I am looking for my first 911 (and P car) and I'm seeing some price differences between cars available for private sale or at independent car dealers and an equivalently spec'd/mileage car at Porsche dealerships.


This difference is certainly understandable to some degree as I would expect a Porsche dealership to have done the more thorough inspection and that it may be CPO'd. However, I'm not sure how much value to place on such dealership cars vs. private/independent sale cars.

For example (and I'm in Canada), a low=mileage '06 C2 will commonly be listed for $50k private sale and for $55k from a dealer with 2-year CPO warranty. Is this 10% difference money well-spent for a first-time 911 and Porsche owner, or can the difference be negated by doing lots of research on the cars for sale, getting PPIs done, etc?

 

My CPO has run out but in my opinion it was certainly worth it. There were several problems that surfaced almost immediately. They weren't big but I bet the price was had I had to pay for it.

 

Personally I wouldn't buy an expensive German car without a warranty. Our dealer basically reset the factory warranty on my wife's 2011 997.2 S Cab, so we have four years and 50,000 miles of peace of mind. It's her DD and she will almost certainly hit miles before time's up.

 

I really don't worry about buying from a dealer. If the deal was right I would but I would not over pay for the car. I bought the Fidelity Platinum warranty to cover my car through 2019 and I am happy with that coverage. The parts on these babies are not cheap so I prefer to take the warranty cost hit up front and know I am covered should something go wrong. Hopefully I will never need it and it will just become a good selling feature when it is time to replace the 4S.

 

I got mine from a local dealer in Tampa Florida area Any Car USA he found car in Texas had it shipped perfect condition with warranty.
997.2 GTS Metallic Blue 6 speed manual with all options.... had it 4 months paid 83k for it 12k miles perfect condition on scale 1 to 5 with 5 best mine is 5..... I dealt with Deryk LeVasseur tel number 727.224.6884 save thousands over Porsche Dealer Prices. I traded my 2003 996 Twin Turbo with 675 bhp for the 2012 GTS and love it....

 

I completely recommend paying the extra for the CPO warranty if you can afford it. I recently picked up my first 911....07 Carrera S with only 10800 miles on it. Already had to replace the alternator and battery one month after purchase ($1,800 cost savings), then 3 weeks later, the shifter cable snapped which was covered as well (1,000 savings). I paid $57K for the car which included the CPO warranty. Probably paid $3.5K more because of the warranty but I know I am covered for another 1.5 years to decide if I keep the car or upgrade. Pics of car day of purchase.

 

I've probably had about 4k in warranty work that was covered under CPO. Still trying to get them to replace my flakey tire pressure sensors. so... for me... i'm probably expecting 4-5k in warranty work by the time my CPO ends.

 

CPO is the only way to go!

 

Thanks everyone for weighing in, I appreciate the insight. Sounds like paying extra for CPO (or a 3rd party warranty?) is seen as worthwhile.


The second part to my question then is whether CPO or 3rd party as I live about 2 hours from the nearest Porsche dealer. If something happens that makes the car undriveable (likely the major stuff), I'd have to get it trailered to the dealer if I have a CPO. What about with 3rd Party - does anyone have experience with a 3rd Party warranty company covering repairs done by an independent?

 

You should be able to go to any Porsche certify mechanic with a 3rd party warranty.

 

Clear corners STAT! (Assuming you haven't done them already.) Especially on a silver or gray car.

 

Remember they sell warranties because they make money from them ie more people don't get their moneys worth than those that do


Had my 06 c4s for 4 yrs and no warranty. Only "repairs" have been regular services. Nothing major has happened, at least not yet!

 

I have fire insurance, but I don't expect my house to burn down. I have life insurance, but don't expect to die any time soon. I have comprehensive & collision auto insurance, but don't expect to get in a major crash in the near future. Insurance is just that: protection. I'd rather be the guy who has the insurance and never needs it than the poor sap who needs a new transmission or engine, but doesn't have a warranty, and thus is SOL.

 

Part of the CPO deal is free towing.I don't know if they will take you 2 hours for free,but it would not surprise me if that is your nearest dealer just based on my experience with the 1800PORSCHE roadside.I can't speak about 3rd party but I have had great experience with a covered CPO repair and battery service in the 6 months or so I've owned mine.Personally I would feel way more comfortable with CPO over 3rd party.I can't give an exact number but the 4 years or 88K mile coverage would be worth at least 5K to me.

 

But I as also mentioned in another thread am very interested in hearing any feedback good or bad on 3rd party warranty especially Fidelity.