Opinions on this car?

I'm looking at an 03 C4S with just under 24k miles. It's in VERY good condition both inside and out, I was told the car was taken care of extremely well by one owner who bought it new in 03 and just recently traded it in. It has full leather, lumbar support seats with power/memory/heated options. Grey exterior, black interior, interior is paint matched to exterior... I was told it has basically every option available then for this model. They were asking $35,500 for it and I pointed out that due to low mileage and year I would definitely want to have the IMS fix done... so I asked for them to work on the price as best as possible to account that, and they knocked off $500. What do you guys think? I can post exterior and interior pics if necessary, I have every intention of having a PPI done I just wanted to know if that's even worth it at this price/mileage/etc. Btw, it's a 6spd. What do you guys think?

Just IMO, and after looking online for a few min. It seems like it's around the going asking price for that car, may be a bit high, but then again it's in your area and it's in front of you and at some point this year it's going to be summer, so the market is in their favor right now. I'm not sure how fast they turn over, but if everyone is asking that much then I'm assuming that's about the going rate - where there is smoke there is fire. Plus they only took off $500 when you asked about it, if that was really that big of a deal to buyers they would do it before putting it up for sale... I mean if you had $30k cash it may be worth putting that in front of them... What kind of deal are you looking for?

I know the later cars sell for much more than the earlier cars but this seems like a lot of money for a 996. Knocking $500 off is them basically telling you that they think you are a sucker IMO. They could come down on this. Best of luck! Post pictures!

I will be financing the car so the cash deal isn't an option, I really am not looking for a "crazy deal" I just dont want to get ripped off. One thing I forgot to mention is it has the built in K40 detector/laser jammer.

Quotes source post: 12156283

Why should they come down when it's more than likely someone will stop by, look at it, and pay them close to what they are asking?

The mileage is the kicker for that car. As much as the chorus may say that the car isn't worth $35K, I bet you'll have trouble getting them to drop the price any more than $1K or so. Sometimes cash is king - and sometimes depending on who holds the note, financing can work in your favor. More than once I've been able to get the dealership to drop the price significantly by agreeing to a six-year loan at a ridiculous interest rate. As long as there's no prepayment penalty, find the deal that the dealer likes best. If they want you to borrow, borrow and then pay it off when the first invoice arrives. Your description of the car being fully loaded also makes it hard to nail down an exact value, since "all the options" on a Porsche can nearly double the price (like X51, etc.)...a more specific options list would help.

Quotes source post: 12156343

They have the window sticker I'll have it scanned and emailed to me.

The car sounds amazing, but I'd suggest playing with KBB for a while to get a feel for the impact that mileage has on 996 values. If you really plan to put miles on the car you buy, finding a finding a higher-mileage and/or one or two year older car can drastically adjust what you'll pay. I don't think you'd be getting ripped off at $35K...they wouldn't price the car there if they didn't think SOMEONE would buy it. On the other hand, you'd be paying $10K more than others are paying for good 996's, and the fact that you're financing suggests that you might not be keeping money aside for the "just in case" fund, always a good idea when you're buying a high-end car that's out of warranty.

I bought my 03 C2 NB six months ago from a dealer...but not a Porsche dealer. 39k miles, in very good shape...not mint...with deferred maintanence...but very good shape. Not heavily optioned. They originally were asking $35k, had reduced it to $32 and I made them a take it or leave it offer of $29...which was still three to four over what I might have paid for another one like it. But I wanted this one and didn't feel like making a career out of finding one. Are you dealing with a Porsche dealer, non-P dealer, or private party? I think the price is plain walk away high. I am living with my IMS and not afraid. But I still had to give the car fluid changes... brakes, coolant, oil, plus new spark plugs, wheel balance and alignment, new motor mounts and a complete inspection. I also purchased a 3 yr 36k miles after-market service contract (my IMS insurance) through a Porsche dealer for the drive train. All that protection and care and I still had to replace a window regulator and a power seat motor...plus the lug nuts were pretty old and ugly. So including all the above I put another six or seven thousand into the car. Run this by the seller and see what they say. I think $29k is a fair price because you'll be spending $35k when all is said and done. By the way...no regrets on my part. These are the costs of owning a really great car. You get out of life what you put into it.

One other thought....you could get a 996 turbo for a little more. I did not consider them due to price and my budget. You are basically right there for a higher mileage one.

One other point to consider - and I realize this is unsolicited advice, so feel free to ignore - is that once you're at $35K, you're well within CPO Cayman and Boxster territory. The C4S is a beautiful car, but the Cayman is no slouch, and two years of CPO warranty wouldn't suck...

Quotes source post: 12156327

LOL, that's so 90's and def NOT worth a premium in my books. Shouldn't you be buying a Lotus instead?

Based on your posts in 997 forum, OP, it seems like you ought to spend another couple of weeks getting your head wrapped around 996 and 997 pricing before you start to work a deal. What happened to your plans to buy a Turbo? The next time you look at a Porsche, take a picture of the option sticker (on the bottom of the front trunk lid) so you can research the options without having to rely on the vultures, er, sales staff.

Quotes source post: 12156484

Shouldn't you be posting in an M3 forum or something? I'm looking for valid opinions here not BS.

Quotes source post: 12156633

I'm over the idea of a Turbo. I wanted one growing up but after driving one I was unimpressed. At this point I have a car allowance from work and if I buy anything at 35-40k I'll have no car payment. Anything above that I'll have to pay the difference, and I'm looking at a Carrera S or 4S for the most part. My first choice would be 09 or newer but that's at the top of my price range, an 09 Cayman or 911 997 with reasonable miles..

I bought my 911 C4S Cabriolet 2 years ago in January with 38,000 miles. It is also loaded, well things that matter, sport exhaust, full leather, heated seats, bose. I have been very happy with it. I did not even know about the ims/rms when I bought it. I also bought it from a dealer in CT, whom at the time really wanted my sale. I paid around 38,000 for it which I felt at the time was a great deal. The clutch was also just done but they made no mention of ims/rms, brakes were also changed around all 4 corners I was able to knock them down quite a bit once they knew I was serious. Yours has lower miles than mine, in the end the decision is up to you, pricing in CT always stinks compared to elsewhere like texas or chicago. I really like my car and am sure you will not be disappointed. The best deals however are NEVER in CT.

Quotes source post: 12156236

If you can verify what you are being told - "one owner and car was taken care of very well" I personally don't think the price is out of range. John Ireland's example of paying $29k + $6k to $7k to bring the car up to speed put that one over $35k. Schnell also gives good advice, as is somewhat typical for him, more specifics on the options would help with the value. The "is this a good price" question is really impossible to answer. It really comes down to cost. For example; a good friend of mine had been looking for a 996 Turbo Cab for at least two years. He really didn't want to spend more than the high 40's but every car he found that appeared to be sound was closer to 60. He finally found one at a dealer, a supposed one owner well cared for trade for $42k. He has had the car for about six weeks, his cost to date is now $49k and after reviewing the repair invoices and dealer inspection report his cost will easily reach $56k in a few months. And who knows what else will require repairs as it is now obvious that although the car is very clean, it does suffer from deferred service (neglect). When the Porsche dealer told him the "story" and stated that car had been thoroughly gone over and it checked out, he believed it. He is a very trusting guy and although he got the trust part right, he ignored my preaching to verify and PPI. He's actually okay with the deal. In my case I paid $41k for an 04 C4S with 23k miles in October of 2011, private party that included the balance of a bumper to bumper warranty for one year. Nicely optioned with PSE, SSK, interior paint to match exterior, bi-xenons, power heated memory seats, bose stereo. I was able to verify service and repairs and when I considered what I knew for a fact I would not need to do, (RMS, new clutch pack, new brakes, new properly matching N spec tires, oil changes and fluid flushes at proper time intervals), the $41k suddenly became a reasonable price. I think I might have $1200.00 in out of pocket repairs in over three years. In spite of the good service and repair history the car did lose the engine at 37k miles, I was very lucky as Porsche provided a crate engine on their dime as good will. Don't assume that low mileage means "as new". Sounds like you are on the right track. Take your time and verify the statements being made.

Quotes source post: 12156842

Fine, ignore his word choice, but the K40 is worthless. It's outdated tech that you don't want anymore. Their price isn't crazy, but do you plan on driving this car? You're paying a huge premium for a low mileage car, something I'd never do if I wanted to actually drive it. Why this, over say a 2005-2006 997 w/ 60k miles on it? I'd buy something like this and take less of a depreciation hit when putting miles on it. Or, save 10k, and buy a 996 for $25k with 80k on it.

Based on what you've driven so far do you have any that stood out as favorites?

The 996 C4S still seems to be trading in the low to mid-$30k range, even wholesale. It's a crowded space, and to me the pricing doesn't make much sense. The same money will buy a 987.2, and slightly more gets you a 997S. I think a C4S makes sense at no more than $30k, any more and there are better options available.

Good luck with the prospective purchase.....values here in Europe (France specifically) seem to be rising for the C4S, month on month. Talking at my P club near Bordeaux, many 'locals' (French) search out the C4S rather than the TT. Hard for me to understand personally, but they are more sought after than the TT in France, and prices for the two models are very similar for comparable age/mileage...go figure. Strangely I am also in a Harley Davidson club here, and everybody wants the carb models rather than EFI and will pay a big premium for an identical bike with carb over the EFI equivalent... That's the French for you ;-)

Quotes source post: 12157277

Yes I plan to put anywhere from 15-30k miles a year on this car, part of the reason I liked the idea of low miles... if I buy a car with 60k I could be over 100k in 2-3 years (not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, I just like the idea of having lower miles).

Quotes source post: 12157554

Yes, so far what i've driven: 1. 2003 996 Turbo - I didn't really like it. The exhaust had a lot of "drone" (I know that could be fixed) and I just didn't have much fun driving it. 2. 2006 C4 - This car was awesome. Great price, I just wasn't in a position to buy at the time and haven't seen anything come up like it (it had 60k miles and they wanted 39k for it) 3. 2006 C2S - This car was ridiculously fast. It had apparently been modified and it was to the point where I wasn't sure I wanted something that fast as my DD, as soon as you hit the gas it threw you back almost violently. 4. 2009 C2 cab - This has been my favorite so far. I was almost going to buy it but decided to sleep on it and now i'm back to the drawing board. 5. The 2003 C4S I drove yesterday. It was fun, the price is right, I just don't like the idea of buying a 12 year old car with 23k miles, it's kinda scary. To sum it up, my favorite was the 997.2, I may go ahead and have a PPI done on this C4S, i'll actually be meeting with the guy that would be doing it on Monday so i'll run my ideas past him. The main reason I feel so lost is I did not expect to be in a position to buy this car for another 12-18 months, and due to a recent promotion I have to buy something in about 6 weeks because I'll need another vehicle, and I want it to be a Porsche. Now I feel rushed...

If you've driven the C4 and like how everything works, as it should, then make an offer that you feel is fair. I think the asking price is close enough to work out a deal on what sounds to me like a decent Porsche. I don't agree with those who automatically think that the seller 'should' reduce the price so the IM$B can be replaced. Go on overall condition of the C4, inside and out. Post some pics after you buy it. GL

If you're in a position to buy a 997.2 go do it and don't look back. You'll worry a lot less and enjoy your car more.

Quotes source post: 12158153

Agree with you...the 997.2 is the one to go with.

Just get the IMS done to be safe. Those single row seals of that year scare me. I have 21k on my '00 and had it done and it has the double row. The bearings showed some beginnings of wear... I probably did it a little too proactively, but I sleep like a baby now. :-)