I'm ready to buy an '01 or '02 996, and am trying to decide if the extra $5-10K premium for the '02 is worth the money. I know the engine & interior was upgraded from '01 to '02, but am more concerned about reliability. Looking for any recommendations that could help...

Thanks!
Ryan

 

In 2002, the upgraded a bunch of things. I went through the same thought process that you did and opted for the 2000 because of cost. However, bear in mind that that 2002 redesigned the front headlights, front and rear bumper, Bose stereo upgrade, 20 extra ponies in a 3.6 engine instead of the 2001's 3.4, etc. A lot of people might want to pay for that improvement. However, in terms of quality and reliability, I would rank them equal with the exception that an older car more than likely may have been driven more miles and may not have any warranty left for you.

What you should so is go out and drive both cars and see if you can tell a discernible difference. That'll satisfy you a lot more than the affirmation from guys on the forum that you are making the right choice.

 

I think that 02+ cars have the MOST optical bus, which makes sound upgrades, etc. harder to do. All the Porsche stereos, even the Bose are pretty marginal.

 

Only 2003+ plus has the MOST, 2002 has the same as the 2001 System

 

2002 is the best of the breed. 2003+ are essentially the same car except that they have the notorious MOST bus system for the radio. Get a 2002 if you can.

 

Buy the newest Porsche you can afford, Porsche is always improving the car from the previous year. Good luck and lets us know what you end up with!

 

Drove them all before buying a 2002. Like nycebo says, drive them both and make your own judgement. I bought the 2002 for the better torque band. I felt that the power band difference between the 2002 and the earlier models was well worth the money. The other improvements had no
bearing on my decision.

Tom L
2002 C2

 

2002, this is a no brainer.

 

While I have never driven a 2002, I'm very happy with my 01 C4 Cab.

 

If you value performance you may not be happy with a '01. Damn, how many rigs sport 300 hp these days? To get mods on an '01 to reach 320 hp would cost about $5k, and the other improvements are worth about $2k, so the break even difference should be $7k.

 

I agree with Paul 110%. Just like Joel Reiser(PCA Tech Section Guru) say, buy the newest car you an afford. The factory collects all the defect datum from the service centers as they find them and incorporate the corrective actions on the newer cars.

 

The performance is virtually the same ( 0.1 seconds to 100 kph), the extra weight offsets the 20 hp. The 3.4l is lighter and has more linear acceleration, no surge from the variocom plus.

 

Coupe or cab?

If cab, 2002 is a must as the top comes w rear glass in addition to all the upgrades on a coupe

If coupe, price may sway you in getting an 01. Some 01 w aerokit look real nice and if you can get a nicely optioned one, I wouldn't rule it out compared to 02. You can find a lot of 00-01 that are low mile and cream puff. However, 02 may be harder to find. If you don't mind shopping for a while to find the right car, 02 is worth the price IMO. I would not buy an 01 without an aerokit.

 

To get a real feel of the power difference you need to drive the cars back to back. While the difference may be only 20hp the real difference comes from the torque bump. The 3.6 torque peak comes earlier in the rev range, is higher (more torque), and the curve is flater (The surge you mention is much more obvious in the 3.4 cars than the 3.6's). In summary the 3.6 produces a lot more power under the curve.

Finally porsche changed more than just the engine on the 3.6 models. They made chassis revisions that yield a 20% increase in stiffness. They also revised the aerodynamics to significantly reduce front and rear lift.

IMHO, the advice to buy the latest model you can afford is sound.

 

Buy mine.... It runs great and is in great condition.