jrotsaert

Hi there,
I'm considering working about 95 miles away from where I live. There will be a bit of international and domestic travel required and so all in all, I'm assuming that I will have to drive about 30,000 highway miles per year.
The sensible car choice would be a bmw 5 series or an audi a6 so I looked at how much these things are worth when 3.5 year old with 100,000 miles on them and it comes to about $14,000. New, they are worth $low 50s.
So... I get to $40,000 of depreciation every 42 months. or about a grand a month.
Right now, a 25,000 miles 997 from 05/06 goes for between $45,000 and $50,000. Putting on the same mileage, after 3.5 years I have a 7 year old 997 with 120,000 miles. 964s with similar mileage get $12 t0 15,000 so I'm thinking that I can get $17,000 for a 997. Assuming I paid 47 for the car, I get to 30 grand of depreciation... add tires and maintenance which are significantly more for a 997 then a BMW or Audi and I get to roughly the same cost as the "sensible" option but at least I have a 997 when I drive vs a family mobile... I've never done very high mileages in a Porsche but I read that many people do that in Germany in particular and have not had issues...
What do you all think? Am I missing something?
JM

sws1

Your analysis is correct. Advantages of buying used vs new.

However, I'd throw 5-10 grand in maintenance costs (at least) on the 911. (Tires alone are $2k every 10-20k miles.)

rmillnj

With my last Porsche I was in a very similar situation. I also travel a lot internationally but when in the office it is a 130 miles round trip commute. Over three years I racked up 60,000 miles in the car. Because the car was CPO, my maintenance costs were not too bad. Still I probably averaged about $2000 a year for normal maintenance and tires.

I did find that I was getting about 20,000 miles or more on a set of tires. My commute was mostly high speed interstate or back country roads with little stop and go.

When it came time to trade I found that the 100,000 mileage was a real problem. No one seems to want a car with over 100,000 on the odometer. You really will take a beating because of the mileage when you go to sell.

If you are going to rack the miles up, start with a used Porsche. Let someone else take the really big hit. Just make sure you go with CPO though. You will hit the 100,000 mile mark and that is where a CPO warranty pays for itself.

Tone

If you're looking at this from a financial perspective, don't even bother with the 911. The price of tires alone (especially 19s) is huge as 10K mi. is average for rears and some get 15-20K on fronts.
That's also a lot of car time - though the 997 is a very comfortable sports car, you'll be a lot less beat up in a more quite sedan with smoother ride, easier to do phone calls, etc.

Since you mentioned BMW, a low mileage CPO BMW (1-2 years old) could be a great solution as you'd get a great car with warranty longer than a new car, to 100k & 6yrs i think, and you're saving on the new car depreciation, ZERO maint. (except tires & brakes). It's no 911, but you'd save a lot of $$ and be more comfortable.

Speed

You must be buying your tires from a dealer to be paying those kinds of prices. I just bought two Pirelli 19" PZero Rossos from Tire Rack for $864. I get about 15k mi. on the rears and find I replace one set of fronts for every two sets of rears. The last set of fronts I bought were $738 for two.

Macster

or what your car will be worth at 120,000? Given what has happened in just the last year or less any guess as to what even low mileage 997s will be going for in 3 to 4 years is pure well guess work.

Driving a Porsche 30,000 miles a year will likely cost you two sets of tires, and at least one alignment.

I drive approx. 60 miles a day to work and back and take long multi thousand mile road trips several times a year and I buy two sets of rears every year and one set of fronts. An alignment at every full set is the norm. 997 tire life is I believe even shorter than the 986's.

My car's engine gets oil/filter changes every 5000 miles and engine/cabin filters whenever, though generally more frequently than recommended by owners manual. Serpentine belt -- a DIY for me -- when time and new plugs (dealership). I've replaced a couple of O2 sensors and the #2 converter is worn out and need replacing.

Also, you have to consider having the transmission/diff fluid changed say every 60000 miles and the brake fluid flushed/bled every two years.

I've never changed the coolant by itself but it has been changed twice now: Once after breaking a radiator from hitting road debris and again when water pump went bad (noisy) and had to be replaced.

In hindsight, I'd not buy a new Porsche and put this kind of miles on it. I should have shopped a good used one in good condition at a substantial discount from new.

Suggest you consider a good used Porsche for "fun" and then say one day a week take it for a 95 mile drive. Get a small car -- if your in Germany there's a goodly number of super small cars to choose from -- for the rest of the days. If you shop smart you could spend about the same money and the small car will cost less to insure for those big miles and cost less to maintain/service.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Dr. Car

What he said. That's sound advice. As for tires, I recommend the N-spec Continentals, which IIRC have a 280 treadwear rating. If purchased at or near Tire Rack prices, your tire cost per mile won't be prohibitive.

Maybe someday your car can be featured in Excellence, which likes to profile very high mileage cars to prove how durable Porsches can be. Good luck!

jrotsaert

Thanks to all!

Edgy01

For many years I drove a 911 as a daily driver. They are considerably reliable and take the drudgery out of the commute!

rvklein

Actually, a sensible choice would be a honda civic for that commute.

wilfred

+1. I would just get a $20k accord or camry. 4yrs/120k miles later, I know I can sell it easily for $5k-$10k. Like someone said above, high mileage luxury cars will be hard to unload later.

Dr. Car

Traitors. Why not buy American if getting a practical car? The Chevy Malibu's a fine car, has high mpg and is more fun to drive than most of its competition, and the 2009 Cobalt can be purchased in 36/37 hwy mpg form. Both have a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

VW Jetta TDI or 335d would be great too, if one likes the nouveau diesel funk.

But the high mile 997 is a much more appealing concept, a great way to enjoy countless hours of the long commute, a freindly smiling face to come back to (at least when you approach the car from the front).

pred8or

Yep get the Honda and have fun walking past your 997 everyday!

ADias

Only if he is counting his pennies. As Edgy01 said commuting in a 911 is actually good therapy.

jrotsaert

I don't think so

Cars are meant to be driven. I did 120,000 km in my 964C4 - my first car! and then moved to the US and never did more than 12,000 miles a year and sold them after 2 years max (13 in total!!!!).
I've been doing the sensible thing for 2 years now - granted I had an RSR and/or cup cars in the garage too but I am now really tired of driving a sensible car. A friend has a 6,000 miles S with all the great options and he would let it go for mid 50s or I could get a C4 (sensible for PA/NJ) for the same. Decision made I think, it will make the commute more bearable! Anyway, first things first, I need to the job offered first!

Thanks to all, it was fun reading all the perspectives
JM
JM