jhb

Just ran across this tidbit of info, JD Powers rated all manufacturers for reliability for cars 4 and 5 years old and Porsche was 9th!

<a href="http://carpoint.msn.com/advice/standardart.aspx?contentid=4019432" target="_blank">Ranking</a>

Vinny '98 3.8 C2S

Yeah, right behind Honda, Toyota, and Cadillac....Cadillac?(!) Who woulda thunk?

Now , if you took that list and put all those cars through a number of intense track days, I wonder where we'd end up then? My $$ says we'd be #1.

PeanutinCA

Is 9th really something to be proud of when you put the price tag into the equation? How many manufacturers were included in the testing? If I were Porsche, I'd probably want to do something about that kind of rating? <img src="graemlins/icon501.gif" border="0" alt="[icon501]" />

Dylan.

jhb

Think about it though, these cars have high horsepower and lots of stress on the bodies and engines. Most of the other cars ore more luxury, and just cruise around. I think 9th is pretty good, espescially 5 years later. It will be intersting to see how the 996 adds up in 5 years.

RT7

Porsche is #9 out of 10? or did they just listed the top 10. Where's BMW?

I'd imagine it's the 993 model that received high scores and the 986 model which lowered the score at the same time. <img src="graemlins/icon107.gif" border="0" alt="[icon107]" />

Vinny '98 3.8 C2S

&lt;&lt; Think about it though, these cars have high horsepower and lots of stress on the bodies and engines. &gt;&gt;

Sure, but I bet not many Toyotas or Hondas are 2k mile per year garage queens either. To be totally blasphemous, it's debatable if you want to consider any normally aspirated Porsche to be "high horsepower" (yes...including 3.8's)

Rohan Nath

[quote] To be totally blasphemous, it's debatable if you want to consider any normally aspirated Porsche to be "high horsepower" (yes...including 3.8's) <hr></blockquote>

Agree if you ignore the engine size. But 285 hp is pretty impressive for a 3.6l even today.

STLPCA

I really love my 993. Overall, it's the most satisfying car I've owned. So, perhaps I'm being too cynical, but I (like Dylan) am not impressed by a #9 ranking. Given its price point, revered German engineering, "hand" assembly, lower average useage, and limited production I would hope for more reliability than (much) lower priced, mass produced cars from Honda or Toyota.

Further, P owners tend to overlook as "idiosyncrasies" defects, problems or deficiencies that a Lexus, Infinity, etc. owner would find intolerable - e.g., chronic creaking windshields, snapping door stops, 30k mile shocks, less effective AC, no cup holders

Oh, and BTW, I'll bet the overwhelming majority of P cars never see any track use and are seldom, if ever, driven with any more vigor than the higher rated cars.

<img src="graemlins/icon107.gif" border="0" alt="[icon107]" />

Vinny '98 3.8 C2S

&lt;&lt; Agree if you ignore the engine size. But 285 hp is pretty impressive for a 3.6l even today. &gt;&gt;

Rohan, you have a good point, excluding those turbo 4 bangers that are getting extremely good hp/litre. I was thinking more in terms of HP per cubic dollar.

CAA

Dan - you are completely on the money. I really like the car but for the money I am not that impressed. I can only imagine how I would feel if I spent $85k on a new C4S and was told I need to bring the car in for a transmission recall. It's really frustrating as I would love to own a "new" 911, but cannot justify it based on a cost/value basis.

Nol, 95 993 C4

Reality check. For reliability out in the desert not much can touch a Toyota.

The family car is a 1997 Lancruiser with 71k kilometers. So far corrective maintenance is: premature rear shocks, once "reset" the trip computer and I had to grease the radio antenna. <img src="graemlins/bigok.gif" border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" />

Brakedown and correctives on the 993 at 113k blacktop kilometers: wiring harness (PO), window switches, spoiler motor, fresh air flap motor, A/C sensor motor, vacuum leak, oil leak (warranty), A/C fan resistor, Oil cooler fan resistor, munched alternator belt, DME relay, clutch slave cylinder.... nothing dramatic, the usual suspects plus some motors.

The Toyota is younger, but now the same age as the 993 when I bought it 2 years back. And it is leading by a mile. Make that two miles when taking parts prices into the equation.

And if you're thinking the Toyota is a shopping trolley? It is also, but it has also seen 10k of those kilometers on some of the worst corrugated and rutted graded roads in this beautiful desert country. It's been deep in the sand at 122F and up, on salt planes, wet salt planes (driving on peanut butter), causeways, beaches, dunes and rocks. Been up to the floorboards in flowing wadi's, in 30+ knot sandstorms and then some more.

I love both my cars.

Enjoy <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

Nol

Dave P

Speaking as one of the C4S owners who has to return for a new transmission...I wouldn't trade my car for 10 brand new Toyotas. I drove a Camry for a while and if I wanted "vanilla" because dependability is so important I would buy it. I love the feeling I get from my new C4S. It is the most impressive, fun, exciting car I have ever owned, and I've owned some nice cars.

The Power ratings are not the "be all, end all" of the automotive world, although they'd like you to think they are. Most of the revenue they make is off of the advertising of their studies and not on the research. Where do you think they put their money? Sorry for the rant, but I can't help myself today. <img src="graemlins/soapbox.gif" border="0" alt="[soapbox]" />

tchanson

[quote]Originally posted by Rohan Nath:
<strong>

Agree if you ignore the engine size. But 285 hp is pretty impressive for a 3.6l even today.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Maybe, but not all that impressive in the realm of 2.0 litre, normally aspirated 240 HP Honda S2000's. With that HP/displacement ratio, 3.6 litres would equal 432 HP.

That would be an impressive 911...

Tim

LAT

I believe that proper perspective for the results is as follows.
Lexus 1.73 problems per car over 5 years
Porsche 2.92 problems per car " " "
The difference of 1.19 problems per car is not bad regardless the use of the vehicles. Look at MB 2.96 problems per car.
My concern is that BMW did not make the top 10, I also drive a 1998 528i Sport.
Lexus has great product that would appeal to father (if he were still with us, he would be 81) not really the same customer or use.