nickorette

Ok, within the coming months I will be in the market for a used Porsche… just starting to become an enthusiast so bear with me as I’ve got lots to learn. From my research I’ve found the following to be within my budget and my likings:

87’-91’ 928 S4
97’-05’ Boxster
70’-89’ 911
80's Lotus Esprit?

Here is my situation:
-I live in Toronto, so performance in slippery conditions is a consideration
-I don’t know how to drive standard, so I was leaning more towards some of the triptronic/automatic cars. I hear driving standard is a b!tch in the city/traffic, which has me leaning more towards an automatic unless someone can convince me otherwise. I understand the 911/Esprit are standard, so I’d have to learn if I were to buy one.
-I do not need this car for an every day use thing. I take the subway to work so I’d be using this mostly on the weekends and such. So fuel efficiency isn’t an issue.

Wachuko

Welcome to Rennlist!!

I have no experience with reliability of the 928 S4. I am pretty sure folks from the 928 forum can chime in on that. I love the lines of the 928 but have always stayed away from them because of the feedback that there is a lot of electrical areas that could go wrong making it a nightmare to troubleshoot. Engines seem to be reliable as long as you do the timing belt changes. And plenty of automatic 928 since that is one of your criteria... unless you find a perfect example I would go with another option as your first Porsche. Unless you are ok with working your cars and don't care to troubleshoot problems from now and then.

My suggestion would be to go with the newest car you can afford. A Boxster is a beautiful car that you can use day in day out in almost any weather. Modern a/c, good power if you go with an S version, great trunk space, better tire choices, etc. And when you feel like going alfresco, just lower the top. If you can afford to go with a 2005 version, you will get the newer interior, that imho is so much better than the earlier version.

A 911 will always hold a special place in my heart, but you mentioned wanting an auto/tip... Only the '89 964 falls into those spec. Lots of info on the 964 forum if you decide to go that route.

So my suggestion, in order of my preference:

2005 Boxster S Tip
1989 911 (964 Tip)

Try to test drive as many cars as you can so you can get a feel for each one. The list you provided covers such different drive feel... you need to decide if you want a GT, a go-kart feeling, a modern mid-engine car...

Keep us posted in your decision and search. And we love photos, so don't forget to share once you find the candidates and the final car you go with.

bigmac

I have a 928 S4 auto with 50K miles and love it. It is comfortable, 17mpg, tiny rear seats will hold kids
lots of room in hatch, most are autos. with RMB sounds great
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmVaF...eature=related

JDS968

Remember that all of these cars are quite different.

The 928 is a fairly large Grand Tourer. It's essentially a two-seater (you can put people in the back seats, but only ones who refer to themselves as "Little" with a capital L) but considering that, it's a practical car with a very large, easy to load space under the hatch, space behind the seats, and probably a few "secret compartments" under the hatch carpet, although I've never checked...

You'll find it has the roomiest cabin and is the most relaxing to drive, and is well suited to long road trips in addition to spirited driving. The big V8 will allow you to put your foot down in most any gear and get moving without the downshifting that the other cars will require.

The 911 and Esprit are somewhat less practical, but significantly lighter and sportier. They are more suited to tight, twisty roads and the occasional misbehavior.

The 911 is a true classic, a legend in motoring. It's very much different from anything else on the road.

The Esprit is an excellent sports car, and with the '80s and '90s model, you can experience that which is most holy in the automotive world: boost.

As for the Boxsters...the 986 Boxsters are ugly, but probably the most reliable out of your list. Also make sure to get the 3.2. The 2.5 is a dog. I also don't think a convertible is the best choice if you live in Canadia, but that's your call.

The 928 will have the most forgiving handling in slippery conditions because the weight is evenly distributed front/rear and spread out to the ends (front engine, rear transaxle), whereas the mid engine cars have the engine and transaxle all within the wheelbase, and the 911s...well you probably know.

However, an appropriate set of snow tires for the winter will make a bigger difference than even the difference between a 911 and a 928.

The car you're looking for is referred to as a "Toyota."

This is a sporty weekend car to be used for spirited driving when you feel like it, not a utilitarian appliance you'll be forced to drive day after day in gridlock. Once you learn to drive a manual car, you'll discover how much more fun driving is when you're actually controlling the operation of the car yourself, instead of letting the car decide what to do with itself.

If you're still having trouble, I hear Sears has a Buy One Get One Free sale on *********.

As for city traffic (could you elaborate on how much city traffic you'll be driving through in your weekend car?) it's really a question of skill (which you will build in direct proportion to hours logged in the car) and your sensibility. I really don't mind it a bit, I've gotten trapped on the highway in stop-and-go traffic for miles, and clutching in and out every 30 seconds doesn't really bother me (although being trapped in a stopped car with broken air conditioning bothers me). Other people find traffic much more taxing in a manual car than an automatic. I'm not sure whether these people get sore left legs, or whether they just want to be able to zone out when they're not moving much. And the heavier your clutch is, the more soreness you'll experience.

Daniel Dudley

Boxster S, tiptronic by all means. I would recommend a certified used one, or one recommended by a trusted mechanic. You will want to find out who the good mechanics are in your area.

From what you are telling us, this is the number one Porsche for you.

MUSSBERGER

964 C4 Cab with Tip.

VGM911

If you're in the market for a used Porsche, then I'm surprised to see a non-Porsche on the list (Lotus Esprit).

Second, you'll drive yourself crazy if you can't figure out the platform you like best...front-engine (928), mid-engine (Boxster), or rear-engine (911). Try to do this first, then look at different model years.

Third, if you can't figure out what you like or what you want, getting our opinions isn't going to help you. We all have our own biases and preferences - if twelve people respond, you'll get twelve varied opinions, and likely be unable to draw any conclusions from our input.

Instead, conduct an internet search (i.e., "1979 Porsche 911 road test") to learn how the car magazines felt about certain models they tested. Read, read, read. Go to edmunds.com to find specifications for each model that may interest you, and review the owner survey responses and editors' views you'll find there.

Good luck.

P.S. Read, read, read.

vincer77

If you want a no problem sportscar, a Boxster is the safest bet. Preferably an S.

If you want the quintescential Porsche, by all means get a 911.

A 928 is pretty nice, but my guess is that they will be expensive to maintain. Not that any of these won't be expensive to maintain.

Also, the tiptronic cars are usually cheaper to buy - but I would learn to drive the standard.

Buy the best car you can.

racer

Lotus? really? c'mon now

You don't mention a price range you will be spending.. but from the list of cars, they can be anywhere from 7-8K up to 40K. I think that's too broad to be honest. Give us a compfortable price range and then we can weed out what you will/won't find.

First impression is that a Boxster, Tip, is the car for you. If worried about snow, get a hardtop for it. They have good HEAT and ac, some had traction control as well. Many posters share their ability to drive them in snow, safely, as long as it wasn't too deep. Depending on year/price range, you could also find a 996/911.


Baring personall injury, an enthusiast KNOWS how to drive stick.

nickorette

My price range is about 22k.

I won't have any problem learning stick. I'm told it takes all of about 15 mins to get the hang of it. Not too concerned anymore.

I did some additional research and I think your right. There are a few 996's out there that fit in that price bracket.

I think I'm going to focus mainly on the 986 S or the 996 at the moment. I'll probably give them both a test drive and see which I like better. A 996 AWD might be perfect for poor weather conditions. But they are more difficult to find within my price range. I would have to do some traveling. Either way I'd have to import from the U.S. as Canadian Porsche prices are about 50% more at the moment, despite our dollar parity.

Daniel Dudley

Sounds good... Keep us posted.