HK G36C

I thought I would not post on this forum after my C4 was totaled in 2010. I replaced her with a 2010 M5. She was a four door monster with 500hp with room for a family. I loved her. The M5 was too much for my wife to handle, so I decided on a X5d. I must say she did not push me to get rid of the M5, but I thought I was doing the right thing for the family given the horses and mpg. Side note, I am a new father, so I am still learning! I tastefully modded the X5 so I would enjoy driving her, as well. She has been great. She has lots of torque, twin turbo and great mileage [averaging 650 miles to a tank v. 230 miles for the M5]. The X5 is now my wife's car, so I am back looking and trying to decide whether to buy a 2006-2008 997 or 2008-2010 M5. Our daughter is 8 months old and I know she will not be able to ride in the 997 for a couple of years. The X5d is a cpo with a couple years of warranty left on her and I plan to extend the warranty as long as possible.

The father in me says go back to the M5 to satisfy the collective need. The boy in me says go back to a pcar. I have had 4M cars and two Pcars since my 20s. Any suggestions from my former brothers and sisters with children who have been to this rodeo before would be appreciated?

chris.hanle

Well my kids arent that young 7,9,10. But they love riding in my pcar. I can and do pick them up from school from time to time and drive them to soccer practice ect. Not a bad daily driver even with kids. You can get airbag deactivation kits fitted to front passenger side that allows car seats, or any one that you do not want the airbag to go off on. So my advice Pcar. I have a BMW as well.

tommy618

Go for a pcar. Why you need 2x 4 door vehicles? When you need the space, drive hers. When you want to have fun, drive the pcar. I have 2 small kids myself too.

Little Green

I had a Cayenne S for a while before my 997 but last week I took my 997 in for service at my Pcar dealer and they gave me a 2013 Cayenne GTS (Yes a GTS) loaner with 120 miles on it. Absolutely awesome truck as it should be for $103K (sticker was in the back seat). The PDK transmission is stunning. I never understood the folks that went from manual to the PDK automatic and liked it but that damn thing rev matches in sport mode. It knows when to shift depending on the setting. Manual works fantastic and it will let you hit redline everytime you ask it too.
It has PSE exhaust and hitting that button gives you a woody. Hit the PSE and sport manual mode and the car flies while screamming down the road.
Iin sport mode it downshifts coming to lights like you are manually downshifting, very aggressive downshift where the car jerks a bit slowing down.
If you leave it in normal mode(both trans and PSE) it drives like a damn lexus. Quiet and smooth.
It's like Jekyll and Hyde.
I would absolutely buy that truck if I could afford it as a second/daily driver.

BIG smoke

my 10 and 8 year old, are now self loading. They get themselves in the back and buckle up. All four of us often load up and go for diner. Longest drive for the four of us is 45 minutes. I have yet to tackle the 2 hour cottage drive. We'll see. I need to tint it though, to make it really mine.

dasams

I have no doubt that a Cayenne GTS is a great car but it doesn't have PDK

Remapping the throttle, increasing the growl and loosening up the stability management is a lot of fun but doubtful that anyone can sense any power increase

Ynot

My 5 and 10 year rides in the Porsche and I do take them to school from time to time. When we all go as a family, we take the SUV or minivan. There is no room for the 2 yr old and wife in the Porsche. Get the Porsche, there is no car that can replace it.

A.J. Merrifield

I agree with all the above. As long as you've got a vehicle that can handle the family as a whole (the Bimmer), why not get yourself something you'll really enjoy, and that you can share the enjoyment of with the family? Hell, Porsche even makes car seats, ya know...

Tcc1999

You're on a Porsche forum asking if you should/shouldn't get a Porsche? That's like going to the American Beef Association's website and asking whether or not you should become a vegetarian.

Seriously, it comes down to how many kids you have, how old they are, how far you intend to drive them and the availability of the bigger car and your spouse's comfort in switching cars when necessary. For a young, only child the Porsche isn't really an issue but if the you have more than one then you'll be space limited. With kids of any age not only are you hauling them but all their gear - and they have more "stuff" when they get older. Plus, when they get older you'll be hauling them and their friends and their gear. Who does most of the transport of your kid/s - if it's you and you're driving a 911 then it's going to be tight and not very convenient - but probably okay for short distances. Then there are times when you'll be picking up a number of kids and you'll need the bigger car (or maybe your just going to Home Depot to pick something up that won't fit in the 911, or driving somewhere where you wouldn't want to park and leave your Porsche); will switching cars be a problem. I have only a 12 year old daughter. Until she got to be about nine or so transporting her and her friends in my 911 wasn't too much of a problem, particularly if it was only for a short distance. Now, there is no way that my 911 could handle her and her friends, their backpacks, binders, etc. And if she wants to do do something with two or more of her friends the 911 stays in the garage. Luckily we have a third car (Audi A4) that is a work horse for this. Oh, and even when my daughter was younger and we only had two cars there were numerous occasions when I wanted to use my wife's car and she flatly refused b/c she doesn't like driving a manual and is too nervous driving the 911. Her response, "You wanted that car, and that is fine, so make it work!" To be totally honest, if we didn't have the third car it would be selfish of me to try and make do with my Carrera because there are just so many things that I can't do in it when it comes to attending to the needs and wants of my daughter (not to mention, as stated above, the Home Depot runs) and not inconveniencing my wife.

Yet everyone's situation is different, so think carefully about what your needs are going to be - not only now but over the next several years.

BIG smoke

My wife will gladly take the 911. I can take her car if needed. And if really really needed, go rent a big people hauler. Third car insurance is expensive, the odd rental can easily replace the need for a third car or the sometime need of a slightly bigger car than the 911. There is plenty of space in a 911 for trips to home depot, and costco. Just scooting into Costco for something, just think of all the money you'll save by not fitting that 7o" flat screen you accidently bought.
Or - By the time your kid is 16 and driving you'll only be able to afford a Honda civic, plus the kids car insurance. Imagine the insurance on your 16 year old in your Porsche. Nows the time.
What did your M5 club tell you to do? Drink up, it tastes great. Porsche kool aid!

Ben Z

A Boxster or Cayman would be a poor choice if you contemplate ever needing to carry more than 1 passenger, but 997 is ok for small people in the back seat. I had my niece's kids (7 and 10, both tall for their ages) in mine with no problem at all. Even a slim woman in the 5'2" and under range can ride back there without too much discomfort for a half hour, depending on how tall the person is up front and if they can stand racking their seat up a few inches to give the rear passengers room for their legs. Kids are no problem they just fold their legs (what we used to call Indian style, not sure if that's PC anymore) of course the shoes come off first!

Para82

Get the Porsche, thank me later.

Little Green

dasams,
Good on you to correct me. Thought the Cayenne GTS had a PDK, my bad, it was a loaner and not my personal car, regardless of what it's called it works better than what I had on my 06 Cayenne S. There is no more power when it's in standard vs sport mode. I would assume an intelligent person would recognize that the engine isn't detuned under normal operation and somehow given more power under sport. I only make the point that once put in sport mode it significantly changes the performance dynamics of the vehicle. I think you would agree that you 09 Cayenne S behaves significantly different when in sport mode. Mine certainly did.

My point was that I thought the GTS was a phenomenal, albeit expensive truck that I would not mind owning and a significant departure from the previous generation of Cayennes.

Little Green

Just reread, you have an 8 month old, get a 997. My 14 and 15 year old daughters love arriving anywhere in my Pcar. You will have many years of enjoyment before you have to switch to a truck.

GT Silver

Had the same issues, young family, kids at 9 and 6. bite the bullet, sold the XC90 and bought a 997.2 Turbo for my daily drive, and passed the F10 M5 beast to the Mrs as the main car to ferry the kids around. Mind you, I still do the daily morning school run with my 9 year old everyday day too.