rumnyc

I am now trying to choose between 2 very different cars. For the last 20 years I have only owned BMWs and for the last 12years I lusted after 911 after I was properly introduced to them at track days...

Finally I can get a 2nd car and initially was set on Cayman as it was a proper 2 seater sports car however, after a trip to the dealership I just couldn’t get over the old interior and tech otherwise I would have already ordered a GTS 4.0.

Now I am choosing between AMG GT 53 4dr which I can get a good deal on and am told (no testdriving unfortunately as they don’t have demo car). It is unfortunately a big *** car same size as my current X5 although owner seems to say the chassis is nothing like a sedan and very sporty, or I get a base 992 Pdk sport chrono.

List price wise both cars cost almost the same and have similar levels of equipment but one is a true sports car the other is a sedan that try’s to be like Porsche 911 in a large car with a palace of an interior. Normally no contest and 911 is the clear winner—but the Benz dealer is being very aggressive in pushing out the last few GT 4dr and realistically the AMG GT would be 70k less than the base 911 (i live in a country with 115pc tax so the AMG GT would be about 150k and base 911 about 220k). Please no need to point out the pain for us in high tax countries. I know I am going to pay more for a base 911 than people here pay for their turbo s cabriolet with leather AC vents....

My question is has any 992 owner here ‘driven’ the AMG GT 53 4dr and can provide some insight on that car vs the base? 70 is a lot of money so any feedbacks on this is welcome.

I have pretty much decided on the base cos where i live now there are no tracks so all the perf oriented options not available to base are not really options I would get. The car would be daily driven about 20km to work and some spirited hill driving on the weekends. I would also spend about an hr daily stuck in traffic.

pitt911

I have driven the GT53 , and it is OK , but not a 911 .. Completely different cars
this model including GT63 has proven to be unpopular and this is why dealer is desperate to move
for the same price range in the sedan category , you are better of with M5C or E63. Both will be good daily and some spirited driving

inastrangeland

I used to live in Singapore so I know what taxes can do to car prices. I own an E63S and have on order a C2S. They are very different cars and serve different functions. A few weeks ago my wife and I took a trip with my son and his girlfriend to South Dakota in the E63. It was the perfect car for that. Fast (over 600hp at the wheels) and comfortable for 4 people. But it is not a sports car like the 911. I would never take my Mercedes to the track even though it handles well. I need something I can throw around rather than ride around. If money is an issue, get the Mercedes (but I am a fan of the E63S), if not, definitely get the 992. You will not be disappointed.

sechsgang

Not even close haha. The GT is a nice car but a major pig in comparison. Much prefer the e53 to the gt even...and the 992 over any of them all day every day haha.

Drizz

Not exactly what you were asking, but I feel the build quality of Benz has really gone down over the past decade. They look beautiful inside and out, with some of the nicest looking interiors (IMHO), but it's all superficial from my own experience. I've been a long time BMW guy as well before taking the plunge and getting a 981 Cayman S back in 2015. Loved it. I tend to keep cars only for 12-18 months so, after 18 months, I got rid of the Cayman and went to a loaded C63S that was around $90K out the door. The car was awesome. So much power, beautiful looking inside and out. But...within just a couple of months things started to rattle. By 8-10 months in the entire dashboard and center console was rattling, as were the A and B pillar plastic pieces. The rear deck rattled as well. The rattling drove me crazy. On top of that, the trim that goes along the bottom of the exterior started peeling off and literally fell completely off at one point. In addition I had other various issues that ultimately made me dump the car before it was 12 months old. Went back to Porsche, this time with a 718 Cayman S (which I get rid of today as the 992 C2S comes tomorrow!!). The Porsche fit and finish is leaps and bounds above where the Merc was.

To show this isn't just a sole car and my bad luck, I then look at my brother who is a life-long Benz guy and has had probably 15 of them. He had noticed the same decline over the years and recently dumped his '19 GLE after just 8 months because he, too, was experiencing all of this crap. Rattles throughout the cabin and also had trim pieces come off. WTF! Maybe we both got unlucky, but personal experience for my brother and I says no more Mercedes for a while. For reference, he also drives a 991.2 GTS Cabriolet and agrees the Porsche is all around more solid feeling than anything else on the road.

As others have stated, the AMG GT53 is a bit bloated and heavy. Not really a comparison. I would say the AMG GT is more comparable. Car and Driver compared the two a few months ago (https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...hasing-apexes/) and liked the Porsche quite a bit more. In the actual magazine article it showed their points system on the 2 cars (which I don't see in the online article) and they put the Porsche ahead in every single category (objective and subjective) with the exception of amenities and cargo space. They were driving a relative stripper 992 as well, which you don't often see in articles, and likely why it lost on amenities.

rumnyc

thanks for the replies. AMG gt53 is out as i just don’t want another big car regardless of power. Love the cayman form factor but the interior is too dated for me. The 911 c2 just feels perfect and trying to close the deal on a stock car with a ‘mask’ price...

Mercuriell

Oops

mrmichaelsankey

Forget the big saloons, I’m looking at my M5 right now hoping my SA says “your new 992 is being built now” any day soon.

They are a tech fest for sure, but big lumps to tool around in that can fit 5 and luggage as well as go very very fast..... but they are not a 911 😉

bobblehead

If you are not carrying any passengers, then go with the 992 . The GT53 is way too big for HK roadways. I am a current owner of 2018 E63S wagon and it has been rock solid for me this past 3 yrs without any issues to speak of.

atlrvr

I say go with your initial instinct and get the Cayman 4.0 GTS, assuming you can get PDK in your market. Forget the tech... assuming you continue to own a different car that is more modern, it will offer a simple pleasure, which I think is the point. Realizing I'm on the 992 forum, but the 4.0 GTS is really a better counterpoint to a sedan than a base 992, but still practical as a commuter car.... you also get the naturally aspirated engine, which I think shouldn't be overlooked, plus in 5-10 years time, I think the car will be more appreciated than just an evolutionary model.

Just my opinion.

ko2302

In Turkey, we have higher taxes, than HK which sucks. I used to own a 2014 Merc S500 Coupe, it was an awesome car, switched to 2019 C4S. I kind of miss the Merc but C4S is a completely different animal and when you get used to it, you understand the positives. Like S Coupes, I heard that AMG GTs will be phased out sometime in the future. I do not like owning discontinued models like Merc S Coupe or BMW 6 Series.