996 now or 997 in two years?

Hey guys... if you had it to do over again would you buy a 996 now or would you rather wait two years to get a 997? That's the choice I'm straining with right now. I have to get a car in a few months (lease is up) and I can only afford around $25k. Thanks. -Mag

Depends which model you like best. I'd have trouble postponing a purchase and missing Porsche ownership personally. Major difference is headlight configuration and interior IMHO. I still very much enjoy my 996 even after 8 years of owning it.

That's pretty much what I'm thinking. Plus in two years I could sell it in two years and get the 997 or maybe a 996TT if I feel I need to go that route.

I agree with Steve..2 years is a long time. And from personal experience, if this is your first 911 the 996 is a great place to start. Plenty to chose from, parts are easy to get and current prices make them very accessible.

GET BOTH! It's the right thing to do. I couldn't be happier with my 996 and would hate to be without one--regardless of what awaits at the end of the rainbow. TC

If you can get a decent not an army of owners 997 for $25000 get it, I look for several months with no luck the most affordable one, low miles, one owner was $37 or more and it was a 997.1 I love my 996 has all my requirements the first 2 months money went from my check to the car I'm not a handy guy and My time is limited so I have to pay for all the recommended 2 years mayor maintenance and tires which I did 2 weeks ago. I'm learning a lot with this car and I would recommend for you to have the experience now, than wait 2 years things and priorities change but if your budget is $25000 look for a $22000 or less car, keep $3000 for things that may arise. Remember the older and more miles on the car the more things are ready to brake unless if you know the owner and the history of the vehicle and whoever has it didn't cut corners and keep a good maintenance history of the car.

There's a silver 996 for about 23 on Rennlist. Thought the miles were at 68K if I recall. No affiliation but it's worth a look.

Definitely get a 996 now. You'll love it. There will be plenty of 997s out there when you're ready.

live today for tomorrow you may........ With that said, buy (and enjoy) what you can afford now and with $25K, sounds like it will be a 996.

Agree with all of the above. 996 prices are at the bottom of their depreciation curve. If you buy right, you should be able to sell in a couple of years for very close to what you pay for it now, then apply that same money toward your 997 purchase. You get the best of both worlds. To really minimize the depreciation, look for an early 996 right around 100,000 miles. Even if you put 25,000 miles on it over the next two years, you won't see much depreciation. You can get a car like that for around $15,000. If you keep it in nice condition, it'll bring the same come selling time. I daily drive mine with 147,000 miles on it.

Been there...done that...drive both and honestly I like 996 better...chose 4s over base 997...IMO body lines are better and that wide body def looks better...like 997 interior but I went 996...and not regretting..

Put your money away and it gains interest. Put your dreams away and they loose interest

Don't think the clean 997.1s will drop to $25k in two years. No way for the 997.2s for sure as they hold their values really well and there are also a lot less produced. The 996s are a lot of car for $25k and performance wise they're not far from the 997s.

I agree with those who say we've seen the bottom of 996 depreciation...at least for quality examples of the car. I have grown to appreciate the headlights of my 996...and I definitely love the quality and performance. Though I love the size and overall gestalt of the 993, they are just more than I was willing (and able?) to afford...as you are saying about the 997. My choice of the 996 is proving itself every day...and that is how I drive it, every day.

Sorry guys... Didn't mean to seem like I was saying the 997's will be $25k in two years. Meant to write that in two years I'll have $45k to spend instead of $25k now. Thanks for the advice so far. Sounds good to me.

I would not pass up two years of 911 ownership for the scant differences between a late 996 and early 997. I especially would not do so while nicely-equipped, properly-maintained 996s are readily available at/under your stated budget.

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X2 I bought a higher mileage 996 as a "starter" Porsche with the intent to upgrade later. Well 4 years now and I still don't see the need to "upgrade" and justifying the higher price for a minimal increase doesn't make sense for me at this point.

Do it now. You might not even be here 2 years from now...

996 price has bottomed, esp mki. So get the 996 now, if u have want to spend more, sell the 996, and buy 997 later. Won't lose much money.

Do it now. You won't regret it!

I agree get the 996 now. I would look for one that has had the IMSB upgraded (or be prepared to get it done), and as many other recent repair/replacements as you can find, so you don't end up putting a new engine in it, or paying half the difference up to a 997 in upkeep over the next 2 years. The current skyrocket of air-cooleds prices, plus the big jump in prices when the 991 was released, plus the scarcity of manual transmissions in them, is what's drastically slowing the depreciation of the 996 and 997. But the 2 models will always be tied together price-wise, so as long as the 997 prices haven't bottomed I wouldn't expect the 996 to either.

Get the 996c2. it's a wonderful car, smaller and more focused than the 997. I would imagine the 996s have bottomed out and will go up in value once buyers realized that the newer cars: the 7.1s and .2s are much larger, much more of a GT car than the old 911s. Drive them all. Decide for yourself. Life is too short. Before I drove a Porsche, I've never felt so connected to machine. It becomes an extension of you. Drive and enjoy.

I was facing the same choice a few months ago and decided to get the the 996 now with the possibility of selling it in a few years for a minimal loss and upgrading to a 997. The thing is, now that I the 996, I've come to appreciate it and don't know if I will ever sell it. Aside from the headlights, I think the design is perfect. It reminds me of the classic 70's long hood Porsches in how minimalistic and sleek the lines are.

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LOL

Why wait? You will get all of the driving pleasure from a 996 that you will get from a 997. The only divisors are pose value and the size of your bank account! A 997.2 tt PDK might someday tempt me away from my 996 tt; currently the price difference really makes no sense at all.

Google is your friend

Every minute you wait to get a Porsche will be a minute you will regret once you do Get 996

i agree....why wait...daily it if you can

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My 997.1 is the same size as the 996 that I owned before. The 997.2 is the same size as the 997.1. Perhaps you're thinking of the 991, which is a little bit bigger than a 996...

For reference, here are the dimensions spanning the different models of the 996 and 997: 996: Wheelbase: 2,352 mm (92.6 in) Length 4,432-4,435 mm (174.5-174.6 in) Width 1,765-1,829 mm (69.5-72.0 in) Height 1,275-1,306 mm (50.2-51.4 in) 997: Wheelbase: 2,350–2,360 mm (92.5–92.9 in) Length 4,425–4,495 mm (174.2–177.0 in) Width 1,770–1,850 mm (69.7–72.8 in) Height 1,270–1,325 mm (50.0–52.2 in)

i was behind a 997.2 gts I was thinking...that's a wide ****....i can't believe how much wider it is than my 996 wide body. I guess it just looked that way or i just don't realize how wide my **** is...

Oh, you've got a big ***...

I think purely from a driving enjoyment standpoint, they will not be much different. So why spend $10-$20K more? Just so the headlights look different and the interior is bit different? Naaa. I bought my 996 to live today instead of dreaming about tomorrow. I put my little boys in the back and my wife up front every weekend for a spin and they have a blast. My dilemma now is this: I bought a 996 waiting for the Ferrari F430 prices to bottom out. But if your BMW 3 series (E46) was a zero (0) and the F430 was a ten (10) in driving enjoyment, where would the 996 fall on the scale? Knowing this, would I still want to drop an extra $70K on the prancing horse? Now, I have driven one, but it was around the track only.

You can't even see the headlights when you're driving...

No question, get a reasonably priced 996 now but ensure the engine is in absolutely top condition. There will always be a newer model but aside from the jump between 993 and 996 the changes are evolutionary.

There was a time when I would have gone with "wait for the 997." Then, I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma and got the "if there's a vacation you've always wanted to take, now's the time to take it" talk from my surgeon. I still save money and live responsibly, but the days of me postponing stuff for years are over. I know it sounds a little morose/melodramatic, but wouldn't it suck if two years from now never came? I'm 10+ years out, with only one scare requiring surgery (false alarm), and much happier than I was when I was living for the future instead of enjoying today... Carpe diem - responsibly.

Holy buzzkill.

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I had a close call a few years ago, it does put things in perspective. Hope your health continues to go well. Carpe diem is absolutely right.

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IMS vs. Melanoma... Hmmm tough decision.

Yeah, I have a hard time getting wound up about bearings and oil. Cancer surgery did give me one of my best setups ever, though - I was at work a couple days after, and I had stitches up my neck and all over my newly-built right ear, and an old friend / new hire and his wife showed up. The guy says, "Good God, man, what happened to you?" - to which I replied, "Knife fight." Mind: blown. It was awesome.

Wow, hope you stay healthy, Schnell...and keep enjoying Porsche for a long time.