Porsche quality
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
From: Manhattan
I have had my share of maintenance problems on my 01 996 cab but I deal with it because driving a P-car is a great experience. I hated driving until I got a P-car. I could not stand being stuck in traffic, bad drivers, slow drivers, etc. Now I can't wait to get on the road in my P-car and find errands to do just to go out!
A Porsche is like a trophy wife. It (may) require(s) more maintenance but you get the thrill of it everyday. One offsets the other in my opinion! If you do not see it that way, you should not get a Porsche as something may go wrong. It is not infallible but PCNA does seem to stand by their product.
A Porsche is like a trophy wife. It (may) require(s) more maintenance but you get the thrill of it everyday. One offsets the other in my opinion! If you do not see it that way, you should not get a Porsche as something may go wrong. It is not infallible but PCNA does seem to stand by their product.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,083
Likes: 54
From: dune acres, Indiana
It's hard not to give Honda its earned respect for quality and value. I just bought my daughter the 2dr hatch ( ?Civic si or something like that) and was impressed with the content and performance compared to price. It seems to do most of what my old 1980 SC did, at a fraction of the price and with minimal upkeep expense. Can't really compare it to a 996 or my current ttx50 in any way except to say it does represent greater value. The entire car cost what my X50 option cost. The problem is you can't duplicate the Porsche for less, and we accept the compromises as part of the charm or mystique. It's not sensible, it's emotional, and that's where Porsche has it all over Hondas and almost everything else. Life ( and particularly youth) is short. May as well enjoy it. AS
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,761
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From: California
My 1994 4runner has 165K miles on its original clutch and that is all freeway stop and go traffic in LA.
Reliability is a hit or miss proposition with any ONE particular vehicle as alot has to do with workmanship off the line, original parts within certain specs, maintenance, driving habits and LUCK. On the other hand, certain marquees have certainly earned a great reliability rep with Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura right up near the top.
I have been lucky that all the cars I have owned have been relatively trouble free and that goes for my p-cars as well. However, keep in mind that a new clutch on your p-car will cost you more coin, much more than a Honda. In fact, I can get an oil change for $8 for my 4runner but can't even get the 12 quarts of oil for my p-car for less than 4 times that amount!
If quality is so important to you, get a well sorted out 993 C4S AND an S2000.
Reliability is a hit or miss proposition with any ONE particular vehicle as alot has to do with workmanship off the line, original parts within certain specs, maintenance, driving habits and LUCK. On the other hand, certain marquees have certainly earned a great reliability rep with Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura right up near the top.
I have been lucky that all the cars I have owned have been relatively trouble free and that goes for my p-cars as well. However, keep in mind that a new clutch on your p-car will cost you more coin, much more than a Honda. In fact, I can get an oil change for $8 for my 4runner but can't even get the 12 quarts of oil for my p-car for less than 4 times that amount!
If quality is so important to you, get a well sorted out 993 C4S AND an S2000.
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,077
Likes: 245
From: North Eastern US
Wow. This thread seems to have hit a nerve. It has everything. Plugs for whoever's favorite reliability marque, defense for the Porsche, a 993 vs 996 testament, even an uncouth rant by a bimmer lover (it was correct, in poor taste, but funny 
).
Lets see..... I think I'll pick a fight with the 993 guys. The 993 dinosaur is a piece of....
Ooops. Mother-in-law at the door. I'll pick a fight with her first, then you 993 guys. C-ya.
).Lets see..... I think I'll pick a fight with the 993 guys. The 993 dinosaur is a piece of....
Ooops. Mother-in-law at the door. I'll pick a fight with her first, then you 993 guys. C-ya.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
I have a 95 993 Cabriolet with approx. 43,000 miles on it, 18000 miles when I bought it 2 1/2 years ago. I also have a 96 Honda Accord bought new with approx. 120,000 miles on it.
I definitely drive both cars hard, ie. regularly close to red-lining, cornering hard etc..
I pretty frequently neglect maintenance on the Honda other than major maintenances and oil change when the car tells me to change it. I just went 35 - 40K miles w/o maintenance before taking my Honda to the dealer and it came out with flying colors. I wonder what would happen to my Porsche if I did that?
Conversely I am extremely religious about oil change intervals and maintenance periods on the Porsche.
I have had one $25 dollar part fail on the Honda no matter how much abuse I give it.
The Porsche on the other hand has had a variety of electrical and mechanical parts fail, though most of it happened in the first year of ownership.
I have to admit that there are times I have wondered about the maintenance costs/reliability of my Porsche. On the other hand all it takes me is half an hour in the Porsche with the top down listening to the engine to realize why I bought the car in the first place.
I still love my Porsche regardless of the problems I've had but to slam someone on this board because of valid concerns he/she may have over quality/reliability issues is in my opinion extremely immature. To most people on this board buying a Porsche is a huge financial out-lay, and to tell them "Just go buy that XXXX car" does an injustice to a valid question being posed.
I definitely drive both cars hard, ie. regularly close to red-lining, cornering hard etc..
I pretty frequently neglect maintenance on the Honda other than major maintenances and oil change when the car tells me to change it. I just went 35 - 40K miles w/o maintenance before taking my Honda to the dealer and it came out with flying colors. I wonder what would happen to my Porsche if I did that?
Conversely I am extremely religious about oil change intervals and maintenance periods on the Porsche.
I have had one $25 dollar part fail on the Honda no matter how much abuse I give it.
The Porsche on the other hand has had a variety of electrical and mechanical parts fail, though most of it happened in the first year of ownership.
I have to admit that there are times I have wondered about the maintenance costs/reliability of my Porsche. On the other hand all it takes me is half an hour in the Porsche with the top down listening to the engine to realize why I bought the car in the first place.
I still love my Porsche regardless of the problems I've had but to slam someone on this board because of valid concerns he/she may have over quality/reliability issues is in my opinion extremely immature. To most people on this board buying a Porsche is a huge financial out-lay, and to tell them "Just go buy that XXXX car" does an injustice to a valid question being posed.
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 934
Likes: 209
From: Los Angeles
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by RWO:
<strong>I liked the "offensive ranting", it was very funny.
Besides, he was right.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Looks like I got a few supporters. I was harsh on him, but that really set me off for some reason.
People should respect ALL sports cars. It doesn't matter if they come from Masarati or Lotus or Porsche or even gasp Honda. The fact is that good cars come from all different places. As a BMW/Porsche/Honda owner I appreciate all my cars for their unique abilities.
But I will say this. I like cars with passion. And my BMW's have loads of it as does my 98' Boxster. But the Honda S2000 carries that passion for its owner belive it or not. The guy that buys that car finds something in it that he finds appealing to him or her. Much like Porsche owners like that wonderful intake noise coming from their p-cars or the great steering inputs or its powerful brakes. The guy in the Lotus Elise likes its M/R layout and its lightweight. And the guy in the Ferrari 360 likes the wail of a N/A V8 engine behind him screaming at its lungs to its 8000 RPM song, much like a bigger S2000 engine might I add
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
Porsche's do have a lot of passion and chrisma. And that's why we spend our time fixing them and paying up the *** for Castrol 10w-60 oil, 300.00 a tire and other expensive things. Its because ANY high performence car require that sort of commitment. Be it BMW M cars or old Porsche 911's or even Honda's NSX requires very expensive parts to maintain right.
Just drive what floats your boat.
And don't forget the famous German saying:" Make sure your ******* is big enough before you ****."
<strong>I liked the "offensive ranting", it was very funny.
Besides, he was right.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Looks like I got a few supporters. I was harsh on him, but that really set me off for some reason.
People should respect ALL sports cars. It doesn't matter if they come from Masarati or Lotus or Porsche or even gasp Honda. The fact is that good cars come from all different places. As a BMW/Porsche/Honda owner I appreciate all my cars for their unique abilities.
But I will say this. I like cars with passion. And my BMW's have loads of it as does my 98' Boxster. But the Honda S2000 carries that passion for its owner belive it or not. The guy that buys that car finds something in it that he finds appealing to him or her. Much like Porsche owners like that wonderful intake noise coming from their p-cars or the great steering inputs or its powerful brakes. The guy in the Lotus Elise likes its M/R layout and its lightweight. And the guy in the Ferrari 360 likes the wail of a N/A V8 engine behind him screaming at its lungs to its 8000 RPM song, much like a bigger S2000 engine might I add
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
Porsche's do have a lot of passion and chrisma. And that's why we spend our time fixing them and paying up the *** for Castrol 10w-60 oil, 300.00 a tire and other expensive things. Its because ANY high performence car require that sort of commitment. Be it BMW M cars or old Porsche 911's or even Honda's NSX requires very expensive parts to maintain right.
Just drive what floats your boat.
And don't forget the famous German saying:" Make sure your ******* is big enough before you ****."