alain-964c2

I have a choice of three cars and would like to get some comments:

Car 1: 01 C4, 19k miles, Nav, cd changer, no bose, no heated seats, rear wiper

Car 2: 01 C4, 18k miles, no nav, no bose, heated seats, no rear wiper

Car 3: 02 Turbo, 16k miles, no nav, bose, no heated seats, rear wiper, it's missing the manufacturer label on the driver door.

All cars are certified.

Questions:
Does the nav work well and does it add anything?
Is PCM useful?
Is the rear wiper necessary, how's visibility in the rain from the rear window?

I really would like heated seats, but perhaps car 1 is the better choice of the two c4s.

The Turbo is sweet, somewhat worried about the missing label which might imply that the door was repalced. The dealer disavows any knowledge.

Any feedback or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks

Riad

I don't understand why you only have a choice of those 3 cars. The turbo has to be much more money than the other two, so if that's your price range I wouldn't even consider an 01 C4.

Davidmichael

Get the Turbo, if: a body shop confirms the door is original with no prior damage, if you can talk to the previous owner about any prior damage. Porsche has been known to be sloppy with their stickers. They come off a computor roll and the techs don't always match the correct sticker with the correct car. There may be a non-turbo running around with your sticker.

Rob in WA

Lots of people take their rear wiper off. It looks cleaner and many find they don't need it. PCM looks nice, but I really don't use the Nav part as much as I thought I would. No CD for Canada and Vancouver is where I always get lost. Bose didn't come until MY02. Have the Turbo checked out and then buy it

01 C4 Cab NYC

I'm with Riad...there has got to be a big price difference btwn a newer turbo and an older C4, if not the turbo is definitely suspect.
However, if it checks out, I'd get the turbo, hands down. If its certified, you have a warranty until '08. Have the door checked out, but even it was replaced, as long as it works properly now, no biggie.
Tho PCM is nice there are alot of aftermarket systems out there that are much better. Not having a coupe, I can't comment on the effectiveness of the wiper, but on my hardtop, all Northeast winter long (ski weekends included), I never felt I needed one.

Moogle

you don't need heated seats in a coupe, unless you live in alaska.

drafting

I echo the above comments regarding the likely broad price range for those three cars, and unless you really have an awesome deal sitting in front of you, you might consider waiting for a few months until the impending new models have a chance to shake out the used P-car market. It's certainly going to happen, you might as well take advantage of it. I think that there'll be even more of a choice of fine, well cared for rides coming onto the market as current owners jump into the 997 series.

Regarding the options: As I recall, pre-03 P-cars are non-MOST so you should be able to install an after-market Nav system if you feel that it is an option you want. The OEM PCM II in my '04 is okay, but I have no reference against the PCM I. Alpine and others make very nice Nav systems.

Even though I live in FLA, I ordered the heated seats. It's the same reason that I have a fireplace (no, not in the car all of you wise guys ), because there are a dozen or so days when it's cold enough to take advantage of it. My posterior is quite pleased on the occasional morn when it drops below 50 degrees here. Being in Boston, there's no doubt that you'll take full advantage of heated seats.

I'll admit that I've maybe used my rear wiper twice in 8400 miles, and I've driven in some significant wet weather. I think one of those two times was the functional check when I first picked up the car. Not particularly necessary IMHO, I wish that I could've ordered the car without it.

Good Luck!


Jeff

01 C4 Cab NYC

drafting you can have the wiper removed if you don't like it, eric at bumperplugs makes rear wiper plug too...

Stevo'99

I live in Hawaii and heated seats was one of the options we were looking for in a used 996. I live at 2100 ft. elev. and in Feb. it drops to the low 40's at night followed by some c-c-cold mornings. You don't have to live in Alaska to use heated seats!

And if your price range is so broad, why do you only have those 3 cars to choose from? I searched nationwide for months looking at dozens and dozens of cars. My price range was quite low and I was still able to consider many cars.

drafting

Yeah, I know but I don't really want to have a plug sitting in plain view on the upper bodywork. What I REALLY dislike about the rear wiper is the potential for badly scratching the car's finish to the left of the rear window if the wiper arm happens to collapse down with the blade head inverted while one is peacefully, serenely washing one's beautiful car.

I know of this wonderful PAG design feature because...... I am an IDIOT! Not so much for letting this actually happen, but much more for letting it happen after I had read about this same occurrence in this forum. Other hapless owner's of previously perfect P-cars flagellated their rides in this manner, and I silently swore that I would not be such a dumbass as to allow my sweet thing to suffer such an abuse (fortunately my wife does not read these posts, as she believes that she is the only objectifiable entity to which I refer as "sweet thing" in my out loud voice . however I'm pretty sure that she does know the part about me being a dumbass). Needless to say, I discovered some new and inventive ways to conjoin a variety of expletives on what had been to that point a pleasant, dreamy Saturday afternoon. The display would've impressed any carreer squid out there; my cursing I mean, not my idiocy.

Anyway, I digress (not one of my undiscovered horizons). In short, I dislike the rear wiper on several levels, but now just never touch the damn thing so as not to risk further self-humiliation and bodywork disfigurement.


Jeff

ignacio

with a turbo you won't have to worry about rms leaks.

GreggT

If budget requires you go with C4......start your looking w/MY 02.

alain-964c2

GreggT: What options in your 02 C4? How many miles and what ar eyou asking for?

GreggT

MY = Model Year

no, I was just suggesting, start w/model year 02.......
personally would not go pre-02 (unless it's a 993 )

alain-964c2

A 97 993 Turbo S would be nice.