I test drove a 2002 Carerra 4 convertible today

And i was pretty much unimpressed. I've had the itch lately to buy a 996 turbo. I've always liked the looks of the 911 and I have some extra cash laying around so I have been looking around for something around or less than $40k. There are no turbos for sale within 200 miles of me so I went to drive this one to see the fit & finish, etc. The interior was pretty cheap feeling and the car was a bit of a pooch. The steering was funny feeling too. Are the turbos much different?

Some have full leather interior, see if you like those. Try driving a coupe, also try driving a C2. TURBO'S ARE FASTER.

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I went and test drove a 2012 911 Carrera S this weekend. It drove like ****. The car had a modified suspension, aftermarket 21" wheels, and what he claimed was a "tune". Then I drove a 2011 Carrera S at the dealership and I thought it was a completely different car. At the German car meet, I got to drive someone's 1996 993 around the block and it felt amazing. Then I drove a 2010 BMW M3 that everyone raves about and couldn't get over how awful it felt. Without pointing to more details about the car you test drove, and what condition it's in, YMMWV.

This is the car: http://www.efkampauto.com/2002_Porsc..._255667249.veh

911 Turbo and n/a cars are completely different. Check out a car with full leather interior and if you can find one, full carbon interior. Totally transforms the quality of the interior. Bose stereo is MUCH better than any other factory option as far as sound quality. Find a Turbo that fits your needs and travel for it. If that car doesn't impress you, then the 996 platform isn't for you.

Steering was funny feeling? Odd. The steering is phenomenal in these cars. You can find a turbo in the price range you are looking at, but may need to wait/search more. If I had it to do all over, I would have bought a turbo, but very satisfied with the NA version.

Any years to look for or avoid in this series? Or must-have options or maintenance performed or mileage concerns, etc?

You are longing for a Turbo but were unimpressed by a N/A Cab with a Tip. No wonder you were unimpressed. As for the steering feel, I am really happy with my run of the mill Carrera steering. This cab may have problems. TC

I have a Tip in my car because my wife doesn't care to for manuals anymore. The Tips feel sluggish and you really need to keep them in the manual mode in my opinion. The steering on my 02 Cab is awesome and tight. The Turbo is just a beast, a year ago they had an 02 coupe AWD 6 speed with 8,000 miles at the local Porsche dealer. It came from someone out west that races corvettes and this was part of his collection. I remember it was tuned to 425hp and 425ft of torque. It was one of those cars where you felt the blood rush up your legs in 2nd gear WOT. Just an amazing car, I think it sold for $49,000. I had offered $47,000 but got scooped. You can see it below. 02 996 Turbo

What are you accustomed to driving? Even with "only" 300 HP, the car should feel excellent. Yes, the interior is a bit spartan, but a C4 should be an outstanding drive. The 996 is a solid platform, and the C4 is even more solid. Maybe ask around your local PCA chapter to see if there's a C4 owner who will let you drive a properly sorted C4 for comparison. Steering can feel a little odd in a C4 due to the front-drive components, especially if you're not accustomed to an AWD car. You might also want to drive a RWD 996 to see if that's what bothered you. A turbo will be faster. A non-turbo Carrera or C4 should still provide an outstanding driving experience.

I owned a 2001 Carrera 4 Tip without full leather in the early 2000's and never really liked the way it drove even though it was a GREAT car. The car was for my wife and she loved it. I recently bought a 2000 Carrera (2wd) with 6-speed and full leather, and the difference is amazing -- I LOVE driving the 6-speed car. I think the later Tip is better than the one in our 2001, but that makes a huge difference. I'm not sure how much of a difference 4wd is versus 2wd, but definitely drive a 996 with a 6-speed to see what it's like. Same with the interior, I thought the interior on our old car felt cheap, but full leather makes a big difference. At least the car you drove had the 3-spoke wheel -- our old 996 had the 4-spoke and I didn't like that wheel either. Options make a big difference on these cars -- I definitely wouldn't judge the 996 based upon one drive in a C4 Tip. As others have said, condition plays a big factor. The cars are cheap now, so it's not unusual for many of the cars to be poorly maintained by the more recent owners.

Oh, yeah, I just noticed the "tip" part. Tip owners can be rather defensive, and Porsche sold a boatload of tips, so clearly they must have positive qualities. I honestly don't know why anyone would want to own a non-PDK automatic - I have yet to drive a car with a slushbox I truly like. The auto in my Corvette is tweaked for really hard, fast shifts @ the strip, and it does epic burnouts, but 4 days out of 5 I wish it had a stick. So yeah...try to find yourself a standard before you decide the 996 is junk.

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+1

Night and day diff between the turbo and na Porsches. No comparison between driving an na Porsche (stock) and a turbo. As far as the interior they are pretty much all the same. The turbo does have standard leather interior so the dash, pillars, etc will look better. When you are wot with a turbo trust me the last thing you notice or care about is the interior.

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LOL, I would hope so. "Driving-glove-clad fingers tickling the fine Corinthian leather on the glareshield as the speedo winds rapidly into the triple digits...". TC

"Corinthian leather is a term coined by the advertising agency Bozell to describe the upholstery used in certain Chrysler luxury vehicles. The term first appeared in advertising in 1974.[1] Although the term suggests that the product has a relationship to or origination from Corinth, there is no relationship; the term is merely a marketing concept." Most "Corinthian" leather was sourced from a supplier in New Jersey.

Whats a better vehicle - a 2001 turbo or a newer, say 2005-2007 non-turbo? Assuming same price/condition and relative mileage.

Go for the full leather interior, or as much leather as you can get. But skip the carbon fiber. I have a few pieces in my car, shifter and hand brake handle and the are cracked, it happens to pretty much all of them. My buddy has just about every piece of interior carbon fiber that the factory offered in his cab. From the sunlight most of it is disclosed, cracking or delaminating. We actually had to find a leather steering wheel for his as the carbon fiber on his was falling off. And even in good condition too much of it looks cheap and gaudy IMHO.

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Can't comment on the 2001+ Turbo, but I believe the very earliest 2005 997.1's were prone to IMS failure and then the factory fairly quickly switched to a much stronger bearing design (not sure if that was 2005 or 2006). I don't think that the IMS bearing can be proactively be replaced on the 997.1's without disassembling the engines, so the early 997.1's might not be the safest choice. IMS was removed from the design in 2009 with 997.2. It seems people don't like to discuss IMS except in designated threads, but it is relevant to your question so I am mentioning it. I am not an expert on 997's, the above is from what I have read -- someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

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Well based on your power expectations from the original post, I'd have to say the '01 turbo would suit YOU best as long as your priorities are power over looks(looks meaning if you don't mind the headlights and interior). As another pointed out, the 05-07 has basically the same motor as the '02-04 but has slightly gained weight so if anything, that model also may underwhelm you. The 997 does have slightly different gearing but you probably won't feel it. My $.02

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Yes the turbos are different, which is why they were priced $40,000 above a similarly optioned C2. Maybe you just drove a dud. My 2002 C2 has 118,000 (it's a tiptronic) and drives great. The interior does leave a lot to be desired in my opinion, but some people actually prefer the "plain" look.

To answer the "why would anyone want to own (an automatic transmission Porsche 996)" it's really not that complicated and the answer is...there could be several reasons. I have owned both manual and auto Porsche 911s. I have driven a few more Porsche 911s in various configurations. I cannot comment on the 1999-2001 auto, have not driven it. I own a 2002 auto, which is the 3rd car in my personal line up. I chose the auto for two practical reasons: one my knee, clutching is no problem for about 20 mins but after that it becomes a physical issue, two: the 15 mile radius around my house (located right outside Philadelphia) is densely populated with traffic lights. Driving is stop and go, stop and go. First, second, first, second, first, second on and on...it can be frustrating, especially with the knee thing. In street driving the the average driver does not shift a manual better than the tip shifts itself. I fully realize many people "think" they shift better, they don't. I'll even admit when I push that up shift button there is a less than one second (real time) hesitation before the shift takes place, but it is no slower than physically engaging the clutch, moving the shift lever to the new gear, and releasing the clutch. If Derek Reginald Bell is driving the manual, he wins every time. If the average Rennlist poster is driving the manual...it's a different story. My God, I do sound defensive..

Go drive a turbo, nuff said.

As others have said boths cars are different. I owned a 2.7 boxster for 12 years and then purchased an 02 stock turbo that i have been driving for two years. I test drove a few NA 996 on my path to the turbo. The boxster was the best handling car with the best braking. Its as if the hand of god was controlling the car. I test drove a few na 996's and didnt think they were much faster than my boxster, but needed to be wrung out to get the performance i was looking for. So i can understand how they would probably feel worse if they were automatic. The tt on the other hand is obscenely fast with power in each gear. The steering gets light under throttle and is heavier than the rear wheel drive cars i had driven. The braking is not as good but that may be my pads that ill be changing soon. Overall its the best driving experience one can have for the money.

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Hands down, Turbo.

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Heh. I do understand why people want an automatic - I just have trouble reconciling "automatic" and "911." But that's probably a "me" problem, not an "everyone else" problem, as I realize that 99% of the world prefers automatic.

My 02 C4 Cab drives and handles great... Though it now (at 135K+ miles) has upgraded suspension, it handled great from stock. Have driven some of the even newer tiptronic cars and hated the poor response compared to the stick. Poorly done suspension and wheels can affect the cars handling for sure, especially if using too large aftermarket wheels. Would strongly suggest driving a well maintained example before making a decision... the AWD system is the same from the C4 to Turbo and is great if tracking the car. Turbos of course are faster, but the NA versions are also great handing cars and can get around the track quite well if driven well!

A C4, with a Tip, and a convertible.......I don't think you could spec out a heavier car. No one has mentioned that you need to get the rpms in the 4-6,000 range for this era car to get into the power band.

I own a tip (wife and 2 dauhtgers don't drive stick) but I SELF-IDENTIFY😜 with manual gearboxes

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They are all great cars (including the NA 996). You gotta go drive them to see for yourself. For many people it comes down to your own driving style and personal preference, not what someone else tells you is better!