Hello All. Looking to buy my fist Porsche and would like any advise on whether to get a C2 or a C4. It has to be a Cab. It will be a daily driver and I don't plan to track the car, but I would love a spirited drive occasionally. Is there a difference in gas mileage, servicing, expenses, resale? Any thoughts MUCH appreciated.

Thanks, Tom

 

First of all, where are you located? If you live where there's snow, the C4 is the much better choice without a doubt!

Overall, there really isn't much difference in gas mileage. Same for servicing and expenses. The front tires really don't wear that much faster in a C4 than they do in a C2. You can figure that you'll need to replace the rears twice as often as the fronts no matter which car you choose. The C4 is a better handling car in the rain because of the AWD, and in the snow there's no comparison, the C4 wins hands own. Other than that, there's not really much difference between the two! The AWD doesn't require any extra service at regular intervals above and beyong the RWD. I'm not sure about differences at higher-mileage major services like 60K miles. I'm guessing there's nothing special that has to be done. Maybe they change the oil in the front differential at 100K? I'm really not sure. Best of luck whatever you decide!

 

Thanks Teflon, BTW I live in sunny So Cal, hence the Cab.

 

I just bought a c-2 cab two months ago and regret that I didn't go for the c-4 simply because of the snow here in NY. If I lived in Cali, like you, I'd get the c-2 and spend the extra dough you saved on options/mods. Enjoy.

Gary

 

The C2 is lighter, slightly quicker and more closely approximates the original driving experience of the 911. Those were major reasons in our selection. Both C2 and C4 are wonderful cars.

A C4S is a striking car visually with the turbo-style body and underpinnings.......

 

I live in SoCal and went for the C4 Cab. I think that it is important to go to a dealer that has both available and to test drive them back to back. The C2's steering is a little lighter. I (personally) liked the C4 steering feel and I liked the added safety of the 4-wheel drive. If you go with the C2, make sure that it has PSM. It's standard on the C4. When you are looking, make sure that you understand all of the options that are available when you search for your car. As an example, when I looked for mine, I had to have Litronics, Heated seats w/memory, 18" wheels and PSM.

Don't be surprised if it takes you a while to find what you want. It took me four months.

Happy hunting.

 

Tom

If you are looking at a used C4 I have a beautiful 99 that I am looking to sell. It is certified by Porsche until 2/2006 or 100,000 miles. The car has every available option and the original sticker was over $110,000.

You can email me at bwalters@datavantagecorp.com

 

the steering feel is definitely different between the two, with the C2 steering feeling lighter with less feedback to the driver. and the C4 also feels more planted on the road than the C2 overall.

 

Isn't there a good thread on this struggle from a week or two ago.

 

Yeah, and seems like every few months... And the answer is always the same...

Get the C4 Cab!
Just kidding; couldn't resist. Drive them both.

I've owned both, and definitely prefer the C4. Even in California; it will give you confidence in the rain. A great "first Porsche" choice as well since it is more forgiving of driver error.

Don't be deterred by it being less like the "original" driving experience. A 996 TT has AWD. The 993 C4S has AWD. The 959 had AWD! So just what is "original" anyway when the AWD system has quite a heritage at Porsche? The "original" fans are referring to the satisfaction that comes from controlling a car with oversteer and using the throttle to steer the car through a turn (on the track).

BTW, in dry weather, I think an upgraded suspension makes a bigger difference in handling than the AWD.

 

Thanks everybody for your replies. (sigh)...... such a dilemma.....

Tom

 

While I concur with ervtx's remarks on the AWD variants and his understanding of trailing throttle oversteer, I have to remind him that there were only about 337 959s built, and the first Carrera 4 appeared in the spring of 1989, if memory serves.

From the introduction of the 911 in late 1964 until the advent of the C4 the "original" 911 was rear engine, rear wheel drive.

 

I really like the way both 2WD drive and the AWD drive feel in the corners. I have never owned an AWD NA Porsche, but I think I would prefer the 2wd with 320 hp and definitely the AWD is awesome with the TT. It is kind of nice having both because they both feel different in the corners. The AWD seem better planted obviously because it pulls around the corner and I think the added weight helps. The 2WD drive is fun because it seem easier to toss into a corner and slide the tail out a bit. That is just fun though and probably not a sign of better performance. My take is that AWD is not needed on straight shots as the 2WD has great traction unless you completely dump the clutch and try to induce wheel spin. The turbo on the other hand will light all four up in second or third gear on wet roads if you just punch it in the middle of the gear.

 

Your memory serves you correctly regarding the introduction of the C4.

However, Porsche produced the AWD 953 (a 911) in the 1983, and won the the Paris-Dakar rally with it in 1984. If my math serves me correctly, Porsche has been in the 911 AWD business for half of the model's 40 year existence.

No argument on significance of the 2wd. Just hate to see people imply that a C4 isn't a real 911.

 

I looked at both and recently bought a 2wd 1999 coupe with 35,000 miles on it. Why ? Because it was the nicest car that we looked at and we looked at plenty. I was hot for a guards red 4wd car but the examples I found were not as nice as my 2wd car.
I definitely wanted a coupe. When I was looking I actually did not find a premium for cabriolets. I think that now that summer is near that cab prices are higher than coupes. Has anybody else noticed a bigger drop in cabriolet prices during the winter than the drop in coupe prices ? The whole pcar pricing seems to have firmed over the last 2 months.
Frankly, I am amazed at how forgiving my 2 wd is under all conditions. As fast as a 996 is the handling and braking are capable of saving my bacon even when I step on it a little harder than I should. My car has the 220 locking diff, the 224 active brake diff, and 222 traction control with 18" wheels.
This baby is fast enough for me !