RS4 Avant v 996 C4S
Author
Discussion

donutsina911

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

214 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
At circa £20k price point...both quick, 4WD, 4 seats...any thoughts either way?

trickywoo

14,207 posts

260 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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I'd find a little extra for a 996 Turbo.

macky17

2,239 posts

219 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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trickywoo said:
I'd find a little extra for a 996 Turbo.
This. Massively faster than either (especially with some DMS magic...)

Anyone else think the 996TT will start to appreciate - especially with a manual shifter?

donutsina911

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

214 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
trickywoo said:
I'd find a little extra for a 996 Turbo.
Would love to, but the £5k extra would stretch me / eat into the slush fund...

RowntreesCabana

2,358 posts

284 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
Firstly, the 996 is not a 4 seater, it has 4 seats but the rears are pretty much useless for anything over a very short journey. They're totally different cars, why are you considering the Avant and a 996? If you're thinking practicality and speed, then the Audi is the only choice from the 2.

The 996 interior is pretty poor really, the quality of materials is far from impressive. The S looks nice and they go very well but I'd only consider one again if it's had the preventative engine work done (plenty of info about). I have a feeling that they're going to start increasing in value again over the next few years, especially the S. I didn't particularly like the drive, I didn't find it great fun and eventually sold it due to fears of engine catastrophe.

The Avant will be far more practical and if you're already considering it and the 996, that to me says you'll be better off with the Audi. I'd imagine that the Audi is even less enjoyable to drive though. If practicality isn't really an issue, then as others have suggested, I'd hold out for a Turbo, stronger internals and extremely capable. I'm sure I've seen them about at the £20k mark?

Magic919

14,519 posts

231 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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RowntreesCabana said:
The 996 interior is pretty poor really, the quality of materials is far from impressive. The S looks nice and they go very well but I'd only consider one again if it's had the preventative engine work done (plenty of info about). I have a feeling that they're going to start increasing in value again over the next few years, especially the S. I didn't particularly like the drive, I didn't find it great fun and eventually sold it due to fears of engine catastrophe.
What 996 'S' are you talking about here?

RowntreesCabana

2,358 posts

284 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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Magic919 said:
What 996 'S' are you talking about here?
C4S?

monthefish

20,467 posts

261 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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macky17 said:
Anyone else think the 996TT will start to appreciate - especially with a manual shifter?
Prices have hardly moved on the last 3 years so there's a fair chance of appreciation in the longer term.

NumberoftheBeast

442 posts

211 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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I had an RS6 Avant and now have a 996 Turbo. Not the same, but similar, of course.

I have had my 911 the longest of any of my cars (5 years) and haven't looked back.

Magic919

14,519 posts

231 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
RowntreesCabana said:
Magic919 said:
What 996 'S' are you talking about here?
C4S?
Thanks. With the usual refrain of 'buy the Turbo' it can be hard to know. Mostly the C4S gets called as such.

Can't say I see those going up, but they are a nice car. Sounds great with the sports exhaust too.

996TT02

3,342 posts

170 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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The Avant will continue depreciating into the shed money, the Porsche won't ever go that low.

Again another vote for the Turbo, can't be many people who don't know about the potential issues with the n/a engine, so in the long term I suspect that this will hurt values.

DaveyBoyWonder

3,915 posts

204 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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The RS4 will depreciate into shed money? Really?

The B5 RS4s have been hovering around £10k for even a relatively 'used' example for years and years now. B7s, especially the Avants don't seem to have dropped much below £20k for a long, long time...

donutsina911

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

214 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
[quote=RowntreesCabana]Firstly, the 996 is not a 4 seater, it has 4 seats but the rears are pretty much useless for anything over a very short journey. They're totally different cars, why are you considering the Avant and a 996? If you're thinking practicality and speed, then the Audi is the only choice from the 2.

The 996 interior is pretty poor really, the quality of materials is far from impressive. The S looks nice and they go very well but I'd only consider one again if it's had the preventative engine work done (plenty of info about). I have a feeling that they're going to start increasing in value again over the next few years, especially the S. I didn't particularly like the drive, I didn't find it great fun and eventually sold it due to fears of engine catastrophe.

The Avant will be far more practical and if you're already considering it and the 996, that to me says you'll be better off with the Audi. I'd imagine that the Audi is even less enjoyable to drive though. If practicality isn't really an issue, then as others have suggested, I'd hold out for a Turbo, stronger internals and extremely capable. I'm sure I've seen them about at the £20k mark?[/quote

For my needs, the 911 is a four seater. It needs to carry me, my other half and daughter once a month. I've had a C2 so I'm comfortable with the space it has. Anyway, I should have been more specific - anyone driven both for any length of time (ie outside the constraints of a test drive) and have any thoughts on grin factor? Owned a B7 RS4 previously but not driven a C4S in anger. And secondly, I've an eye on depreciation so a crystal ball on medium term (3 yr) values would be helpful...