Hey all,

I am fairly new to this forum but it was of great value to me when researching my first Porsche. Our first purchase is a 2005 Cayenne S. Car is silver with black interior, around 55k miles, 2.1 PCM, and premium audio. Really really enjoy the vehicle, and feel very safe with my wife and our soon to be first child. She had previously been in a Lexus LX 450, and while the truck is very solid and heavy, it can't get out of its own way sometimes which concerned me.

I am seriously considering picking up a 996 as my daily driver. I currently drive an RX8 most days and now the LX on rainy days. I would likely sell the RX8 and my '73 Datsun 240z to assist with funding as well as clear up space. 4 cars is a little much for our house. If I could keep the LX I would be very happy.

My annual milage runs around 6k and my daily commute is about 5 miles, with maybe another 5 added in if I go get coffee a couple times. I think I am a pretty good candidate for a higher-milage, well-maintained 996. How do you all feel about higher milage (70k+) 996? Is there anything to look out for good/bad?

 

Whats your budget, tops?

 

I hadn't really set one. I suppose I would be willing to go in the upper 20's. I would be paying cash so I'm ok not qualifying for financing. I saw some of the higher milage examples going in the lower 20's which got me thinking..... if I can find a maintained 996 with higher milage that was priced right, I would definitely consider as I am a pretty low milage guy.

 

If you're mechanically inclined and somewhat of a gambler/risk taker, I would say getting a higher mileage one in the low 20's would be a good choice. Buying it from a private owner with detailed maintenance history is even better.

If you don't work on cars, then it might even make sense to pay a bit more and get it from a dealer that can give you a 2 year warranty.

Either way, you'll want to make the sale contingent upon successful PPI which is definitely worth the couple hundred imho.

The 996 market is so saturated these days, I've come across 50-60k 996 mk1 models for low 20's which is a bargain imo for the amount of performance you're getting. Even lower mileage MK2's can be had for mid to upper 20's.

Oh, and you'll enjoy the broader power curve and higher torque from the boxer motor over the wankel, not to mention not having to top off the oil so often.

My $.02

 

Left my '05 RX-8 for my '04 996 AE. Although the 996 isn't as neutral in handling as my RX-8, all the other benefits make me happy everyday!

 

I highly recommend the Cayenne/996 combination. It works well for us. My 996 is currently getting close to 95K miles, and it has been great. If you find one that has been will maintained and has appropriate documentation, you'll probably be fine.

 

Thanks for the feedback. The only 911 I've driven was a 996 AE and I very much enjoyed the ride. While the lack of weight balance was noticeable, the steering, engine note, and torque well made up for it. I didn't feel as comfortable slinging it into a corner like I would in the RX8, but I imagine that confidence grows greatly with time as you become more familiar with the handling characteristics. Kind of like a shoe that gets more comfortable as you break it in.

 

Porsche is one of those harder to drive cars but more rewarding in the end. It is one of the cars that separate the men from the boys imo and almost forces you to participate in some kind of DE days to get the most out of it without killing yourself.

I have yet to track mine, mainly due to a spark plug tube leak not getting fixed, but I plan to next summer when everything is buttoned up on her. I can't wait as I tend to take a little less chances on the streets with the Porsche(already came close to spinning out twice on the streets).