ejdoherty911

Here's one you should be able to pick up for 52.5 K no problem . ONLY 22K miles !

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/772842098.html

ryangambrill

That is exactly the range that I am looking for. What color etc?

ryangambrill

What data do you have on the 996? How many thousands less?

MLindgren

This is true if you've never driven/been in a 997. If you don't know what you're missing you likely won't miss it.

Maybe consider asking those who have moved up from a 996 to 997 what the differences are.

Personally I'd get a 993 long before considering a 996.

My .02

Alan Smithee

You should be able to get any non-S 997 with similar mileage in near-excellent condition for $50-55k.

MUSSBERGER

That looks like a pretty good buy. Fro the pictures I can't tell whether it has full leather or not but it has Nav, Sports Chrono, Bose, Power seats, etc.

dog_tired

Ryangambrill,
There are a couple of ways to establish your baseline for the price, and they all take a little time and research. All the tools are available on the net. Check out autotrader.com, ebay auctions, edmunds.com and kbb.com. You'll find that in some parts of the country, the cars are selling for higher than in other - probably based upon demand. Dealers charge more than private parties (no kidding, right?), but through a Porsche dealer you have the advantage of CPO. Non-Porsche dealers typically get the car at auction, detail it and throw it on the net. Be careful when buying used from a non-Porsche dealer as you may not get all keys, books, records, etc. Some may require a non-refundable deposit (which you'll not give and look elsewhere).

Take some time and look at what's out there, and what you can afford. Personally, I was looking at a used 996. But, after driving a friends C4S one weekend, I bailed on the 996 due to the uncomfortable suspension on city streets, and ended up with a new 997 C2S cab.

Best of luck.

Carl Muckenhirn

It has a market review for "Recent 911s" Includes 2000-2006 996s and 997s, also has Boxsters if you care.

c.

Carl Muckenhirn

As one in the market for "the perfect 997" I can tell you it is really soft. I've seen some good, clean cars dropping $1K in advertised price per week. If you want the car make them an offer.

For the one you are looking at, does it have any warranty left? The first 2005's were being delivered in September 2004 (I think), so you should have at least a month of factory warranty left. I'd take it quickly and directly to your nearest dealer for a through going over.

good luck.

c.

ryangambrill

I also feel that the market is soft. A friend of mine purchased a 2001 C2 with 17k miles 2 years ago for close to $50k. At the time I thought that he overpaid, but I did not feel comfortable saying anything.

Now, only two + years later I am thinking that I can get a nice 2005 C2 for in the $50's.

I know that this is a hard question. But is does anyone have any idea how much depreciation to expect per year. Do these car eventually just level off?

Carl Muckenhirn

until you get to 0 (think about that for a while...).

Some folks make the mistaken assumption that buying a Porsche is an investment. I agree, just not a financial investment.

After you've put 200,000 miles on it, go back and figure your price per mile and then price per smile!

My wife's Nissan Versa will always be cheaper than my Porsche (currently 964) but I only smile in it when I hear a good joke. Just starting the C4 makes me smile, heck I even smile when I'm cleaning the bug guts off the windshield.

c.

ryangambrill

I agree with you. This is an investment, losing that is. I know that the car is going to cost me money. I work hard for my money and I just want to maximize my value.

My initial thought is to go with a nice 3-4 year old 911. The major hit of depreciation has been taken. At this stage I do not see the extra value for me for buying brand new.

Carl Muckenhirn

I'm looking at nice 2006 and 2007 S's with less that 10K on the clock, some with less than 5K! I appreciate the folks that bought new and then put it in the garage so I can get it for 60 or 70% of new.

Though I am tempted to have a Porsche where all the miles are mine! And it's Irish Green, with natural brown leather interior with tartan inserts in the seats, and PCCB, and carrera sport wheels, and sport shifter, and ....

c.

MLindgren

Have you driven any of the 911s and if so, what are your thoughts comparing the different models. Buy what you like. If you just want to own a Porsche and get into it cheap buy a 914.

May advice when buying a toy car like this is you should maximize fun-not value. The nice thing about money is that you can always make more when needed!

BobZ

I am also considering a used 997 ('05 or '06) - is it safe to say that most Porsche dealers probably have about a 10% markup on them?