So I'm browsing the market for a car and will probably get something in the not so distant future. I'm trying to be realistic about a overall budget, not just in terms of purchase price, but also long term costs associated with these cars. What's a reasonable expectation for say a standard 997 driven maybe 15k a year?

I do live in the hills so brake wear is above average.
What about the clutch, expected lifespan, replacement cost?

Thanks,

-Mark

 

do your own brake pads replacement. really easy, then the cost is next to nothing.
clutch a bit more, around $1800.
other than those, tires are bit pricy sides..
but overall maintenance cost is not really bad if you drive normal.

 

Good to hear. I'm pretty handy and have worked on cars my whole life so changing pads will be easy. Clutch seems reasonable.

 

Tire choices (especially for those of us running the 305's in the back) use to be very limited and thus, very expensive (PS2's running over $500 EACH for the rears). However, a couple of new choices have come out over the last year with some good reviews that are priced more reasonble. Hankook has one that's around $250 each for the rears that finished in 2nd place in a recent C&D comparo.

 

dont forget spark plugs every 20k right? thats not cheap, your looking at potentially tires and plugs just over each year.

Are those tires N rated or is that just a Porsche gimmick? Were the reviews on Porsche cars?

 

er, nevermind, Im thinking turbo plugs.

 

Tires are not N rated (not sure if it's a gimmick or not). Tires were tested on BMW 3 series.

If my car was a daily driver and/or I tracked my car, I'd maybe be a little hesitant on going with anything other than OEM tires. However, my car is strictly a weekend toy (that I don't even drive 5 months out of the year) so saving close to $1,000 might make me look at the Hankooks.

 

Here's more info regarding the Porsche N ratings.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=26

Even if the $700/set Hankook's don't perform well enough you can get a set of N rated tires from Tire Rack for around $1200 as well.

Overall I have been shocked by how inexpensive Porsche parts can be, whether OEM or aftermarket.
Clutch you can pick up for $400-500, brake pads $200, oil filters $15.
These prices are amazing when compared to some of BMW's and MB's prices.

 

N rating should be used in conjunction with tire industry ratings for speed, load and wear ratings when you're deciding on new tires. Think about it, Lambo's, Ferrari's, Maserati's Corvettes and Vipers are all high speed cars don't they don't use N rated tires. Yokohama's, Verdestein, Hankook and others make high quality tires and are worth looking at. However, Porsche tests the N rated tires for various characteristics that compliment the suspensions of their cars and without question many modern 911 owners will tell you that the PS2's are the best all around tires you can buy for these cars. As much as I hate to pay for them, I believe they really are well matched to the car from a ride, noise, grip and handling standpoint.

 

Bridgestones REO50 N rated--paid $325 out the door for each back tires 295X19.
Oil change is easy DIY; Air filter is easy DIY. Spark plugs are every 60 K miles- a DIY but difficult to reach the two back plugs. Clutch--I don't know the replacement cost or the expected mileage life.

 

Tires are your largest expense . Much of your cost depends on how you drive it too.

Don't let routine maintence be the deterrent unless the car faces warranty expiration . I big repair on an out of warranty car could hammer the budget conscious owner but even that can be faced .