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Porsche

#2
Depends on how many miles and the servicing costs. Boxters are great cars, but many would say that the only real Porsche is the 911. Personally I don't agree, but there is some prejudice among Porsche owners. As a first car though? Hmm, may be a little too much power for a new driver. Particularly if its a manual shift. I note the add doesn't say whether its auto, tiptronic or manual. I would only get a manual Porsche (generally), but especially from the early 2000s.
 
#3
If the car comes with a complete service history from Porsche, has never been accidented, it might be good.

The thing about buying quality German cars is there is no cheap way to do. Pay now or pay later. They are not cheap to fix.

There is nothing in this ad, other than photos and a list of features. There will be a reason why it's priced so cheaply.

Also....get an insurance quote.
 
#4
I know, the 911 bit gets on my nerves. Honestly, if I could afford a 911, I would buy one. I actually had the opportunity of riding in a teacher's 911 Cabriolet and it rocked.

As for my first car?? I have alot of experience driving different cars. Nothing with that much power, however.

And as for manual vs automatic, ehhhh, I could learn.
 
#5
There is no car I love more than my father's 86 911 Carrera

Not his, but close:
b911-27.jpg
 
#6
Noseferatu said:
I know, the 911 bit gets on my nerves. Honestly, if I could afford a 911, I would buy one. I actually had the opportunity of riding in a teacher's 911 Cabriolet and it rocked.

As for my first car?? I have alot of experience driving different cars. Nothing with that much power, however.

And as for manual vs automatic, ehhhh, I could learn.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't you need a drivers license that covers a manual car, if you've only used automatics before?
 
#8
Find out how many miles are on it and if it has been wrecked, flooded, has a salvage title, etc. Then do some research into what kind of maintenance it's likely to need. There is a magazine called "Excellence" that is all about Porsches, it's a good resource. For example, a couple of years ago I was looking into buying a mid-90s 911 (a "993"), but I found out that after about 50K-60K miles they start having problems with the cylinder heads (valve guides and air injectors) that cost $5K-$10K to fix. Kind of changes the value equation.

I wouldn't worry about it being too powerful, Boxters are great little cars with snappy handling, but overwhelmingly powerful they're not.
 
#10
I'll chime in on the expense of repairs for them. The delaewrship group where I worked had a Porsche store, and the parts and labor were....well, staggering. Granted it was a delaership, but unless you can find inexpensive parts, and have a good tech in your famly, they can be pricey.

For a first car? Go with something that has a good record for reliability, has abundant cheap parts, and is easy to work on. This is by definition, not a Porsche.

Just so I don't sound like your Grampa, I do love high performance cars, and will own one someday.
 
#11
i_got_a_mohawk said:
Wouldn't you need a drivers license that covers a manual car, if you've only used automatics before?
Click to expand...

Not in the US. Although it's not a bad idea. I've seen plenty of people who shouldn't be driving a manual.

BIG +1 to getting an insurance quote. I don't know how old you are, but the whole 1st car thing suggests teenage. The insurance on a Porsche at that age is going to cost more than the car.

D
 
#12
You want fun on a budget? find yourself a Saturn Ion Redline. Parts are pretty cheap, the GM 2.0 is a pretty tough engine, and it's supercharged. right around 200 hp, if I recollect. And it's got the plastic panels that don't rust, but are expensive to replace.

I have a friend who's gotten his up to about 325 hp with a Stage 2 or 3 package.
 
#14
DRafalske said:
Not in the US. Although it's not a bad idea. I've seen plenty of people who shouldn't be driving a manual.

BIG +1 to getting an insurance quote. I don't know how old you are, but the whole 1st car thing suggests teenage. The insurance on a Porsche at that age is going to cost more than the car.

D
Click to expand...

Good point on the insurance. I'm 50 with a clean record so no big deal. In your teens or twenties?? Look out. :eek:
 

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