jgreer371

Hi All -

Sorry for the long first post ahead of time!

I've never owned a Porsche, only lusted, but now (or shortly) I will be in the market for a new (to me) car. I've spent a LOT of time reading this forum as well as the others for the cars I am interested in and believe I've got things narrowed down to really 3 cars. It looks like a lot of folks here might have (had) similar luxury cars that I'm interested in also so I'm sort of looking for a bit of a comparison of sorts, or as best you can. This car will likely be my daily driver and I do all of my own maintenance. After reading through tons of threads here it looks like the 997 is a reliable vehicle and something I can work on myself for most things. I'm trying to keep my next car under $35K if possible. I just moved to Florida from Pennsylvania so weather, other than beautiful sunshine, shouldn't be an issue! I've also gone through the "what to look for when buying" threads as best I could.

Ok - the cars (and I realize the Porsche is the only sports car but you guys seem to have more experience in high-end cars than me!)

- 2005 997. After checking out the 996 and then getting in the 997 I'm in love with the 997. WOW. Has to be a manual.

- 2008 Jaguar XK8 Super 8. Always loved these. If you have/had one and had to pick between this and the 911 as your DD which would it be?

- 2008 Lexus 460L - same scenario as the Jag except I haven't been in love with it since I was 5.

I ruled out the BMW 750i and Mercedes S-Class because it looks like they are especially unreliable compared to offerings from other companies. I realize the Porsche isn't in the same "category" as a Jag or Lexus. Ideally it would be sweet to have the luxury car AND the 911, but what would you get if you could only pick one? I've got the wife's minivan for basic people hauling and I'm giving my daughter my Sonata (I know, it's a dream car) soon so she'll have a car for college.

Thanks for the advice on this. I really appreciate it and sorry if it comes across as a spaced-out or quirky post/question.

Joe

Austin997.2

Coming from a guy who owns a 997.2 get the Porsche, no doubt. They don't age and they are always a 911. If you have a minivan to lug things around in your good.

I have a big SUV for long trips etc., would be hard to have the 911 without another car as everyday tasks where you need space in your car would be difficult.

Bought a 996.2 3 years ago and recently upgraded to the 997.2. I will hopefully go the rest of my life having a 911 of some sort. The 911 is very affordable for an iconic sports cars.

You will never regret buying a 911.

Racetwin2

A 997 after 2005 should reduce the risk of IMS failure since it has the new bearing.

It is hard to give advice since it is very personal but for me the Porsche is one of very few sports cars you can use for daily commuting as well as driving on the track. Especially with PASM. Me and my wife have taken several 5+ hour drives without getting tired in the back.

It is also a beautiful car with massive heritage. There is a reason behind the many Porsche fanatics Manual gearbox is excellent (I have it on my 997) but driving daily in dense rush hour traffic could be tiresome. I am using my Porsche occasionally to work and on weekends but not every day to work. Clutch is heavier than a std car etc so if that is the case you could at least try a tiptronic. It is not as sporty but depending on the driving pattern it could still be OK.

P.s the Porsche and Jag have more soul than the Lexus to me.

swordsmn

I think you need to drive these (or close vintages) to decide where you fit. For me the Porsche 911 (2005 Base Carrera Manual) was a 40 year DREAM car. I lusted in high school, rode in an air cooled in college and finally had the means at 57 to realize a nice used example.

You really need to do a PPI (Pre-Purch Inspection) on any used vehicle but especially the Porsche. There's some remediation you don't want to tackle and that can get pricey. I lucked out with one of the worries of the 2005 vintage, IMSB (see numerous threads here) having been nicely remediated by a full rebuild by one of the recognized Porsche whisperers in the US just 2K miles before my purchase.

If these are your 3 biggies, go drive a Porsche SOMEWHERE & decide.

BTW, my Manual is NO fun in my 25 mi to work commute in Atlanta. It's not fun for me & I think it's not good/fun for the car. I drive it for FUN after work/weekends and I'm in LOVE. Your commute may vary.

I really don't think we can help you a lot till you decide your needs. But others may have better thoughts. Good luck. For me, there's no Lexus or Jag that could drag me away :-)

Austin997.2

One quick comment, my father has a manual 996, he drove my 997.2 last weekend and said he would much rather have my PDK. For daily driving for me personally the Tiptronic/ PDK is a must, that may be sacrilege to others but I only care about myself

jgreer371

Thanks! So far that 997 is at the top of my list. I took my 12 year old boy with me to look at the 996 and 997 over the weekend and we couldn't believe the difference between the 2. They were side-by-side and we tested both. The 996 is quite a bit cheaper but the interior improvements and general feel are incredible. After reading up on the 996 the IMS scared me quite a bit, making the decision to dive further into the 997 even easier. My boy went in thinking he wanted a new Camaro when he was 16 and that "the ladies love them." On the way home he begged me to buy the Porsche or the BMW 750i.

It's good to know that you can drive 5 hours without issue too! I had a little Miata a few years ago and couldn't wait to get out of it after an hour. The Porsche was snug but not punishing when I drove it.

Do you just put golf clubs in the back seat or do you put the passenger seat forward? Probably a dumb question but my work requires me to golf quite a bit.

- Oh - I'm in Jacksonville. Traffic here isn't too bad at all. I moved here from Pittsburgh. I can't imagine another sports car as a daily driver up there but I've got a relatively easy 22 miles each way to/from work.

3Series

Porsche: There is no substitute.

Clubs fit in the back. Take the drivers out of the bag, fold the back seats, move the front seat back forward and slide the clubs in. Or you can recline the pass seat and seatbelt them in.

As you stated, all the cars you mentioned are very different.

What about a M3? It's close to a 911 but has much more utility. Get a cab if you are in FL.

energetik9

Quite an eclectic mix. I'm sure like most on a Porsche forum, I say the 997. There are very few cars I've ALWAYS wanted and a 911 was one of those.

I've always had mixed opinions on Jaguar in this era. A friend of mine (sorry to phrase it that way, I've personally not owned) had a soft top XK8. Only later after he sold it did he admit it was one of the sexiest cars he ever owned, and one of the most problematic. He's never admitted to me how much shop time this car saw.

Lexus. I will just admit I'm not a fan. This is a luxury cruiser. isolated, quiet, and removed from the road. Top Gear at one point called Lexus the "best driver simulation on the road today". To me that kinda tells all. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just not the type of car that elicits any driving passion for me.

Ben Z

My '05 C2 is my DD. I always lusted after a Porsche too, but after driving various air-cooleds I never wanted to own one. The 997 and 996 are more creature-comfortable. I love the car, but not for long commutes. Not because of the stick (I've driven tips and PDK's, wouldn't own a Porsche with an automatic) but because of the stiff ride and road noise. We've got an E-Class and that's what gets used for longer trips. I bought the 997 used 5 years ago and the monthly depreciation has been about equivalent to the lease payment on a Nissan Altima. The only major work I've had to pay for was a clutch (previous owner must've been rough on it) and the upgraded LN IMSB, plus brakes and several sets of tires (it eats them, I don't drive it hard). Otherwise either CPO or my extended warranty has paid for a bunch of "minor" repairs, which with a Porsche are still hella expensive unless you DIY which I don't. Personally I wouldn't have any of those other cars you listed. Jag looks nice I'll say that much, but for that type of car, with an automatic, I'd rather a Merc. Lexus is a fine car to be sure, but as someone who was dirving a Merc 560SEL at the time the first Lexus came out in '90, I still can't stop thinking of them as overpriced Toyotas.

Glyndellis

Just a quick note on golf clubs in a 997. If you fold down the back seats and remove the woods, you can fit 2 standard carry bags across the shelf. The woods (except the drivers) will then lie across the top of the bags. The best way to carry the drivers is to put the head behind the passenger seat and the grip behind the drivers’ headrest.
We have a cabrio – the only difference with a cabrio is that once the seat is folded down, the only way to carry 2 sets of clubs is to remove the wind deflector (1 set seems to fit OK). The additional breeze was unacceptable for my beloved, so I removed the seat backs and use two cushions in the seat wells to keep the bags horizontal. The clubs then go in following the method outlined above.
My wife and I used our 997 this summer for a 1 week golfing vacation in New England, and had enough space for luggage and 2 sets of clubs. The car was comfortable for the 450 mile journey home, stopping only for gas.

jgreer371

Thanks guys! I went back and checked out the M3 again just to be sure of myself. The BMW forums are chock full of people who own(ed) both an M3 and/or 911 and it seems that the 911 is the one folks are more passionate about.

I think I'm pretty much stuck on the 997 now. If I really want a Jag I can pick one up fairly cheap since the depreciation is so bad and use it as a backup for the 911 and my Harley. The 911's look to hold their value better than 95% of the cars out there and the floor is much higher on the depreciation too, so I shouldn't lose much/as much when I go for an upgrade in a few years.

So now I guess I need to try and drive a PDK. I love a manual, but every other post I see is someone saying they used to only drive a manual but can't imagine going back after having the PDK! I don't normally hit too much traffic but if it's as much fun and engaging as a manual it might be worth checking out. And... the wife can take it for a spin if she's good.

Thanks again for all of the input. And so my search begins..........

SpeedyD

You said you wanted to keep price under $35k, if possible. You won't get PDK at that price since that would be a 997.2 (unless you are looking at extremely high mileage cars / major accident cars). Otherwise it will be a tip car... which I'm not a fan of but others here seem to enjoy theirs, so worth a look I guess.

Good luck w/the search and I second everyone who said 997 all the way...

sleepy

Well if you need someone to say they tried several modern automatics and was glad to pick the 6-sp manual, I'm in.

turbo3.6

Get one with a manual. If your commute is not stop-and-go you will have no problem. The clutch in a 997 is not that heavy IMO. There is no better way to put a smile on your face than ripping up and down the gearbox in a Porsche...

Wayne Smith

Full disclosure ... I have a PDK, due to a numb left leg, due to lowered IQ whenever I mounted a motorcycle.

Would I prefer the Manual? Yeah, probably, maybe, hmmm. Do I love the PDK? Absolutely. I am now jaded.

But your budget will force you to a 997.1 and thus a Tiptronic if you don't go Manual. Apples and oranges.

This is your first 911. Unless you have a compelling reason that a Manual will not work for you (What is this thread about if that is the case?), go Manual. Experience it. You will not regret the choice.

When you get ready to get your second 911, make a new choice then.