I posted this in the 997 forum but am also cross-posting here to get a little diversity of opinions. Ok, so I'm new to p-cars but have been doing a lot of reading and have come across the same dilemma many others have mentioned here. do I get a 996tt or a 997.1cs? One thing that keeps coming up is the difference in interior. Sure, the newer car will have an updated interior, but i don't see a huge difference between the two. The tt doesn't seem all that different than the cs. What are some of the main gripes between the interiors (please be specific)? Below are a few pics for reference.

996tt interior








997.1cs interior

 

my only real complaint in the 996tt is the darn cheap soft paint they used on the console between the seats. Mine is all nicked up .

 

My opinion only.

The 997s have an ugly steering wheel that I can't warm up to.

The interiors have a more modern look, that will actually look more dated quicker than the 996s.

I nice, well appointed 996 interior has a timeless subtle design and classy look that one never tires of. It's a perfect match for the lines of a 996 body, soft organic curves. It's right and it's Porsche.

The 997 looks like it could be in any make of car. It's a bit more rakish, more straight lines, and not particular pleasant looking. Many don't wear well with paint chips and scratches all over inside. More plastic and overall cheaper looking than the 996.

We've had a Boxster for going on 12 years, a 996 C2 for 7, and a 996 Turbo for a year and a half. I still prefer the 996 interiors to the 997s. Everything that's brown is leather including the steering wheel center, and seat backs, except of course the carpeting.

 

I have 2 996s right now. My previous car was a 997.1 C2S Cab. I sold that and got a 996TT.

Keep in mind that a 996TT has a full leather interior standard whereas a 997C2S might come with a plastic dash unless the owner upgraded to the full leather package. The 997 has a better, more modern, more tightly put together interior. I don't think it's enough to justify the value / performance difference in the 2 cars. Unless you have PCM1, the interior of a 996TT will age gracefully. These cars are designed to become classics, so there isn't crap in them that will look dated.

 

To me, the interior was one of the last criteria when judging between the 996tt and a 997.1 cs. However, I can see where some place a higher importance on it. Overall, the 996tt interior is a bit more spartan than 997, however I would not call it dated, yet. I have seen many vehicles in this period use soft rubber, plastic components that scratch quite easily. I'd guess this was driven mostly from the need to use more environmentally friendly materials and/or what the trend was at the time. I really do not have any dealbreaker complaints about the 996tt interior. To me, it matches the personality/function of the car perfectly.

And don't forget about the great exterior look of the widebody on the 996tt vs a 997.1 cs.

+ I love the design and material of the headliner. My previous Audi headliner started sagging after @10 years - this one is designed so much better
+ Leather everywhere
+ comfy seats (supple)
+ good storage in the center console and door handle
+ visibility from the drivers seat is phenomenal (likely the same in 997 though)

- Wish it had integrated homelink - garage door opener into the sun visor
- Stock headunit is mediocre
- Wish it had better adjustments for the steering wheel position, hands run into my legs when turning wide circles

 

thomapa1 - do a search on this forum for "GDO" and your garage door opener wish will be taken care off.
Gotta disagree on the "good storage in the center console and door handle." Really? Both are ergonomically awful and small.... not that I need to carry a lot of crap.

jimq - yeah the interior parts that are painted with the weird rubberish paint are sub par for a Porsche. I just wish they would make a touch up paint for it.

Otherwise, like so many other things on the 996, I think the interior was the crossover interior and the perfect blend between the old and the new. I believe time will be very kind to this interior and it should age quite well with just enough old school and a hint of modernization.

 

- Wish it had integrated homelink - garage door opener into the sun visor

I keep my garage door opener in the center console; just pop the lid and press the button to open the door.

- Wish it had better adjustments for the steering wheel position, hands run into my legs when turning wide circles

I had the same problem. My only option was to buy a 340mm steering wheel.

 

Take into consideration the windscreen setback; eg, the distance across the dash front to back, is greater in a 997. Don't know what that does to the interior space..
It can be seen in the above comparison photos.

 

I think that's a great point. If the size of the 997 Turbo's dash (front to back) doesn't cut into the available interior space (and it may), it at a minimum creates a "bigger" feeling/sight picture, and it is a step further away from what has traditionally been a narrow (front to back) dash in the 911.

I also think that the 997 Turbo's dash is higher as measured from the floorboard to the top of the dash. The first thing I thought when I sat in a 997 was "wow, that's a big dash" (kind of like what I say when I look at some of the pictures posted here...).

993 dash...

 

The center console is bigger than what I need. I only carry one thing in there...

 

Lol, I could not disagree more with just about everything you've said.

 

When I was looking I thought the newer dash was cheap looking and more trendy than I cared for, but Im older and probably out of touch with whats in lol.I bought a 2001 because I think it feels a little more raw when driving and I like the dash better without glovebox.

 

My Turbo's interior...I love it.



The 997 dash has in my opinion too many flat vertical surfaces, too much bulk facing the passenger compartment, a center vertical quadrant that is too bulky and boxy, is too deep from the windshield base to the back of the dash, and has an ugly steering wheel.

 

Personally, I prefer the 997 dash. However, I also like the 996 very much. The look of the dash was not a major factor in my purchase decision.

 

I found the interior of my 997 S to be more business-like, focused. Man-cavish! Yes, man-cavish!!

The interior of my 996 Turbo seems luxuriously focused on an evening of good wines, superb Vicyssoise, and a deep goodnight kiss.

Either scenario is awesome in my opinion!

PS. The picture is big so Dock can see it.