blake

I am looking to order a 997S Cab as a daily driver, and would like to know in advance the expected scheduled maintenance charges for up to 90K miles. As I drive 120 miles per day, I routinely put 30-35K miles on the car. With that sort of mileage, TCO is very important!

Thanks!
-B

2002 BMW 325CiC (Daily Driver)
2005 Volvo XC 90 (People/Car Hauler)
1994 911 Speedster (Triple Black - 19K miles)

MJones

The service intervals(oil change intervals) for the new 911Carrera have been increased from 12,000 miles for the previous model to 20,000 miles. This means fewer visits to the workshop for the customer and a remarkable reduction in regular maintenance costs.
Maintenance must be carried out at least every 2 years whether or not the mileage thresholds for regular maintenance are reached.
Unlike vehicles that are fitted with a maintenance interval computer, both the Carrera and the Carrera S must be brought to the Porsche workshop after 20,000 miles for their first regular service regardless of how the car has been driven.
For example, the alternator, steering servo pump and air conditioning in vehicles with the current 911Carrera engines are driven by a single, selfadjusting belt that only has to be changed every 60,000 miles (previously 48,000 miles). The use of individual ignition coils means that the only part of the ignition system that requires maintenance is the spark plugs – and these only have to be changed every 60,000 miles (previously 48,000 miles) or every 4 years. The timing chains for the camshaft and intermediate shaft are totally maintenance-free.

All of that being said, a dealer service visit might cost you $400 - $600, and I'am just taking a guess.
Buy the car, drive the car, service is what it is, If you are really worried about the service costs, perhaps another ride should be considered....

blake

Thanks for the feedback. Regarding another ride, an M3 Convertible is in the cards - although a distant second. I have nothing but good things to say about BMW service, as they cover brakes/rotors and most other repairs under warranty. I am certainly cognisant of TCO with any purchase I make - but am also aware that value can be meaured via intangibles (ex. my '79 911SC which I paid $11.5K for in 1991 then spent $20K to maintain/update over the next decade - and worth every penny in smiles!)

It is worth noting that I am not holding my daily driver to the same criteria as a weekend ride. TCO is the prime motivator here. Due to the road comfort improvements of recent 911s, it would seem that Porsche has finally bridged the gap from a race centric automobile (weekend driver) to one of both comfort and performance (daily usage). This would put the brand in direct competition with other "pleasure cruisers" such as BMWs (all M classes certainly fit both categories). I find it troubling that Porsche has not adopted the warranty/maintenance programs provided by MB, BMW, Audi, Lexus and others. In fact, I would have expected this in the Boxster line, if not the 911s due to the increased price range. So it is in that light that I wish to make a true apples-to-apples comparison...

Thanks,
-B

JasonF

I agree that BMW provides excellent service. I have had many maintenance items covered under warranty, including wiper blades, brake pads, etc...In fact, my service advisor felt bad that he had to charge me for a new cd unit after my son jammed some quarters in it!

I contrast this with Mercedes service.The local dealer will cover nothing, not even wiper blades. Forget about oil changes. IMHO, Mercedes quality has dropped like a stone over the past several years, and I would watch out for more belt tightening since they let their currency hedges expire.

jcnesq

I thought BMW recently dropped the service included policy?

nyca

Mercedes is the one that dropped it.

vtrader

Oil change from a Porsche dealer for the 997: $285

Crazy Canuck

I think I'll be buying my Mobil 1 at Walmart for $8 CDN a liter and doing the oil change myself.

Gary R.

I just bought 2 cases of 0W-40 Mobil 1 from www.autobarn.com for about $6.00 US per quart (got new CA Dusters while I was there too!). All I need now is a filter and a manual/docs on the proper way to change the oil in this thing. So figuring Porsche charge $10 per quart, is the filter $100.00 and labor (say for 1 hour as a minimum chg) another $100?

danoberer

94speedster - check out the location of Gary R.... Autumn roads in a 997S....

blake

Gary R - I was raised in Woodbury and certainly miss the short trips to Lime Rock and the covered bridge in Cornwall.... nice neck of the woods! (and BTW - I have belonged to 6 different PCA regions -and nothing beats CVR!)

Moogle

that was mercedes, they now offer free carwashes to mercedes owners as a saving grace.

Gary R.

I'm hoping to hit my 1st CVR meeting on 1/11/05... looking forward to the DE as this is my 1st Porsche..