Great looks

Drives very well

Very poor reliability (engine replaced after 50,000 miles; various oil leaks, non working navigation system)

High running costs

Car body, particular the front, gets damaged very easily by chippings

Do not count on much support from the manufacturer if any problems arises after the expiration of their (mean) 2 year warranty (Note: a KIA comes with a 7 year warranty; why can't the Germans do better than two years?). You are on your own in the cold and that's where it quickly gets very expensive....

When I purchased this car, I thought it was the right decision from the standpoint of my heart and my head. I got it wrong on the latter, though as this car proved surprisingly unreliable.

Drives like a dream (though I have some vibration in the steering and found the left front tire is bad, so I have two new fronts on order). Easy to drive daily, car is solid for a ragtop, looks are, well, hot! Brakes are amazing! And, boy, do I look good! It only had 7,600 miles on it when purchased...so it's basically new - and it is/was mint (already have one small parking ding...damn it!

Can't find enough excuses to go for a drive (well, ok, I can).
The stereo sucked - I immediately put in a Pioneer Nav/DVD, but now I have to upgrade the cheap-ass speakers and get an amp too since, wow, the speakers are so unbelievably bad (and, since the top's down most of the time, I can't hear/enjoy my music!). WIthin one week of owning it my remote key died (not just the battery) and it cost $300 to replace it! Also, one of the flaps (on the top) broke...but it's only cosmetic and would probably cost too much to bother to fix. Seats don't adjust high enough (may just have to get used to it).

Love it, love it! My first Porsche and I'm sorry I waited this long (well, couldn't afford it until now). I'll be 40 in 6 months so it was time!

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Nothing like this to-date....

Power, handling, style, class, German engineering, reputation

Expensive options

I purchased this 2004 911 in San Diego in Feb 2005 and got a $12K off of MSRP. Porsches typically sell for MSRP. I pretty much found exactly what I wanted with the exception of a few options. The car is great. It handles great, smooth power, sounds strong. Because of the 2000 mile break in I really haven't run it hard, but at 115 mph you would never know it. It feels like you're going 55. The appearance is great as well. A real head turner too. It is such a classy car, really has not had any major body change in the 40 or so years that it has been around. I had always wanted one and no regrets after shelling out $65K for it.

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Usually drive SUVs, closest to sporty car was 1999 Mazda Miata

PORSCHE! Absolute improvement over the 996 debaucle. history,performance,absolute class! drive-ability head turner fast and comfortable too many to list

small gas tank

Out shopping for an M3 to upgrade my 01 330ci and stopped by a Porsche dealer and had the unfortunate circumstance of driving an 05 997 (sorry had to put 04, it was the newest model year offered in this site). I have owned several Porsches, always weekend cars, and would have never bought a 996, felt like the Bxter was a better value. WELL let me tell you Porsche has definitley outdone themselves. Completely redesigned, exterior/interior, more powerful, amazing! The most impressive thing is that Porsches as much as I love them always take a certain ammount of energy to drive, ie: I wouldn't choose to take one on a long road trip, I would opt for the more comfortable Bimmer. Not this one, as comfortable as a BMW. Best handling 911 I have ever driven, on par with the mid engine Bxter, though it's been a couple years since I've driven a Bxter so this could be an exageration of sorts. Everything upgraded from Porsche Active Susp Mngmt, look, sound, shocking really. The next day I sold my 97 993 Cab (which I swore I would never get rid of) and bought the 997! and what a steal for 75K. There was not an 04 996 on the lot for under 85K! Check this car out! You will be blown away!

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90 911 83 911 99 Boxter 97 911 99 328I 01 330ci

Build quality Looks its a Porsche!

can be a bit costly to maintain,but dont let that put you off.

What can I say?except this car is the best,its fast, wide and that 3.6 flat six sounds awesome especially with the top down.It will do 0-60 in 5.5 secs and max out at almost 160mph.The car has the turbo wide body,forget the coupes nothing beats that wide back end and widened front wings.Make yourself smile & but a 911 cabriolet.

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924,4x944,968,2x928 2x911sc

Realiability. Head turner. FUN,FUN,FUN!!! Great performance in a very well built, solid package. Best buy for a true, older sports car. Good resale value.

Major repairs are expensive. I am not looking forward to having the top end rebuilt. But then I have read many accounts of SC's going 300,000 miles before needed. Everyone wants to race. Everyone wants to drive it. Nose and hand prints on the glass.(easily fixed by adding a proximity sensor to the clifford alarm) Having to admit I didn't pay $50,000 dollars for it. (I let the gals think what ever they want! LOL)

I bought this car 2 years ago. I have had few regrets. It is a great performer for a 20 year old car. It has proved to be very reliable. I have put almost 20,000 miles on the car an it now has almost 180.000 miles on the odometer. Besides oil changes, new tires, breaks, valve adjustments, the only "out of the norm" problem is when a fuse came loose and the fuel pump stopped working. An easy fix. Also, my high lights would suddenly turn on and I replaced the column swith. I have spent under $1,500 dollars in repairs and maintenance in 2 years. Not bad in my opinion. A porsche, especially an older one like mine is not a sports sadan, and should not be compaired to one. It is a bare bones, sports enthusiests car. It does have many luxory items such as power windows, cruise control(never use it) Air( not the greatest but does cool the interior enough for the SoCal area.) CD system( after market obviously) But the car does best what it was designed for. To go very fast around corners and do it well. And after 20 years of hard use, it is still doing it!

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240ZX, 300ZX, Mitsubishi VR4, 1972 Corvette

Fast...fast...fast. Incredible response in every gear if you keep the RPMs over 4,000. An absolutely stunning car in Arena Red Metalic. I still get stares even though the car is 5 years old. Absolutely no maintenance problems.

Rear tires go at 9,000 miles and are very expensive.

I had a choice to buy either a 993 or the new 996. I chose the 993 because to me this is a "real" Porsche...air cooled engine that sounds like a sports car. I got the motor sound package from Tenneco (made in Germany) and it gives this car a great exhaust noise. The 996 still looks like a Japanese car (particularly inside) and I remain convinced I made the right decision going with the 993.

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Chevy Corvette (two..and they were horrible except for looks) Nissan 300ZX (nice)

Quick!! Increases serum testosterone exponentially :) Great compromise in suspension: handling is razor sharp, but going over RR tracks at normal speeds is not disemboweling. My other car ('93 Toy MR2) with aftermarket suspension handles very similarly, but is rough. Somehow the Germans got a nice compromise. Turns heads (esp. female) daily.

Every one you know wants to drive it. Interior not that ergonomic, knobs for various things are kinda flimsy. Speed perception is weird- you can get going really fast w/o really realizing it. The car seems to be made for 100+ mph. I haven't got any tickets yet, but I've caught myself several times WAY over the speed limit. Radar detector a must.

Well, the car is just unbelievable. 282 HP in a 3000 lb car means really quick acceleration, cornering, & braking. I bought the car in late fall '02 w/ only 12500 miles. You will find many used Porsches with very few miles, there just too nice to be everyday grocery-getters.

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Rear engine, rear wheel drive NA Toyota MR2.The MR2 with aftermarket suspension handles very similer (see above) but is much rougher. Its MUCH slower too.

- looks - nothing comes close! - performance - nothing comes close! - ego builder

- really loud road noise - you feel every bump/crack in the road, the price you pay for hair trigger, sensitive handling - no glove box - poor quality stereo - CD located in the trunk, changing CDs must be a planned action - constant paranoia when parking car in lot - tires cost $300+ each to replace - often challenged by other sports cars

I bought this car in 2000 with only 5k miles on the odometer. It was in perfect condition and has stayed that way ever since. I have 21K miles now, driving it to work and back each day, a total of 15 miles. The power this car delivers is absolutely incredible. There is nothing like doing 3,000 rpms in second gear, then stomping on the gas, slamming it into 3rd gear then in no time, seeing that you're doing 100 mph! What a rush. With the 18" wheels, and the improved suspension, there's virtually no corner this car can't take at 2x+ the suggested speed limit. And the brakes are beyond description performance-wise. The stop you RIGHT NOW. I change the oil/filter every 3K miles just to be anally safe and have had no mechanical problems at all. The original set of continental tires were gone at 6K miles but I replaced them with some high quality Bridgestones and they still look new after 16K miles. I started to have a small oil drip problem on the right side of the engine but it was more an annoyance than a reliability problem. I will have to have it fixed at my next oil change. The ride is Porsche stiff so if you're looking for performance and smooth ride, forget it! This babies built for nothing but incredible performance. The stereo system is a joke. I can't understand a German company putting such a low class unit into such a fantastic car. I guess they didn't want you listening to music when you should be driving! The 4 slots to hold your cassettes is a laugh too. Who has cassettes? What a waste of very important space! Especially since the '99 doesn't have a glove box. The 911 has always been my dream car since I was a kid and now I'm living that dream with this incredible machine.

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none

Looks good Fast Handles very well

More laid back the older Porsches Poor market resale Poor interior

If you are reading these reviews to buy a Porsche there is one thing to know, there are great differences in 911’s, with each change in the model. E.g.:(964, 993,996, etc). I am on my third Porsche and still have not found auto nirvana. I have owed a 944, 1991 911(964) and currently drive a 1999 911(996). Cars are strange creatures the newest and most expensive do not always bring the most joy. When I bought used 964 I was much more excited then when I got my new 996, which cost almost twice as much. I have had my 996 for over four years and I seem to be enjoying it now more then ever. It could be that being a neurotic Porsche owner, now the warranty is up I know longer have to worry about fighting with the dealer over ever little rattle and break squeak. I can just drive the car and if it breaks just fix it or except what is wrong and accept it. My 996 has been fairly reliable. I must admit I drive the car fast, it will do 105mph in 3rd gear and at 130 mph the car feel like its doing about 60 mph. I have had some problems with my car but must were my fault. The biggest being that when the car had 19k miles on it I blew the engine, fortunately it was under warranty and Porsche gave me another engine, but they said if I blew another one I was on my own. Another problem is that the oil pan is very low and I knock that out one time. I have since got a guard to cover the oil pan up, but it needs to be check often because the guard can be knocked loose. The biggest problem with the car is that the dashboard rattles. I have had several debates with the dealer and even taken my complaint to corporate, but they would not replace the dashboard and they could not make the rattle stop, at this point I have learned to live with it. My recommendation to anyone looking the buy a 996, look it the used market, there are some really good deals out there and I would think that any one who previously owned one of these cars would have taken good care of it. The price value is just not there for the new

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1991 911(964)