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Review: Porsche 911 996 (1997 – 2004)

Rating:

Porsche driving pleasure with precise, mechanical feel. Fierce performance yet docile enough for daily use. Solidly built.

Ugly. Understeer. Very expensive problems with oil/water contamination and Nickasil bore liners. Noisy drivetrain on four-wheel-drive versions. Iron discs rust.

Recently Added To This Review

27 November 2016

It should be obvious, but avoid cheap tyres. One reader recently bought two Haida tyres which cost £42 each and put them on the rear of his Porsche 996. He found the rear end of the car was very... Read more

20 March 2015 1997-2004 Porsche 911 996 shown to be 3rd least reliable European car more than 3 years old and out of manufacturer warranty

in data survey of Warranty Direct policy warranty claims. (Excludes KIAs, Hyundais, Toyotas and others with 7, 5 and 4 year warranties.) Most common faultds were electrical. Read more

28 December 2012

Porsche 911 996 2001-2006 rated 8th most likely car built 1997-2009 to suffer expensive problems according to Warranty Direct December 2012 Reliability Index , with an index of 442 (compared with a rating... Read more

Porsche 911 996 (1997 – 2004): At A Glance

What does a Porsche 911 996 (1997 – 2004) cost?

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What have we been asked about the Porsche 911 996 (1997 – 2004)?

Every day we're asked hundreds of questions from car buyers and owners through Ask Honest John. Our team of experts, including the nation's favourite motoring agony uncle - Honest John himself - answer queries and conudrums ranging from what car to buy to how to care for it as an owner. If you could do with a spot of friendly advice before buying you're next car, get in touch and we'll do what we can to help.

Ask HJ

I'm looking for a fun convertible for £14,000 - what do you advise?

I've got £10,000 - £14,000 to buy a car that's a bit of fun. It won't be driven over huge mileages - I've got a diesel Skoda Superb for that. But I've never had a vehicle that's been genuinely exciting. It has to have four seats and my son is keen for it to be a convertible. I was thinking maybe an Audi S4.
I'd be tempted to invest in a classic (or future classic) that's bottomed out in value. Something like a Porsche 996 911 or Mercedes-Benz R129 SL will be a lot of fun, while also being very different to your Skoda Superb. They'll take a bit more maintenance and you'll need to do your research before buying one, but buy well and you won't lose a penny in depreciation. Combine this with cheap classic insurance and you could be onto a winner.
Answered by Andrew Brady
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What Cars Are Similar To The Porsche 911 996 (1997 – 2004)?

Key attributes of the this model are: Performance car and Coupe.

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What do owners think?

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