1999 Porsche question-----Thanks

Hi I am new here however, I've been reading this forum for quite sometime. I do not drive Porsche yet however, I hope to soon. My question does it make sense to trade in my 99' M3 with 67K for 99' Porsche with 32K. The dealer is asking $44,000 for the Porsche. I don't know the option on the Porsche yet but I will find out after work. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

I just bought a 2000 996C2 with 26K miles on it for ~$43K. That sounds high for a 99, you can do far better on ebay (where I located mine). If its Porsche Certified, that might be worth a bit more. -Dave '00 996C2 '97 M3 '00 A4 1.8TQ '89 M3

Wow.... that is a good price for 00' low mi. I will see the car tonight and I will make them an offer. So how you like the c2 compare to your 97 M3? I am wonder if I am make a good choice by going from 99 M3 to another 99 P car.

Oh No! Please pay more for earlier 996's....

Saul, Hmm.... well my first thought driving the M3 and 996 back to back was that the 996 was very similar just a bit faster. They both have a very balanced chassis/susp, the ability to oversteer when you want it but never unexpectedly, tons of grip etc. They both have 6cyl engines that are incredibly smooth due to their inherently counterbalanced designs. After more miles on the 996 I can say that it is definitely a tick faster (probably due to being 250lbs lighter as much as hp). On- vs. Off-throttle steering differences are much more pronounced in the 996. The steering can feel light or very heavy depending on your right foot, whereas in the M3 its always the same feel -- 50/50 weight has its affect. Braking and shifting in the 996 are a bit more natural feeling. The car just feels smaller. The E36 M3, OTOH, is still probably the easiest to drive fast, most well-balanced car I've been in. You can do anything and that car will not bite you on dry pavement. But its NOT as fun as the 996. Still, we're keeping both. After all, the E36 M3 did kick a lot of Porsche butt on the track. Its got 100K miles on it and still runs strong. It might get to retire as a track car someday. -Dave

delliott00, Do you think the suspension on the Porsche feel tighter and stiffer than the M3. I recall when I test drove brand new 2000 C2 Porsche couple years ago and I love the way the Porsche feel, it feel tighter, the driver and the car feel as one. After I drove the Porsche than drove my M3, the M3 just feel loose. Do you feel this way between your M3 and the Porsche? Thanks

Saul, I did the same thing in Oct 2001 - traded my 99 M3 for a 99 996. While I agree with what delliott00 said, I think definitely the 996 is stiffer. I had an ECIS intake and AA exhaust on the M3, and it was a nice combo. But at 36k the suspension was starting to soften up, and I was either going to replace or upgrade the suspension. The sport suspension in my 996 is wonderful - very flat and composed. I think it's balanced toward understeer, and for now that's ok for me. I don't track the car. I do wonder what a nice set of springs and shocks would've done for the M3, and I also occasionally regret giving up the luxury of the M3 (my 996 does not have the "full leather" interior, so it's a little cheesy). I have the sports exhaust now on the 996, and it's a huge improvement, but I do wonder whether I made the right choice. From what I've seen, $44k is too much. I'd shoot for close to $40k, or even less (sob!). Good luck -Chris

ccasey During the time I test drove the 2000 model Porsche I had Koni/H&R sport setup on my M3 and probably less than 20k mi the car. However, after the Porsche test drive my M3 felt soft, floaty and not tight like the P car. I did a little research on 99' C2 mi between 15k-30k and the average price seem to be around $42k. I will shoot for $40k when I see and if I like the car.