Daily Driver recommendation

I'm between a 996 Cab or an M3 Convertible. Either would be a couple years old, used. Can't afford or justify a new one of either. The gearhead (devil) says to go with the 911. As if it were even a choice, right? The sensible (angel) side of me says go for the M3. The car will be driven daily, autocrossed periodically, and generally abused as a regular teutonic tool for transportation. I'm good about maintaining cars but I'm very hard on them. I pedal hard and brake late everywhere. I tend to think that a Porsche will hold up to this better than a BMW. Or maybe that's the gearhead talking. I drive about 30 miles a day total, so overal mileage will be pretty low. I need to fit a baby seat in the back to cart around my girlfriend's friend's kid occasionally, but now that I see I can pull this off in a 996... no other real need to haul more than a few bags of groceries or a gym bag. Tell me what I want to hear.

M3 will be more practical - simply more room period I also think it's much better looking

Buy the Porsche! It's the car that you really want. If you get the Bimmer, evertime you see a Porsche will will wish you had bought one.

I really REALLY want a 993 coupe set up for the track and just tolerable enough for the street, but the soon-to-be-wife and I share a car (she works out of the house, doesn't need one most of the time) and is footing a good portion of the purchase price... and she wants a convertible. I'm no dummy, I can live happily with a cab version of either car, and I'm real good at sharing.

1) Find good examples of each and test drive both of them with her. Let her do most of the driving. 2) Buy the one SHE likes better and get used to it. Yes, I am married, why do you ask? But read on... 3) From that point forward save up every damn penny you can hoard - and once you're ready go get the no-compromise track machine 993 that you really want.

I used to have a 01-996 cab and it was also a daily driver, no problems ever, used to put on average 35 to 40 miles per day. From the looks department you can not beat the 996 when compared to a M3. Just be ware that maintenance on these cars can get expensive if you buy one w/o warranty or certified PO. In the end is really what you like. Good luck in your search.

my 01 996 cab is my DD... I LOVE IT! but yes maintenance is kinda crazy. I just had to replace my expansion tank and now my windshield has a crack in it. Ugh...sooo... but I driving that thing is great! here is another solution...get the 996 cab...and forget the DD...buy a beater. I mean a $1000 Civic from the mid 90s. Alternate that and the 996 and you are golden. That is exactly what I am doing now...looking for a POS car so I can sit in traffic all day, never wash it...just change the oil and drive the hell out of it...and on those "special" occasions and weekends...bring out my beast! Food for thought thats all...and an extra beater is always handy to have around.

I can't shed any light on the cab, but the underlying car is up to it. I've put 26000 miles on my 2002 996 coupe in just under a year of daily driving, with a few track days. I'm putting the rollbar back in on Saturday so I can go to the Silver State Classic again. Get the 996, or you'll always wish you had... Small print: It'll cost a fair amount to run, but if you stay on top of the maintenance, a Porsche is a great daily driver.

Reliability wise I'd go with the 996...

996. Daily driver for over 2 years, >25K a year (less now)

You want to hear: *If you get the M3, every time you pass a 911 you'll wish you had one. *If you don't get the 911 you'll think about it every time you drive the M3. *There is no greater feeling than pulling up beside an M3 in your 911 and knowing that you made the right choice - and they didn't. *Everybody dreams about getting the 911, and most have to settle with the M3. *If you want a fast coupe, then the M3 is ok. If you want a sports car, get the Porsche. Also: Buying a car based on the need to haul around your girlfriend's friend's kid is a bad idea. Kids do fit in the 911 - both my 14 and 11 year old neices fit in the back seats. An older M3 is about as fast as the new 335i 4 door sedan, with a steptronic transmission. We will all ridicule you and call you names behind your back if you get the M3. Good luck! -td

This rang alarm bells for me, too. Since when do SOs' friends get to decide what we spend our hard-earned money on?

+1 My 996 is my daily driver in rain, snow, and sun. It performs well in that role and you couldn't get me to trade even for a shiny new E46 M3. There is just no comparision to the sound, power or road feel of the 996. Standing alone, the M3 is a fantastic sports sedan. Standing next to a 996 (as a performance car), it is a distant second best.

My mom (I won't say her age, but consider that I'm the younger son and will be going to law school next year) uses a 996 6-speed as a daily driver and before then she pretty much only drove comfy cars...if as a self-proclaimed throttle jock you find yourself annoyed by using a 996 as a daily driver, I think Porsche may force you to change your username.

AMEN.

I drive a 1999 C2 130 miles a day on my long commute. I have put 42,000 miles on it in a little less than 2 years. Besides the normal service the only expense was a brake job done when the expansion tank went which was covered under the CPO warranty. I run the stock 17's with a second set of Blizzaks for the winter, so tire wear is not too bad. All in all it makes a great commuter car except for one thing. My car has a FAB speed exhaust and it is hard to use the bluetooth cell phone while driving. But I would rather have the sweet exhaust sound then hear someone on the phone anyway. One thing for sure, it makes the long commute a lot more fun every single day.

I would go BMW it that was the choice. There I times and situations that I am embarrased to be driving a porsche and not comfortable with the image it projects. The BMW has less of that factor and the M3 is more like a wolf in sheeps clothing. If I had a back up car when needed, no question-911

If you like to grin a lot get the P car. I notice a lot of scornful looks from other drivers in BMWs, Audis, MBs and smiles from drivers in other cars. Whats up with that???

If you drive both you will want a 996. No comparison drive-wise. Only advantage to M3 is slightly bigger back seat but sounds like you don't need it. I take my 2 kids to school often in 996 cab.

By the bare fact that you asked this question on a 996 thread, it is clear that you really do want the Porsche. Just go for it. Find a nice one and don't look back. You will not be sorry. There is nothing like it. If you get the M3, you will drool over every 911 you see.

M3's are very smooth and easy to drive fast. M3 may hold it's residual value better than a 996. The M3 is a fine car in its own right. However, I do think as far as convertibles go, the 996 convertible is a much better looking convertible. I think the convertible aspects are much better executed in the Porsche and the inherent penalties are less than in the BMW. Of course, I've never directly owned a convertible. I prefer coupes for my sportscars. I do believe Porsche is on another level, and I do own a Porsche, but BMW's make no excuses and are fine cars as well.

I traded an '02 M3 cab for my '02 996 cab. I like the 996 MUCH better. You really need to keep the revs up much higher in the M3 to get the same enjoyment out of it IMO. The back seats in both cars are useless for anything but children. I have 3 kids. One is in a full carseat (she's 2 yrs old) and it fits fine in the front seat with the airbag deactivation kit installed. The other 2 fit fine in the back using Britax Starriser Boosters (they are 6 and 8 yrs old). I just tracked my 996 for the first time a few weeks ago and was SHOCKED at what this car can do in stock form. Simply amazing car.

Yeah I really want the 996. I'm a motorcycle guy (roadracer/motocrosser) and that's what the throttlejock moniker comes from, but I have had some silly (albeit low-buck) automobiles as well. E-prepared Honda with no interior/AC/full cage, harnesses, etc hillclimb and autocross machine that was driven as a daily driver. It was great fun showing up everywhere smelling like sweat and gas. 800hp/1050lbs.ft torque F350 'tow vehicle' (that would spin all 6 wheels on its way to a mid 12-second quarter mile). That was years ago, I'm older now, the Ducati's are gone and I would love to have a grown-up car that still hustles and would be fun at a track day. Tough to beat a 911 for that sort of prescription. P.S. I'm not concerned about the looks you get from BMW guys, I'm used to all that crap from running around on Ducati superbikes. Same phenomenon occurs w/ them. Weird. Besides that, I live in Miami. Old farts drive Ferrari's here, soccer moms drive M6's, and kids get 911's as graduation presents. I'll just blend right in.

Honestly, you won't get funny looks from anyone. I buy all my cars for me and me only. I could care less what anyone thinks. It your car, your $$$ and your business what you drive. Buy a 996 - you'll love it!

Before buying the 996 I wish that P-owners would of warned me about the over use and wear-and-tear of the sternoclaidomastoid.... this is something that nobody on this thread will confess and tell you about the 996.

I'm NEVER embarrased to drive the Porsche. With a capital P, unless you want to write bmw.................

Get the 911! I just went through the same process and am very glad I went the way of the P. M3's are nice, but the 911 is the true sports car icon....and rather practical too!

Why are you turning your head so much while driving so as to result in either "over use" or "wear-and-tear"? I don't do that, and wouldn't confess to, nor warn others about doing so. -td

I just refer to 'em as BM. It quicker, unless you pronounce it auf Deutsch in which case the W is a single syllable. Bill

My friends were here from Tokyo a couple weeks ago and they all pronounce it "Bee Emmm Double" forget the "U". Funny little guys, they are.

OK, TJ, a few more random thoughts... I wouldn't recommend one over the other unless I knew you better, so take the following quiz: Are you more interested in how you feel driving the car than how you look in the car? Do you know which model gave Porsche its first overall win at Le Mans? At a cocktail party, are you reluctant to tell a stranger what kind of car you drive? Can you name the car that James Dean raced successfully and drove unsuccessfully? Do you NOT have slicked back black hair? if you answered "yes" to all these questions, you should buy the Porsche. otherwise, I can't help you.

+1 Im with you. I have an expedition with 135,000 miles that I wash once a year. I could care less when my three boys each spill a 32 oz slurpee on the seats. I change the oil, drive it like a school bus, do home depot runs, and then put it away from Friday night to Monday morning. I absoltely love weekends because I have my 996 waiting for me. My kids also love it and I can take all three of them on drives. My 9 year old will say, in the middle of the day on Saturday "Dad, lets go for a ride in the Porsche". what a great car...

The problem is: 1) when you go to the supermarket and you park your car, you will not be able to walk all the way to the front door without turning your head to take one more look at the amazing 911 lines... you'll be thinking:" wow, that's my car" on the average you'll be doing that 3-4 times before you reach the entrance. 2) When you park your car at work you'll do the same. 3) When you go to a restaurant you'll do the same, especially since you'll be parking it yourself across the street and you'll be glancing at it 'til your neck is sore. 4) When you go to a strip club, just before enterering you wish you could admire the sexy lines of your 911 one more time. And when you get out you'll see your car and forget everything you've seen inside and realize that was a complete waste of money. (I don't go to strip clubs.) 5) When you go by a building with mirrored glass... "Wow that's me!" Believe me your neck will get the work out. Enjoy!