Hi Guys,
I have looked at the new VW Scirocco 2.0 TSI with DSG gearbox, but feel that the prices are still too high. And after putting on moderate extras I am looking at a price of around £24-26k, for the same money I can buy a Porsche 911 (996). I have seen 2 on 2002 or 2003 plates and both vehicles I am told have full Porsche service history and have done close to 60k mileage. The garage also gives a 12 months warranty & 12 month AA Assistance - what is this.
I appreciate the costs of running such a beast will be big, but can you advise me what should I also be looking out for when I go to inspect them.
Cheers Stu
Edited by Pugugly on 25/06/2009 at 18:14
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Stu
I think the 996 is famous for junking its engine, leaving you with a very large bill
I would Google "996 engine failure" or similar before taking this any further
MVP
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This is not even a fair comparison of cars. A brand new Scirocco vs. an old 911 that could cost a lot to insure and keep on the road. The Scirocco is expensive because new - the 911 was a lot more expensive when new.
Consider your options wisely. You should look in this site's car by car breakdown section as a good starting point.
Best of luck. Personally I'd quite like the Scirocco. In white. But the upcoming R version with about 250bhp.
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why not just buy a hyundai i1o and blow the rest on wine women and song
then again yes the scirroco does sound tempting in this heat
aircon a must though
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BB,
The OP might be a tone-deaf teetotaller for all you know. Sounds even more tempting :-)
Would be nice to have this sort of dilemma, I guess.
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Bit of a difference, a Scirocco and a 993............
A mates dad has just bought a 53 regd Carrera 4S for circa £23k and loves it, but is amazed by the running costs..... engine problems were pre-2001 i think?
Personally, I would split my (hugely hypothetical) pot, and get two cars which would tick all your boxes;
Spend circa £12k on a MkV Golf GTI/Skoda Octavia vRS with the 2.0 TFSI engine, or if you want something a bit differenct, a BMW 130i, and the remaining £13k on something like a Porsche Boxster, TVR Chimaera, Honda S2000 or BMW Z4 as a bit of fun for the weekend.
Or, Autotrader shows that £25k would buy you a 2006 Audi RS4....best of both worlds, and far more exciting that a Scirocco :-)
Much as I love the Scirocco and the way it looks, i agree £26k for a glorified Golf is a little OTT.
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A lot of mature 911 drivers prefer the air-cooled cars. They too are expensive to run but I believe good ones are more predictable in their costs, and lower. And from the driver's point of view the air-cooled cars, while frisky, give an enthusiastic driver the authentic Porsche experience in relatively pure form, without the sort of gross over-engineering that Porsche somehow gets away with these days. You can't help admiring it but it isn't lovable somehow.
Of course I speak as an outsider having never owned a Porsche.
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Nissan 350Z? FWIW Tiff Needell really likes it:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKn1pQqFlL8
Speaking as someone whose closest-to-a-Porsche was a Renault 19 16v :-)
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If you have the chance to own a 911 and the guts to buy one, go for it, you only live once - I expect the Porsche has already done its major depreciating whereas the VW will drop like a stone in comparison.
Im sure using specialist for servicing would keep costs in check and the road tax difference would be pittance in comparison to the money being spent. Unless you do big miles even economy wont make a massive difference in running costs.
Sit down, work it all out and it may not be as horrendous as it seems.
I know two people with 911s of this age and they adore them.
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The only thing worth considering is whether to get the C2S, C4S or a turbo.
If you've never owned a really fast car before then forget the turbo, I suspect it will be too big a leap.
This leaves the choice between the two and four wheel drive variants. If you're comfortable driving a car that oversteers, by the C2S, if not, go for the C4S.
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I looked at buying a 996 a few years ago. I came to the conclusion that I didn't like it as much as the 993 which isn't practical due to total lack of boot space and it isn't as good to drive as a Boxster. To be fair the 996 is a far better car in every possible way than the 993 and is also cheaper to run. Didn't hit the nail for me so I ended up buying an M3 instead.
There are horror stories of problems with the intermediate shafts and main engine seals on 986 and early 996 engines causing engine failure if not repaired quickly. Allegedly this is more common on city bound examples than well driven ones. I would only buy one with a complete Porsche history from an owner who can clearly afford the running costs. Don't be afraid of owners admitting to taking their cars to track days, providing the dampers, brakes and tyres have been replaced. Porsches are designed to be driven fast.
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why not just buy a hyundai i1o and blow the rest on wine women and song
What a horrible waste of money, the hyundai bit that is :)
Edited by gmac on 26/06/2009 at 12:40
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The waste on the Hyundi, I assume not on the women and song.
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A very fortunate dilemma to have, I must say!
For that kind of money you could have a nearly new 987 boxster, If you could stretch to the S model with 300bhp you'll get 911 thrills without the bills (sort of).
I must say though, the way things are going it makes less and less sense to own a road car as a hobby. Too much traffic, stress, aggrivation and persecution from HM Gov. to make it worth while. If you do run a performance/sports car everyday and you total up your annual mileage, you'll be shocked at how few of those were in conditions ripe for enjoying driving, and when you divide the money you've spent on your hobby amongst the prescious few pleasurable miles, well, it doesn't really add up. My ambition - when I'm earning enough - is to get involved in some kind of club level motorsport for weekend kicks and to just run a basic workhorse on the road. At least then all the money I spend on my hobby will be directly translated into fun.
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>The garage also gives a 12 months warranty & 12 month AA Assistance - what is this.
AA Assistance is basically breakdown cover.
>I appreciate the costs of running such a beast will be big,..
Don't be scared. The cost of running a 911 is not necessarily huge. Buy a copy of 911 & Porsche World magazine and check out the cost of servicing/parts for the model you fancy. A well sorted 911 will need little more than tyres, brakes and regular servicing.
>but can you advise me what should I also be looking out for when I go to inspect them..
A good, documented history is much more important than age or mileage but here's the crunch:
Unless you are very familiar with the exact model you are looking at you really need to get it checked by a specialist. A 993 is a very different beast to a 996 or 997 and a C4 has more things to check than a C2.
Get a good one and they very rarely go wrong. Get a bad one and it could work out more expensive than you expected.
Specialists advertise in 911 & PW.
My own personal preference would be a late model 993.
>This is not even a fair comparison of cars.
I haven't driven the new Scirocco but I suspect that is very, very true ;-)
Kevin...
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Caterham R300/500 and a more sensible car?
911 could be cheaper to run then you think, my LS does 24mpg it's a 4 Litre and weighs 1600kg, surely the porsche is lighter and higher geared? For comparison my old mondeo 2.0 mk1 did 28-30mpg, i know which i'd rather drive. Insurance for 27 year old on group 19 jap 4 litre tank is £300, a Seat diesel is £300.....MAke sure you have a Cat 1 at the very least a garage and probably a tracker.
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How long are you planning on keeping the car ?
If you like to change your cars every 12 to 18 months then a well chosen 911 will lose you less than a brand new Scirocco.
My preference would be for a 911.
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I considerd the Scirroco, but eventually I spent my 25k on a two-year old BMW 335d SE Coupe with 20k on the clock (would have cost £42k new).
If you're spending that kind of money, avoid new as you'll loose the best part of £3k as soon as you drive it out of the showroom.
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looks like stuey left all his money on the passenger seat of a convertable he tried and lost it all as he hasnt been back
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I'd suggest for 25k a 1-2 year old Boxster S, 3.2 or 3.4 with a Tesco Finest warranty (c.£430 a year), then service it at a respected Indi, job done
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I've owned 38 cars of all shapes & sizes + I used to road-test 5 cars a day 6 days a week when I was 'in the game' but ... if there's one critter that stands out from all of em - its the 911 - pure - unadulterated - adrenalin :)
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