Going to school, gotta sell my '99 996, what car should I buy?

Hi guys, After several years of posting and lurking on the 996 sub forum, it's probably time for change. Reason : I'm going back to school this sept (MBA, mostly fully employed) and was looking at options that cut down my running expenses (as well as start saving some $$$!). I'd rather have either a student loan or a car loan, not both. I think having a 996 at school is a luxury - esp. if I would need a student loan. So please don't brainwash me into keeping the 996 !!! A GT3 after graduation before I hit 30 is definitely on the cards ... Question#1 : So ... what car under $20k would you guys recommend for the 2-3 years that I'll be porsche-less? We'll still keep our 2nd car, my wife's BMW325 convertible for some "dignified" occasions like visiting friends etc. My requirements : under $20k (I understand it's gotta be mostly used...) fuel efficient (I could end up driving ~240miles round trip, once a week between LA and San Diego) reliable or cheaper maintenance (would hate to have random $3-5k repairs during school time) Nice to have : sporty (if possible) under $15k I've been greedy enough to consider a used boxster (non-S). The ones near MY2000 are quite tempting. Good move? Or just stick with a '05 Civic? Question#2 How much should I expect for my 1999 996? Details about the car (photo attached) miles: 71,000 black on black almost 100% stock non-aero kit, but I have a custom made bumper which looks like the C4S/Turbo bumper. Although the photo below shows the lower lip (i.e. bottom 2" strip of the front bumper), I've since removed it for clearance. custom exhausts (sounds nice and throaty) well kept (duh! I guess anyone **** enough to lurk on renntech/rennlist would love their car!!) still have about 2 years,20k miles of 3rd party warranty. Its not a bumper to bumper one, but its their "top of the line" listed parts warranty. (note: I've yet to verify if that contract is transferable) I'd prefer selling it to someone who would tend to it - though it shouldn't really matter ... right? What's the best way to sell to an enthusiastic car lover? cars.com? craigslist? Lots of data, lots of questions .... but there is a lot on my mind too. So I'd really appreciate some helpful feedback/advice ...

My friend had an 06 Civic, and that thing wasn't too bad - considering it was a civic.. You have a lot of options for under 20k. I wouldn't worry too much about fuel economy, unless the car you get is like 10mpg or something. Only 240 miles once a week, isn't going to really cost all that much in gas. A 30MPG car will take 8 gallons, and a 20MPG car will be just a couple gallons more - 7 bucks or so a week. I'd rather have a cooler, funner car, and pay an extra 7 bucks a week in gas than a boring one. How about something like a WRX or some zippy econo car like that?

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You got a good point ... (240miles/20mpg) - (240miles/30mpg) = 4 gallons ... even at $4/gal its just $16 a week. $16 is certainly worth my pleasure!

Used S2000.

Golf with a chip. They put the 1.8 Turbo motors in there now. That should be zippy.

^ yeah, a Golf would be pretty cool. Those are well-built, fun little cars - plus you can stick with German built.

Where did you get the front bumper, it looks great.

Why NOT the Boxster? Here would be my suggestions. Most of these won't be cargo haulers: 1) '06+ Mazda MX-5 2) Any year Honda S2000 3) '06+ Honda Civic Si 4) Boxster of any kind 5) Audi TT 6) BMW 3-series 7) Mazdaspeed 3 (budget?)

Buy a Porsche 951---- best bang for the buck and prices are not going down.... I will sell you mine --- 1987 951- 90,000 --- very very nice $10,000. today only. Need garage space. Chuck --- Myrtle Beach, SC

Get a C5 Corvette; 345 hp stock Over 30 MPG on the highway LS-1 is the greatest engine GM has made Very reliable Very powerful Handles really well Decent looks Cheap parts and easy to mod..........

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+1 would clearly be my choice but I'm addicted to German cars. A new Rabbit with the 2.5 170hp engine starts at $16k and a 2.0 turbo GTI with 200hp starts new at $22k so I'd expect that you find a 6 month old GTI for <$20k. Both are good cars with 3k lbp weight and a great gas mileage (for US terms) of 22/30mpg. However, Saturn brings the Opel/Vauxhall Astra to the US. In Europe there's an old competition between the VW GTI and Opel GSI and both are great sporty hatchbacks.

arn't 99-01 996's under 20k now?

autotrader has many in the mid 20s. You should be able to pick one up in the low twenties if you are patient. I think repair bill is his main concern.

Insurance costs could be an issue, too. If he's trying to save money, I think a C5 or another Porsche would be a little much in that regard. I would stick to a Golf, Civic, or one of those Mazdas. I would steer clear of the vette, because I wouldn't want to get used to all that torque - plus insurance would be much higher than the other cars.

used sti

Your Porsche probably worth around 25k. Why would you want to get rid a $25k car for a $20k car?

Get an S2000 for under $15,000

All good suggestions so far but I say keep it, Its closer to bottom of the depreciation curve when compared to a newer econo box, and may actually be more economical than replacing it with a car that you plan on replacing in a couple of years. It might be worthwhile to (you probably already have?) crunch the numbers, comparing "keep or sell" scenarios, to see what your total cost of car ownership would be for next couple of years. By the way nice front bumper, not over the top like some of the aftermaket front ends.

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totally. if you're gonna save $, save $. i love my '99 jeep cherokee. totally reliable. cheap parts. peace of mind. will go anywhere. mpg is about 17-18 mixed, regular unleaded. u can probably pick up a '99 for $5K and keep it forever.

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LOL! Actually $5k is a killer deal for a car !! You know, you guys are probably right. If I'm moving to a Boxster I'm not going to save much in the difference. I've just entered the whole "sell the porsche & become a student" mindset so in a couple of days I'll be mentally more open to being Porsche-less ... and also make a more rational decision! BTW, the discussion so far has been great. Its quite helpful to understand the character of different (cheap) cars; especially from enthusiasts.

I agree with Ben and Riad. Keep the 996. Why get rid of a well sorted car to get an unknown car? A new civic and your 996 will lose another ~7k in depreciation over the next 3 years. I would rather drive the Porsche!

how bout a used mini cooper S?

If you are getting an MBA, you should start thinking in terms of Discounted Cash Flows. How much more then $20k is your Porsche worth? If not much more, since you have 2 years of warranty remaining to protect you against expensive maintenance needs, then why trade for a 'lesser' car? However if your car is worth much more then $20k then your point stands, sell it and buy a cheaper car. If you are going to trade towards practical while getting an MBA, get a Honda or Toyota. They are the most reliable, even if not exciting, cheapest to run & maintain cars. A Honda Accord or Camry will run perfectly, you won't have to constantly worry about it, and it will be totally utilitarian. Actually we sometimes take friends to dinner in our Accord instead of our 2006 BMW 325 as it has more rear leg room and frankly is just as comfortable for our guests (albeit less prestige but they don't care). To get an MBA can be from a $30k to $100k+ proposition if you include lost work time, tuition, etc, so what is another $5-10k in keeping a used Porsche that you really like? Another concern is availability & safety of parking at the University you are looking into... Sorry, probably not helping clarify your initial position...

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In a way, that's true. I just thinking loudly here, but at 71k miles, I get a feeling that the 996 ought to be sold. What do you think? A cheaper ($15k), newer (2002-2004) car with fewer miles (30-40k) would have fewer "surprise" repairs/replacements in the middle of my demanding academic quarters ... that 'no-tension' aspect is quite appealing.

Dude put all your money to the side and just buy a Ford Aspire(or possibly a mid 90's Civic). 40+mpg on the freeway,enough said. Think about it;insurance rates would drop dramatically,they are only $500-$3k,you can buy anything for it at Kragen. Just save all your money and get a 996 gt3 when you return.

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Almost ... I tried to trade in my 99 C4, the offers I recieved were $22K - $23K. ouch.

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my point, he is trading in a 20-25k car for a newer pos car for the same money and then going to go do a mba. my high school ed taught me better. then he says he don't want to be talked into keeping his car. makes me really wonder.

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I am not sure this is totally true as far as suprise big repairs...it seems that most of the big suprises come with cars of all mileage. There are many who believe that truly DD 996s are more reliable over time. Not that something can't go bad, but it might not be that less likely in a 30K mile example.

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Ah, my friend. I just found out how much the 996 have depreciated ... seriously. I read some comments here and then checked autotrader and cars.com. I was VERY surprised ... esp. since the 993's (eg a 1998) are doing just fine. I haven't studied why the 993 vs 996 market is the way it is - but that's another story. Probably a story of 'volume' production ... Hell .... $25k for a 99-01 Porsche Carrera??? ... sheesh ... are we the new camero?? What happened in the last few years...

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Still the 996 is not as bad as the Boxster.

Another route: Skip the MBA altogether, take the money you would have spent on tuition, books, and lost wages and instead upgrade to a 997 Turbo.

bus pass

Unless prices are radically different out West, you aren't going to see more than about $25,000 for your car. Unless you sink really low on what you buy, you aren't going to clear much cash to buy anthing decent. And nothing in that price range is as good as what you have. I also have a '99 996, although with a bit higher mileage. Now that I am off of warranty I keep toying with the idea of selling, but I can't think of anything I could buy for the money I would get for it that makes it worthwhile. I say bite the bullet and keep the 996. It is probably never going to be worth less than $15-$20K. Many of the suggested alternatives still have a ways to go on the depreciation. Figure this deal on a straight cash basis as to what the cash value will be in 2 years when you are done with school. Since you have a warranty and are not subject to major reppair costs, the 996 will probably be a better deal, especially if you want to trade up to a GT3. If you have to trade in, you would get a more money trading a Porsche for a Porsche.

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Best advice so far. Take the time and energy needed to get your MBA and apply it to working your *** off. I got your ROI right here.

Keep your current ride, you'll be happier and you won't be able to replace it with anything that is even close for the $.

Loved my 350Z.

If economy and reliability are the goals, something Japanese is the way to go. My suggestions: Honda Civic Si Mazda Miata Mazda 3 Toyota Celica GTS Toyota MR2 Spider All can be bought for $15k or less, and will probably return something close to 30 mpg driven somewhat conservatively.

first assignment in your MBA class: eval. repair and main. cost, depreciation, insurence, on 2 option: 1. 996 2. 20K new car like civic. remember use kbb price as a reference to project both cars price in 3 years. u will find that new car cost more $$ if u don't like this kind of calc. you won't like MBA class.

Jeep Grand Cherokee or S2000.

I had an older civic hatchback (as a beater) to my '00 M Roadster 8 years ago. Minimal insurance, manual, 40 miles per gallon. I loved that car. Plus, you'd be surprised what you can haul after you put the seats down.

Honda S2000 Plus: Fun, Reliable, 9k rpm redline, under 20K, decent gas mileage & low depreciation Minus: Toque-less, 2-seater only, eats tires & not for large people Or: Keep the 996 (if financially possible)

Simple. Sell the wifes BMW and buy her a any of the cars mentioned above or forgett college

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I don't find the 996 torquey either.

I'm gonna throw the RX8 out there... MPG not too good but the car is a hoot to drive and throw around. Seats 4 adults with a decent size trunk. Depreciation has hit them badly so 2005 can be had for 14-17K depending on spec. Rotary needs more care than a piston car but mine was 100% reliable and they will still be covered by a factory drivetrain warranty. Having said that 6months and I was tired of the lack of torque...

Just another thought.... 968 I just saw a '93 with 80 some thousand miles on Craigslist priced at $10k. I don't know the guy, but he's apparently a PCA member who just got a nice 996. At 10k, the depreciation in the next couple years is almost insignificant. The 968 is reasonably quick (compare to early Boxster, not your 996), and the tall 6th gear makes it a great and economical highway cruiser. Assuming maintenance is up to date, the maintenance costs shouldn't be bad at all. Joe

If you've still got two years/20k miles of warranty left, by all means, keep the 996. You'd almost be stupid to get something else, as the 996 will be pretty much done with depreciation in two years, while you'd lose thousands on any other car, save a Mini Cooper or S2000.

sounds like you're making interest/loan payments, because the idea of trading a car which you've paid tax on, already absorbed the bulk of the depreciation, a car which is a known quantity in terms of run costs, and has a half decent warranty,, for a slightly newer car which you will again pay taxes on and bear (probably more) depreciation on and face unknowns in terms of run costs, is well, crazy, at least on the surface. If you are financing the econobox, make sure you get quotes on insurance in advance, it might not be much savings there either. If the amount of the loan payments are the issue, and you'd like to keep the "burn" down, consider taking the anticipated downpayment and taxes you are considering paying on something new ("switching costs") and applying that money to directly paying down the principal balance on the existing Porsche loan, and then either requesting a loan modification to re-amortize the loan based on your new lower principal balance or refinancing the loan at lower rate. (I imagine that rates on auto loans have to be somewhat benefited by the prime rate falling right?). I still think edmunds TCO is a decent resource on helping get depreciation and maintenance estimates for most used cars you'd be looking at. Maybe you comeout ahead, maybe not. Even if you don't make a principal reduction, you can still look at a refinance/re-amortize to get the payment where you need it. Run the numbers, maybe it works, maybe it doesn't, just a hunch. Or of course you can buy a straight up beater for cash and put nothing but bondo and duct tape into it!

A E36 M3 would be a fantastic choice! Lightning fast, sporty yet comfy, good mileage, super practical, bulletproof reliable, nil maintenance costs, some have fold-down rear seats so you can actually carry lots of big stuff, nice looking, handle incredibly well, probably beat your current car in an autocross with the same driver. And ... what a coincidence - I might have one for sale in the next few weeks with only 50K miles on it... If I take the plunge for a 996 or 997 GT3... -wa2go Orange County, CA

You had me going good until I got to the coincidence part Good one .

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give this man a prize. this would be my recommendation if you want a blend of reliability/cheapness of operation and fuel efficiency.

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s2000 is great car. the only problem is finding one under 20K. for cheap open top fun, miata gets my vote.

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Autotrader.com searching for S2000 $20,000 or less pulls up 547 cars.

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Yea, but that's the same thing as saying looking up a 996 and there's plenty under $30K. I'd never recommend a 996 that costs less than $35K to a friend because it'll look like ****.

Switching from a known $25k 996 to an unknown $20k car still doesn't make a lot of financial sense to me. Either keep the 996 and enjoy it, or bite the bullet and get a car for well under $10k. If you want a fairly reliable but fun car for that kind of money, then for practicality get a Civic or Subaru (not a WRX I'm afraid) or for maximum fun get an early Miata.

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If by "looks like ****", you mean "won't have wings and spoilers and yellow parts all over it", you might be correct. Either way, you can have your choice of dozens of used S2000s for under $20k. If you can't find a decent 996 for under $35k or S2000 for under $20k, you're clearly not trying hard enough.

S2000 for $16K http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/s...d.php?t=120512 Nice E36 M3 for the same price http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/s...d.php?t=121674

If I wanted to free up $ I'd get an early 944. Fun as hell to drive, you can carry an entire drum kit in one, and you can pick a decent non-Turbo one up for $5,000. Make sure the motor mounts, water pump and timing belt have been changed and you should have a good runner for a year or two.( Maybe keep a grand in the bank for a clutch.)

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I wasn't going to bore folks with the financial details - but this discussion is heading towards it anyway, so here it goes. You are right, I'm making payments for this - primarily because the cash I had saved to buy the car outright is earning a lot more money in my brokerage account when compared to the great interest rate I got from the car loan. I could simply dip into that account, pay off the car, pay for college etc but that doesn't make sense to me - considering the (potential) lost profits. And given that I just got married 4 weeks back AND am going back to school for 3 years, I'm more inclined to shift to a conservative though process. I mean I've had more than my share of fun with the car - so I'm not feeling bad at all about stepping into a beater for 3 years. I have no major qualms about "being seen" in an "ordinary" car or any such thing - it's all ashes to ashes and dust to dust after all! In fact I'm thinking I'll sell the Porsche and put all that money for tuition. I'll sell my motorcycle and buy a beater with that. This way I can pay for entire MBA with cash and income instead of paying a lot of interest money for educational loans. Basically although I've got great credit, I'm not a US citizen - so for educational loans, I get crappy rates. I can see people having different opinions on whether a $25k car even matters when considering a $90k tuition fee... Going the beater way, the only thing I lose is the (almost) free ride I've gotten from the auto loan. Well, that and my actual ride too ! But to make up for it, post-MBA, I'd have no outstanding student loans and with my (anticipated) bonus I'd just get a GT3...

Thanks for filling in the details for us. If you don't mind me asking, what will you realize when you sell the car and pay off the loan? For me, that would be my car-buying stash... Running a beater for an MBA rings a bell. My old GTi 16v went through 100k on the way to the entrance interview to my eventual B-school, and saw me all the way till graduation despite a brutal commute from Yorkshire to London during my summer project!

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thanks for the context, this makes plenty of sense logically and financially, (the 911 for tuition and the bike for the beater, it was the 911 for mid range stuff I couldn't figure out). FWIW I just got thru convincing a good friend who went back to grad school/seminary in his 30s, who wanted to do the same thing I thought you did initially in getting an S2000/350z, or old beater etc to trim costs and avoid student loans that... He should lease a toyota camry , because his need for a simple car was for a finite term, and they have a basically 0 interest rate offer (was 0.25%) and insane blowout residual on the outgoing 2008 model right now, which I found by complete accident. practically a lexus in terms of ride, safety, etc, fine if you're keeping the bmw. I think 0 down $220/mo for 24 months (might have been 36 but 24 was very, very close, and mostly tax-deductible for him), ~5K for 2 years for a new, safe, vehicle, +warranty, 7500 miles or 10k service interval @ $150 cost. so you're throwing all the money at depreciation (no interest really), might be able to use pretax dollars depending on what you do in the summers. I figured cheaper than an entry-level sports car and even a real beater over 2-3 yrs if considering all probable outcomes for maintenance, repair and disposition. just get it in black or grey and never change the oil! Plus this way he could keep his VFR for kicks, also cheap to run. i know, sacrilege on a p-car forum but hey, my buddy was a corvette man, and we were just talking about hondas, mazdas & subarus anyway.

if 20K 996 is too expensive, lease a new car is *not* an option either. i have a toyota camry i got when i was in grad. school. expect oil change, one timing belt service($300), a light bulb, nothing else, it has 120K miles now and i wouldn't hesitate take it out on long trips.

I was in the same situation on 04. Sold my 2000 996 to go into MBA. Drove an Acura while in the program...was miserable....kept looking at 911's on websites on a daily basis....finally could not resist and got me a C4S 5 months after I finished my MBA. Moral of the story : You can get the 911 out of your garage but not out of your system. Keep your car!!

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Ben, point taken but I did scan a few of the ads there are clean low mileage cars that fall into the <$20 bracket.

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Eh, you're stretching everything to fit your statement. 996s are NOT $20k cars...maybe $25-30k, or 25-50% more than you claim. You can lease a new Camry for about $200/month with very little down...considering that there will be NO unexpected expenses on a new Camry with warranty, it seems like a perfectly viable ("great?") option for someone looking for bang for the buck.

If you're REALLY focused on gas cost, checkout smartusa.com.

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i am not claiming anything, i said "if........." anyway, OP wants to save $$ by switching cars. i want to point out that he won't save much by switching to a new car which costs $15~20K.

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less than $20k?

I wouldn't buy a Honda. I have a Honda Civic. The insurance costs on the 2005 Civic were the same as my 2002 C4 :O I'd go toyota... =)

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Yeah civic would cost me the same or more than a porsche for me to insure. They are a higher target for theft etc. Plus statistics say civics are a higher % of accidents than the porsche. All the insurance company cares about is money. I would say keep the car since after the sale and paying tax for the new car you would not save much money at all.

You guys know this thread is from March right.....

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are you comparing between a brand new civic and a 30 year old 911?

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Now I know :lol: Thanks.

in San Diego - get a bike