Discussion
Hey everyone
having previously enjoyed Porsche ownership with a 987 Boxster S am thinking of taking the plunge again with the 911. Am thinking of C2, Man, Coupe and of course, a hoot to drive. Can anyone advise as to the merits of the 993 vs 996? In addition, how much of a war chest for repairs, servicing etc. The car would be used as daily driver if possible, approx 10000k per annum. Find myself drawn towards the air cooled car, but nice examples must be icreasingly hard to find...
Thanks for your help!
having previously enjoyed Porsche ownership with a 987 Boxster S am thinking of taking the plunge again with the 911. Am thinking of C2, Man, Coupe and of course, a hoot to drive. Can anyone advise as to the merits of the 993 vs 996? In addition, how much of a war chest for repairs, servicing etc. The car would be used as daily driver if possible, approx 10000k per annum. Find myself drawn towards the air cooled car, but nice examples must be icreasingly hard to find...
Thanks for your help!
This has been discussed SO MANY TIMES on this forum!! But, in the interest of helping out a fellow Porsche lover, I will summarise the over-riding conclusion. 
993 - rubbish.
996 - fantastic - lighter, faster, more nimble, more comfortable, a/c that works, pedal layout that doesn't give you cramp, logical switchgear layout, etc, etc.
Now don't delay - go and buy one!!
993 - rubbish.
996 - fantastic - lighter, faster, more nimble, more comfortable, a/c that works, pedal layout that doesn't give you cramp, logical switchgear layout, etc, etc.
Now don't delay - go and buy one!!
porkey said:
Isn't the main difference that the 993 looks really nice and the 996 doesn't?
Thats one of the Big reasons. 993`s also sound like amazing with the right exhaust as opposed to the 996 which sounds well..hmm...
993 have more character.
Having said all that i`d probably rather have a 996 (WB) as a daily drive and save the air cooled for a weekend toy.
Edited by turbo964 on Tuesday 14th September 12:45
Golden fleece said:
This has been discussed SO MANY TIMES on this forum!! But, in the interest of helping out a fellow Porsche lover, I will summarise the over-riding conclusion.
993 - rubbish.
996 - fantastic - lighter, faster, more nimble, more comfortable, a/c that works, pedal layout that doesn't give you cramp, logical switchgear layout, etc, etc.
Now don't delay - go and buy one!!
Did you own your 993 for long then Gold Fleece ?993 - rubbish.
996 - fantastic - lighter, faster, more nimble, more comfortable, a/c that works, pedal layout that doesn't give you cramp, logical switchgear layout, etc, etc.
Now don't delay - go and buy one!!
I never had cramp in mine in over 2 years driving, and stopped noticing the offset pedals after about the first 5 minutes, and my a/c always worked.
Still, in the 996s favour, they are cheap now...
I was in a similar position to you - I wanted a 993, but ended up with a 996.
I preferred the looks and reliability of the 993 and the fact that it was the culmination of many decades spent developing the original idea; but I couldn't justify spending the £25k that was needed to secure a good one at the time I was looking.
The 996 is a 911 in name only as far as I'm concerned - beyond the basic layout, there's little (if any) carryover from previous generations. It was never a pretty car and things only got worse when it was facelifted in 2001. Nor does it have the 993's reputation for reliability & quality.
So why did I buy one? They are invariably compared with the earlier cars and found wanting, but when viewed in isolation or compared to the competition, they're damn good cars. Small enough and nimble enough to be entertaining on a cross country drive but also comfortable enough for a motorway slog. They're reasonably compact but are practical enough to transport a young family or carry the weekly shopping. They're quick enough to hold your attention but economical enough to use as daily drivers.
In all honesty, I'd prefer a 993 but the 996 offers such great value at current prices that I simply couldn't justify the older car (although it could be argued that glacial 993 depreciation rates mean you'll get a greater percentage of your money back when you sell).
As for buying advice, you'll read countless horror stories about engine failures but bear in mind that it tends to only be the people who have suffered these that post about it on the internet - thus skewing the anecdotal evidence. Thousands of owners never experience any major problems. Failures do happen but they're difficult to predict and can occur at various mileages/ages and affect both the 3.4 and 3.6 cars. Personally, I'd either get one of the specialist warranties or keep a few thousand aside to cover emergencies.
I found >>this<< a handy summary of 996 checkpoints. Not exhaustive, but it collates most of the common problems into a single, brief document which you can use as the basis for further research.
I preferred the looks and reliability of the 993 and the fact that it was the culmination of many decades spent developing the original idea; but I couldn't justify spending the £25k that was needed to secure a good one at the time I was looking.
The 996 is a 911 in name only as far as I'm concerned - beyond the basic layout, there's little (if any) carryover from previous generations. It was never a pretty car and things only got worse when it was facelifted in 2001. Nor does it have the 993's reputation for reliability & quality.
So why did I buy one? They are invariably compared with the earlier cars and found wanting, but when viewed in isolation or compared to the competition, they're damn good cars. Small enough and nimble enough to be entertaining on a cross country drive but also comfortable enough for a motorway slog. They're reasonably compact but are practical enough to transport a young family or carry the weekly shopping. They're quick enough to hold your attention but economical enough to use as daily drivers.
In all honesty, I'd prefer a 993 but the 996 offers such great value at current prices that I simply couldn't justify the older car (although it could be argued that glacial 993 depreciation rates mean you'll get a greater percentage of your money back when you sell).
As for buying advice, you'll read countless horror stories about engine failures but bear in mind that it tends to only be the people who have suffered these that post about it on the internet - thus skewing the anecdotal evidence. Thousands of owners never experience any major problems. Failures do happen but they're difficult to predict and can occur at various mileages/ages and affect both the 3.4 and 3.6 cars. Personally, I'd either get one of the specialist warranties or keep a few thousand aside to cover emergencies.
I found >>this<< a handy summary of 996 checkpoints. Not exhaustive, but it collates most of the common problems into a single, brief document which you can use as the basis for further research.
I was in the same scenario. I really wanted a 993, but every time I had managed to save up enough, they went up.
I thought long and hard, and decided to opt for a 996.
It is reliable, comfortable, economical, fast etc etc. I'm sure that the 993 would also be the same, but I couldn't justify over 20k on a much older car.
I still have a soft spot, and am often scouring the classifieds for a nice C2S that might tempt me out of the 996, but I worry that it will in fact be a worse car.
I thought long and hard, and decided to opt for a 996.
It is reliable, comfortable, economical, fast etc etc. I'm sure that the 993 would also be the same, but I couldn't justify over 20k on a much older car.
I still have a soft spot, and am often scouring the classifieds for a nice C2S that might tempt me out of the 996, but I worry that it will in fact be a worse car.
aby76 said:
Hey everyone
having previously enjoyed Porsche ownership with a 987 Boxster S am thinking of taking the plunge again with the 911. Am thinking of C2, Man, Coupe and of course, a hoot to drive. Can anyone advise as to the merits of the 993 vs 996? In addition, how much of a war chest for repairs, servicing etc. The car would be used as daily driver if possible, approx 10000k per annum. Find myself drawn towards the air cooled car, but nice examples must be icreasingly hard to find...
Thanks for your help!
they are quite different, what appeals to one might irritate others. i would pop down to Paragon (near Mayfield, south of T.Wells) and explain yr position and they will let u drive both to see which you prefer. a 993 daily driver is perfectly feasible, but you struggle to justify such use in a low mileage mint car, whereas in the 996 daily use is to be encouraged, but conversely it won't feel as 'special' (subjective i appreciate) for occassional weekend use. having previously enjoyed Porsche ownership with a 987 Boxster S am thinking of taking the plunge again with the 911. Am thinking of C2, Man, Coupe and of course, a hoot to drive. Can anyone advise as to the merits of the 993 vs 996? In addition, how much of a war chest for repairs, servicing etc. The car would be used as daily driver if possible, approx 10000k per annum. Find myself drawn towards the air cooled car, but nice examples must be icreasingly hard to find...
Thanks for your help!
jackal said:
they are so so different
its hard to believe they are actually contiguous models and one way made th next year after the other
make sure you drive both
any decision should start from there rather than a forum post IMO
I totally agree with this advice! I regularly drive a friend's 993 Carrera 4 and to be honest, apart from it sounding glorious (with the 'RSR' mod) and feeling like it's been hewn from granite, it does seem (to me) that it's a couple of generations behind the 996 and belongs in a museum! its hard to believe they are actually contiguous models and one way made th next year after the other
make sure you drive both
any decision should start from there rather than a forum post IMO
For a weekend car though (and no regular commuting) - I'd probably want a 993.
In my own view the 996 is better looking than the 993 with a nicer interior, I have never personally felt any issues with build quality, it is a car of a scale compatible with modern driving, while imho the 993 looks like a museum piece on todays road because of its size alone. The 996 with a PSE is as awesome an exhaust note as I have experienced, though I have never driven Ferraris or Lamborghinis to speak of. The 996's I have driven felt as solid as a rock. So I just do not understand where the 996 criticism is coming from.
I can however only comment on the 993's appearance as I have never driven one. You really will have to try both, because the views being expressed here are personal to the point of eccentricity, and I suspect that there is actually no answer to your question.
I can however only comment on the 993's appearance as I have never driven one. You really will have to try both, because the views being expressed here are personal to the point of eccentricity, and I suspect that there is actually no answer to your question.
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