EG9

This is my first post and my first move into a Porsche (long time Lotus Esprit owner). I test drove several 911's at Livermore Porsche and Sports Trend and have narrowed it down to a'06 C4s or an '04C4s. I liked the 997 better but the price/value is where I need some advice. Here are my options... and my concerns..

1) '06 C4S - $68K w/20Kmiles (The high end of what I could afford)
or
2) '04 C4S - $43K w/31K miles (Great financially!)

Will the '06 C4s drop drastically in the next 2yrs? into the $40's?

Just wondering if I should get the '04, drive it for two years, sell it for near the same price and then get into a 997C4s in the $40's?

And... if the '06C4s is the choice then should I wait till Jan of '09? will the price be substantially different?

Sorry for all the questions...

Ed-

EG9

BTW- I have looked at many 996 vs 997 C4S posts and notice that owners choose the 997 more so than the 996...way more..., but was wondering what folks think if the 997C4S is so much more car that it warrants $25K more at this point?? (An '06C4s vs '03-04C4s.

Thanks

rvklein

You may be able to talk that C4S down into the low 60's. I negotiated my 2006 C2S Cab (15k miles/CPO'd) down to 68.5k)

The depreciation will largely depend on how much you plan to drive it. If that '06 has 50k miles on it in 2 year it'll be definitely be in the 40's.

Likemystoppie?

It's a completely different car. The 997 S get's a 3.8L @ 355hp; the 996 does not. Not to metion that on the 997 S you get Bixenos, 19" whees, PASM, self adjusting clutch, quad exhaust standard.


Two different breeds. Drive them both and you'll see which one you prefer; suring on the net won't tell you what you 'really' need to know.

It's like describing Pizza; but you don't even know what dough, cheese or sauce is. See what I'm saying?

EG9

Thanks guys.. Yes. I test drove both cars and the 997 was a better car. I'm just not sure if it warrants $20k-$25K more... I don't have enough experience in both cars to make that decision.

I just found an '03 C4S with 14K miles for $39K. There is an '06 C4s at Sports Trend in Studio City CA that he is willing to sell for $64K w/20K miles.

Nugget

Not to open a can of worms, but why are you limiting your shopping to the 4WD cars? Unless you routinely drive in snow and slush the RWD 911s are going to be lighter, more nimble, more fun -- and cheaper. Since cost seems to be a factor in your decision-making I think it would be worth broadening your search to include the more classic RWD cars as well.

kauai_diver

yah +1, unless he likes the wider look of the 4's.

Edgy01

I concur. Why the 4s? With more moving parts you are paying more for maintenance down the road,--if true costs are a consideration.

Certainly the 997s will continue to drop in price as more owners move onto the 997.5 cars. The 996s will drop even more.

When you ask this question of the 997 forum you can expect a biased answer. $25K is a lot of delta between the 996 and the 997. I would not buy a 996 today because it will drop in value considerably these next couple years. Let the 997s drop a bit more and then move onto one of those. Keep in mind that many new 997 owners NEVER really use their cars. They have to have the latest gadget, or they have always WANTED a 911 and this was their gift to themselves,--but then they never really have the time to use them. I would be very cautious purchasing a used 997 from an independent dealer in the LA area. Porsche dealers are always getting in trade ins,--start with them! And DEAL!

EG9

Reason for the 4 is that I drive up the nearby mountains quite a bit and deal with rain, loose gravel and some snow. I also really like the wider stance of the 4's.

Owning Esprits, I couldn't enjoy the mountains until the summers so with a c4s it's like owning a beautiful, extremely sporty subaru but without the subaru... if that makes any sense..

anyhow... $$ is a concern especially these days. So.. I guess my next question should be... What should one pay for an '06 C4S with 20-30k miles?

Thanks again guys for the informative replies.

sclemmons

Get the newest one you can afford. I am glad I stretched to get the '06. If I had known I would cause a global financial panic buying it, I might have waited a year or two.

PeterC4

The 996 C4S was the best looking of the 996s IMO. As the 996 cars got older, they had minor improvements here and there so an '04 is reasonable buy in my view, if price is a factor. Most C4S cars were very well equipped for the time, so you should look for things like xenon headlights, heated seats, self dimming mirrors, rain sensor, full leather interior, graphite accents, etc. Right now Porsches on the used market are likely depreciating at a fast rate given the economic climate so you would be well advised to take a good look around at anything between MY 2003 to 2006. Mileage has a significant impact on price and a Porsche Certified Pre-Owned used car almost always costs more than what you might find on the general market.