Many here know that i am somewhat of a Porsche preservationist . I drive my Porsches but not all the time.

It thus leaves this idea of the daily driver. I tend to have a few criteria -
1) Easy to park
2) Space (if needed)
3) Some level of performance
4) Safety --decent crash test data --if possible
5) Comfortable
6) Reliable
7) Reasonable to insure
6) decent resale potential


This time around i came up with two cars . An M3 and a Honda Si. Both have been amazing. 25K miles and zero issues.

With 25K miles on both .. I ponder the next DD and figure its about 1.5 years in the future.

So far I have narrowed it down to three cars --not in order -may opt for one car instead of two and drive the 997S more.
1) another M3
2) Panamera Turbo
3) GTR

Space may or may not be needed . Biggest apprehension goes to the GTR (great peformance --some doubts about the car) . Panamera Turbo might be too big --but by then discounts may be seen -plus its real nice. M3 might be dated by then. Price goes to the M3 -purchase to resale plus service.

How do you pick your DD?
What are some of your DD cars?
Anyone drive an extremely boring DD?
Anyone drive a thrilling DD

 

My daily is a Lotus Exige. I chose it because it makes the commute more fun. I have a van for when I make home depot trips.

 

Yeah, I drive a Prius. No really, I do.

And let me say this right away... I do not drive it for any social/political/environmental reasons. I'm pretty much the opposite of those type of prius drivers. I drive the prius to work as i don't want to send the wrong type of message to my employees or customers by showing up in a Porsche.

I bought it almost two years ago when gas spiked to $5.00 per gallon here in CA. I drive 20,000+ miles per year in my dd, so it makes sense on many levels. But I must admit, the car is pretty much a piece of crap. It's basically a Corolla with batteries. But I can drive it anywhere and not worry where I park or if it gets a door ding.

I'd love to have an M3 or S5 as a dd, but honestly, I don't think those cars are the type to really put the miles on, so I stick to japanese cars. The next one will probably be an Infiniti or Lexus.

It also makes me really appreciate my 911, when I get in it.

 

My daily is an '04 S4. Not so flashy that it may put off any of my clients.
4 doors, AWD, comfy and still entertaining to drive. I love it.

 

I've been using 997s as daily drivers for almost 3 years. They meet all the criteria except decent resale potential, but that would be the case if I drove them daily or not. Must admit though, my commute is only 3 miles on nice streets and little traffic. And good weather most of the time of course.

 

I find a big issue of the Porsche as a daily is the flared rear when parking. Other cars have trouble judging the width contrast which gives it ding/dent exposure risk . a big regional issue that i faced was xenon light theft. An unattended Porsche can easily face two big holes where the headlights one nested . To this day a buddy of mine who wanted to buya porsche can't stop thinking about the time my 2002 car had its entire front end torn off for the lights. It took me some time to heal from it too but he decided NOT to buy the car.

 

Did you notice that you contradicted yourself?

 

My DD is a Subaru Outback.

Based on your criteria:
1) Easy to park - Yes
2) Space (if needed) - Yes
3) Some level of performance - Adequate
4) Safety --decent crash test data --if possible - Yes
5) Comfortable - Yes
6) Reliable - Yes
7) Reasonable to insure - Yes
6) Decent resale potential - Yes (especially here in the Pacific Northwest)

My DD also happens to be a company car from my employer (which I can use for personal use as well) so the gas, maintenance, and insurance are free which is nice.

 

I bought my 911 because I enjoy it...to drive, not just to have. If I'd have wanted or felt the need to drive something else, whatever else that would have been would be what I bought.

I figure my time on the planet is short - can't see the point to store things that I could enjoy. My objective is not to buy things and keep them nice just so someone else can enjoy them after I'm done.

That said, I don't need to drive too far on a daily basis. I have to be creative sometimes to get the driving enjoyment I want out of my 911.

Thrilling - absolutely.

Boring - my previous 550i and my wife's Lexus GX470, although it is handy sometimes and has been extremely reliable.

Best all around DD I had was an e39 M5. Nearly the perfect car.

 

Audi a3 2.0 t

 

Mine is a DD.

That said, there are multiple variables inherent in your choice. It looks, from your list, that money is not an object (M3 is at a different price point than a Honda Si). My take on that is for driving fun, German is the way to go - M3, S4, etc. At the other end are the Japanese - G-35, modded Honda, Mazda 3 with the turbo motor, etc. All have their strong/weak points depending on which of your priorities is most important.

 

My DD is an Acura TL. I do ~18k/yr 99% highway.

Based on your criteria:
1) Easy to park - Yes
2) Space (if needed) - Yes
3) Some level of performance - Adequate
4) Safety --decent crash test data --if possible - Yes
5) Comfortable - Yes
6) Reliable - Yes
7) Reasonable to insure - Yes
6) Decent resale potential - Yes (one of the highest of all cars)
7) Electronics - NAV (one of the best), Bluetooth

Driving the TL makes me appreciate the Porsche (fun). But driving the Porsche also makes me appreciate the Acura (quiet, comfortable).

 

I have three vehicles that make the daily drive due to the round trip distance (125 miles/day). This includes the 997.2 Carrera. I don't want to burn up any single vehicle within a few years due to the 30000 mile/year commute. The other two are:

Toyota Sienna Limited - The Family hauler, Home Depot vehicle, and vacation transporter
1) Easy to park - Reasonable so. Has a backup camera, parking sensors and decent turning radius
2) Space (if needed) - Definitely yes with the rear seats stowed
3) Some level of performance - Adequate, surprises some people who are expecting a slow poke.
4) Safety --decent crash test data --if possible - Yes
5) Comfortable - Yes
6) Reliable - Yes
7) Reasonable to insure - Yes
6) Decent resale potential - Better than some, not as good as others.

Lexus RX-400h - My wife's primary vehicle, the one decorated with all of her stuff.
1) Easy to park - Reasonable so. Has a backup camera, good window visibility, and decent turning radius
2) Space (if needed) - Yes, can haul bags of mulch in a pinch with the rear seats stowed
3) Some level of performance - With the CVT has good acceleration but tops out after 80 mph when I floor it.
4) Safety --decent crash test data --if possible - Yes
5) Comfortable - Yes
6) Reliable - Yes
7) Reasonable to insure - Yes
6) Decent resale potential - Yes, due to the hybrid popularity. Surprisingly though the Carrera gets significantly better gas mileage.

 

I've put 9000km (6000 mi) in the last 4 months as a daily driver. The way I see it, the difference in resale is based more on the quality and acceptance of preceeding and superceding models. Either way, mine may be worth 10% less when/if I sell it and by that time it may only be $3000. I'd much rather drive it every day for that money.

Maintenance may come into play but since I work in the automotive service industry I can save quite a bit in that department and a 911 becomes a wonderful daily driver.

 

I get to different opinion with age - life is short, in the end we all die and amount of fun and happiness we choose not to get in this life will not be reimbursed to us. If you have any opportunity for happiness, whatever it may be - driving car you like, having favorite beverage, smoking cuban cigars, making world cleaner and greener - whatever you may like - just do it and do not think about 'other people' - they will find a reason to love you or hate you or envy you anyway no matter what good or bad you do. None of that matters.

Only restriction to use my 997 is when I have to drive where I afraid it may be intentionally damaged by hillbillies at parking lot. It`s a third car in our family, so we have choices.