Submariner2009

Friends,

A broad question as I consider the purchase of a 997, some of which are coming up as Porsche CPOs (even 2006s) -- is the added cost worth it? Clearly, a car that's selling as a CPO has to be in better condition and often require the dealer to do more to it than it might have otherwise.

But all things being equal, what have folks' experience been? I'm guessing there are stories of owners getting massive repairs/defects covers that may have otherwise been fantastically expensive and some that never had to use out and thus may feel like they arguably overpaid. Also, how do dealers make the distinction between "defect" and "wear and tear" in some instances?

Welcome any thoughts/anecdotes/feedback as I know this is largely an opinionated topic.

Many thanks!

ThomasCarreraGTS

In my opinion, a CPO Porsche is worth every penny versus buying a non CPO. First of all, the factory CPO program includes a comprehensive check list that the car must go through, and requires even cosmetic details to be like new or at a certain standard. The CPO program further requires only Porsche OEM parts are used for replacement, disallows vehicles with any serious damage and assures the buyer of a car that will be among the highest quality of any similar pre-owned models available. On top of this, the Porsche Factory Warranty comes as close as possible to providing the same experience as ordering a brand new 911 from your dealer. I bought my 997.2 Carrera GTS with 8,800 miles from an out of area Porsche dealer over the phone, and knew that there would be no major surprises in doing so. This allowed me to get my dream car even though I was far away. When I returned home with my car, I did obtain a PPI from a well known local specialist who confirmed that my car was everything I had been led to believe it would be. Further, because my car had been driven 8,400 miles in 36 months by the original lease holder and then stored and only driven 400 miles by a collector, the PDK shifted roughly and was replaced with a new PDK by Porsche, at no expense to me whatsoever. In fact, my only cost aside from the purchase has been oil and filter changes and a set of tires. I now have over 25,000 miles and my CPO warranty will expire in 60 days. At that point I will begin to use the Fidelity Platinum Warranty which runs to 90,000 miles and cost me $4,740. My wife wouldnt let me replace my 996.2 with the 997.2 GTS when it came out new because we were in the middle of a global recession, but the Porsche CPO program effectively gave me a second chance!

Psychopoodle

CPO cars have to comply with standards for minimum life remaining for brakes and tires, so it will ensure you dont have those costs coming up. That said, cars from Porsche dealers are usually fairly well sorted. When I bought my 06 last year it wasn't available, however the car was sorted by the Porsche dealer before I bought it (60k service in advance, new clutch, strut mounts, coolant tank). In the year and 20k DD miles since I bought it I have replaced the water pump and the front tie rods, at dealership costs of ~$2k for the combined work. Not sure if CPO would have actually paid off in my case, but it never hurts to have a warranty on these engines some additional piece of mind. If you can swing it, I'd say why not

saabin

Of the "extended warranty" options available, CPO is def at the top of the list, and would consider it worth the extra $.

I've used it for various things before on my old 987 (not quite a big as Thomas' PDK replacement) but it def was worth the peace of mind..

nick2413

Does anyone know if the CPO is transferrable? I bought a 997.2 GTS Coupe a year ago and am now considering selling it, will the CPO transfer to the new buyer? There is 13 months remaining and I would hope this is attractive to the buyer? Would it carry a premium, as in additional $ over non CPO car?

mrhebert

Yes, the CPO is transferable. I have bought 3 CPO Porsches and I would highly recommend it. These cars are too expensive to fix, and you don't want an expensive fix when you just purchased the car.

love2drive

Hello Nick,

I bought the exact same thing, and had a full 2 years left on the CPO. It transferred 100% and am I glad it did since it must of covered over $30K worth at least. Also, I got loaners while in service getting the opportunity to drive all the latest 911's, Caymans, and SUV's.

Good Luck,

Joseph

driggity

I've only had my CPO 997.1 for about a month and a half but as part of the CPO process I did get new front pads and rotors, new rear tires, and some cosmetic touch-up. It was also a two owner car that had been originally purchased at the dealership and been sold as CPO once before at the dealership. All that plus the piece of mind of the warranty made it worth it to me.

nick2413

Thanks Bud, I'm glad I got CPO too, for peace of mind at least. That being said I have had absolute ZERO issues with the car in a year, I took it to Porsche in Marin because there was a slight rattle noise coming from the drivers wing mirror and they fixed that in 5 mins. It's almost been an eerily reliable and problem free car, I wish I could say the same for my wifes 2016 Honda Civic, everyday another warning light...

vern1

Lots of not so good CPO stories as well. Would still get a PPI regardless. Can always get a good warranty outside of a Porsche one if you want a warranty

sandwedge

Yup. I think most CPO cars are what they should be but then there are horror stories like this which has convinced me to have a PPI done even on a CPO car which this one was:

This car was bought sight unseen over the phone. No PPI. Sold by what I think is the highest or second highest volume Porsche dealership in the country (Beverly Hills Porsche, CA). Hard to believe a dealership of this status and business volume would stoop to what has to at least border on outright fraud given Porsche's own stipulations for CPO certification on www.Porsche.com.

wjk_glynn

All things being equal, how much does CPO typically add to the sales price?

Thanks.

Karl.

ThomasCarreraGTS

I believe the dealer pays Porsche around $3,000 to have it certified, but that is on top of the additional work and new parts required to have it meet the CPO requirements.

nick2413

I agree that CPO isn't risk free, but for every negative CPO experience there are thousands of positive ones. I also agree that CPO + PPI is the ideal way to buy a used Porsche, but each to their own.

mujeriega

CPO is worth it if you were looking for an extended warranty anyways. However, if you're like many of us who accept the risk / self-insure, then you would not want to pay this extra amount.

The main question is about who you are... someone who pays for insurance so that you have payment predictability or someone who doesn't and is willing to take a potentially large hit to either fix something or sell broken and buy a replacement.

Personally, I have been in the latter camp my whole life and not sure that is going to change just because I have Porsche.