Soon I'm going to get my first Porsche, it will either be:

A 996 (in the years 2002-05) non-turbo
Or a 997.1 (2005-07) Carrera

(Leaning towards 996 C4S's)


I was wondering which car has the lower maintenance cost / parts cost as a dailydrive?
approx per year?



Thanks,

 

Obviously the older car ie 996 is getting to the age of needing some "time replacement" issues but that is not always true. Mileage and the way the car was driven and regularly maintained are very important for minimizing expensive issues later in life. There was an intermediate shaft issue based on a bearing failure in the early 996 and some 997 engines. If the engine has had the fix done great. There is a replacement bearing that can be installed the does not require tear-down of the engine ( see Excellence Magazine, one of the issues this past Summer that explains it)

The 996 was the first water cooled 911 but that does not seem to be an issue. Both are great cars, just find the best deal you can and make sure you get a complete pre-buy inspection done by a Porsche dealer that can read all the codes and provide you a printout of any over rev's (true normally only for a 6 speed car) Good luck and welcome to the world of the water cooled 911

 

Oil changes, spark plugs, air filters, are all about the same costs as many of the parts are the same anyway.

Both models have been very reliable, but as they age, I would imagine that some parts will need to be replaced.

 

As they always say, buy the newest Porsche within your budget. The newer ones will have the most updated parts including the latest RMS seal and IMS bearing. 2009s+ eliminated the IMS.

PPI (pre-purchase inspections) are important but may cost you a few hundred dollars.

I think maintenance between the two are similiar but the 997s extended the service intervals slightly more. You mentioned the C4s; this will be slightly more because of the front drivetrain/tranfer case.

Have fun shopping!

 

you might want to be carefull with 2005 997 - thats when they just came out and the bugs might still be in the system.
Apart from that, by a 997, I think it is a much better car than the 996 (I had both, big difference)

 

Although I am a new P-car owner I can't see there being a major difference in maintenance costs between the two. I recommend purchasing the model that you prefer. If you are leaning toward the 996 C4S then that is what you should get. Take your time and you will be able to get exactly what you want. It is a buyers market right now.

 

totally agree, and also which ever one fits your pocket, I have seen some great deals on 996's though 25-35 grand, in good condition, but not CPO though, but hey go with your heart. I always like a little newer, sometimes less headache....

 

Put it this way, there are more than a few records of complete engine failures on 996s, probably largely due to IMS issues. Next, simply sit in a 996 and then sit in a 997. Or if you are really set on getting a 996, best not sit in a 997. Get the best you can afford and enjoy it!

 

Take your time and find the right one. Send each to a reputable shop for a PPI. Inspect records and maintenance history. All that said, the car can grenade any moment. Buy it and drive it - if the engine breaks, fix or replace it. I'm not concerned about the IMS on an '05, '06, etc.... Also, nobody posts everyday that their car got them from point A to B as expected. But, they certainly post, rant and rave (as expected) when the unexpected and serious mechanical issues happen (IMS, RMS, scoured cyclinder walls, etc.). I would think maintenance cost between the two model types are negligible. Generally speaking, get the one with less wear. Though, I wouldn't necessarily want a garage queen for a DD either. If you get a 996 and you see a 997 would you think 'gosh darn it'? If so, then get a 997. Good Luck.

 

996 had issues, but the ones I owned, and drove HARD, and had up to 100k miles, never had ANY issues...

 

The problem is that the 997's hold their value real well here..

And I made a mistake of sitting (and a 3 mile drive) of a 997.2


What about a Boxster S?
Good for the 95% of city driving I do plus an improved interior..


I guess 996 + Mods is the way to go

 

My God,,, Thank you!!!!!! i think that's the first time I've witnessed that in writing.... Thank you.. So much gloom and doom regarding these cars - that was refreshing....

 

996 turbo!

 

My suspicion is that the 996 & 997.1 have almost identical maintenance costs. A 997.2 would be the first significant change.

When I bought my fairly-heavily-optioned 996, it was sitting next to a less-well-optioned 997. Side-by-side, I liked the interior of my 996 better. Try both and see if you feel strongly either way.

Some of the last 997.1's had IMS bearings that you can't replace (as of this time). There is some logic to buying one that is old enough that the after-market (e.g., LN Engineering) can supply pullers & bearings for it.

I think the external styling of the 997 is better than the 996 (one would hope so....). But the performance was only incrementally better.

If you take care of your 996/997, you will probably get tired of it before it actually wears out. Both are good choices and many good ones are available.

Good luck.

 

Have you thought about test driving both of them? I had both cars...the 997 is a massive improvement and I really didnt like the C4S compared to the C2S. The C4 seems heavy.