Sundog1983

Thanks again for all the feedback. One final thought -- w/ tax + fees + warranty, seems like it could get above 70K. For a 2013 I think this is too high based on the feedback here / discussions w/ others and I could perhaps spend 10K more to get a newer car.. Another issue I have is that current 911 leases are going for 36 months w/ residual @ 60%. Original MSRP for this vehicle was 105K so by this argument isn't it priced too high being 7 years old (~60% = residual on 3 year lease)? I'm thinking of asking for 60-65K for everything inclusive (tax = 7.5% in CA /title/registration + 5 yr warranty). They were offering 5 yr warranty for 5K. Just want to make sure deal is reasonable before committing..

Thanks!

subwoofer

I would spring for a newer car, 2-3 years old max and get rid of it after 5 years. A seven year old 911 will be a money pit especially one with no documented service history. All cars start falling apart after 6-7 years and repairs are very expensive with Porsches. If I had 60k to spend and wanted a Porsche sports car, I would look at a used Cayman S Boxster S.

Bob Z.

The general rule, which I would apply in your case, is buy the newest car you can afford and it seems if you can spend $80k move on as there are many real nice ones out there for that price.

3Series

1. Is the Carfax report w/ missing service history a red flag? No, same as the other guy, I service on my own or use a good indy.
2. I am indeed planning to have a mechanic do a PPI, any recommendations on this? IMO, have a body shop look over it. Mechanical PPI's are overated. The big stuff can't be seen, I don't need a mechanic to check the brakes, tires etc...easy stuff.
3. They are offering warranties around 5K, is this something good to get on a 911? No.
4. Any advice on buying from a dealer? (pricing / things to ask / ...) especially given details above on asking price / kbb value? No, just offer what you want to pay. They will work with you. In general, dealers price in a $10k premium on these cars from what they bought it at.
5. I do have a 2 year old child / have another sedan to take her places, but if needed, is a booster/rear seat practical in a 911? No, not for a 2yr old. A 2 yr old should be in a front facing car seat with a harness, not a booster. With that said, there are plenty of boosters that fit the rear seat. I don't know of any harnessed car seats that fit securely and easily into the rear seat. Maybe one exists, if it does I'll bet it's a PIA to install and remove.

titan7

Wow, I certainly hope this is not the case with 911s, at least I have not seen this reported, here.

Bob Z.

It's not...not sure where that came from! All cars are built much better in the last 15 years and Porsches are better than average.

subwoofer

I just have more realistic expectations from a car, a machine. Even if reliable initially, parts do get worn out and typically I have seen issues crop up at the 6-7 mark in the cars that I owned. Nothing lasts forever and Porsches are not exempt. Transmissions, suspensions, cooling and heating systems, electronics, water pumps, belts, turbos, lights, brakes, interior and exterior trim etc. all wear out. And replacing any on a 911 is a bunch of money. It is a high performance car so I expect more and faster wear. Maybe I am being pessimistic. I would not spend 60k on a 7 year old 911. Price of entry may be low but not maintenance costs are not and major repairs will come much sooner. Unless the car is a garage queen. Mine gets driven all year round in New England.

Sundog1983

So sad to say the car was sold right after I reached out to the dealer again I guess @Bob Z. was right about dilly dallying

Anyways I learned a lot from this and will continue to monitor car sites for offerings. Also if anyone has a 911 (manual cab) they want to sell, please contact me

Rich_Jenkins

Good luck on your search.

Have you driven a '17-'19 i.e. the 991 Gen II version with the twin turbos? At least to me I should imagine the driving experience is fundamentally different. In full disclosure, I have never driven an 991.1. But I went from a '14 981CS with the NA 3.4L motor to a '17 CPO 991.2 base model. Both with MT. The entire character of the two cars was night and day different. My Cayman would scoot, but you had to keep it on the boil to make brisk progress. The 991.2 seems to feel lazier due to the T grunt low down, but you find yourself going 0 to OMG! very rapidly indeed.

In my case, I could swing a used 911 in the 80's, so I searched nationwide and found a CPO, MT 991.2 in an acceptable color (GT Silver, Black interior), with SC (these were my *must have* options). It also came with a bunch of other stuff I could have lived without, but was nice to have (Bose, memory, PDLS, Sunroof, heated/cooled seats, colored crests, etc.) but honestly I'd have been quite happy with a base C2 with 7MT and Sports Chrono. I had to fly to JFK and get a rental car to the dealer in Long Island to test drive it. We bought it on the spot and drove it home to Tampa.

Thing is on these cars, the used market is littered with examples; but Porsche being such an individual taste car in the US, the chances of finding one "to your spec" are going down every day as the market moves on. So, if you do see one with the configuration you want, you need to be ready to move. Porsche dealers know this which I guess is why they are a little dearer than the used market. In my case I felt that CPO was a good idea; as I now have a '17 with a four year warranty, effectively. But did I overpay? I dunno. It was a lot, but I am extremely happy with the car. And life is short, so why the hell not.

Sundog1983

@Rich_Jenkins thanks for the great feedback. The issue I am seeing is that there are a decent number of vehicles that pop up in searches but they are all in Florida / New Jersey / New York while I'm in California. I follow your logic though and will expand my search and consider going up in price. I have not tried the 991 gen 2 w/ twin turbos, looking forward to trying it out.

sr5959

It’s very likely you may have to buy from a different part of the country when you find the right car. Don’t let this stop you. I did it for the first time buying my first 911 recently and the process of flying out there to check it out then having it shipped was actually quite good fun, and a good learning experience.

991.1GTS

haha - they are everywhere, just not where we want them to be. I live in Florida and flew to San Francisco to get mine ...

Dgags

I’m surprised nobody mentioned the lack of Sports Chrono. My 2013 base didn’t have it... but I thought it was an option? Traded it in for a 2013 S with manual and like having the SC.

Rich_Jenkins

Quite honestly I would never buy another Porsche MT car without Sports Chrono. Besides all the other features SC has, the auto rev-matching on down shifts has to be the awesomest capability ever. I mean, it is *perfect*, every time. I love it.

SpeedZ

Ahh that's too bad! I also live in the bay area and have a 2013 991.1 Carrera Manual. Fun car

I thought I'd want that, but I've gotten really good at just revmatching myself and its more fun that way too

I got my Carrera last year for 57.5k with 27k miles in the Bay Area. Already put 12k miles on it in 10 months beautiful car and I love the thing. I just got the SOUL exhaust and headers put on it yesterday too and loving them as well, that NA engine sound is incredible.