I had the exact Corvette C6Z06 lined up at a dealership to replace my 05 C6. Then, on a suggestion from someone else, I wandered in to the Porsche dealership to simply take a look. Pretty soon I was out in a used 911 Carrera S for a test drive... big mistake. Needless to say, I called off the deal on the Z06!

The car I test drove was an 06 Carrera S 6-speed w/ 28k miles, CPO. I think the price was high at 57k; it had factory wheels and was well optioned with NAV, but didn't have the chrono stuff. It seemed to be in great condition, but I don't really know what to look for on these cars as I'm unfamiliar with them.

So my concerns are:

1. Are these cars good daily drivers? Bought my 05 C6 with 7k miles and it currently has 80k on it, and has been an amazingly reliable DD with inexpensive maintenance (save for tires). I hear horror stories about German car maintenance and see what my family goes through with their BMWs, but the CPO on the 911 seemed nice. Not sure on the CPO details...

2. I'd like to cap my price at 50k and get a nice certified 06+ 997 with as much under 30k miles as possible... are they out there? The one I drove seemed about 7k over-priced, but I have no clue about these markets other than searching autotrader, cars.com, and kbb, and I know those aren't the most "accurate" sources.

3. S vs. non-S? I know the hp, .2L discplacement, and suspension/brakes are there... is it worth it to hold out for the S? Or given the price cap, would a regular 911 suffice? The dealer had a beautiful CPO 07 w/ 33k miles for 55k, non-S. Outright hp isn't the big concern anymore, as both would have significantly less than my modded C6 (doing 425 rwhp right now). Just curious on the best overall car...

In case any of you are wondering, the reason the test drive changed my mind so much was the total package of the car. Yes, Corvettes put up good numbers at any sort of track, but regardless of track times that only a professional (not me) could attain, the total experience of the 911 just blew the 'vette out of the water. It made my car feel like a toy in some regards, whereas the 911 seemed like a solid, cohesive piece of automotive engineering oriented towards giving the driver the maximum amount of enjoyment. It's not going to rip off the line like a big V8, but I didn't find myself missing that at all. The car as a whole also felt so much more mature and refined, and rewarding in a subtle way. Finally, the dealership was full of PCA members and pure car enthusiasts... yeah. Nobody wanted to sell me a Cobalt! So this was a mistake because it set my car search back!

Thanks in advance!

-Kurt

 

Made the same mistake two months into ownership of a brand new M3 DCT..... sold the M3 and bought a C2S.... never looked back or regretted it!

To answer one of your guestions....test drive both an S and non-S and decide if the power deficit is a problem for you. Other than that the only real difference is going to be the brakes but even some non-S's have the big brakes. Everything else can come on a non-S.....



Jason

 

If you're buying used the differential between 'non-S' and 'S' are quite manageable. Go 'S'; more horses, brakes, Xenon lights, etc. etc. Remember options on a used Porsche are 'almost' a give away.

Good luck . . . .

 

For a pure track toy - a C6 Z06 would be killer. For an overall driving experience the C2S is definitely a better choice IMO.

Just don't count on the CPO covering much more than catastrophic failures specifically outlined in the coverage.

My PSE (Porsche Sport Exhaust) mufflers had been rattling - even before the OE warranty ran out and the CPO kicked in.

They are not covered by the CPO and are very expensive to replace. My request to PCNA to cover them as they were rattling prior to the OE warranty running out was flat out rejected.

Not that big a deal - but irritating.

 

I would consider the S over the non-s as the price differential is quite manageable, along with bigger brakes/caliper, bigger wheels, PASM, 10mm lower ride height, Xenon, slightly more TQ in the lower rpm for around town driving.

 

In terms of maintenance and reliability, the Porsches I've owned have been pretty much bullet proof. I've owned 8 911's, and they've always been my daily drivers. They're more reliable than the Mercedes I've owned.

The only "issue" I've had is that the tires are expensive and if you get a flat you have to replace two tires (both ends of the axle). So a flat can cost you $1500. If you wreck a wheel it can be $2500.

For the sake of driving enjoyment, I don't think you can beat driving a Carrera on a daily basis. I presently have three of them...one at each of my residences! I know that seems really spoiled, but driving a Porsche is one of life's pleasures that I really enjoy.

 

The 997C2S is a great daily drive and a lot of fun on the track.

If you like it, buy it and enjoy it. The nice thing about buying a used one is you won't get killed on the depreciation of a new one.

 

Keep in mind that other than power the non-S was available with all the above as options. A non-S with these options versus an S is still going to be much cheaper.

Just something to consider. For me, I wanted the extra grunt the S had so I chose that but the 3.6 is a great engine and very rev happy and fun.

Jason

 

You would've gotten a better deal on the Z06 than you will the 911. But they are totally different driving experiences - finesse v. brute force. I just closed on an 07 CS2 for around 60 but I think you could do better depending on location. Lots of helpful information on this topic already exists on the forum. Check the "newbie" and "used inventory" strings. You'd probably wanna go the S route to compensate for the power difference between the Z and the 911. GL.

 

1) They are great daily drivers . The largest expense are rear tires and the biggest snag is the shape of its hips can get dinged . Outside of that the car is real nice .

2) whatever you try to save going in is usually spent once you have it . Lower prices Porsches are around but reach for stars .

It's not a mistake to test drive a Porsche. Its a conscious decision . It's a good thing you found "the one" rather than buy the Vette and thirst for the Porsche after the fact . This isn't a set back. It's a growth spurt.

 

NYC, I agree with your post completely (and I also just bought an 07 S for 60K so that seems to be the approximate market value). I drove the C6 vette and was amazed by the power, but I didn't like the driving position and the power was brute force. The 911 is refined and the driving position is great for a daily driver. I haven't looked back and don't envy the extra hp on the vette at all because there's more to driving than speed off the line.

 

OREGON - Exactly, certainly more to daily driving, like functionality. Don't get me wrong, the Z would make an excellent starter for a track car w/some simple mods, better seats, coilovers instead of the fiberglass leafsprings, re-calibration of ECU so it runs cooler, delete skipshift and maybe brakes. At this point though I think I need something with more utility (have 2 nephews who'll fit perfectly in those back seats). FWIW, I believe the OP was being facetious in his reference to it being a mistake to test a 997, but it did spark interesting commentary.

 

I've found my car makes a very comfortable, very rewarding DD.
No one has addressed one part of your comments, the cars you've seen. An '06 S with high miles for $57k and a '07 non S with higher miles for $55k. You put yourself in a very competitive segment for $50k, but you could get a certified '05 S for that much. An '06 or even '07 non S should be close to that. Try the non S with sport chrono. Check out the throttle response of the car with the Sport chrono on sport. Once you hit that button, you will never turn it off. Really heightens the torque response. The clutch and transmission on these cars make them a joy to shift, even in traffic. Good luck.

 

RYE, you're right. And that will be his biggest problem. I started out looking in that $50K range and the deals were not as plentiful and quite often were non-CPO’d. For a non-CPO car that’s an all cash deal, I’d do PP purchase; absolutely no reason to go to a dealership unless it’s a must have car. I applied some of Larry’s (yrralis1) suggestions on prices in terms of getting a better value as you move up into the higher brackets (think he was referring to the TT’s and/or GT3’s, but it applies here as well). For the extra $12K, I feel got a better car in the long run. It’s newer, the warranty will be longer, more options, etc. The lower end has a sort of diminishing returns effect. Now understand, by no means do I think I got a great deal. I got a fair one and I guess that’s another aspect to this – how long are you willing to wait? There is definitely a sweet spot in 997 -probably an 07 or 08 w/CPO for $58-60K +/- depending on S non-S and mileage. What do you guys think?

 

Don't thin you touch an '08 for under $60k. An extra $12k is not a trivial amount of money and would be more than 20% more than he would want to spend. Prices and cars seem pretty firm in the $50k range, so this seems to be a tough range. However, there are definitely good cars around. "Well optioned" definitely includes the sport chrono. Seems like a CPO'd '06 with under 30k miles will run you mid to low 50's, unless you compromise for lesser equipment, multiple prior owners, etc. Judging from your interest in the Z06, I'd say you'd be happier in the end getting an S. A rare find might be a CPO'd car from a PP. That might push an '06 S closer to $50k.