gforcealt

@E39to911 You're right about the "tinny" feeling of the 991. Coming from a long line of BMW M cars, that tinny feeling is what I like the least about my GTS. It's not just in how the doors shut, but also in the road noise transmitted into the cabin. I think you just have to come to terms with it. 991s are not as good of a road trip car as an M4 or any of the M sedans, and occasionally, for this reason (and the lack of interior space), I find myself pining over a new M4. But, the current M car "nostrils" have kept me away! The driving dynamics of the rear engine, however, are interesting and what keep me engaged. My GTS is just a different beast than the Ms that preceded it.

To @asellus point about smells, this is another thing I noticed when I started spending time around Carreras. It is definitely a thing, and most noticeable when you park it in the garage after a hard or long drive. I, personally, can't smell it from within the vehicle, so it doesn't bother me.

I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but you may also notice the Ackerman effect - a scrubbing noise from the front tires on tight turns (like when parking), especially when cold. It's another Carrera thing you just come to terms with and learn to explain to uninitiated passengers.

Lee Rambler

the new front end design is what drove me away from BMW (to audi, and now porsche)

WJGreer

I have a second home about 2 hours from my main house; I just drove my 911 up there last week for the first time having had it almost 3 years! I'm usually carrying materials up and back, so I needed the right combination of circumstances to take the Porsche and it finally came up.

I'm going to agree with you about the 911 as a road trip car. Driving mine all the way up I-70 to and from the Vail Valley was, frankly, exhausting. These cars are sprinters, not long distance runners. With a free iPhone app I measured about 72db average over good quality pavement, far louder over worn asphalt. I was alone; it really would not have worked well for conversation with another person. Enjoyable to drive, for sure - I know every turn on Vail Pass having driven it so many times because I have to be careful about speed in my Tahoe. With the 911, you can let it go however fast it wants to down the hill, it doesn't break a sweat. But getting to that point is a whip, no other way to put it.

I don't think it's a fault of the car, it's deliberate. They simply avoided using a lot of sound deadening material to save weight. You can actually hear the lack of it in the wheel wells whenever you drive over loose gravel - an astounding amount of noise from that alone comes into the cabin as it bounces off the inside of the wheel wells. To say nothing of the roar from the 315 width summer tires. And the suspension is what it needs to be in order to serve the primary purpose of the car - which gives you a fair beating given the terrible I-70 road conditions and 2+ hours of that is a lot.

Nothing wrong with build quality though. I did address an annoying little rattle in the drivers side seatbelt assembly but aside from that mine is very solid.

But sadly it's not a great car to drive on long trips in the mountains. Which is in part what I bought it for.

Atheist

Every vehicle that can provide a variety of benefits is a compromise. BMW has compromised some performance to provide a blend of room, luxury and performance. Just as every 911 on the street is a compromised GT3RS. Just as a Panamera has compromised performance to add luxury and room for 4 adults. While the compromises may be small, the weight of compromises just add up. When it comes to purchasing any performance car, especially one used on the street, one must decide what is most important and accept the compromises that come with it. Don't like road noise? Get a heavier car with more insulation and smaller tires. You have to give something up to get something else. It appears the OP is just valuing some things more than others but insinuating that road noise, and weight reduction is related to build quality. Porsche has made 911s in so many variants in an effort to allow buyers to pick and choose the features most important. Build quality is superior to BMW as I have had numerous of both and can attest. One is not necessarily better than the other depending on the priorities of the owner. If the desire is to have a high performance luxury with the quiet heavy build of a bank vault, may I suggest the highest performance Bentley coupe? Don't want to pay $450K your gonna have to compromise. Even at almost a half million $ the Bentley isn't getting through a canyon as fast or going to have the feel of driving a Turbo S and the Turbo S isn't going to have the feel of a GT3RS. I would not however make a 911 decision based on one test drive. I was on the fence. I loved the 2016 911 GTS with MT but for my daily driver I compromised a bit for a 991.2 with PDK. While I didn't feel performance was compromised, certainly potential resale, the engagement of the MT, and some of the intoxicating sound may have been. But those compromises also came with a few advantages better suited to my usage, driving habits and the choice is not about what is better but what is better for me. Sometimes the car that is a better match for someone is not a 911 or even a Porsche.

ddolbi

I owned 964, 993, 928gts and numerous BMWs include e39. There's few reasons contributing perception of 991 fit, finish and build quality against older Porsches I guess. First one is frameless door. Most frameless doors are just not as solid as framed doors. Tesla model Y I currently own is miles worse than 991 doors and most frameless doors are just crap when you close the door. 991 is about average at best in this regard. I own a 22 yr old e46 and it shuts door with more solidity than either Porsche or Tesla that doesn't mean BMW is more solidly built. Also aluminum chassis and body panel definitely contribute some general tincan feeling especially when you shut the door. 964, 993 and 928 all had same nice door click. I think it's due to more of lock mechanism than pure solidity. Try 944, it also has that same click as older 911 and I can't say 944 had better build quality than 991 because of that. 991 has considerably longer wheelbase than older 911 and short wheelbase cars tend to feel more one piece. Also full leather option is must with 991 not only for looks also it minimizes rattle and squeaks. I drove few 991s and leather optioned cars were rattle free unlike non leather ones. My 2016 gts is rattle free so far and actually better than older Porsches I owned in that regard. However, even though 991 has much stiffer chassis, due to above reasons older Porsches feel generally more one piece than a 991. And yes I want that nice old solid door click back.

Bud Taylor

And it is quiter than my GolfR when the fun button is off. It is a real testment that this car is 11 years old and not a single squeak. That being said I turn PSE on and sometimes hang my head out the window like a labrador so everyones taste is different.

For OP, if quite or refinement is your thing try a .2 (17'+) or 992. The turbo misses drama, has a different acceleration curve and is definitely more silent as it gets about its business. Perhaps drive an Ftype as well those are sporty but more staid and so forth. A 911 of any varient has 1 job and that is to go fast. The older the less refined and noisier. There is a personality difference with the newer .2 turbos which you may prefer.

Cadubya

I come from BMW’s, and I’ve owned an E30, E39, E82. They don’t even come close on build quality to my 991.1 C4S with 108k+ miles. I shopped around and drove several 981’s and 991.1’s. None of them exhibited any rattles or signs of bad build quality. Sounds like you had a one off experience.

Atheist

[QUOTE=

For OP, if quite or refinement is your thing try a .2 (17'+) or 992. The turbo misses drama, has a different acceleration curve and is definitely more silent as it gets about its business. Perhaps drive an Ftype as well those are sporty but more staid and so forth. A 911 of any varient has 1 job and that is to go fast. The older the less refined and noisier. There is a personality difference with the newer .2 turbos which you may prefer.[/QUOTE]

I agree as a matter of fact the loudest thing about my .2 is tire noise on lousy asphalt. When comparing fine cars and we all know fine cars when we see them, it is basically about personality match. The personality of the car and the personality of the driver.
For some, a 911 is a personality mis-match. The lucky ones have several cars to match their multiple personalities.

Highyo

i would spray what you're complaining about on my body like cologne

aka not a fault!

RennListUser01

5 series BMW and 991.1 will present quite differently - if both were perfect from the factory.

I think your 991 experience was in a car with some rattle issues ... perhaps door panels had been off? My new to me 991.1 cab has a rattle in passenger door - a clip isn't attached, or is broken, results in rattle at bottom ... I just haven't pulled the door panel, yet. Other than that I get cabriolet noisr, tire noise and engine noise.