have owned both!

I have seen higher mileage 991 models in the low to mid 50's. These cars are rock solid.

997.1 is a much older car, and not as much in demand as the 997.2. They are still losing value, albeit only perhaps $2k/year. 997.2 are holding steady or increasing. The 997.2 is the best bet not to depreciate right now: it is rightfully viewed as a budding classic. GTS values are climbing and those cars, in a manual coupe, are nearly impossible to find now. The 997.2 wasn't produced in high numbers due to the great recession.

Reliability on either the 997.2 or 991 should be similar. I wouldn't shy away from a high-mile car. Plenty of people have easily 120k on the odometer on their 997.2 and have had nothing but maintenance costs. 991 shares many of the same parts.

Here is where it gets tricky: both are incredible cars. Steering feel and "seat of the pants" fun leans toward the 997.2: it is a bit more raw, more rear-weight biased, a bit looser, and feels more old-school. Accelerating out of a corner allows one to feel the rear engine bias sit down and give traction at some point: the 991 is more full gas and accelerate immediately. The 991 is more buttoned down, smoother, faster, and more capable; it can be pushed harder. Looks are subjective, but from my opinion, the 991 looks more modern. 997 is classic porsche to an extent: rounder, more 993 lineage.

Interior; that is tough to say. The 991.1 looks a bit newer, but the 997 looks as it should: purposeful, functional. A friend who rode in my 2009 commented that it looked like it just was built last week. I disagree with the "dated" comment: it just looks clean and minimalist. As does the 991, albeit with a much different display.

If I were on a twisty back road on a weekend, I want the 997.2. Long road trip cruising at 110mph all day? 991. I recently did a 900 mile road trip in a 991 C2S, and it was perfect. The 997 isn't overly "firm" but it isn't the smooth, relaxing 991 ride either.

Impressing Porsche people? 997.2 (ideally GTS). Impressing the average person? 991, it looks expensive. Last time I was in Dallas, I saw several 911's. Seems like all of the women were in 991's, and the guys were in 997's or air-cooled cars.

It really is a toss-up. If you are on a budget though, get a clean, low-mile 997.2. You can't find more car for mid 50's. If you have up to $70k to spend, you can get a low mile 991, ideally with sport design kit and performance options. Just prepared to take more depreciation than the 997.2, for the simple fact that there are a lot more 991's for sale than 997.2 models. For looks alone, I think the GTS or 4S 991 with sport design kit is the best looking car outside of a GT3. But, there are some pretty incredible 997.2 models running around as well.

You can't go wrong.

 

As long as the car was not flogged with cold oil, or driven 1 mile per trip, you will be fine. These cars are pretty damn reliable. If you are going to drive it a lot, get something with 50k miles. No sense in paying 50 cents a mile in depreciation up front, when you could be paying 15 cents a mile later on. Even without a warranty, you are likely not to incur significant repair costs at higher mileage, and if something does go wrong (the rare PDK issue), it is usually electronics, not mileage, that result in the failure.

A wise person once told me that "it is almost always cheaper to keep a higher mileage car running than eat the depreciation on a low mileage car". It won't be hard to find a well cared for, clean 991 either: most Porsche people are meticulous, and a higher mile, say 5-year old car is likely to have mostly highway miles. Get the car from the guy with the 30-mile each way commute; that car won't have seen much wear and tear whatsoever, just steady driving at operating temps.

 

I've had both (997.1 C4 and a 991 C4). The 997 was very reliable, but at nearly 10 years old, things started to wear out. When I brought it in for service a few years ago, the dealership did their "free" inspection. They found about five or six things that needed to be replaced, all near 2K. I'm not a "do it yourselfer", and I'm sure that some of the things were BS, but I didn't want to deal with worrying about the normal aging of the car. Bought a 991 about a year later.

 

 

997.2 for track. It gets scratched or whatever who cares.