Thinking of a 996... guidance needed please!

Hi all... just signed up as I'm toying with the idea of buying a 996. Currently have a Lotus Elise 111s (175bhp) as a toy, and a BMW 330d Sport as the commuter. With the arrival of my son 6 months ago, I think I've used the Elise about 3 times! You can see where this is going.... selling both and having a single car that is good for 12000 miles a year commute and also gives me some of the thrills the Elise does from time to time. Budget wise, I am looking at about £16-17k but not really anymore. I like the idea of the cabriolet for a bit more fun. Perhaps just 2 wheel drive over the 4 just like my current cars (plus I like good feedback through the steering wheel and understand some of that is lost with the 4wd). Questions are, could I expect over 30mpg on a gentle pootle to work and back? Can I expect to get a fairly good mileage car, say 50-55k for my money? And finally, what year could I hope for?? (Not sure on ideal spec yet apart from cruise control, climate control, black leather and grey or blue paintwork) Read alot about taking out warranties or keeping some spare cash tucked away incase, but whilst I am very good with the tools big unavoidable costs outside of servicing do scare me a little! Just started looking (been to local Indy aswell) - prices do seem to vary alot! Thanks in advance!

Probably not, but you'll get pretty close. I used to get 28mpg ish on my 60 mile a day commute (mostly M25 / M4). On a good motorway run I sometimes get 32mpg-ish. Obviouly having any fun will dramatically lower this. Probably not. I think you'll struggle to find a nice car with less than 70k for that budget. It depends on the mileage. You're not going to get a facelift car (2002 on) for that but you might get a 2000 / 2001. If you can afford it, I'd put in a bit more cash and get a facelift. Bank the £1200+ a year that a warranty would cost and you should be able to cover anything (non catastrophic) that comes up.

For that money facelift is out, so you will be looking at a 3.4 996.1, probably around the 2000 or possibly 2001. Prices have shot up recently, but when I brought mine I turned down a 2000 manual in blue with 53,000 miles for £17,000. I think for your money, if you hold out and keep looking around, you should be able to get a 2000 C2 with around 50 to 60,000 for the money you are talking about, but that would be a private sale, not dealer, unless you are lucky. I average 21mpg in my 2000 tip, but that is A and B road driving. I would imagine about 26 to 27 mpg on a motorway tops. If you are worried about fuel consumption then the facelift 3.6 engine is slightly more economical. Good luck with your search. :thumbs:

Thanks for your replies... very useful info! Low 20's mpg would be hard to swallow... been spoilt with the 330d returning 47.0mpg for the last 12months! (... scratches head thinking...)

I get 32-33 mpg on a motorway run in my 3.6. I had a 330d auto (2003 model) which rarely bettered 40mpg - I think BMW improved the efficiency and power output considerably between times though! Peter

If mpg is important then I would think again. My 996 isn't quite as bad as the Scooby 2.5 STi I had, but not far off. When compared to the likes of Ferrari and Astons the Porsche is a frugal beast, but compared to a diesel and you're not gonna see the same figures. Have you considered a 335d coupe? This was my second choice of car to the 911.

MPG is not the be and end all of it, just want to know what to expect. 335d's are a bit more than 16-17k aswell....

Your fuel costs will be about an extra £1k pa so you will be filling up every week instead of managing almost 2 weeks. It sounds worth it for £20 a week

Hi, I use mine every day 15K miles/year mostly motorway get average 23mpg TB

Id definitely recommend driving a few 996's before buying. If its a fun drive you are looking for then you may be bit suprised if you are comparing with your current cars. Coincidentally I have a 2003 3.6 C4 tip (facelift 320bhp) and a BMW E46 330d auto remapped to around 260bhp. Whilst I love the 996 if I'm honest the 330D is a better car and a more spritely drive in the real world. There is more torque, the in gear acceleration is quicker and I get 50mpg if I tiptoe up the motorway compared with around 30mpg in the 996. Plus the pre facelift model that you are looking at has 20bhp less than the facelift version like mine. Perhaps you should bin the lotus and remap the BMW? Best £300 I ever spent. Its awsome. On the plus side I also coincidentally have a 6 month old daughter who fits nicely in the back seats of the 996 with the right child seat. You cant do that in an elise! good luck

I average 22mpg in mixed driving including the odd italian tune up. On a long run, it is actually more economical than my Scooby or X5 35d. I get about 33-34mph on the motorways at a speed where the rear spoiler lifts I spend about £1500 a year doing little jobs keeping the car right. I've had my car 2 years and it now has 73k miles so I've done about 13k miles in that time. My 2 kids - 18 months and 3 and a half years old fit nicely at the back and I use it as a daily driver. Get a reputable person e.g Peter Morgan to do an inspection on any car you are about to buy (unless its from the OPC) to give you some idea about potential problems and expenditure.

I'm sceptical about these inspections. My gearbox went pop last week at a cost of 2k, 3 months after buying the car. I know for a fact that no inspection could have picked that up. Likewise with a major engine failure, I'm not sure an inspection could pick something like this up unless there were tell tail warning signs, and then anyone with a little knowledge should be able to notice this themselves. I've sold many a car, and a few people have had AA and RAC inspections (I know not quite the same thing), and they have ALL said they were a waste of money.

I average about 24mpg in my manual 996 which is about the same as my 535i daily driver. Very much depends how you use it .Having lots of fun will drop it considerably. But in the overall scheme of things fuel cost difference on a few mpg is very small. I agree you should drive a few if you are used to either the elise or the BM. I would put the 996 about half way between the two on the sheer fun stakes but nearly up with the BM on the civilized / usable stakes.

well as has been said so many times........... get the car that has just had £4k spent on it .... as in history. New rads, coils, all the bits that wear out basically. Lots out there its just sifting through them!! Don't buy a car that you will then spend £4k on over the next year fixing odd bits n bobs ... that cost lots! I miss mine terribly .. still looking for a replacement .. sigh

Just to respond to the comment about inspections. There are two possibilities. £100 spent on an inspection could either a) Find nothing - in which case you've got some peace of mind b) Find something - it it's major, you avoid the car, if it's minor, you use this to negotiate a lower price, therefore instantly saving more than your £100. It's a win/win situation. The only time I wouldn't be too concerned about an inspection would be if you were buying your car from a recognised specialist.