David911

I am reaching out to you Car Guys with a dilemma.

I have a 1988 Carrera coupe, which I like a lot. I have upgraded the engine, suspension and A/C. I have driven it about 5000 miles a year for the last 8 years.

I now have a job that will require me to commute 120 miles a day, 3-5 days a week . This drive is completely straight interstate – maybe a dozen turns the entire trip, and most of those have traffic lights. Not exactly a sports car’s dream drive. Of course, the ’88 is not the quietest/most comfortable car out there. I am also a bit concerned about the lack of antilock/air bags – not really an issue when I was just using it for fun, but more of an issue as a commuter.
I am not sure what to do. I see the following options.

1) Sell the 1988 and buy a 997.2. This gives me a more comfortable, safer drive and a new Porsche! The disadvantages are: 2) Keep the 1988 and drive it. Comfort is for wimps, and the safety systems are likely never to be an issue

3) Keep the 1988 and buy a commuter car. I am not interested in a real cheap beater – I will be spending a couple of hours a day in the car, and I want to enjoy myself. I would want a “car guy” car – not a car that is driven by people who just want a “nice” car and could care less about cars in general. The possibilities I have been thinking about are:So, which option would you recommend? If Option 3, which car or are there other cars I should consider?

Opinions wanted (and I know they are worth what I paid for them)

rijowysock

i love my 997.2, id suggest it.. put 11k on mine in 7 months and never had a problem.. i get chronic migraines and even with gundo hack and fabspeed X pipe its quiet as a mouse on the highway and daily driving.. only gets loud when you get on it and even then its fine.

mpg on highway i average around 30, city around 17, aggressive driving down to 11/12.

if your worried about appearances, get a dark color... people will think its an 05/etc anyways... the only comments i get from day to day are "is that a turbo" and when i reply no.. they look at me like im poor white trash that couldnt afford the turbo... most people dont even know the difference between years and would think its older than it is anyways.

simsgw

I don't know about the image problem. That depends on your profession and the client you're seeing all those days in succession. But I do know it's a crying shame to wear out a Porsche on a grind that long. Our first major client was 110 miles from home and wanted near-daily attention. I bought a pleasant econo-box, a Honda Civic DX, which was nimble enough to get out the way of most accidents about to happen. I do think you need to consider the safety issues. I can't think how many accidents I avoided that would have called for antilock and airbags to survive if I had been distracted for even a brief moment at the wrong time. Probably something like three a week, doing 220 miles round trip. There's an old saying about taking the pitcher to the well once too often that kept coming to mind after the first year.

After 'nimble' I'd go for crashworthy. But... A Civic was not worth much in a herd of SUV's, and to be honest very few cars are that car guys like us enjoy. I worked it out as a business overhead issue. How much of our company income did I want to dump into a mind-numbing commute? I was putting nearly 100k miles a year on whatever I chose. You won't be doing that much, but you're looking at nearly a third as much, aren't you? Do a quick rundown on the cost of operation and decide how much your tranquility is worth as a business expense. Originally, I was driving over a famous mountain highway here, two lane all the way to within ten miles of the client. Great fun the first couple of hundred runs. The Civic was good enough to let me work off my frustrations on bad days and just relax and get into a rhythm on good days. Until I saw one too many small cars and motorcycles plastered on the front of tourist motorhomes and stopped relaxing on that road. Then I took to the freeways and bought the newly released Acura Legend instead. Bought cassettes of Beethoven and Mozart with a little Mussorgsky as a change-up.

Believe me. You'll go through phases with a commute like this. I assume you're a good driver since you have the taste to have a Carrera as a personal car, so we'll ignore the screaming nightmares that aflict drivers without self confidence after a week in heavy traffic. You're likely to find the first week, maybe two, a challenge as you learn the patterns of traffic as a canoeist learns a whitewater river. Then you'll fall into a rhythm for a few more weeks I suspect, as the boredom grows. Finally, you'll be using ten percent of your brain on driving that familiar traffic flow and the rest will need an outlet. Basically, it will be a hole in your life of X hours a day, and in traffic a sports car will not fill that hole, it will increase your frustration if anything. Every time traffic slows unexpectedly, you'll be watching in the rear view and cringing about whether the guy shaving in the Golf or the gal doing her eye-makeup in the Focus is going to notice in time to stop before eating your Carrera.

If your business life can afford the tranquility treatment, I'd recommend the E350. I considered buying one after Cindy's stroke until I realized I could drive an NSX limo style if I concentrated. A reasonable and nimble sedan, though hardly sporty, and it will soak up the miles for month after month without any heart rending signs of wear and tear on a car you'd love like the 997.2. Reasonably likely to avoid an accident and reasonably likely you'll just walk away from an accident that can't be avoided. And tranquil. After the third week, if you haven't got a winding road to help, you'll need a quiet unexciting car for that two hours a day out of your life. Not a boat you have to watch lest it plow off onto the shoulder in a light rain, but you also don't need a loud exhaust and exhilarating handling to follow a freeway.

I wouldn't even consider your '88 Carrera. They are lovely cars. Why trash one on a treadmill?

Gary

David911

Gary,

Thanks a lot for your post. It is helpful to hear from someone who has done this type of driving, and I suspect you are right about the diminishing pleasure of the drive. Also, I like tranquility. I don't understand why the really quiet, comfortable cars (Lexus LS, Mercedes S) are so large. It will be just me, and I don't need to drive a limo.

CamsPorsche

I'm using my Carrera as a daily driver at the moment and its fine for the drive. The only thing that will bug you is the fact you would be adding alot of miles and hence the re-sale will suffer.

I've since bought a nice 4-door performance sedan to do the drive and paid $8k for it. Now I can mileage that car up and keep the mileage on my 911 down. What I suggest you do is:

1. Buy a good 4-door car or 4 person "coupe" for the drive. My suggestion is something safe, comfortable and performance orientated and CHEAP but reliable. I'd suggest the VW Golf GTI especially as it has the better service interval and its a quick sporty and fits 4 adults. Lots of creature comforts which will make the drive all that more better.

2. Take your 911 at least once per week. That way you'll still get to enjoy it while keeping the mileage down. Also it shows potential co-workers that you do own a 911 and the shock and awe won't be so bad. I face the same thing at work and was told to keep my 911 at home...due to image. Like I give a shnizzle what others think...I bought a used Carrera but I digress.

The VW GTI will be cheaper than a Merc, Audi A5, and cost you alot less per mile accumulated.

atr911

When I was shopping I had two options. Buy an older car and then find something I can drive to work every day, or blow the entire budget on a single newer Porsche and drive it every day, rain, shine or snow.

At the end of the day I took the newer Porsche route and spent alot more than I had originally wanted to. I don't regret the 997 for a second. Depending on what you want to spend, I'd recommend a used, CPO car. You'll get two extra years warranty and 100,000 miles of guaranteed reliability. If you calculate the cost per mile or day, you'll soon find that the depreciation you'll see from the higher mileage isn't as terrible as one might think and you can play it two ways. Keep it until you hit 60,000 miles and sell it as a higher mileage car (and take a slight hit on value) or keep it for a long time and enjoy it as much as you have your 88 for years and years to come regardless of mileage.

The only thing I'd recommend is to consider tires and alignment carefully. Tires can get mighty pricey if you're replacing PS2s every year (15,000 miles). Other than that, it isn't that much more pricey to run as a DD.

Good luck with your decision.

dr90254

buy the new porsche!!!!!

keep us updated!!!

good luck

dr90254

atr911, excellent point about the tyres, they do run 1500-2000 per set....something to consider for a DD.....

RonCT

I'm not sure I'd enjoy a 120 mile drive in any car, so that points me away from a Porsche for the "commuter car". Here are a couple of ideas for you:

1. New GTI 4-door with full warranty, modern conveniences, etc. Incredibly fun, fast, and utilitarian. Fold down the back seats and haul just about anything. I think these run about $25k - much better value than an Audi A3 for basically the same car (same engine, tranny, "bones", etc.).

2. 2005 BMW 330i. I picked up a pristine one with only 26,500 miles on it (CPO) over the winter. My favorite all-time small sport sedan, folding rear seats for utility, comfortable, good MPG, incredibly fast and a great handler. I found mine for about $20k - great deal for an as-new car that will go another 100k without any trouble.

Keep the classic - the 997.2 is so different from it I think you'll miss the old air-cooled. I had a 964 and it's so far removed from the modern car. Then again, if you don't love the 88 because it's uncomfortable, loud, slow, etc. - then update. But if you love it for what it is, then keep it and get another car for the daily driver.

Selo

If you are willing to look into the Mercedes E Class, don't forget about the 5 series BMW. It's an awesome commuter and gets great mileage compared to others in its class, with either the small i6 or the turbo. And a manual is available with both engines.

My vote is to keep the Porsche for a fun car, buy a comfortable commuter.

Alfaguy2

I have several old cars and would not use any of them as a commuter vehicle as in my opinion it would only lead to their rapid decline and would require extreme expense to keep them the way they all look now. Even though my 997 is only a 2005 its still regarded as a classic car and treated the same as the others.

My main daily transport is my 2006 Toyota Landcruiser but I find myself using my 1994 Mercedes E220 coupe fairly often too. Its a great comfortable cruiser and durable enough to withstand the daily grind.

I suppose the E300 version would suit you more but here (in Ireland) fuel and road tax charges make that size engine very expensive to run.

I also use my 1990 Golf Gti often too - another cheap durable car for the daily commute.

FI Flyer

Have you posted this on a board dedicated to cars of your vintage? If not, I suggest that you do.

For a long drive on the Intestate, an automatic has many virtues. As do modern safety and comfort features. If I were you, I'd get the A3 (or a used A4) and find a way to keep the Porsche.

cbzzoom

David, I commute in a 997.1 about 15 miles each way. I would *not* want to commute more than 20 miles in a 997. The road noise, the stiffness, the seats, everything would get to me. Worst of all it would make me stop loving the car so much. I think you would dread getting into the Porsche some days.

Also, Porsches are very expensive per mile. You would actually probably save money by buying a 997 *and* a cheap commuter car just to keep miles of the 997.

I really don't like big heavy cars, so my picks for great commuters that are comfortable and quiet and still fun are :

BMW 135 - great power and comfort, very quiet nice ride, feels a lot smaller and more fun to drive than the 335

VW GTI - the new ones are really well built, quiet, solid, feels nice and small and nimble, plenty of power for commuting and very fun to drive in traffic/city scenarios.

FYI the Merc and Audi S5 drive like cadillacs, they are very soft and heavy, not really fun for a "car guy".

hockeyguy

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I commute every day with my C2S (997.2). It's a great highway car too!
I love getting in it every work day, makes me want to drive to work!!!
Life's too short, I wanna treat myslef to this spectacular car every day. Nothing better after a hard or perhaps lousy work day, getting into your porsche and putting it all behind you, smiling on the way home.

It's an investment in myself, not worrying about resale, high miles, or any of that...but that's just me.

ADias

Definitely option 3 - commuter car.