I am having a dilemma about my next car purchase, and would be grateful for the insights of true car enthusiasts.

My past rides:
1993 Acura Legend
2003 BMW 330ci
2005 Audi S4
2012 BMW 335i

I have done a lot of research and narrowed it down to a new M5 versus a 911/911S. I enjoy spirited driving, and would consider a manual only. The 911 is going be more expensive by $20K+ (ED discount for M5, BMW CCA, etc) or so... Just trying to justify in my head the added cost, because I think I'm leaning towards the 911. I've test driven the 911S PDK and it handles and sounds amazing. I'm assuming many of you have driven both or own both. Thank you in advance for your time.

 

Both great cars, but very different. Get as much seat-time in both as you can to help you make the decision. I thought the ED discount only applied to non-M cars. Cheers.

 

Main thing you have to answer for yourself is do you want a big fast sedan or a smaller agile coupe. Completely different animals. Do you want to take your kids, wife,etc, and want a bigger car? Or is this just a daily driver for yourself and or your wife.

 

If you are getting a daily driver, don't get a 911. If you have another car to drive every day, then you can choose to drive the 911 anytime you want to.

I know some on this forum use their 911's daily but I would not.

 

I no longer concern myself over driving a 911 daily, other than perhaps taking a small hit on resale value. Life is too short. I used to keep my 911's garaged, covered, only driven in nice weather and weekends, etc. But now I drive mine everywhere, including a 6,000+ mile trip last year on Route 66. Enjoying every minute...

 

A 991 would make a fine DD. it's very refined. It just cannot carry 4 people in comfort nor does it have a lot of storage. If you appreciate a sports car vs. a 4 door sedan that is sporty, then go for the 991. Really apples and oranges. Only you can decide. I'd pick the 991, but most of my friends would take the BMW.

 

Its hard to imagine the 991 is, gulp 20K more than a new M5....
J

 

As noted by others, it's like comparing AAPL to IBM, one is fun and exactly what people enjoy using, the other does the same sort of stuff, but rather less interesting.

I bought the 991 in anticipation of less track time in 2012, some "drive to the track" days and a lot of week to week driving.

In the first week and 1000 miles, the 911 acquitted itself in spades. Give or take the dull, heavy steering -- which I'll try not to harp on -- the 991 is impressively comfortable for 250 mile city-to-city express driving as well as "take the long way home" driving through the mountains. Cabin comfort is way up compared to the 997.2 Carrera. PDK is still a bit brain-dead and the auto-stop feature can be annoying around town if there's stop-n-go traffic such as congested freeway ramp, but get it into sport or sport plus and it's a barrel of laughs when there's a good stretch of road. Combined with the mid-range oomph of the 3.8, the 991 PDK feels (and probably is) damn quick. Even on the PZero tires, apex speeds are up there with the '07 GT3 -- it's just a little less confident because you can't feel the front. I'm sure it's still better than any current model BMW M Series, but the 991 is devoid of the kinetic-telepathic signal that comes through the 997 steering. I can only suggest getting the Plus steering and hopefully that improves things or at least doesn't suck quite so much. I also hope that if I avoid going directly from the 997 to the 991, maybe I won't be so pre-occupied with the steering. But that's just me and I imagine once anyone acclimates to the 991, they're going to be happy with its performance and handling.

My wife drove the 991 twice this weekend (spirited daybreak driving around a 30 mile loop through familiar mountain roads) and was ecstatic. She's not so tied to the 997 appearance -- she was not happy to see the 997.2 C4S Cabrio leave, but the 991 has won her over in the best possible way: it's fun to drive.

I think 400 horses with emphasis on torque and throttle response is a lot more exhilarating in a daily driver than one might expect when so many cars these days are boasting high horsepower, but what's the point in 500 or more neddies -- you just can't access it on public roads without being homicidal or suicidal.

My advice to anyone with the opportunity to have a 991 instead of any BMW is absolutely without hesitation, the Porsche will be so much more rewarding and enjoyable every chance you get to drive.

 

The more I drive my car the more I love it. The last car I liked this much was my recently departed '07 335i coupe. From a DD perspective it is just plain great, really, it is. Porsche diehards may not be fans, but most 991 owners I have talked with (real life and on the net) really love their new toy.

Having said all that, I am on the list at my local dealership for the new M5. If things work out, I will have both. But who knows, maybe the new C4S (with 50 more hp, so I've read) and a new Boxster for my wife, may change the plan.....

 

My 2007 335i was my FAVORITE daily driver of all time. It was a fantastic car, and I had no problems with it. You only live once I think, so go with your gut feeling. If you don't like the 991S I am sure you can flip it

 

Thank you everyone for the responses. I am encouraged by the balanced and thoughtful responses, and not just one based on brand loyalty. Ultimately, I will have to make the decision based on my needs and impressions from the test drives. But I'm still a novice, and very much appreciate the insight of veteran car enthusiasts. I still have a lot to learn about cars at this level. I've never had an M car or a Porsche. This will be my biggest car purchase for a long time, so don't want to make a decision that I will regret.

This will be my daily driver, and will be used to drive mostly on freeways and occasionally on twisty roads. I do have a toddler at home, but my wife has an SUV. As a side note, my dealer has told me that a 7% discount on the new M5 is expected. With a base price of $90,695 with delivery, that comes out to ~$84.5K with decent options, and probably ~$95K with all the options I'd want. The soft close doors, power trunk, and HUD are not must-have options for me. I also don't like the idea of ActiveSound (prerecorded exhaust and engine sounds piped in through the speakers). I agree the 560 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque is not readily accessible on normal roads, but then again the car is too heavy for track duty.

Thanks again. Your opinions are incredibly helpful!

 

Both of your options sound great! I guess these are wonderful dilemmas to have. We are all truly lucky.

 

It's interesting to see how many Porsche drivers have enjoyed a 335i as a daily driver in the past. I also love my 335i, but have been bitten by the new car bug. I got an amazing short lease deal on this car, since it was the last year of its model cycle. Unfortunately, it's had recurrent Active Steering issues, where I lose power steering while driving, for no apparent reason. Still it is an amazing car that I will thoroughly enjoy until either the M5 or 911/911S.

 

I want both the new 991 and the M5.. just don't know the order (which one 1st). Having driven the 997.2 Targa as a DD for about 2 years now I will say its perfect. However there are those days I just wish I had comfy sedan to just boot around in. When driving my wife's Cayenne S I like it but just miss the fun agile 911 .. so I go back to what my buddy and I have agreed on - work harder and buy both