I current own a 2001 Mustang GT and a 2000 Ford Lightning, both great cars but I think its time to move on. I daily drive the Lightning and get about 10mpg. Ive had bad luck with these two cars pretty much
Fix.Or.Repair.Dailys and I'm going to sell or trade them in for a C5 Corvette or a 996 Carrera 99+

How many people here daily drive their cars in the rain/light snow. I've read that these are pretty capable cars in the wet stuff with proper tires obviously and how are they at the pump. I'm not looking for a civic here but I need 16+ MPG in the city and close to 20+ mpg mixed driving.

$180 Oil changes at Porsche really? I have spent enough in repairs on the two Fords over the past two years to buy a Porsche Brand spanking new I'm almost ashamed to admit it.

Edit: Price for spark plug changes, fuel filter, fuel pump, anyone DIY maintenance here?

Whats the cost of maintenance on things like brakes and belts at Porsche and independent?

My father owns two Jaguars and they are nightmares, a 2001 XK8 and a 1995
XJ12. Hopefully these aren't electrical nightmares.

Performance wise hows the pep for spirited driving? I'm coming from two 12 second American cars that handle like poop but put a smile on my face in a straight line. My new car will have to be on par or better than that.

Let me know your thoughts.

Pics of my current rides if you cared to even read this far

 

I'll try to answer some of your questions and hope others will chime in.
1) You should get more or less 16mpg city as long as you don't floor it at red light or drive as if you want to show off.
2) Maintenance will cost you unles you're a doiy guy. $180 is cheap for Pcars oil changes. Inmy experience, dealers charge aroun$250.
3) Indies will invariably be cheaper than dealers. They have less overhead.
4) The Pcar will be the opposite of your "poop handling " cars. It will put a smile on your face in a straight line, in curves, going to the grocery store, barber shop etc.
5) With proper tires, there is no reason not to drive these cars all year around. I do and I live in the NE. I have Blizzaks all around and my 996 is a DD, indeed my sole car.
6) How's the pep? Well i came from dirving BMW's for 33 years and as long as I can continue to own a Pcar, There's no going back for me. There is no way you can reach the car's potential on public roads and personally, my skill level stops me at about 125 and there's another 50mph or thereabout to go yet.
7) The build quality is way above what you are used to. The only caveat is to observe the proper maintenance.
Now finding a good one is another story.

Good luck.

 

Well I am coming from owning 6 mustangs, the last ones were an 06 GT and 92 GT (see sig). I am an executive and wanted to move on to a car that is better handling, high quality, upscale image, great looking and fast.
So.
1. It is not even on the same planet of a car. The finish is amazing (love the wide body) and it is truely an everyday near supercar.
2. handling is sublime, i am tweeking it with x73/74 kit because I think it is slightly unsettled in corners due to the north american suspension height.
3. power is OK. But it comes on so smoothly and progressively that I like it . It is quick, not fast. On the highway though it just keeps on pulling hard all the way, unlike most mustangs that trail off 125-130 mph (unless a new GT500 etc). I was surprised at how well my car can hang with much more powerful cars. The cornering speeds are huge.
3. Maint is way more expensive. Face it list on my car with options was near $120k, oil changes even with the indy are $200. IMS needs to be done for piece of mind and it has big brakes and expensive parts that if they go it costs $$$. But the general consensus is that they are very reliable (save the IMS/RMS, do a search dont ask. That said so far has not been bad at all.
4. Gas milage is good for a sports car, way better than a v8.

At the end of the day these cars are great, look amazing, handle great and have a strong image. They, like everything have there issues and they are used cars so dont expect a new honda in terms of maint.

 

Thanks for the good responses, I think you guys summed it all up for me. I did some searching and before I pull the trigger on the 996 Im going to put some money aside for maintence/repairs and maybe another older daily driver A4 or 3 Series wagon. The choice between a 996 and C5 Corvette is a hard one for me. 15,000+ for a decent C4 or 12,000 for a C5 Coupe Targa. Better interior and Curb Appeal vs Stonger Motor Cheaper Replacement Parts

 

I have been driving a 996 for 3 yrs now. After 37 yrs of driving a wide variety of porsches. They are built to be daily drivers. The problem with snow is tire size. The large tires riding on top of the snow and going nowhere.

you can save a few $$ by doing DIY. In many regards, they are easy cars to work on. I routinely change fluids and brake pads on mine, with just hand tools. Renntech.org has many DIY menus so it can be done. You may have to buy special tools now and then.
The cars do eat rear tires, so be ready for that. 10-12k miles is normal.
And, you will not (and I did not) understand the car until I resumed Drivers Education events. So, after you pull the trigger, find a DE event near you. Don't be embarrassed to enter the Novice groups. That is where we all started (and some remain).

JB

p.s. my avatar is at Watkins Glen International racetrack.

 

$15 k is not getting you much though. high mile 99 maybe. save up and get a well maintained car. You pay upfront or later. 25-35k will net you a very nice 2002+ car

 

I've had four 911s over 25 years and all but the first one were DDs. After 6 years I was able to sell the garage queen for almost what I paid for it but realized I missed a lot of driving fun. Since then, they've all been DDs and I've never looked back. Make sure you do regular maintenance at Porsche or Indies and expect to replace rear tires (summer) after 10-12k as JB says. Maintenance is not cheap but so is the car not cheaply made. It's not a Kia.
The DDs have all been C4 or C4S and I always had a set of winter wheels and tires which are well worth the investment for DD in winter. Only time I ever had a problem was deep snow. The cars are low so they will beach themselves if the snow is too deep.
As far as the driving experience with these cars, well..... there is no substitute!

 

25K would be around the top I would pay, hopefully there are some deals like this around towards the end of Feb. 26k C4s 100k miles http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2002-Porsche-911-Carrera-C4S-Coupe-6-Speed-DVD-Forged-Wheels-Hwy-Miles-Awesome-/300650286264?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4600274cb8 Early march, hopefully a lot more should be for sale for the spring time. I know all about driving in snow with wide tires, last night we got a decent amount of snow and it came down while I was away from home. I made it back slow but fine with 295/45/18s. Not ideal for a 2WD Supercharged Pick up truck but it works. Ive been watching Porsches cut though some thick stuff on youtube and it seems like a nice car to have all year opposed to a corvette I would never let touch the snow. These are most recent winter rides.. except for a 93 Jaguar XJ6 that could get though the snow but had lots of other problems and a 99 Taurus that thew a rod. Tire Chains

 

that 02 C4s on ebay looks like a repaint has been done. BTW, welcome from a fellow Lightning owner (old pic of my 02 L below)

 

There are good examples at good prices. $26k is low for a C4S. That car has for sure had a full repaint (see door siles) and the front clips have been off (see lack of paint on bolts). Those are 2 huge strikes against it. I would be very leary of that car and take serious time inspecting the car and get a PPI done. As an example, mine with only 45k miles just had a $7k service, new tires, brakes , clutch etc. The rest of the car is mint, but you can see how quickly you can spend money. High mile cars like that one need to be approached with more caution as the deferred maint bill could be huge.
Like I said good deals are out there, you almost always get what you pay for. Good luck.

 

We like them same type of vehicles.

My old JLP tuned Harley.




The old Mustang. Trickflowed and Kenne-Belled.




I now have a red 2002 C4S with just shy of 90k that I was looking to sell in the spring. PM me if interested.

 

PM sent with a few questions, My lightning is also Tuned by JLP , nice rides too