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Okay guys I have been heavily into Volvo's for quite some time however I have been itching to buy a Porsche. The time frame would be in the next year and I'd be considering a 2004-2005 911 Carerra/S, Targa or Carerra 4/S.
My question comes into play regarding maintainence on these vehicles. I have had wonderful luck and service through the 5 CPO vehicles I've purchased through Volvo for my mom, girlfriend, girlfriend's mother and myself.
People talk about the horror stories regarding the price of the Porsche's on upkeep. What realistically can I expect if I purchase a CPO car or one under warranty with an extended warranty?
I am jumping into a Porsche for the first time. I decided to get a new one. I was driving Hondas only a few years ago. Switched to BMWs between the Hondas and the Porsche. German cars are a lot more expensive to repair. I am planning for the worst and hoping for the best. I am thinking that this is going to be a love/hate relationship; gonna love driving the car; gonna hate this car when I bring it in for servicing (because my Hondas rarely broke and were inexpensive to fix). Good luck with your decision.
When considering a car; what so far, if any, is your expectation of 'up keep'? Consider this: Oil Changes for a C2 or C2S are ONE year and/or 20k between them. And oil change is less then $100.00. Your first minor service is due at 2 years.
Infact, it's never been less expensive to own a Porsche as it is now.
Honda's are great at what they do; I even own a Honda Motorcycle, a Honda RC51 V Twin 1000R- i joke that I can race it, put a 100k on the odometer, and then turn it into a lawn mower!
But at the end of the day; it's still a HONDA. It's not, say, and MV Augusta, Japanese powered, but Italian built, and absolutly gorgeous. At twice the price. Would I rather have an MV? With out a doubt. Everything about that bike makes it worth the money it is; including the fact that it's hand built and there is an exclusivity to it.
Porsche's are not Honda's, nor are they Volvo's....But they did get J.D.Power's associates award for Best Built in their intial buyers survey- beating everyone.
Stop thinking a 'car'- start thinking something entirely different. When you buy a Porsche, you're in an entirely different realm of automobile.
Since I got my car 10+ months/14,000+ mls ago, I added a little bit of oil. No other upkeep costs. However, a purchase that's in line are new tires (they are not cheap; there have been a few threads on that topic recently).
I'm not sure if and how many 997 CPO vehicles have been sold yet, so checking with the 996 forum folks about their CPO experiences may be a better bet.
If it is under warranty, and especially under a CPO extended warranty, what are you worried about? Worst case scenario, you have to drive a Cayenne loaner while they fix something under warranty. And good god, man, if you are comfortable with a Volvo's reliability, surely a Porsche does not scare you!
FWIW, I recommend a Porsche Certified 997. (I'll never again own a high-end car out of warranty. My Audi allroad just went through a number of major repairs...the bill to Audi under Certified Pre-Owned Warranty was over $12,000!!) It's a vast improvement on the 996, IMHO.
Yeah I've been thinking after speaking to the Owner of my local Porsche dealership and also the GM for that location. I also spoke to my girlfriend and my future wife and she supports me on the decision.
I was eyeing a 2004 model but I think I'd love to get a 2005 since it's the 997. What I would love to get is a C2S but gosh they are SO much more expensive than a regular C2. I need to determine whether or not it's worth the extra cost.
I can't wait to buy one I'm just waiting for that smoking deal. I know the dealer stated he would give me a great deal on a new one however that is still way outta my league.
If you get a CPO you will want to pay attention to how much of the original factory warranty you have left because the CPO warranty does not cover everything like the original factory warranty. CPO only covers major items and many repairs that are normally covered under the original warranty are not covered under CPO.
Owning a Porsche is not for the weak hearted or the thin of wallet. Although it isn't as bad as one might think it is not cheap. The performance levels achievable by a Porsche dictate higher maintenance costs. Do your homework. Assuming the warranty handles the high dollar surprise issues you still have adjustment and consumables to pay for. Look to see what a set of brake pads will cost you, as well a a set of tires. If you can easily afford a rear tire at $400 (unbalanced, unmounted) every 8000-10,000 miles then don't sweat it. But don't whine about the costs later. You can't have your performance and not pay to play. As a Porsche owner since 1974 I was shocked to find out how cheap other cars were to maintain,--I'd always had a Porsche. But they don't perform like one at all. BUY THE NEWEST ONE YOU CAN AFFORD. The latest ones go further between mandatory services.
Slowrey, the "normal" 997 is an awesome car and prices on '05's are really coming down. I drove the 997 and the 997S back to back several times. There really isn't a huge difference. It's noticeable, but not huge. I think the base model might be a little more comfortable, actually, due to the 18" wheels. It depends on whether you personally notice (or care about) a .3 second difference in 0-60 in normal street driving. Coming out of your Volvo, I bet the base 997 would be more than enough to satisfy you.
Wow thanks for the great feedback everyone. I have a couple of questions for you all and if you could help me gain some clarification it would be great.
Tires:
Everyone states that the rear tires are costly and I've noticed that. However I get people who state that they get between 8K-12K per rear set of tires. Now in my Volvo I routinely get 18K out of a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 2's, which are the same tires I plan to put on the Porsche. What makes the Porsche get less mileage out of a set of tires that have pretty much the same treadwear and life that I put on my Volvo?
C2 vs. C2S:
I would love to have the C2S because it adds quite a bit to the C2 that I would find attractive. I love that it has a 3.8L engine, PASM, bigger rotors, painted calipers, Bi-Xenons and a couple other things that I probably have forgotten at this moment. Is it truly worth the upgrade over the base C2?
Also with these questions here's what I'm coming from:
2004 Volvo S60R
300hp
295tq
Bi-Xenons
All-Wheel Drive
Active Chassis - Comfort, Sport and Advanced
Michelin Pilot Sports
4-Piston Brembo's all the way around
330mm front and rear rotors
No comparison frankly. Drive a Volvo 244 B23 turbo with iPd swaybars and VX cam, then drive say, a 944 turbo or a Carrera 3.2 back to back. You'll see which one is a little more fun to drive.
And yes, I have an 89' 244
I'll pipe in as I made a similar leap last November, albeit from a Boxster. The 996's were attractive for the money but general opinion was: there had been enough 'upgrades' to the 997 to date/depreciate the 996 faster in the next few years. ...perhaps even enough to 'pay for' the additional, frontend cost of the 997. Get an login and dnld the order guide over here: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index...ads&showcat=22
It will show you all the options/prices for both the S and Std. 997 for 05. Unlike some adventurous sorts, I won't sit at the table without knowing something about the game.
The S/non-S call is more difficult. I have a sneaky feeling looking at your Swedish sled, you'd spend the extra cash in the aftermarket anyway. Some seem to conclude the S package is cheaper than adding the pieces after, but then there may be things you didn't not want in the first place. In addition, when I was looking, there were a ton of std. 997's that were pretty heavily optioned with some of the racy stuff you might like. ...and all that optional stuff is worth about 30cent/dollar at resale.
Don't be afraid to travel ... don't get weird about buying a dealer CPO without an indy inspection - it's CPO afterall. ...or, if a private-sale car has a few months warranty left, buy one outside. I got one for the 01 Boxster for $1800 that takes it into 2008 with my $$ back if not used ...less about $200. Good luck.
Well i think what I've came to the conclusion is that I need to wait and find the perfect MY05 C2S. It has all of the features I want and I think I can afford the MY05 however the MY06's aren't far off.
My dealer offered to sell me a brand new Porsche at 2K over invoice but I'm not sure that's a good deal or not.
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