Help... Narrowed it down to three cars

After 6 months of searching, I've narrowed it down to three cars. Of course I will do ppi when I decide on one. they are all coupes. they are in no particular order: 1. 2002 911 - CPO car, 23k miles, $50k. very few options, no leather, no bose, but my favorite color. 2. 2002 911 - No warranty, 35k miles, fully loaded with all the options I want (full leather, bose, cd changer) but my second favorite color (a distant second to my favorite color above). Price $46k, I think I could nego down to $45k, and buy a aftermarket warranty for about 3k for a total of $48k. 3. 2002 911 C4S - No warranty, 48k miles, $52k, my favorite color. Would have to buy an afermarket warranty for about $4-5k making total cost $56-57k. Which would you choose and why? All seem like great cars, of course I want the best car for the least $$$ thanks Glenn

If it is within your budget C4S. C2's are cool but the C4S is SEXY!

will you drive it in winter? if so, you should get awd. otherwise, i'd go with first one since it's your fav color and lowest mileage car with warranty. you can upgrade stereo etc. price on c4s seems high for a higher mileage car which tells me it's driven in winter.

If you'll be satisfied w/ the C4S and drive it for many, many years then get it. If you're like me and wish you had a TT or GT2, then don't spend the extra on C4S. Save the $10K and buy the car you want after you get tired of the one you're thinking of buying now. I'm not sure if that makes sense. If you'll be happy with C4S, then the extra $10 is worth happiness and I'd recommend getting the C4S. If that happiness lasts 8 months and turns into..."should've saved up and gotten a TT..." then don't buy the C4S. =)

the first car doesn't even have LEATHER?!? that'd be a dealkiller for me.

most carerra do not have full leather. standard leather covers seats, door inserts, shift ***** and brake handle.

Remember that the 4S comes standard with items that would be optional is a C2. These include full leather, sport suspension, upgraded brakes, wider 18" wheels and tires. Then there are the things that make a 4s a 4s: AWD, wider track, wide body, turbo front/rear. Are these worth the price difference for you? They were for me when I bought mine new.

+1 No Leather = No way!

I love the C4S for the reasons Palting pointed out. I have an '04 C4S coupe, so I'm biased. You're talking about significant $$ for any of these cars, and it doesn't sound like you're really in love with any of them. Be patient, keep searching - when you find the one that is really right for you - model/color/options/price, you'll know it. Good luck. Phil

C4S all the way! Full leather, turbo brakes & suspension, AWD, wide hips, etc... It's one of the most desirable 996's and that will certainly help out with values down the road. I don't know about buying an aftermarket warranty since most don't cover seals and the main problem you (might) have is a leaky RMS. IMHO, put the extra $4-5K in the bank as a self-warranty fund should you need it.

Hell, I'll sell you mine!

Don't compromise... it's a lot of money, so get the color and options that you want. - I wouldn't buy the first car, since it doesn't have the options you want - Definitely wouldn't buy the 2nd car, since it's not the color you want (and you mentioned it's a distant second color wise) - Third car has too many miles and you're paying for something you don't realy need/want (being a C4S) All in all, I would wait until the car that you really want comes by. Took me a good 4+ months as well, and there were many times I was frustrated and almost bought a car that was not perfect. I'm really happy I waited until the (in my mind) perfect car came by... the long wait/search was totally worth it!

The prices seem pretty close (factoring in options) so I would ignore that for now. If I were you, make a list of which options are important to you in order of priority. Consider which options can be added aftermarket e.g. suspension, stereo, and which cannot e.g. AWD. Then make your decision. Some good aftermarket warranties cover seals (my RMS is being replaced courtesy of Warranty Direct as we speak). Keep in mind some things are never covered by any warranty e.g. bad paint, prior crash damage, wear and tear. For the coin you are about to drop, buy the car you want, not the best deal on the car you hate the least. Good luck, and post pictures!

I have an 2005 Audi S4 as a daily driver, this would just be a weekend car

I usually only keep a car for about 2 yrs (that's why I buy used) so resale value 2 yrs from now would be important to me. Don't want to over pay and take a big loss when I sell. For example, i bought my 2002 Z06 three years ago for $32k with 12k miles on it and sold it last week, three years later for $29k with 32k miles on it. I know the 996 will depreciate more.

i have found i tend not to regret spending 'too much' on something but i do tend to regret getting 'too little' pick the one you most one and make the finances happen(ie overtime, etc)! jbd

It's a lot cheaper to change options than to change color....

choice one is out. Looked at it today and can't get past the tan interior. Choice two is down to $45k without warranty, so it is between choice 2 & 3. I think it I can negotiate choice 3 down a few thousand I would buy it.

As a recent '03 C4S Coupe buyer (10 days ago) I have a question and a comment for you. Question - Have you driven these cars? I ask because I drove a few Carreras and they were not all alike. One 996 Targa I drove last year was terrible. Bad shifter action, strange brake feel and the steering didn't feel right either. I was left wondering if it had been wrecked and badly repaired. Then I drove a 996 C2 Coupe that afternoon that felt perfect, just couldn't get to the right price. The difference was like day and night. Comment - After I drove the C4S, the decision was easy. Yes it does feel different from a C2, but I like the feel of the C4S. And of course the wide-body look is special, too.

#1 CPO, lower miles, upgrade stereo and throw in a set of GT3 seats...make sure you have a PPI performed...

I drove about a dozen cars before I bought one and I noticed things between cars too. A couple had really stiff clutches, the pressure plates were going out. If the clutch is real stiff or slipping, tell them immediately and don't buy it until after it has been replaced. 3 of the cars I test drive I commented about the clutch and it was replaced by the dealer before I went back to test drive again. Some had tigher brakes than others. None had sport shifters, so they all had that somewhat vague/rubbery feeling and long throws that the 996 shifter has. Some had dead smooth engines that you could not even hear at idle while others had a mild lope that was noticeable at idle. The smooth ones were consistantly weaker and slower. They were smooth, they just don't pull hard. The lopey ones give you a kick in your back at 2500-3000 rpms and pull much stronger all the way to the redline. Tires all make a big difference in how the cars feel. Look at the tires on a particular car, before you drive it and start making judgements. All the cars I drove on Pirelli's rode really nice. The ones on Continentals all rode and handled like cr*p. Michelin's are in the middle for ride, but better for handling. Pirelli's respond slow. Continentals don't respond consistantly and give up grip quickly. I only drove 1 car on Bridgestones, the one I bought. The Bridgestones have great turn-in and more grip than either the Michelin's or Pirelli's, the downside is a much stiffer ride. To give you a perspective of how much a difference there is from just tires, on the same day I drove a M030 sports suspension car on Pirelli's that actually rode better than the base suspension car on Continentals. Everytime I got out of a car that I noticed something I didn't like about the way it handled, sure enough it was on Continentals.

I drove Car #1 and Car #2. Car # 3 is about a 3 hr ride away. I have eliminated number 1, because even though I loved the exterior color, I didn't like the beige interior. Car #2 drove great but the check engine light was on the entire time? Does this mean a mjor problem or could it be minor. Seller came down to $45k. Car #3 would be great, I would love to have a C4S but I think the seller's ask is too high. Seller came down a little to $51k but I think high 40's would be better, considering the mileage of 48k maybe $48,000 or $49,000 would be a better price. What do you guys think? Car #3 will need rear tires very soon and is out of warranty. Checked into getting an aftermarket warranty and it will run $4-5k. 48k miles scares me a little because I assume I will need brakes and a clutch sooner than the other choices. I actually found a Car #4. Very Low mileage, under 10k, has some existing factory warranty and then a 2 yr Cpo for about $51k. Not a C4S but does have leather and a color combo I like. So right now it's between Car # 3 and Car #4.