03 996tt x-50 vs 05 996tt S

Well I'm narrowing my search and sure could use some input; I'm looking at 2 cars each with 2 owners and good care. 03 996tt with x-50, 66k miles for $39,000 or 05 996tt "S" 36k miles for $52,000 I think besides the brakes there very similar How do you think my money would be best spent? Thanks All !!

Buy the best car you can find and afford. I can't comment on whether the two cars are priced at market value but assuming they are and if you can afford the 05 and it meets your other requirements the 05 I think is the way to go. Lower miles and it is the last of that model run so will be the most mature, sorted car. OTOH if the 03 checks out $39K vs. $52K...that's a lot of difference.

Thanks Mcster, I pulled the trigger today on the 03 996tt x-50, got it for 38k Come to find out that there are full service records and the 60k service had been completed,and a service warranty that is still in effect and transferable. Going to have a PPI next week. Wish me luck....

Well, I hate to mention this but the time for a PPI is *before* one buys the car not after. But good luck, regardless.

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If it's a clean, no-issues car, that seems like a very nice deal on a MKII TT, especially with X50. I probably would have gone for a deal like that as well, but passed without question on a $52K '05. For $52K, I'd be looking for a clean, lower mileage 2009 997 MKII S. "Only" 385 HP, but an infinitely nicer interior and IMHO just a much more modern, desirable car. And like the TT's, no IMSB! Pic's of the '03 Turbo??

Great input To play it safe I gave the dealer a $500 deposit, locked up the deal subject to a PPI early next week I'm not good at linking the pics but if you go onto Ebay 2003 Turbo completed listings you'll see it sold at 38k, beautiful interior,very nicely cared for...

Did you look at feedback from that dealer? When i looked up the car and saw the dealer it immediately rang a bell. I have read a few things about them in the past.

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To each his own, of course, but I just joined the turbo ranks at the beginning of this year, and faced that exact decision. For my 55k I wound up with an 02 X50 with 17,000 miles, a 149k MSRP car with tens of thousands of dollars worth of extra leather. But the main reason for choosing this over a lightly used 997S with the 9A1 motor? Torque, baby! 470 ft/lbs (easily tuned to mid-500s if so desired) just makes for a totally different experience than any 997 Carrera I've ever been in. Once I'd tried them both, there was just no question. As for the "more modern, desirable car" that's obviously the case for a lot of people, which is why they sell plenty of used 997 Carreras for prices that would put you in a very nice 996TT. But I love the 996/986 interior when done in full leather (I have a 2004 986S also) largely BECAUSE it doesn't look or feel like other cars -- very different, very special. I have other modern cars as well as other older cars (from sixties and seventies) and love the very fact that the older ones are different than the feel when I jump in a modern Benz or Audi. Again, I'm not arguing with you pfbz -- many more people agree with your point than with mine. Just pointing out some opposing views. Cheers!

I did check the dealer out and saw some negative feedback but also allot of positive, my main concern is the car which has 2 owners both in Texas,clean CarFax and Auto check and has been under either warranty or a service plan since new. The PPI will tell me more and hopefully confirm there are no issues. At the price I'm getting in for I figured a little risk is OK.

The deals I'm seeing on 996 Turbos is getting ridiculous. My brother has started looking into getting 996 but I may suggest he at least check out some 996tt's. Talk about bang for the buck...hard to beat.

^^ You're not kidding. The best of the best low-miles heavily optioned 996TTs are going for low-to-mid-fifties. Mine had 17,000 miles, X50 power option (GT2 turbos and intercoolers and remapped ECU), and a $149k sticker. After keeping my Boxster for 4 months along with the Turbo, I sold the Boxster. 2004 550 SE model, 45,000 miles. I got 22k. So the delta between the Boxster and the Turbo was $33k. But the MSRP delta was $149k vs. $63k, for a difference of $86,000! So the Metzger-engined 450hp turbo has depreciated $50,000 more than the M96-engined Boxster, while having 30,000 fewer miles put on it. If I had been willing to settle for the same mileage Turbo (45,000) I would have paid low-to-mid forties, and the delta would have been around $20,000 for those two similar condition cars. That, my friends, is astonishing.

autox, congratulations from another Norcal resident. Sounds like a great deal. I have driven a few X50s and they are an amazing car. Good luck and have fun.

Thanks to all, Tomorrow is the "day of reckoning", the PPI is going to happen with a shop I got off of Rennlist,and 6speed, the "truth will be in the pudding" or the turbos. I'll let you know how it goes. I hope it's a screaming deal !! We belong to the Redwood Region PCA, hope to see some comrades there.

Oh boy am I perplexed now, sure could use some guidance....PPI done In a nut shell the car was definitely a driver with 68k miles which I knew going into the deal but... there allot of rock chips on the bumper,hood.front spoiler,the rear bumper has been repainted but no signs of any other damage,hood has scratches and a ding had been repaired, some of the wood trim has been replaced not matching,the drivers seat bolster is worn and so on. Overall he gave it a 6-7 cosmetically. However he said mechanically it was great,the engine "pristine" no bad codes, no leaks,ran strong and so on, he gave it a 9 especially considering the miles... So my $100,000 question is it worth $38K or should I hold out and spend a little more, I don't plan to have a "garage queen", I want a driver/track car...

check the other one out as well... it's got 30,000 less miles which is definitely worth paying extra for

I'd hold out for one in superior cosmetic as well as mechanical condition. Also, do you like all that interior wood trim? For me, it would be a deal-breaker, but thats just personal preference.

Thanks to all, Great advice I canceled the sale on the 03 996tt and now scheduling a PPI for the 05 996 tt S

good move... hope it works out for you... that's gonna be one fast car with the right suspension in there...