chrisbferg

I'm in the final stages of coming to terms with my impending new car purchase/lease and I'm in need of advice on a few issues. First, a little context to my situation: my wife and I will be moving to Washington, DC and our first child is due in November; therefore, I will obviously have to fit a car seat in whatever car I decide upon (though my wife DOES have an E55 AMG wagon). My commute will be short (10-15mins) but in downtown traffic and this car will be my daily driver. I desperately want a 997 911S, but as we can't always get what we want, my questions are as follows:

1. Is a car seat even feasible for a newborn-4 year old (likely period of ownership)? I know it's not an ideal situation; however, the key question is can it be done?

2. Am I fool to not just "settle" for an RS4? My reservations are both sentimental (really want the 911) and financial -the RS4 lease for 12k/36 mos is about $1450-relatively similar to a medium optioned 911S, no? I may be way off base with this lease breakdown on the Porsche side, but I don't think I'm that far off.

3. What considerations have I no doubt left out of the equation - insurance, cost of ownership, R&M, etc?

In short, a Porsche is in my future. I just need help in the final assessment of if that future is NOW.
Thanks in advance.

Edgy01

Having been a Porsche owner for a very long time I would recommend that you not purchase a 911 as this time. A short commute like that is death to a car and if it winds up as your only car you will be not doing yourself any favors, particularly when the snow is falling or an ice storm comes in to stay. It's not you I'm worried about,--I assume that you know how to drive a 911; it's the other idiots who will run into you and claim the ice made them unstoppable... Car seats are available, of course.

Arnzo

E55 AMG wagon is very cool. Do you guys like it?

500

Are you saying a new Porsche can't handle short drives (10-15 mins) to his office?

DJ23

A Cayenne isn't a bad alternative.

Jay

uzj100

Hold off on the Porsche IMHO until you're in a position to have one that you won't have to make your daily driver........why? Driving in and around DC is the pits. Spent quite a bit of time there and that's what they make the metro for

icon

dan, you left out how he's going to get to work?

ECS

Just going through a smililar thought process myself. I checked today on the baby car seat issue. Porsche makes 3 different child seats. For a newborn to 9 months/20 lbs the only seat that Porsche recommends and makes is a passenger seat rear facing one. After 20lbs you can use their middle and last model in the back seats.

There are other, less expensive, seats out there but from a usage/placement point of view I believe this is the general rule.

I recently moved to Atlanta and will have a similar commute. My thought is stretch the car out on the track as often as possible! You will die putting around the city and avoiding pot holes.

500

Perhaps he should get TIP?

Soulteacher

Chris, welcome to this board! Be prepared for insanity to take over.

Here are some threads that have previously addressed - or at least touched upon - the topics you are inquiring about. You’ll probably find even more stuff if you are more creative with the search terms (especially when it comes to your commute). I only did a quick look and chose those that appeared most promising.

Cost of Ownership
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ford+a+porsche
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ford+a+porsche
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...t+of+ownership
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...e+porsche+cost
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...afford+porsche
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ight=insurance

Child Seat
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...highlight=kids
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...highlight=kids
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...highlight=kids
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ighlight=child
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ighlight=child
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ighlight=child
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ighlight=child

Daily Driver
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...t=daily+driver
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...t=daily+driver
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...t=daily+driver

Deven

OMG.......Wolfgang has become the next OCBen.....
(Good job with the links BTW).....

blake

Soulteacher has posted one heck of an archive... definetly worth a complete look! I will add my two cents, however, and am probably the contrarian.

My view is that you should buy the 911 now. It is what your really want to do, and the 997 is a perfect balance of comfort and performance (the best 911 yet). Northern Virginia/Western Maryland offer tremendous weekend roads to the flex the Porsche muscle which will no doubt balance the 50-100 miles of "city" driving during the 5 day work week. And for those long family outings and weekend trip,s you still have the E55 "people/luggage mover" wagon in your stable.

IMHO, Porsches have never been a rational purchase. If I wanted rational, I would buy a Honda Accord. The reason that I buy Porsches is because 1) I can afford to, 2) I'm tired of being green with envy every time I see a coveted 911 pass me on the road, and 3) when I drive one, I have a grin from ear to ear (what I call the "therapy on wheels" quotient). Just do it - you won't regret it.

Edgy01

The Porsche can 'handle' it but I think you'll find that it isn't enough time to thoroughly warm up the car. I have about a 10 minute drive to one of my offices and I would rather not drive the car for such a short distance. In that part of the country you have high humidity and it will wind up in the engine and since the engine isn't warmed up enough to get rid of that moisture it will ultimately not do it any good.

But as others have said, a Porsche isn't a rational automobile solution for anyone for the most part. It's impractical and is not 'transportation' in the conventional sense.

Most people who are contemplating a 911 purchase are certainly not going to be dissuaded by anyone on an anonymous web site. All that will happen is that several issues may come up that the prospective buyer didn't consider and he/she has a bit more to think about.

Many people, too, are worried all the time about where to park their $100k machine and Washington, D.C. isn't exactly downtown Tombstone, Arizona at 5 pm, if you catch my drift. If you already have secure, covered parking in DC then several issues go away.

I drove a 911 as my only transportation for about 6 years. But it wasn't a $100k machine in those days, either. I'm not saying that they're not reliable but you have to remember that there's a lot more going on with these things today. If you're simply leasing the car and not buying the car then do anything you want. You're not the 'owner' per se and thus have little to worry about when it comes to wear and tear (as long as it's within the account's definition).

Holli82

I lived in DC for 15 years and bought my first Porsche 944T there. My commute was less than 2 miles but SO WHAT!!!!I enjoyed having that car as much as I do my 997 and never regretted getting it. Oh yeah, I had 2 car seats in the back for the last 5 year that I owned it.

In other words, I enthusiastically recommend that you buy your 997 now. So many people wait for that "perfect" time to purchase and unfortunately it may never arrive. If you can afford it buy it/lease it

leslie

I have 2 young kids (6 and 4) and have had some form of 911 or other since my oldest was 3 months old.

I live in a city of 4 million crammed into a space of 26 sq km. (Singapore). Speed limits are strictly enforced here so the chance to stretch the cars legs on weekdays are very limited.

We pay a lot for our cars in this city. A base standard 997 C2S will set you back US$270k.

Yet I have had 4 911s and would advise that you definately should get the 911.

Why?

1. Cos a 911 is the only sports car (I dont count m3s or rs4s here) that can sit 2 adults and 2 young children reasonably comfortably for an occasional commute. Once your kids are a bit older, you have to use the family car (lucky you, a E55 is nice!)

2. You can definately drive the 911 daily without any significant side effects on the car except the occasional need to stretch her on the weekends once in a while.

If I were in your shoes, I would definately go for it. I did and have ZERO regrets (except selling the RS, which is another story altogether.....)

Dont get me wrong, the RS4 and the present M3 are all very nice cars but I am sure all of you would agree that the 997 is nicer!

Forgot to add that we are lucky here in the sense that we have a neighbour called Malaysia where there are beautiful, lightly policed roads for us to stretch the legs of ours cars if we are so inclined on the weekends!