Given the okay to purchase a 996 but...

I have an Honda S2000 which I absolutely love! I've always heard from people "I remember those days before we had kids" and thought I had gotten past that issue. Well, my son is a little more than a year old and we don't get to use the two seater as much as we'd like. Oh, then there's the fact we also own a POS winter car which now became a second baby transporter. While I'm not at all happy about the idea, I suppose it's time to sell the S2000 and get a family car. Well not exactly many people's version of a family car, but it can fit my wife, myself, and the little man. Sounds like a good family car to me?? A friend of mine mentioned the whole 911 idea, one I never would have thought of. Then I test drove a 996 and fell in love (with a **** eating grin). So the end deal is I need to sell the two seater, then wait a few months to buy a 996. (Next Fall or Winter.) Man, it's gonna be a long wait but hopefully worth it all.

My daughter is 4 months old and I own a Boxster so I know where you are coming from. The 996 is great because I can take my wife and daughter both. As a side benefit it has the horsepower to shame a 986 or S2K, while giving up next to nothing in the handling department. Good luck.

2+2 seats was a major factor in my decision to purchase a 996 -- that and the fact that it's a buyer's market for luxury cars more. I've had the car for 5 days and haven't put the child seat in yet. Since I trade off taking the kids to school, this will have to happen soon...

Great time to be a buyer of a P car!! I have two young ones... works like a charm.

I've been driving my kids around since I've had 911's....my two oldest are 8 and 6....my eight year old is just now getting a bit tall to sit behind me....I'm about 6'3. My wife can't drive standard...so, only now am I debating selling the car. In addition, I have a third that's just about to turn 2....and I just can't get 3 lil ones in there. While I used to have another car, I didn't release a car when my lease was done about 18 monts ago....great move since I wouldn't have driven any other car. But with the economy not being very promising....I just might get rid of my 996 and grab a Honda Pilot for the time being (I really don't want the expense of an extra car at this bizzare time in this world), and when things even out a bit more, I'd like to grab a TT for my semi-dd....give my wife the Pilot...and then grab myself another kid hauler....not that I need a winter drive...my c4s has, without a doubt, been the best winter driver I've ever owned.... So...yes, you have many many years to enjoy a 911 with your kids...go for it....you only live once...get a c4s....IMHO...it's the best looking 996 ever built...and I felt that way before I became biased. J

Yup, sold my Boxster S just after my daughter was born and picked up a 996 Baby seat works in the 996 no prob. If only it was big enough to fit the Wife, Kid AND the dogs

My wife and I have a 3 month old. Instead of changing cars around, we purchased a Cayenne Turbo. I believe that the Cayenne Turbo was made specifically for situations like these- a family wagon that is super fast.

Have had my P-car for 4 yrs since my kid was 3. Initially it was a bit difficult finding the right kid seat arrangement (his head used to leam forward, pulling his chest, and the seat belt wouldn't stay put), but a year into ownership he moved on to a booster and would seat much straighter. Nowadays he's booster free and loving it! Do your research on car seats. You'll get plenty of advise here on the forums, but I recommend you still go and try them physically on your car and with your kid. The 996 is great for a single kid family. We do a yearly multiday road trip. Some examples are from LA to Yosemite, San Francisco (thru PCH), Sequoia, Grand Canyon, and we are planning this year's trip to somewhere in Nor Cal. It might be a bit tight for 2 kids on a long trip... but there's always a roof rack and cargo box if space becomes an issue. Other rennlisters could chime in their experiences with more than 1 kid.

I find on long trips the P-car offers less trouble from my kids (9 and 10) than the suburban... I think they are packed in so tight there is no room to fight???? LOL They love it though and have fallen alseep back there. I put in fixed back CF GT3 style seats and though it's harder to get in and out, there is more room for them in the back.... there are always solutions..

I must be the only one who takes a stroller and other supplies (diapers, clean clothes etc) for the almost 2 yr old with me and wouldn't know where to put them all in the P. I tried it once and the stroller bottom part (bugaboo) fits in the trunk and the top part behind me (but my seating comfort it gone!) I don't really like the look of the cayenne and it still only seats 5...and with family living in NY and Amsterdam (and me in Orange county, CA) I need to have seating for at least 6. (because they visit a lot) I think the new pilot is the way to go...maybe the mdx (forgot the brand, but my neighbor has one and it looks good).....if you really need space and want to support the USA....how about a Tahoe/yukon? Lots of space and dirt cheap right now. If you have the budget for 2 cars....911 and SUV is the way to go with a family....but if you only got money for 1 car....SUV because you got to be smart in this economy...and it is going to take a LOOOOONNNGGGG time before we are getting out of this one!! my 2 cents

We have two strollers. A nice one and another that works okay but is much more compact (basically a $100 one from Target). The more compact one fits behind the rear seat in a non-cab P. I know, that doesn't help you. Dutchie - you have me thinking about a cab now. I know I need to do more searching on this topic here but is there much of a difference in the amount of rear room between a cab and hardtop 911? We have a Tahoe which like Nicolaas said, it has worked out great! Now I just need to stop looking at all of the cars for sale and somehow get to November. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas.

I have the Slob wagon and the wife has a sedan, and I usually have easy access to an SUV if I need one but it's a matter of being able to take my daughter along in the Porsche if I want to. Life is busy and if I am going to get some good seat time in the Porsche I need to include it in family time as well. Dave, look on the bright side, the way things are going with 996 pricing you will probably end up with allot of Porsche for your money!

I was in a similar situation -- had an S2000 (that I still miss a little, make sure you get a B&M for your p-car or you will hate shifting...) and had the wife's blessing to pick up a p-car that ideally had a back seat for the baby. Unfortunately for me, I bought before the bottom dropped out of the market... right now there are some ridiculous deals out there. Last night I found a 40th anniversary with low miles, CPO, for $39K... and a low mileage nice looking turbo for 48K. Its a great time to buy... best of luck!

Nice to see some ex-S2000 owners here! I sold mine three years ago to buy our M3 convertible, which our three-year-old daughter loves. It's my wife's car during the week. My 50th birthday's in November, and I too am looking to get back behind the wheel of a sports car. The 911 seems like a great choice, being a 2+2. I'm just not in a position to buy yet. Scanning all the adds, I feel like a starving man outside a gourmet restaurant. I feel bad for owners trying to sell, though. To the OP: you will miss that S2000! I still do three years later. Any way, good luck to you.

Nice analogy. At least I'll be looking forward to next winter. Yeah, as nice as the 911 is I know the reality is I'll miss the S2K. There's just something about that car I love. Dave

I had a 2001 S2000 for about 2 years. Wow what a car. The whole car would feel completely alive after v-tec changed over. Great build quality and what a transmission, it was surgical. I too have the 996 bug. I have to wait 5 whole months!

I never understood that a great sports car like the S2000 was sold under the honda flag instead of the acura....

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Hey now!!!! Even Honda has to have something to be proud of! IMO, it certainly isn't the Accord! Go ahead, Nicolaas, pile it on!! I gave you an opening!

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It was meant to celebrate Honda's long racing history. Hence the digital instrument panel, which nobody seems to understand...car reviewers kept saying it seemed out of date. Well, not on F1 cars it isn't! The S2000 comes to the end of its production run this year.

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What you need is a perfect 996 C4S. To say mine is a flawless, low mileage car is quite the understatement. Just ask Tim or Wayne. No, on the other hand, please don't ask them. When you're ready to buy, I just might be ready to sell. For now, it's the only thing in my life that gives me the illusion of actually having enough for a secure retirement. Illusion or hallucination??

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Phil's car is PERFECT - it looks like it just came off the production line - it only has delivery miles on the odometer, as Phil has walked more miles to and from the garage to look at it then he has actually driven it. Having said that, the seals leak like a sieve and the engine is just waiting to explode.

Wayne, you forgot about the tires. They have only 3,500 miles on them but they are probably as hard as the solid rubber tires they used to put on kids tricycles. Either that or they are ready to shred at speeds over 30 MPH because they have rotted through.

I'm sure I won't be able to afford a perfect 996 - darn racing addiction! The current plan is a sub $24K budget which based on my looking around (why can't I stop looking?!!!) it's within reason. I'm sure I'll post something here in Nov. when in the market when ready see if anyone is looking to sell. 240 hp out of a 4 cyl. Not bad! They were supposed to have stopped selling it a few years ago but that never happened.

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good point! Although they did receive rave reviews from fred flintstone.

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They're shaped like an inverted letter "D" with the flat side down. Is that bad?

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In this economy, I'm just hoping mine's worth at least a little more than that! Good luck with your hunt. There are tons of 996's out there, and hopefully, when you're ready to buy, there will still be great deals on them.

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Weren't Phil and Fred classmates at Bedrock High?

The 911 is great for longer trips. My daughter loves to put her head on the bump between the seats and take a nap. It's either that or "Dad! Go faster!"

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Nice looking Targa!!

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I don't know what to rag on anymore Tim, I think I've said it all or maybe not here we go: HONDA Hang On, Not Done Accelerating HONDA Had One, Never Do that Again HONDA Had One Never Drive Another HONDA History Of No Decent Acceleration To be honest I found these on abbreviations.com

Honorable Old Nippon Delivers "A+"

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Those are good. Every now and then when my wife is in the car and I take off from a light, I'll say to her, "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you neck like that with the aggressive start!"

My kid grew up in the 968 which is very similar to the 911 rear seat. At one point he was just getting too big for the car seat but wasn't at the legal age to be without one. So I had him sit back there without the silly car-seat and it was perfect, way better than the car seat. Porsche has the side to side head protection that was way better designed than the Graco car-seat! Plus the seat belt hit him perfectly and his head was not as close to the roof. So for that last year or so of required car seat time, he was illegal, but probably much safer. What a great memory for the kids, growing up in the back of a P-car! As a side note, my kid now tells me he was mostly just boored in the back of the car. Perhaps if he was paying more attention he wouldn't have bounced his head off the side window on sharp corners!