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Am I completely mad?

Scully

Well-known member
Joined
19 Apr 2017
Messages
105
Hi All,

I'm a new member here, so hi!!

I know I'm asking 'the converted' here, but I'm the proud owner of a 4 year old low mileage BMW 420d, which has only done 6700 miles in the last 12 months, so I'm (very) seriously thinking about swapping it (and all it's practicality - 4 seats, pretty reasonable boot space, 55 mpg, all mod cons) for a 13 year old, 55k miles 911 996 Carrera C2 (2 seats, no boot space, 20-ish MPG).

Financially, it's looking like a fairly straight swap, but still it feels crazy.

My thinking is that the Beemer will de-value like a stone over the next 2-3 years, but a 911, which I've always wanted, may devalue some, but not as much. There's a chance it might even go up in value (in my dreams).

Am I actually losing it, or is there some actual logic behind my thinking?

Cheers

Scully
 
Welcome young man ..

Personaly i would say a Porsche every time but then im biased ..

I do think this post might get one or two " descriptive " answers though :D
 
Scully the Porsche every time over the euro box, and you have got 4 seats ..... well just in the 996. Doing the mileage you doing you will have far more fun in the 996 . and it really doesnt matter about fuel economy with such low mileage.

NOTE no matter where your getting the Porsche from you MUST get a PPI and a borescope done . that will give you peace of mind that there are no big bills lurking in the immediate future.

Good luck keep us posted :thumb: :thumb:
 
Scully i doubt you'll get many "stick with the beemer" posts on here :lol:
I don't think any variation of 996 is going to be going down in value but don't let that be the deciding factor
Get out and test drive a few and I'm confident that will be the deciding factor
:thumb:
 
I went from an 18 month old C-Class with 10K to 2003 996 4S with 50K and I wouldn't look back
 
I've just got back from 6 days in Cornwall with wife, 2 kids and luggage so I think a 996 is pretty practical!
 
Welcome to the forum Scully. I would say go for it - you won't regret it!
I went from a 4 year old BMW 325i sport to my first Porsche,an 8 year old 996 Carrera 2 in 2006, which I had and loved for 5 years. No looking back.
I'm now in a 996 turbo which I've had for 6 years :thumbs:
 
Stick with the Beemer...........nah, only kidding. 911 all the way every day! :thumb:
 
You'll get 30mpg on a run, although as has previously been said, on a low mileage it hardly matters!
 
Hmmm, I'd probably go with the Porsche, but do it with your eyes WIDE open.

I love my 996 (most of the time, but that's another story...) but I'm not sure I'd want to run it as an only car. The roads around me are terrible, and the M030 suspension can get a bit wearing at times. It's impractical with my son in the car, the MPG is a pain when you're just doing boring commuting and I hate taking it to B&Q etc.

The BMW will indeed depreciate like a stone, but the Porsche isn't going to be cheap to run, at least if you want to keep it in top condition.

If you're able to have a second car as a tip/station/supermarket car then go for it. As an only car I don't think I would...

I'm still allowed to post after this confession, right!?
 
Mr Scruff said:
Hmmm, I'd probably go with the Porsche, but do it with your eyes WIDE open.

I love my 996 (most of the time, but that's another story...) but I'm not sure I'd want to run it as an only car. The roads around me are terrible, and the M030 suspension can get a bit wearing at times. It's impractical with my son in the car, the MPG is a pain when you're just doing boring commuting and I hate taking it to B&Q etc.

The BMW will indeed depreciate like a stone, but the Porsche isn't going to be cheap to run, at least if you want to keep it in top condition.

If you're able to have a second car as a tip/station/supermarket car then go for it. As an only car I don't think I would...

I'm still allowed to post after this confession, right!?

Conversely i use my turbo as my only car (my wife has a focus as a practical car). I use mine every weekday for the commute and get around 22mpg, that equates to a fill up every week. But it sure beats commuting in a dreary normal car, not to mention the way things are going with diesels now might be a good time to get rid.
 
I wouldnt' want to run one as my only car, I'd probably chose a Range Rover for that. I would definitely have one as a first choice of second car though, they are fine for doing long journeys if needed and great fun on the twisties. Mine gets a lot more use than my BMW TBH.

MC
 
Horses for courses really. I've used a 911 as a daily for 7 years. Starting with a 996.1 C2, then a 996 turbo and I'm now in a 997 turbo. Between them I've covered just over 102k miles.

Pros
As others have said, it's a 911 Porsche. You're driving a motoring icon. A silhouette instantly recognisable and a driving experience because of the rear engine unlike any other.

Lack of depreciation. My current car I'd hope to remain value neutral. My last car went up. My first lost a few thousand as the market hadn't turned. But in a 102k miles my collective 911s have lost less than £4k between them. That's extraordinary!

Did I mention the driving experience? They're not the quickest in a straight line. A modern AMG A class, VW Type-R or even a 15 year old M3 will outdrag you. But not as much as their extra cash ought to buy them. You'll be inches (milliseconds) behind. But they're not like any other cars. 40 years (by the 996) of development of how to make a car with the engine at the wrong end handle means once you master how to use that mass at the rear to accelerate out of corners you'll not want to drive other cars. And you will as even a clay handed mutt like me can do that!

Appreciation. Not the financial side. People generally like 911s. They're seen as a bit quirky and individual. Like the drivers. Think Saabs that go really fast. It's a community you're buying into.

My 996 C2 would do 32-34 mpg on a long run. My 996 turbo did 32 mpg on a trip to Scotland. My 997 turbo I've not yet got above 25 mpg but that's ahem, driver error....( :oops: )

Cons
It's a 13 yr old 911. There are likely to be bills from time to time. I look at mine from a 'total cost of ownership' perspective. Not sure if you know the concept but simple it's the overall cost per mile. And last time I checked it was low and in the pence. Get a good Indy as I have and you're sorted. While routine maintenance is well within the grasp of even the most novice home mechanic.

You'll get harassed by Audi diesels driven by idiots from time to time and the AMG, R-Type, RS brigade will likely want to race you. While people appreciate 911s some need to display spite towards you (I'm less convinced that it's jealousy). And people in vans won't be nice to you - generally as some on here drive vans and have / love 911s, but let's face it they are in the minority.


And that's about it from my experience. Good luck with the search :thumbs:
 
I ran a 996 4S as a daily driver, 18k miles in one year, after a BMW 330Ci.

The only thing that got on my nerves from time to time (and still does with my current 4S) is the ride. Not so much the car's fault as the crap british roads.

Over rough roads the ride can be very, very firm and crashy, indentations and potholes make me wince.

I find my X5 quicker from point to point on many of the B roads round me for this reason.

Oh and there are occasions when I wondered how on earth Porsche got away with charging so much for a car with halogen lights, manual wipers etc as extras. If you like your in-car conveniences, then make sure you find a 996 with the right spec.
 
Scully said:
........ a 911, which I've always wanted ..........

Say no more. :thumb:

:welcome: to 911uk
 

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