C2 vs C4 running costs.

Gents, my son is considering joining the Porsche family. C2 is a consideration however he fancys the wide bodied look of the C4S. As the car will be used for a daily commute (52 mile round trip) we are concerned about MPG and would like some "real time" information. The journey is both motorway and city driving. Also what would be the approximate overall servicing (assume a good indy) costs? We are aware that there is a lot of rubbish talked about the 996 engine problems and would assume that those that have manifested problems would have beed sorted by now. Much like 964 oil leaks the care mags love to labour the issues. Any advice would be welcome. Thanks.

The enginestories on the 996 are fairly true and the situation is far worse than the 964's engine oil leeks which isnt fatal . You maybe right with regards to the early engine issues with the cylinder liners in the 3.4's being largely gone. Dont forget the RMS issue is ongoing and by the way the engine problems and RMS have progressed into the 997 and 987's so havent gone away you would be safer with 996 Turbo which hasnt any of the above issues and can be had for similar money to C4S in early 20's, my fuel consumption motorway and some a and b roads is 28mpg Indication of servicing costs at one of the lower priced independants http://www.northway.co.uk/16821/npl_service.htm

Depends on how 'spirited' it is driven but being conservative with the right foot & early gear changes I've had 34mpg from mine but a good average is 28 - 30 hth Paul

Hi Ian, I've had a C2 C4S and now a Turbo S so feel pretty qualified to talk. All 3 have been trouble free save for the usual radiator replacements which on 996s is routine, MPG is circa 28-31 for the C2 and C4s if driven carefully but alot less if spirited. The Turbo is slightly less 24-26 mixed driving. Lots of talk on the forums regarding IMS failure and RMS weep but I didn't suffer either on mine and of course the Turbo is different block altogether. The C4S is arguably the best looking car but the C2 was purer in terms of handling with a lighter front end. Servicing is ok Dawn's BMW used to cost more and I use PC Newcastle with the very competitive labour and parts discounts. Straight forward service will be in the region of £400 but the rads etc will be nearer £1000 if all 4 need doing. The C4S with the big air intakes on the front will be prone to corrosion due to leaf and other debris, the DIY grill mod sorts that however. I'll see you at February club night and give you more info then. Ash

Thanks Ashley, I've had a good response and it's all food for thought. It's just a question of obtaining the right car. Hope to see you on club night.

Thanks guys. It's all up in the air as to whether this goes ahead. As I've said to Ashley it's all about the right car coming along. The Turbo would be good but the running costs will be prohibitive.

Just a thought Ian, the insurance on my Turbo is considerably cheaper than either the C2 or C4S was

Ian !!!??? Service every 24k is £140+v more what are all the other prohibitive costs, most of the parts and repair costs are the same as the standard 996! and the £10k risk on the engine and the £800 for RMS are huge benefits.

My C4 gives me about 25 mpg at normal driving speeds, but my commute involves no dual carriageways or motorways, so I never really get a good economical cruise. Servicing costs are not an issue, and certainly no more than anything else vaguely comparable. The expenses only come if something breaks. My car cost virtually nothing over the last 18 months - maybe a few hundred quid on servicing. But, a full set of tyres was a grand (including realignment and Vat). And now I need some front suspension work to stops the creaks and groans, and this is going to be in the region of two or maybe even three grand. Car has done 70,000 miles with full OPC history. I for one am not bothered about the IMS issues, as I believe it effects way less than 10% of the production run. Let's hope that statement doesn't come back to bite me in the bum! But if I was doing it all again, I'd buy a Turbo.

C2 v C4S - C2 is more in tune with the Porsche ideal being lighter, faster, better handling, less complicated, better tyre wear, lower running costs, easier to park - biased moi !!! [8D] - best to have PSM and fit the wire mesh kit to the air intakes. I have had mine 6 years and have covered 19K miles, still on the same tyres!! and averages 27 mpg, which includes 2 track days per annum, only repairs to date have been the annual service and an air/con re-charge, lost some pressure due to being a garage queen!

I have recently started using my 2003 C2 for the daily commute of 80 miles round trip. Route is A roads only with an average speed of 43 mph. No traffic problems here in Shropshire/Staffordshire so journey of 40 miles takes a little under an hour at an average mpg of 27.5 to 28.5 depending on my mood. Can't do the journey any quicker than my oil burning Peugeot because travelling any faster would be dangerous on the types of roads I travel. Currently, 4 days a week totaling 320 or so miles costs me £72 in petrol (exasperating). The roads are dreadful but the car isn't too bad, just a little bumpy. You need to keep on top of the car because irregularities in the road surface cause it to wander a little. The worst aspect is the fact that the car is so low to the ground and the headlamps are very poor. You are at the mercy of all those clowns who think that its cool to drive with fog lights on in all weathers. This is exacerbated in rain or, worse, drizzle when the glare is downright dangerous. I scraped a rear wheel on raised ironworks thanks to these conditions. That's going to cost me. I love the car and think its brilliant in most circumstances but I can't really say its an ideal commuter car. However, its hard to put a value on the smile you are wearing when you get out of it and as you look back while walking away to see it gleaming in the sodium lighting (secure car parking, of course). The knowledge that its going to be there waiting to take you home again at night sets you up for the day. Oh yes, and not many gonzos who would run you off the road if you were in anything else will bother you in the 911! Regards

Thanks Stuart, and all you guys that have taken the time to respond. The content is brilliant and food for thought. I'll report to my son and he will need to make the final decision. The MPG is not "off the wall" and compares very well with his 99,000 mile Turbo Audi A4 Quattro. We have a few good Indy's here in the North East and the OPC in Newcastle offers good discounts for members, so servicing should not be an issue.