I love driving my 08 987s but I only get to for about 4 - 5 months of the year living in the Pacific NW. I also have 2 toddlers and need to carry them more often.

My utility car is a B5 S4 (2001) that is serviceable fun and great when it snows but nowhere near the fun of the Porsche. So I want something that is almost as fun as the 987s that I can drive 90% of the time or to upgrade my S4 so it's not as much of a drop off. And the B8 S5 with a V8 sounds like a cheap option to have some more thrilling driving and carry the toddlers.

Priorities: back seat, 4wd for the backup car, bluetooth and < $70k.

My biggest complaint with the 987s is how loud it is with the top up from the road noise. I've driven a few 997's and can tell that there is road noise but not as much but can't tell whether it's comfortable at highway speeds as a tourer.

Final option is a 991 but I'd have to get rid of the 987 to make that feasible and I'm not sure I'll be happy about that when the weather is good. Plus they're harder to find right now without exorbitant prices and still a lot of depreciation on them.

I know a 997.2 isn't as quiet as a sedan or a GT for road noise, but is it livable? A lot of people use a 997 for a DD but are their commutes short / long?

So that's my main question, how is the 997.2 for road noise on long cruises? Do people get tired of it? Does tire size make a difference?

Thanks for your opinions.

 

depends on the quality of the pavement and wear on the tires. Chip seal pavement will almost drown out a conversation, even with decent tires.

 

997.2 is more than livable in my opinion. Before I put lowering springs, roll cage and racing seats in mine, my wife loved it and we took in on several weekend trips. She is fussy too. (Now she hates driving in it, but that's a different story obviously)
I drove mine daily with a 50 mile commute (both ways), but now its my weekend car and track toy. With PASM it makes a huge different in comfort

S4 is a great car for the money and would probably be what I recommend if you want 4 doors. Have you thought of an RS5? Pretty pricey, but I've seen them cheaper now. They look great, but are starting to look a little dated.

Bottom line and to answer your question: 997.2 is definitely a comfortable/livable car if you need it to be. Would I want to pull 2 toddlers out of the back seat? I don't know, but I know a lot of people do it.

I'm trying to hold onto my car a little longer then I'm looking for a CPO 991 S

 

I just left a B7 S4 for a 997.2 C4S!
The S4 was fun and V8 was amazing, but it was terrible on gas. I would struggle to get 20mpg on hwy and with any traffic on the drive home from work I would get 12mpg. It was crazy...and the repair bills were ridiculous on the S4 as well. I would definitely try and get the newer V6 supercharged version of the S4.

The 997.2 is an amazing car but the road noise is pretty bad. I have a set of half worn PS2 on there now and on most city roads/hwys I cant use bluetooth or anything. Just too loud in cabin. I would not want to take any long road trips with it. It is kinda like a jeep. That is my opinion of course!

 

I just want to chime in and advise against getting an S5. I helped my roommate purchase one with the 4.2L V8 and it's great as as daily driver, but doesn't really provide the thrills you would expect.

How about an RS4? I was absolutely blown away with how much fun it was to drive one.

Another interesting option would be a Panamera S.

 

Forgot to say that I will only drive a 3 pedal manual. I love manual transmissions and have driven the PDK and while it's fast, it doesn't get my juices flowing.

Great info from all of you so far. Thank you.

 

I had a 2006 V8 S4 and it was comfy but heavy then I got a 2011 Subaru STi (4 dr + AWD) to replace it and I just fell in love with the STi, it handles better than the S4 V8 and it is also lighter and faster In fact after stage 2 mod, it is as quick if not quicker than my 997.1 stock

 

I have an 06 c4 cabriolet and it's a daily driver. Also a manual and I am in the northeast so I deal with snow in the winter. I love it. Is it loud, definitely more so with the cabriolet and mine didn't come with blue tooth. My commute is roughly 45 minutes to an hour in moderate to heavy traffic (15 minutes without traffic - that never happens). I look at it as my me time. I don't want to answer my phone or respond to emails. Your call, but I say get the 997.

 

If you don't get the S version of the 997 it will have a softer suspension, 997's are awesome DD, back seat if for children only tough, one of my best friends purchased an S5 a year ago and now he's bored of it....... Just saying . Get a 911 4s and drive it in the winter

 

geez....its a Porsche.....its supposed to be loud,somewhat impractical....road noise and all.....what you want doesn't exist in a Porsche....realize its not going to be super quiet,comfy always and "room for the kids"....buy a larger BMW 5 series or a American make sedan for much less road noise etcetc

 

As a parent myself, I would say get over the manual transmission fixation and just go with an Audi SQ5. You'll love the 8-speed tranny, the 350+/340+ hp/torque engine, the ground clearance, the quattro for those nasty wet/icy Portland roads (full disclosure: I grew up there, in SW near Tigard) and the excellent cabin and creature comforts. Keep your fun car for when the sun shines!

 

I would definitely consider a 991 base model coupe. The drive smooth and seem quiet. Until you hit sport when you want! Much more civilized than a 997. Which is exactly why I don't have one.

 

Why can't you drive a 987 year round? Unless you're going offroading, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to use it every day (I live in Seattle).

 

Interesting thread OP... Ive danced the quad rings dance in an s4 4 times now... V8....highly modded...loved the car...too heavy.
and 3 B8 S4's.... all supercharged. With a tune and pulley, my butt dyno says it destroys my C4S....until the P car gets up around 100mph....or when cornering...whichever comes first.


I daily my P car. and winter drive it also. Even with my Michelins at 4/32nds, I think its actually pretty quiet in the cabin. I feel the P car will be quite a bit more reliable than any S4. (my 13 S4 incurred some $20k plus in warranty repairs within the first 6 months of ownership until AOA refunded all my money. Plus the new Audis ,13 and newer, have the absolute RUBBISH electric steering.


I would drive your 987?, all year round... is it fast enough for you?
From what im reading, I would get rid of the 987, buy a 911 and a kid hauler of some sort also.

 

Guys, what an awesome community and some great opinions. I think you've helped clarify some things in my mind.

I do need to drive and answer pages / phone calls. It should be my own time, but I'm probably on the phone at least once with the hospital about 1/4 of my commutes. thanks for confirming my concerns: millertimefl.

rvc - you have a point. It's a P-car and they're designed for fun, not practicality. But I'm a red-blooded American and want it all!

My conclusions:
1. nothing beats Porsche handling and for all around fun. The 987s with the top down and the engine ripping is the pinnacle of driving fun for me. On my commute on certain turns I can swing the rear out at legal speeds. Any day you can oversteer (controlled) is a good day.
2. everything else is inferior (see 1) and you'll be wishing you were in a P-car. The B5 S4 is really only fun when there's snow on the ground. But it's practical. S5 sounds too sedate too but I'll try it out. RS4 may be fun, aging, but still could be fun.

3. so drive the P-car year-round so you can have fun all the time.
- and that's what I can't do because it's just too loud. I want a quiet, subdued P-car with decent handling - wait, that's the 991 now. Thanks steve-o. I want to be a 997 driver but practicalities make me more of a 991 driver wannabe.

I'm going to hold out for as long as I can with my S4 and 987 combo until the price of a CPO 991 comes down from the heavens.