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£25,000 - What do I buy?

saddlepunk

Well-known member
Joined
21 Sep 2011
Messages
196
I have a budget of £25,000, do I buy:

1. a perfect low mileage 996 C4/2 for £15 - 20,000 and put the balance in the bank in case the engine blows,
2. a cheap early 997 Carrera S,
3. an early (cheap - with all that implies) 996 Turbo?

I want to keep the Porsche long term, not necessarily as an investment, but as a thing of beauty and source of enjoyment. And plan to use it as a weekend driver doing maybe 12,000 miles p.a.

I love the 996 - it offers excellent value for money but the dilemma is the engine. Do I spend top dollar on a late low mileage one and hope the engine doesn't blow, or do I get a budget one with average miles and spend money on a warranty? And in either event will the worry over the engine impinge on my enjoyment of ownership?

The answer would be to buy a cheap 996 turbo. It will be depreciation proof, but is a £25,000 turbo worth having - would I just be buying trouble at that price? I wouldn't entertain a Cat D write off.

Likewise, would a £25,000 997 be worth having? The obvious disadvantage is depreciation, and would an early 997 have the same engine issues as a late 996.

Another alternative is a 993, but I know nothing about them save that they are all at least 13 years old already and seem to be expensive compared with the 996.

Same old questions that all us prospective 911 buyers on a budget face, so apologies for that, but I appreciate your wisdom and opinions.

:sad:
 
No. 3 would be my choice just for the engine alone :worship:
 
I agree, and I think I am settling on the need to buy a Turbo. Can I get one worth having for £25,000, or will I be buying trouble?
 
Porsche 911 Turbo 2004 £24,999 REDUCED (2004)
55,000 miles £24,999

there`s quite a few,try to get a 2004 model as they only need to be serviced every 2 years.
 
I have often questioned the wisdom of leaving ANY car for 2 years between servicing.

Especially a Turbo, which degrades oil even faster. I wouldnt leave the oil in longer that 6000 miles.

In terms of your question, a lot depends on what you want the car for and what you prefer.

At a mileage of 12k per annum, I would look at a Cayman S or 997 with a maintenance plan like Hartechs.

MTR
 
3, 2, 1 in that order. A 996 Turbo would be a very good car.....
 
Honestly forget the 996 buy a 993 or 997.
 
If the 996TT was not in the mix then it would have to be a 997 no question.

997 has all the 'issues' with the 996 ironed out (by that I mean trim quality, better dash, improved ergonomics etc) and it's a newer car.

Someone recently posted a couple of ads for 997s with reasonable miles, good colour and as low as £23k. For that money its a no brainer.

But given the price of turbos and their rock solid engines they have got to be a bargain and IMHO will depreciate less if maintained well.

(BTW the advert linked above shows the 'suicide savanah (beige)' interior - bit like marmite where you love/hate it. Defo get knocked at a trade in as it is not popular. Although in a 997 it looks OK)

993 is a whole different ball game and with your predicted annual mileage may not be the right car. :dont know:
 
Hi Saddlepunk
12k seems alot of miles for weekender :?: Anyway surely the first thing to consider when buying a car is depreciation!

On that basis a 996 turbo or a 993 are the best choices, a 996 or 997 at the moment wouldnt make financial sense, and any sports car really should even as a weekender.

Why not try a 993, youll either love or hate it. Personally for me the 996 was ruined by a shockingly poor interior.
 
spongebob squarepants said:
Hi Saddlepunk
12k seems alot of miles for weekender :?: Anyway surely the first thing to consider when buying a car is depreciation!

On that basis a 996 turbo or a 993 are the best choices, a 996 or 997 at the moment wouldnt make financial sense, and any sports car really should even as a weekender.

Why not try a 993, youll either love or hate it. Personally for me the 996 was ruined by a shockingly poor interior.
Hi Spongebob - I'm a big fan and appreciate your, and all the other posters' advice.

I intend to keep the 911 for ten or more years so depreciation isn't the issue it would otherwise be.

12k mileage is a high estimate - I do over 20,000 a year and will get a sensible car for the bulk of the business miles, but I want to use (enjoy) the Porsche as much as possible without adding a silly mileage over ten or more years.

Reliability and usability are my priorities so 996 turbo or early 997 are favourite. I much prefer the understated look of the 997 over the Turbo but investment value and relative exclusivity of the 996 Turbo are hard to beat on my limited budget - especially a few years down the road.

Not a huge fan of the 993, but I am open to persuasion.
 
saddlepunk said:
I want to keep the Porsche... as a thing of beauty...
That'll rule out a 996 then.

(In fairness Turbos, GT3s and C4Ss look OK, maybe even rather nice.)
 
Maxy M said:
saddlepunk said:
I want to keep the Porsche... as a thing of beauty...
That'll rule out a 996 then.

(In fairness Turbos, GT3s and C4Ss look OK, maybe even rather nice.)
I know what you mean, but it's all relative. If you're just comparing 911s then the 996 is less beautiful than a 997 or even 993. But you still can't get a better looking car for £15,000 than a 996.
 
I'd go for the Turbo, but that's after i've had 2 years in a 996C4.

In your position I'd probably still go for the Turbo - great bargains to be had right now, immense performance and surely not much more depreciation to come.

I'm not sure how good a 3.8 997 you'd get for £25k. If you don't strike lucky you could end up with an expensive garden ornament until you've saved some more dosh. Depreciation wouldn't be too bad on an early car but their values are still sliding.

For under £20k you'd get an excellent 'cooking' 996 or a very good one that you could make excellent. The 'unknown' then of course is whether the engine is as excellent as the rest of the car.

Whatever, I'd wait another few weeks as prices will fall more when the weather changes and people try to sell rather than SORN.

Good luck :thumb:
 

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