E39to911

I have wanted a 911 for over a decade, and am finally in a place where I can comfortably afford one. I have been looking seriously for the past 6 months, and have missed a few via BAT, PCM, that I regret. Manual transmission, coupe, (not a 2012), sunroof delete have been the parameters I have been focused on.

I currently drive a 2002 E39 530i that I absolutely love - it is unbelievably well built and feels like a bank vault when I close the door, or go over a bump...etcetera. It is solid and has this excellent mechanical feel to it. I had never driven a 991, but have driven Macan, Panamera, and Cayenne and found the build quality top notch, and a smilier ride experience and expected the same out of a 911.

Yesterday I test drove a 2014 991. C2S (7MT) at a local dealer...I had no interest in buying this car, but as I was getting close to getting one, thought that it would be prudent to make sure I liked that car. This car was a little higher in millage ~50K, but overall seemed to be in pretty decent shape. If I am being honest, I did not like it at all. Sure, the power was great...loved the handling and transmission action, but felt the interior was full of rattles and the car just felt 'tinny' driving around town, felt similar to my airport corolla. I know a sports car is not going to be like a luxury car, and I will use this car as a grand tourer vs a track/autocross car, but still felt disappointed.

This is a long way of asking, but is this common in 991.1, and if so - would a 997.2 be better (also have not driven a 997.2, but if so will try to find one to drive/ride in)? Or do I need to have a come to Jesus moment and give up on the MT, and just go get an LC500?

Thanks for the advice!

TXGerman

Maybe you should go test drive other 991.1 or 991.2 variants for a larger dataset than just N=1. You may not be impressed with any of them, but then again, maybe you just drove one that was not in great condition. To cast aside an entire generation of 911 may be just a bit premature. Something to consider....

evio

I agree with txgerman. You drove a 9 year old car with high miles and had rattles. It was also 3 generations old now. Drive a newer one definitely a 991.2 at least and maybe you will change your mind. They really are great cars.

Multimodal

This happens to me all the time - I read about certain vehicles and idolize them (HD trucks for example) then I drive them and I hate it. You really can't tell whether you're going to like something until you drive it and have the first-hand experience. Otherwise you're just working through the filtered experience and personal opinions of others.

If you are looking for a "solid" feeling car, you're going the wrong direction by looking even further back at a 997.2. The "tinny" feeling is what modern cars have eliminated and part of what many analog sports car enthusiasts bemoan. Try a 992-era 911; you will probably like it a lot more. Beyond that you'd probably be more happy with a sporty grand touring car: BMW M3, Jaguar F-type, Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, Audi R8 or as you said Lexus LC500.

CSK 911 C4S

Where are you in the world?

If it was cold like most of the US and the car sat outside there will be a few more noises that all cars generally make.

Go back once it warms up a bit and it might be a different experience.

mhconley

My 50k mile 2013 991.1 C2S Cab has a couple squeaks and rattles. If they bothered me I would hunt them down and fix them; it would be easy enough. Regardless of those minor issues the car feels like it was honed from a single piece of billet metal. It is by far the most solid feeling car I have ever driven. Surprising considering the other convertible I owned (and the T-top) both exhibited significant cowl shake. My 991 does not. I love the solidity of my Porsche.

Martin

asellus

The general consensus is that the 991 is considerably less well-built than 911s of old when it comes to interior rattles. My 2017 creaked and rattled quite a bit -- the two most notable ones being the headliner at the passenger A pillar and the PCM screen itself rubbing against the dash. I didn't have the dash rattle or ignition cylinder rattle, but those are also quite common. There are a number of threads on this if you dig around! One member here went so far as to deaden his entire interior, sealing every screw, and has a truly rattle-free car.

The e39 is the last good BMW chassis. I had a 2001 M5 with over 170k miles on it, and as you say, the door closing was like a bank vault.

The last thing is your expectations. If you're gonna use a 991 as a GT/road trip car.. be prepared to be disappointed. These are loud, smelly cars that don't prioritize comfort.

CSK 911 C4S

Smelly?

MingusDew

The 991 also weighed less than the 997, which was reversing the trend of each subsequent generation weighing more, so there might be a connection there with it feeling less substantial in “bank vault” qualities. My sister has an Audi R8, and it is very solid and comfortable. It’s a perfect GT. That is a car you might consider as an alternative to a 911, and the gated shifter is sublime.

Guards_Red_991

A good exhaust fixes all rattles.

What kind of rattle did you encounter in the one you drove? Most of the rattles I've found in my 991 were easily addressed with some ingenuity and help from my fellow forum members. The B pillar seat belt rattle is the one that gave me the most problems.

Tpup

Good feedback; go drive a few.

I owned 2 991.1s and now have a 991.2 4S all cabs. Each develops a rattle every once in a while and I either fix it or get it fixed. My 17 only has a slight top rattle when it's very cold.

I absolutely do not get the comment about "loud, smelly cars that don't prioritize comfort". Having owned 911s since the 1980s IMO the "S" 911s became luxury cars starting with the 996. I literally hated my first 991 until I figured out I need to be in "sport" and "loud" mode all the time with a sport exhaust; I called it a "Plexus" because it was more like my Lexus DD than the 911s of old in startup mode. It's all relative but I think the 991's are more luxury than sports in startup mode. The good news is a few buttons change the character of the car.

asellus

The tires, turbos, and exhaust are all situated in such a way that produces interesting smells after driving. Kicking up all the road grime into hot components like that makes for some interesting oily smells when you park!

There's also the whole "it's normal to smell coolant for a few days if you did anything with the cooling system, like a top off, or just checked the levels, or had a relative think about it while taking a shower" problem. When I had my PDK replaced, holy damn my garage reeked of coolant for a week. SA said yep, totally normal and a byproduct of the fill procedure, it'll go away.

SConn

There's a bit more exhaust/engine smell in 911's. It bothers some..I love it!

As to the OP, I agree with others who've said to test drive a few others. You're gonna know if they're for you or they aren't. I test drove an LC500 last year and it was very nice. Sounded great too, but I still got another 991 instead.

DC911S

"felt similar to my airport corolla".........umm, no. Then go buy a Corolla and save yourself some money, get you some bitcoin.

Ironman88

As others have stated, it would be valuable for you to seek out and drive other 991's so that you can get more exposure to the model. Perhaps the one you drove was just a poor example.

The comment about a 997 not being a viable alternative with regard to being rattle-free and solid feeling - total nonsense. My 997.2 was a fabulous car. Zero rattles and solid as a tank. Loved that car.



2009 C2S Cab. Meteor Gray / Dark Gray Natural Leather. What a great car this was.