Buying from a PO vs car dealer

Today I realized that I've never bought a car from a private owner! I'm considering two cars: one from a used car dealer (not a Porsche dealer) and the other is a private sale. The two cars aren't similar, but let's pretend they are for this question. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to buying from a private individual versus a dealer? Is one "safer" than the other? If I had to prioritize sellers, I'd guess it would go, in order of preference: - Porsche dealer - Used or other mainline-brand dealer - Individual I understand that the dealers command a higher price for the same vehicle over an individual, but what else is good/bad about each? tom ps Thanks to everyone. I've learned quite a bit reading this forum over the past several months.

I would almost prefer a private sale. After not only owning over 30 porsches, and working at various porsche dealers-most dealers offer a minimum on trade allowance and it is usually not worth it unless you have a problamatic vehicle-and trading it in is your last resort. I feel most owners would prefer to sell privately rather than be insulted by the trade in offer. I feel if you know what you are looking for, a private owner can give you more insight into his particular car than a dealer can-Good Luck

I went through a "one-person" dealer last time (non-porsche) but would have no problem going with a private owner... might of cared for the car more?

I prefer private seller thats an enthusiasts.

I prefer private as well...some of the smaller dealerships are a bit shady.

if all things are equal (price, condition, etc) I prefer private sale, because the seller should let you do a ppi, and he should have service records, repair receipt, etc. at least for the time he owned the car. Always go to private sellers house, so you can see if the car was garaged, how the garage looks and the condition of their other cars will usually tell you if they really took care of the car. At a dealership you never going to be certain of the history of that car.

- Porsche dealer CPO pricy, not always the honest. - Used or other mainline-brand dealer other lux/sports car dealership(such as lexus/MB/BMW), maybe. solely used car dealer, stay away from them. - Individual the best if you can meet them in person.

Private owner, as long as they can show service history with records. If there are not records, then be very careful and do extra homework.

Plus, you don't have to pay sales tax if you buy from a private owner.

Yes you do- when you register with DMV.

Not so in Cal, where one must pay sales tax on the purchase price when registering the car, regardless of the source of the purchase.

Private all the way. You can get much more info from them and see any gaps in the service records. With dealers, you're often buying a car that's come off lease and in my experience people who purchase their cars treat them much better than those who lease.

ot here. oreganet, nice head light mod! i want to the same, can u tell where to get them?

yes you do.

I bought CPO because I guess I was a little fearful of problems. Damn you who have posted multiple RMS and engine failure posts! I read them in fear during my research phase! I have slept better at night, but now that I have been a Porsche owner for a year, I am thoroughly impressed with these cars. I will own more Porsches and if I buy used, I will buy from a private party through steps like those described above.

I've always bought new, always traded in the old for the new. My point? I always thought serious buyers prefer to buy from dealers, and it is too much hassle dealing with the "left-over buyers" whose only goal was to find the deal of the century. Glad to know that there ARE indeed serious buyers who prefer the private sale. I am on the list for a 997 GT3 and will likely put the C4S up for sale fall of 2007.

Thanks everyone. I was actually leaning towards the private sellers' car. At least he responds to my emails. (The dealer has yet to reply to any!) I'll let you know how it goes. tom

Glad you like them... you can get it from here... https://www.automotion.com/productpa...adlight+Covers Unfortunately, I didn't do the install (previous owner), but I'm told that it's as easy as painting to match the body color and sticking them in place. I've seen them on three different color cars and have liked each one. .. one drawback. I would like to upgrade my light to the litronic kit, but as far as I can tell cannot do so without losing the mods. I figure that I like the look of the headlights more than my desire to upgrade them.

...and we're glad that there are people like you out there who are prepared to pay the first year depreciation for people like us. I stopped buying new cars long ago, as I thought that paying depreciation was not smart. Personally, I prefer to buy a car that's a couple of years old in great condition and has full service records. .. you get the same car in "as-new" condition and don't have to waste the money that you flush down the drain as you drive off the dealer's lot. As for buying from a dealer - it's like gambling in vegas, the odds are stacked against you and the dealer will always have the upper hand one way or another.

For a Porsche, it's probably easier to sell at a price you're happy with (compared to the dealer's offer) than it is to find the one you want when you're buying. I think if you give everyone a heads up here when you want to sell, you'll get a fair offer, as people will know they're buying from someone who cared for the car, and the dealer will normally try to kill you. For many dealers, profit margins on pre-owned cars are higher than on selling new cars because of how cheap they are for them to buy when people trade in.

The ideal source for a used sports car is an original owner, imo. One that you have met and have some gut feel regarding his sports car experience, enthusiasm level, and driving maturity (does he wait for the engine oil to reach operating temp before redlining it?). Of course full maintenance records and a successful PPI are still a requirement. The least desirable source would be a dealer. But that just shows my general distaste for and distrust of dealers! And I really place a high value on being able to talk to the previous owner and getting my questions/concerns answered. I would also never buy a used car sight unseen (ie, the eBay way). I don't know how people can do that!

But what if he's owned the car for almost 2 years, and because "newer Porsches don't require a lot of maintenance, he didn't pay much attention to it" with respect to servicing!?! (Paraphrased from his email.) He also relied on CarFax in making the decision to buy it in the first place, and we all know how reliable that is! I'm talking to him tomorrow night, so I'll get a better feel for what kind of owner he is. Maybe I can leverage this lackadaisical approach to service in my favor. tom ps Do I need the current owners' permission to find out about the service history of the previous owner? Should I attempt to contact the previous owner for his permission?

Not in Georgia. If you buy from a privatep arty you pay no sales tax.

Tom, What color is this car you are looking at? My brother and I just looked at a few 996s and a boxster being sold by the owners. PM me if you dont want to publish it. If we dont bid against each other we both win (and the seller loses ).

I've purchased my last three cars directly from the former owner, and if I can I will always do so in the future. There is no substitute for a frank conversation with the fellow who spent the past few years in the car. What can a car salesman really tell you about a model you are prepared to buy that you don't already know?

I would skip it. One thing there is absolutely no shortage of is used Porsches. Many are in excellent shape and are superbly maintained. Just be patient and you will find everything to your liking. Thanks to Porsche's lousy depreciation of late, you'll be able to find a great deal too. Enjoy the hunt!

In Arizona you do NOT have to pay sales tax when purchaced from private owner (but you do from dealer, even when used).

Buying a Porsche is an emotional experience, and it can be a deciding factor either way to deal with the previous owner. A dealer has at his disposal all the tricks to make an extremely poorly cared for car appear nearly brand new or in mint cindition, whereas the owner will most likely show you the car in its as kept condition. Often times dealer cars are missing records, receipts, keys, tools and all kinds of extras that a PP seller will throw in with the deal. Dealer cars are sometimes ones that the previous owners cannot sell privately for any number of reasons. I would most always perfer to deal with an owner if you can find the right car.

Well said.

Never having sold my prior cars privately, I have a question for y'all. For arguments sake, lets say I want to upgrade Nov 2007. What do you guys think is a reasonable time period to try and sell the old car before it has to go as a trade in for the new car? Start trying to sell 3 months earlier, like Aug? Sooner? Later?

can u save tax on trade-in? if yes, i would say trade-in may be better. in general, spring and early fall are "active" season, depending on where u live. (summer too hot, winter too cold, etc.) i would start by posting some ads on pca magzine and excellce in june.

I called on my S2 saturday night and it was listed only one day in sunday's NY times. I called on both of my brothers 944s about fifteen minutes after they were posted. I was the first person to look at each of those three cars. On the other hand there were cars I passed on that were listed for months. I bought my miata without a picture, 240 miles from where i live with just a phone conversation and it wasnt listed anywhere. I stumbled on it in a post on the miata forum. my first S2 was from a dealer, and i didnt realize he had it for about a month and another rennlister passed on it without looking at it (he was hours away from it, i was minutes away). we looked at a 99 996 that seemed perfect last weekend. perfect until i looked at the car in person. we will probably pass on it since it is not perfect enough for my standards. turns out carfax says it has been for sale since december - private party. we looked at a 01 996 that seemed perfect monday night. mintutes from my brothers office, a half hour from my house. it is perfect. now if only we can get the seller down from 40k. Bottom line, the good ones dont last.