Hurricane

Hi all,

I have been lurking here for some time, gaining valuable information from your posts - it has been incredibly helpful!

I am looking to possibly get my first Porsche, a 2012 991, through CARMAX. It has 8k miles (one owner) and about two years left on the factory warranty. I had a local dealer run the VIN so I could review the warranty history and verify the remaining warranty. Other than campaign updates, the only warranty work was to fix the B pillar trim and the sunroof (noise/squeaks issues). CARFAX shows nothing significant.

I will have it inspected by a local Porsche dealer after purchase (asap, before the 5 day return policy is up - CARMAX doesn't allow 3rd party inspections before purchase but does have a 5 day return policy apparently). The car is in the process of being transferred to my local CARMAX so I haven't even had a chance to test drive it yet.

What are your thoughts on the need for an extended warranty? I've heard good things about CARMAX's extended warranty but with two years left on the factory warranty (and assuming a good report from the PPI I will have a dealer do) is it really worth the cost? (Something like $2700 for 5 years, 60k miles, $100 deductable I think). I've bought nothing but new cars over the past 20 years - maintained them well, kept them for years and never had an extended warranty before (or needed one). But this will be the first time I have ever bought a 'used' car. I am also wondering about the reliability of a first-year model, although two years left of the factory warranty might mitigate that somewhat.

I have owned Corvettes over the past 15 years (a C5 and a C6) and this would be my first Porsche. I've always wanted a 911. The one I am looking at is a nicely equipped 911S coupe.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

mtbscott

If the car checks out well on its PPI and has two years left of factory warranty, I wouldn't rush into an extended warranty. You will have two more worry free years of ownership, if the car becomes troublesome during that period, either buy the extended warranty later, or dump the car before warranty's up.
My 2012 has been trouble free for 33.5K miles so far.

MerlinsGarage

It's funny you picked the 991 as the jump-in spot. We chose exactly the series to start our Porsche relationship.
I have been an american sports and muscle car guy my entire life. Imported a few grey market BMW's in the '80's and purchased newer 3 and 5 series cars along the way.
I have always respected Porsche. Growing up, Mark Donohue was my favorite race driver. As for the 911 not another car looks like it, and from what I have read (hundreds, maybe thousands of times), nothing performes like one.

But there was one thing that kept me from purchasing a 911 (Veterans please don't beat me up, this is JMHO)
It was the spartan interior, it just was just not pleasing to my eye.

Of course that changed with the 991 and my wife and myself absolutely love it, I believe you will as well.
Good luck as you proceed, the folks here are knowledgeable and willing to assist you with choices you will be faced with.
Make sure you test-drive every model before you decide, it will help in the selection.

Best, Bret.

drcollie

Before I owned Porsches I had three Corvettes, a '57, '63 Split Window, and a '69. Bought my first 911 in 1977 and never looked back. They have been dead nuts reliable, cars you can use hard and they don't break - and reasonable to maintain in parts and service. They are probably over-priced for what they are, but once you get past that you will really enjoy the car. I'd not buy an extended warranty personally - but that's just me. You get a near Supercar without the exotic headaches they come with. I'm currently on my 5th Porsche, so obviously I like the marque and the brand!

Porsche # 3



Porsche # 4



Current Porsche:

cpomaro

I'm in the same boat, this is my 1st time on Rennlist and 1st time Porsche owner. I'm looking to purchase a 2005 911 4S and was wondering if the AWD is better or worse than the rear wheel drive. I'm also looking for and extended warranty.

draxa

I guess AWD is useful if you live in one of those areas where there is a lot of bad weather and you intend to actually drive the car......
Otherwise I'm not sure the extra $ and mass are worth it; the 2WD is amazingly competent.

drcollie

AWD on a Porsche isn't for winter driving as much as for performance driving in the rain, etc. The cars will pull through the corners at speed like nobody's business. On track days or Autocross, with a set of sticky tires they are like slot cars. Downside is added weight and complexity of the drivetrain. 4S cars have wider rear fenders and some people buy them for that as well. I've owned both the 2WD and 4WD variants, each has its plus and minuses.

Hurricane

That is good to hear!

I looked at the first generation Boxster very closely when they came out - around the same time as the C5. I fell in love with the C5 but was equally interested in the Boxster. Ironically, the first time I saw the C5 was at the Frankfurt autoshow! I was in the Air Force at the time and nowhere near a Porsche dealer in my previous assignment so I went with the Chevy instead just to be on the safe side.

I had considered a used 997 (which looks fantastic!) this time around but the 991 really put me over the top. Gorgeous inside and out. I also considered the C7 - awesome car - but I've had Vettes for so long, I really want to see what the Porsche experience is like!

Your Porsches are beautiful! Thanks for the advice!

991999R

ditto to this...the interior design of the 997 wasn't compatible with my preferences. i always loved the panamera interior and i was really excited to see them channel that into the 991. when i started the whole porsche purchase exploration, i started off looking at a cayman s. i really liked it but it was completely impractical for me as there is no back seat. with two small kids, the 991 is just right. the thing that really sealed the deal for me was the rear tail lights. i think porsche really nailed the look of the 991. i would argue that it is one of the best looking cars, inside and out, ever produced. every line is purposeful and appropriate. every seam is just right.

MerlinsGarage

Sir,

I have driven every variant of the 991. In a wierd way it seems Porsche holds dear the 4 over the entire 911 line, even the TT. Peoples all purpose sports car......? My preception I guess.

With the light bar across the back that is unique to only the 4, hips nearly as wide as the TT , the cool, IMO, side spoilers and available in a manual transmission. You can even put front and rear spoilers on the car to really set it apart. This car can be driven virtually all year in nearly every condition...........German conditions.

Anyway the biggest factor for us was manual trans, we had an order spot reserved for the TT, but no worries, this is exactly what we were looking for, fabulous car capable of performance well beyond anything usable on the street and a blast on the track.

Good luck there is no wrong Porsche.

Bret.

StudGarden

That was me not that long ago as well. Ended up with a CPO 991S. Sounds like you are doing your due diligence, which is great. 911's are expensive, but you get a lot more for your money when someone else drives one off the lot.

I got the extrnded CPO warranty that comes with them, which was a factor for me getting it. I originally had a new Cayman S on order but switched before the lock in to the CPO C2S. No regrets. Great car! In almost a year I've had no issues.

Well, I thought one of the rear fog lights was bad…but there's only one rear fog light. Then I thought one of the motors in the seat was loose, but it ended up being a bottle of water in the rear footwell. Good thing I figured those both out before I squawked them under warranty haha.

As for your extended warranty situation, I'm not sure how much *extra* you will end up getting for $2700. If you have 2 left on the factory, do you get 3 more for a total of 5, or do you get 5 extra years on them? If that's the case its a no brainer, get it! If you get 3 extra years, I'd still seriously consider it. I'm very biased against extended warranties for most things, but if this one is transferable and they have a good rep for paying up when needed (especially for high dollar Porsche repairs) then its still probably worth it.

I was concerned about getting a first year car after a massive generational redesign (the 996 issues were a huge black eye to the brand IMO not only the issue but how it was handled), but the 991, so far <—knock on wood, has been generally exceptionally reliable and well build/designed.

If the Carmax warranty is good, and especially if its transferrable, I'd probably get it assuming it added at least a couple years to the remaining factory one.

MJBird993

I've owned 4 corvettes (C4 coupe & convertible, C5 Z06, C6 coupe) and 5 911s (964, 993, 996, 997, 991). It's a different animal, the Porsche, and you may miss the torque of that big V8 and poor build quality, but you'll get over it.

Me personally, I don't like extended warranties. It depends on the car and the manufacturer: I'd be more likely to recommend it for a BMW than a Porsche. As DRCollie mentioned, these are very well-built cars, and you shouldn't have any issues. That said, if something major does go wrong, it can be very expensive. But more than $2700? Eh... who can say? I don't buy extended warranties and it's never been a problem because I buy exceptional used cars.

In that vein... Carmax does not usually have the cream of the crop. They buy most of their cars at auction. Any nice 911 at auction is likely going to be bought by a Porsche dealer who can CPO it and make $10,000. The cars that aren't nice enough for the marque dealer get bought by Carmax and others. I'm not saying that that's the case with this car or that it's not a nice car, I'm just saying... be careful.

I've sold cars to Carmax, but every time I go there to look at a car (BMW, Mercedes, etc.) they are obviously not something that a discerning automotive enthusiast would want to own. You get what you pay for.

Best of luck. Keep us posted.

cpomaro

Thanks Bret and the rest of you you helped me make a decision. I just purchased my 1st Porsche. It's a 2005 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, I'll post a picture when I get it hopefully by next week.
Thanks

Hurricane

Thanks for the advice! I had a local Porsche dealer do a PPI and they found no issue, thankfully. I take it in later this week to get the intermediate service done. Love it so far! Great car!

Congrats!!!