Sue Esponte

Yeah, KBB still estimates the value of my C4S as about the same as when I picked mine up a couple of summers ago (not that I paid the KBB price). Prices seem pretty flat to me. Of course, unlike most other car communities, some people on these forums seem bent on driving the 996's value down. What's up with that?

News of an IMS settlement is barely even out there. I'd venture a guess, as others have posited, that most 996 owners have no clue that there's an IMS problem let alone a case or settlement involving their cars. I can't imagine it having much, if any, impact on their value at this stage.

-Eric

KrazyK

Some of you keep mentioning Kelly Blue Book. Most Porsche dealers use Black Book. If you go in a Porsche dealership and ask for KBB on your 996, you will be quickly escorted off the lot as they laugh.

roadsession

This Sunday, at the P car dealer shopping for a new Cayenne for the wife, a 2003 996 C4 Cab w/full leather was sold for $43K. No CPO. No warranty. (I'm in Boston area). I asked the buyer if he didn't think it was pricey for a 10 yr old car. He said that he had been searching for a clean blue C4, full natural brown leather that hadn't been molested for over a year, and that this is the car he wanted in the budget he had.

A 2005 996 C2 Cab was there for $50K. Not worth the extra $7K for him plus wasn't awd so it was out.

Sue Esponte

My point wasn't so much about the validity of KBB vs. Black Book. I've seen a lot of websites using Black Book, too. My point was about the consistency of the valuation. NADA's values are completely different from KBB but their numbers are relatively consistent with what I was seeing when I bought my C4S; as are Edmunds' numbers...maybe down $1K or so...which, I view as relatively flat given the age of these cars. Maybe I interpret the price change differently than most. And, maybe Black Book is completely different and they show a significant drop in value. Since I don't have a subscription to Black Book (and didn't then) I can't offer a comparison but maybe their numbers have fluctuated greatly. Dunno.

-Eric

jamren

I agree with your comment about IMS updated cars selling faster. I bought my specific 996 because the IMS update had been done and the PO was not charging a premium for that. I was actually trying to save around $35k to get into a P-car. When I saw a clean 99 pop up for $18,500, it was a no brainer for me.

dotframe

My thoughts exactly! I didn't buy a collectible art piece! I bought a Carrera to drive and enjoy. It is worth exactly what I paid for it and nothing less.

tnuvo

What it boils down to for me at least, I saw an oportunity to own/enjoy a hell of a lot of car that somebody else paid 86k for new, for the price of a new Camry! I knew going in that with the unlimited supply of 996's at any given moment and maitenance costs, this wasn't going to be a safe place to put my money in a used car, but that's not the point! My 996 Cab entertains the hell out of me on a daily basis, and that smile on my face, the people I've met, and the club activities it has provided me, is worth any amount of money! Another reason that this whole 996 valuation is a moot point is the fact that any of you(me included) who have bought a used 996 and have owned it for at least 5yrs or so, have spent enough money in normal maitenance and upkeep to almost buy another 996 all over again. Drive your car, daily and often if possible, and if you are complaining about decreasing values, you missed the point of ownership and probably couldn't afford to "own" it in the first place. JMHO on the subject.

Now I must go depreciate my car further, it's a beautiful day in Seattle, and putting the top down and going for a cruise for no other reason seems like the right idea!

rpm's S2

Of course dealers use Black Book for quick reference... But KBB is not useless. KBB low trade-in is usually a few hundred over high Black Book.

Not that it matters, because normal people don't buy cars at Black Book, those are wholesale numbers. Retail pricing is based on a bunch of additional factors including recon, financing, and the local market. And of course people who actually know something use recent auction data. On the east coast the best numbers come out of Mannheim.

Without real recent sales data none of us can make anything beyond guesses. But the assertion that 996 values are plummeting is wrong, unsupported by facts.

And no dealer ever escorted a buyer off the lot laughing...

KrazyK

Maybe its just South US prices but your right, they would "kick" you off their lot not escort you off. Porsche dealers are quite serious about "their" prices.

frisbee91

Hmm... KBB lists trade-in values well above what I paid for my car 4 years ago. Not that I take this as gospel (nor am I planning to sell), but I wouldn't say values are dropping.

Hal

IMHO, all this talk about “Blue Book”, “Black Book”, or “dealer pricing” is nice but totally unrealistic. I have a very nice 1999 996 that I have tried to sell here, Pelican, and Autotrader on 2 occasions starting in November and again in February/March. To be clear, that is a total of 6 ads over a 5 month period. I had 5 or 6 tire kickers and one offer: $17k.

After the last ad failed to generate any serious buyers I have decided that the car is worth more to me as a track car than to give it away. So I have started the annual routine of new tires, new brake pads, new brake fluid, etc. Can’t wait for the May event at VIR, 3 days on the full course.

But I digress. For whatever reason, the value of 996’s in the real world market place is down. It doesn’t matter why you need or want to sell, you will be in for a rude awakening. Prices are down, way down.

chsu74

BREAKING NEWS: Cars depreciate.

alpine003

^^^ lol.

Really, a lot of us knew going into this for the ones that bought used, got it for a great deal. We also knew they built quite a bit of these models and that it would really never be a collectors item.

I don't really understand why everyone is bitchin?

Enjoy the car for what it is, a great exotic that most people would've never been able to afford AND ENJOY if these prices never dropped. A lot of us would still be looking from outside in IMO.

What was the point of this thread again?

Hal

The OP (KrazyK) was laminating the perceived sudden drop in 996 prices. I think the operative word here is "sudden" and I tend to agree with him.

Gonzo911

Is it me, or are there quite a few new Pcar owners on RL lately? Could be seasonal, or it could be that new owners are just following other new owners who have posted.