Hey Everyone out there---I have been on the forum for sometime now and after reading a lot of inquires on ownership, reliability, 'drivability' etc., about 996's I thought after my time of ownership I think I could give you a nice first hand viewpoint.

So where to start...first of all, I have driven and/or owned cars across the board. M3's, corvettes, and previous to my 911 a b6(2005) Audi S4 6MT. The 911 is so vastly different then all of them. When trying to draw parallels, the only thing I can say is that they are all sweet rides and no matter which one I was in--I couldn't control my smile

In a corvette it is amazing the 'bond' you have with other drivers in their vettes. It was almost like a brotherhood...everyone I passed would give the thumbs up, the wave, and a smile. It was almost like the harley davidson guys on the roads. The vette could get about 20mpg with its low rpm control at most speeds. Also, the targa was second to none...if you a need a tan---drive for an hour with the top out and it looked like you had a week vacation in the Bahamas. Get on the highway and throw down the pedal and the power is there. Never had a z06, but when I rode in one (c6) I think it is fair to say that it is the single handed only car I have ever been in which lifted my feet off of the floor boards when accelerating. I will say though, dress up and go on a night on the town and the 'posh' vehicle I was looking to get in at the end of the night was a little missing...it was an American car...just something missing...

The M3...whether e36 or e46, they are a great car. The e36 is probably a closer feel to my 911...not power wise but driving wise. I say this because the cabin is tight with the vaders, and it feels out of the box like a track car...just like the 911. RAW. The way the steering column is set up and the ride height, you almost feel as low as the 911 as well. When driving around town the looks will come, but make a turn down the right city section in northern va, and unless you have some nice modifications you may feel too plane jane. This was a driving man's weekend car. The e46 on the other hand is a comfortable daily driver if you dare to do so. The improvements are ten fold over the e36 (interior wise speaking) with the luxuries very plentiful. The gearing in this one is also second to none. I think of it a crisp highway driver. However, whenever behind the wheel I always had that 'something's missing feeling...' Like the car is very common...made me feel like it was not so unique...also with the vanos and valve problems I am never sure of the reliability of it. (Remember this is my viewpoint )

The Audi s4. WOW...v8 340 hp, 6 speed transmission, recaro seats from the factory!!! This car is a favorite of mine. The interior was a ****pit. This was Audi's late to the table response to the e36 lovers vehicle. The interior was posh with luxuries and those seats...yes those seats!!! LOL Behind the wheel the car performed. Straightaways and highway runs were thrilling to the say the least. From 2rd gear on up, the car pulled like a bad-outta-hell. However, it was a little lacking in the top of 6th as the gears were a little too long. I once had a motorcycle buddy in the front seat who said he has never been in a car on the highway, that when you kick it down from 60-120 feel like he was actually on his bike. The handling and quattro also gave me some feel of safety in the wet weather. I bought a daily driver in addition to it but still wound up pulling this one out of the garage. I really enjoyed driving it. I also have never been in another car where I felt 100% safe in pouring down rain cruising on the highway with my family at 70mph+. On the back-roads, the car handled like most AWD vehicles...stay on the gas...also, there was some body roll. But overall, I would get another one of these quicker then the others...car was phonomenial. In my 50k miles of ownership the only fixes I had to do was the serp belt replacement and coil packs. I don't know why Audi has such a bad rep with maintenance, but from my experience I rate it very high. This car also had a major sleeper effect. That was good and bad IMO. I like to get noticed (sometimes) and other times not so much...I noticed 90% of drivers out there (at the time) had NO idea what an s4 was. But, when I pulled into the occasional gas station (Oh yeah and I wouldn't get more then 18mpg) with other Audi owners or Vdubbers, the respect was huge. Gawking and compliments

My 911 C2...so I must say my initial intentions were never to get rid of my S4 when I bought this one...My 911 was owned by a guy who bought it as his present to himself when he turned 45. Life came at him fast and as his kids grew, the time on the roads in the 911 begin to decline. With 4 kids, I can understand why...the new s5 conv and the 3 ranges in his garage were getting all the attention. The last 3 years of his ownership had seen >4,000 miles on the car. It had also been moved outside of the garage I stumbled upon it and as the price was dropping I thought I would turn it into a track car as some friends had been trying to influence me to get on the track. When I brought it home and polished her up I did the necessary fixes...coolant cap (check) Ignition switch (check) New Bosch plugs (check) Oil change (check) Light buff and wax (check) Seat treatments (check). I also had to replace the starter as the 'squealing noise' became too embarrassing in the parking lots with on lookers Luckily, the IMS/RMS was fixed by the previous owner.... About 2k miles later I had a new love. The s4 which I planned on keeping wasn't getting driven as much, and when I got behind the wheel, I felt like I was cheating on the 911. Now, years later I still feel the same way. When behind the wheel, it is not the fastest car out there. It is quick, but not fast. I love how I feel everything in the road, it is not quiet, and the interior is so minimalistic. It is a motor, a seat, a steering wheel, and a few buttons. And never have I been in a car where that was just enough. From 3rd gear up the car screams. I love seeing the spoiler activating in the rear view and after many hours behind the wheel I got used to the 'floating' effect of the lightweight front end. Enthusiasts often signal to me to put it up to show their kids or passengers...People are torn when they see it...Most of them probably think I am DR. or an attorney, and Every time I fill up...I mean every time---I got a ton or questions and compliments...however; I have never had more Hate on the roads then in any other vehicle. On a typical commute or drive on the weekends I get about 3 middle fingers, and a couple of grouches cursing me out that I can see in the rear view I have been called all kinds of names in the car and love to see the jealousy on the roads. LOL. The agility is second to none. Behind the wheel, even when I tell myself to p**y foot it, it begs me to kick it down and drive it, shifting at 4k+ rpms. (Probably why I get the paupers making comments). I have kept it as a weekend car (at one point) and enjoyed every min, but when I am behind the wheel I want more and then I decided that every few weeks I will daily commute in it. The clutch is heavy and not the best for stop and go, but I make sure I take the back roads home and release the tension from my left leg

I am getting to the point where I am ready for something new...maybe a 996 conv...maybe a c4s...maybe a 997...even an m5. But when I drive to the dealership to check others out, I realize it will be tough to turn this one in...

If you are on the fence of becoming a 911 owner, I hope I helped you make the plunge. DO it. You should absolutely own one at some point in your life!!

 

Tmainevent, what a great post. As an owner (and previous owner) of way too many incredible cars to list, I get a feeling like o other with my P-Car. As mine was a gift to myself at the age of 45, you captured my sentiment on this car exactly.

 

Middle fingers in NOVA, wow? I see a 911 parked under a car cover on RT1 on my way to DCA all the time. Also I never get the finger in NOVA, although I'm only passing through or stopping at Wholefoods.

 

Great post... Can you further explain your starter squeal problem. I believe that may be my issue too...

 

??????

 

Hey 996tofast4911----The starter squeal would happen upon start up (first infrequent but then occurred every time I started her up), it was like the starter gear would continue to spin for a second or so after it was on....There is a thread on here somewhere---check my public posts...a user posted a video on it.

Thanks to everyone else who made comments and read...sorry it was so long, but as a proud owner I could have kept going

 

Wow. I'm early! Just turned 44 2 mos ago.

 

HA, me too. Bought mine when I was 44 too. Just had a friend get a new 991. Don't know if I could do that for multiple reasons. I'm **** enough with an 11 year old, I would have to encase a new one. :-)

 

I bought my first Porsche when I was 27, and this is now my 6th Porsche. Best car ever made

 

Glad you're enjoying your Porsche. They are great cars.

I've read similar posts about comments (good or bad) from other drivers, bystanders, etc. Maybe the people out here are different but I rarely get any of that, and this car has been my daily driver for years. I'll typically get a wave or a headlight flash from another Porsche, but not much else. People out here don't really seem to care... and that's fine with me!