Wholesale auction data suggests ~$13K incremental depreciation after 2 years.

Personally, I'd do a quick analysis on cost difference between the two options (including maintenance, insurance, etc.) and decide if it's worth it to you. But my guess is there is not much savings when you factor in depreciation and insurance on the C300.

Then I'd consider personal preference. Personally, I might get C300 even if minimal cost difference. It'll make 911 more special when you drive and I like driving other cars (makes me appreciate 911 more).

 

That's OK, we can be pretty tolerant (on good days).

 

The 911 doesn't feel special to me, no matter how often or little I drive.

Nice car, but not special.

 

A used 991.1, say 40k mile 2013 C2S, will lose around $2500 in value per year, plus another $3000 per 10k miles driven. Say $6500 if the driver is doing 13,000 miles a year.

I am 100% certain that my parents pay $655 a month to lease a Grand Cherokee. As a lease is a measure for straight-up depreciation, their Grand Cherokee costs more than a 911! Sure, they could buy a Camry, but most nicer $40-50k new cars will depreciate at the same rate, or more quickly, than a late model used 911. Heck, a 997.2 is one of the cheapest cars around; virtually no depreciation outside of mileage driven, and very reliable.

Sure, I could buy a used Civic for $8,000 and it would be about the cheapest thing going. But, if I were looking into some sort of $45,000 sedan (BMW 530i?), I would be a fool to buy it over a used 911, unless I needed real back seats. Friends have owned BMW's in the past: they are certainly depreciation anchors. Even "special edition" M cars do not hold value, until they drop down into the 20's. An E46 M3 is a lot of car for $23k however!

It seems that only Porsche enthusiasts have done the numbers. I would have had to insure any car, and 911's are particularly cheap; a WRX costs a lot more!

Last year, I bought a 991.1 for $54k in the fall, and sold it for $55,500 the following summer
2 years ago, I bought a 997.2 for $45,500 in the spring, and sold it for $47,000 in the fall
3 years ago, I bought a 991 for $78k in the spring, and sold it for $75,500 in the fall.

Basically, I can break even driving these cars, excluding the costs that any car would incur (insurance, which is cheaper on a 911 than, say a WRX), gas, and financing costs.

Perhaps I could break even on a Camry as well. But, who doesn't want to drive a 911 over a Camry?

If one figures $3,000/10k miles driven, a bad-weather cheap car makes a lot of sense (lowest depreciation vehicles on the planet are Toyota 4-Runners). Get one for bad weather; it will come close to offsetting what you would have lost driving the 911 in weather that won't allow you to enjoy the car (or damage the car, such as winter weather with debris and salt on the road).

 

Try daily-ing a 20-year old pickup for 6 months, and then get back in the 911!

 

Drive it daily and enjoy it. When it wears out, if ever, buy another one.
I drove my first 1965 911 for 130,000 miles before getting my 1974 911 with 385,000 miles on it now . . . and my third 911, my 2015 Carrera S with 39,700 miles on it already.
Porsches make great daily cars.

 

And apparently raised without any hair?

This is an interesting thread and, predictably, aligned into few main camps, drive it as much as you can, hoard miles, not special if driven daily, etc.

I've chosen not to daily mine because i don't want to drive it in the winter and parking at work is a bit stressful, my DD has the dings and scratches to prove it.
Car ownership is a losing proposition so I wouldn't let the mileage bother me however I find both ownership extremes frustrating, salty/snowy roads and garage queens...

To each their own...

 

Part of the equation is also the type of commute. In LA, I was getting in/out of the clutch 15-20 times just on the on-ramp to the highway. It's taken me 2 hours to go 40 miles on the 405. One of my friends actually had to get an automatic because she was developing knee issues from using the clutch so much in her 3-series. Say you're in the car pool lane, you have to look out for any manner of crap in the lane which various from pieces of tire to ladders that fall off peoples' work trucks. And the occasional mirror getting knocked off by the few reckless people on motorcycles lane splitting (I ride and lane split too, but am very cautious and have never nicked a mirror in 12 years). And there's always the risk of getting rear-ended because people can't put their phones down; four of my friends have gotten rear-ended on the highway in stop and go traffic. And the road quality sucks. If the roads were smooth, maybe a bit twisty with less traffic, it's a different equation.

 

Its been tangentially mentioned, but a big issue is what happens when you get there, not what do you drive there. If your job has any downsides to people seeing what you drive then its not worth the 911.
I DD my 911 but still feel that the plumber jacks up an estimate 20% if he sees it parked on the driveway.

 

LOL exactly what I was going to say!

That said regarding the 911, I'd drive it just because they are paying for the depreciation.

 

Who gives a crap what "other people in the office think". We all made choices that got us to a point where owning something like a 911 is possible. If you earned it, enjoy and **** on the envy. I'm sure there is a story behind your road to ownership. Share, it doesn't need to sound like bragging.

And besides, 911's aren't the most expensive vehicles around, especially something as a CPO or used. If someone wants one, they aren't that far out of reach.

 

 

Hahaha.... Yup. The best one was just after sunset going north on the 405 in Fountain Valley and there was a beach cruiser bicycle in the #2 lane. That was fun dodging. I did run into/over a paint can once in my DD. That's what I get for following too closely behind a brodozer with plenty of ground clearance.

 

I couldn't daily in LA traffic - there would be no point. I do "daily" mine but I don't drive everyday and when I go to OC from San Diego it is usually only an hour and ten minutes for a 65 mile commute. I won't go up on Fridays because then my commute home is 2 hours, and that is still not nearly the commute you guys have to deal with going to LA.

 

The GTI was a great idea.
Got a 2018 GTI Sport manual for 20K. Will use my GTS Mon, Fri and weekends and the GTI in between.
That GTI is not as much fun as the GTS, but it is a a fun car I still enjoy.