PZombie

I previously had a 912 years ago. After blowing an engine, I decided to sell it as it was also becoming a rust bucket. Back when they came out, I acquired a new 2001 996 C4 3.4 manual with 300 hp., leather, wood trim steering wheel, CD, and a few other options. It has been a great car conquering the switchbacks in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Northern California. The car really shines in the mountains and feels quick, light, and responsive. I now have about 58.7K miles on the 996 and have been using it as my daily driver for about a year. Maintenance has been basic, no big issues, just oil and recommended factory service. So far it has seemed bulletproof and gets a lot of attention. On the road, people give me the thumbs up and don't try to race me (not that I would partake anyway).


Very recently I acquired an used 2006 silver-colored 997.1 C4S 355 hp manual with 9,805 miles on it, ceramic brakes and black all-leather interior. It has the chrono, GPS, sport shifter, phone (which I need to blue-tooth mod), CD, heated sports seats, and that's about it.


The 997 feels heavier and not as responsive. With the 996, I feel as if I am zipping around the switchbacks. With the 997 I feel as I am driving around them in my grandpas Mercury Grand Marquis....comparatively speaking. Also with the 997 it seems like every jerk and a**hole on the road tries to cuts me off, one up me, or tries to race me at the stop light. I ignore them...street racing is not my cup of tea: I have a life, family, and job to think about.


On the straight away, the 997 feels awesome with plenty of power to pull away or merge into traffic. On the turns and overall handling, the 996 seems to win hands down. I love the looks of the 997. The 996's looks seem a bit dodgy and eccentric by comparison. The leather on the 997 seats is a bit weak. When considering the purchase of the 997. I had posted on this board about concerns with significant driver's seat wear given the low mileage. Well, after buying the car, I can attest that the leather on the seat bolsters of the 997 seems rather fragile. I am very careful in getting into the car, but the driver's seat on the 997 seems to delaminate very easily!!! In contrast, the 996 is 15 years old, 58K miles and leather seats look just like new!


Also, the 997 seems a bit squeaky...things just seem to rattle and squeak. Not excessive enough to annoy, but the 996 seems rock solid...not a squeak or squeal. And yes, the ceramic brakes on the 997 do squeal at times....just randomly, but annoyingly as if the brake pads needed replacing (they don't). 996? quite as a feather dropping on soft sand.


O.k I am not bashing the 997...it does have a lot going for it. The extra muscle for one, the killer looks...not over the top, subtle and not too ostentatious as to be embarrassing dropping off the kid at school. + PSM and sport mode, short shifter...Awesome!! What it seems to lack is that zippy connection to the road....and it feels bulky. Maybe, I just need to get used to driving it or change out the seats for better seating adjustment. My 996 has the electric adjusting seats with memory and can be adjusted to get the perfect connection to the steering wheel and the car. My 997 seats are manual and they seem to be more limited adjustment parameters. I also prefer the cup holders and CD stack in the 996 due to their position within easy reach of the driver. The 997 has a two CD stack inside the glove compartment, WTF!!!! + cup holders that are kind of out the way.


I would love to hear others' experiences with this type of comparison.

96redLT4

I doubt you will find a ton of people who say the 996 is better than the 997 especially on this board, but I think it shows that individual cars especially built by Porsche can hit all the right buttons as far as build quality, fun to drive etc.
Jim

ADias

I had a 996 C4 and have now a 997.2S. I have also driven the 997.1S extensively too. The 997.1 is faster than the 996 everywhere, straights and twisties. I agree however that it is a bit more refined and a bit more road-isolated than the 996 is. A 997 C4S is even more planted than a 996 C4 is and that may be what you notice. Also... what tires do you have in both cars? Tires can be very different and change the car's dynamics personality. We seem to be local - send me a private message and we can arrange to meet and chat.

DB's997

My story is close to yours. I traded in my 2000 Carrera C2 for my new 2006 997 C2. I have to disagree with you. The 997 seems so much better in every aspect.
I do miss, oil dip stick, spare tire and seat memory usage while moving, but that is about it! 997 is superior.

DougM

Is the 996 a C4? The AWD does make the cars feel less agile. I just went from a 996tt to a 997s and what you describe is opposite in terms of the feeling. Aside from the brute power, the 997 is better feeling all the way around.

ezdriver

I had a 996 C2 and now have a 997.1 C4S. I consider my 997 to be a lot more sports car than my 996 ever could be. I enjoyed driving the 996 a lot but I absolutely feel that it did not deliver the level of driving pleasure as I get from my 997. That said, its great that you had such a great experience with the 996.

wc11

Welcome aboard.
Pics or it didn't happen.
You've only had it a couple weeks. Take some time to learn the car.

jc9elfer

I have owned both as well....2003/996 C2 and now a 2008/997.1. Loved both cars.
I don't really have anything bad to say about the 996, the interior style was a bit better in my mind. I lived and drove the 996 in Germany on the Autobahn and it handled like a dream....topped out at 283 on the A46 near Dusseldorf....
In my heart it doesn't compare to the 997...the look of the 997 is by far my preference. I cannot make 1:1 comparison as I have mad several mods to the 997 that would make a compare unfairly biased toward my 997.
In the end, they are both 911's...ya gotta love 'em!

Dennis C

I owned a 996 MK II C4S prior to the 997.1 turbo that I own now. I loved the 996, but I can't think of many things about it that I liked better than the 997. One thing is that the exhaust note was better on the 996, but that's more of a NA vs. turbo issue than a 996 vs. 997 issue. I find them very comparable in terms of handling, although the 997 has a better highway ride even though it has larger wheels.

Quadcammer

is that you john ireland?

Blu311

I thought the same thing.

awrryan

Thought the same here. Actually, still thinking it is.

Para82

The 996 is the bastard child of the 911 series, so awful you can barely give them away. I love your troll post though, keep it up Johnny I.

PZombie

here are some pics...just to show that I am not blowing smoke. I used to keep my 996 C4 mostly in our mountain property but as mentioned, it is becoming a DD.....as was very nice in the winter up steep, wet, moss-covered driveways. I am sure my 997 will conquer those come this winter (rain or no rain, the terrain gets very wet in winter). That red jeep XJ in the background of the 997 is what I use up in the mountains when things become too much for my 996 C4 baby.

I don't keep garage queens...and no offense to those who do. I just enjoy driving and my pockets aren't deep enough to have a stable of cars. Next project is to fix some squeaky shims on the stabilizer bar on that red XJ

PZombie

Thanks! yep, true.....the 997 clutch is definitely a few steps up from the 996 and I have embarrassed myself a few times already! So, yeah, getting used to it is key. With the 996, I am used to the long throw on the shifter, the slop on the clutch, so the whole car feels like a well-worn comfortable shoe.

I think I need to take the 997 to the track and push it a bit so that I can feel comfortable within a reasonable operating "zone."