02+ cars with 80kish miles under 20k?

Recently I have seen a few 02+ cars with 70-90k in the at or under 20k category. I was wondering if someone with access to auction results or just a good handle on the market could give some insight on this. It seems like 99-01 cars are holding steady in the mid to upper teens with this mileage. Just wondering if the fairly large gap (5k+) that I noticed late last year between the MK1 and MK2 is shrinking.

I picked up my 2002 Targa with 77k miles in May for $19k, thought it was a good deal as most of the 2002+ examples I saw were in the $24k range. Ended up dropping a couple grand in small repairs (door latches, window regulators, etc) so ended up not quite as good of a deal as I originally thought... but still loving it!

Condition is just as critical in valuation of a ~10 year old Porsche as mileage or model year. I'm talking about stuff that is readily apparent to a knowlegable enthusiast checking out the car. No lift, no dissasembly, just a bit of knowledge, a flashlight, and 30 minutes or so. How clean is the interior, trim scratches, worn leather inside? Paintwork dings & scratches, soft bumper spider webs, curb rash on the wheels? Any obvious signs of respray or panel replacement? How clean is the underside and engine compartment (without looking like the seller just did a detail on it?) How much life is left on the tires? Any signs of abnormal wear? Signs of coolant seepage at the reservoir or water pump? Obvious oil leaks? Oil and coolant look clean? Engine sounds good, pulls good, no excessive smoke on startup or noise? Car tracks well, has good turn-in, smooth braking? Clutch engages smoothly at the right point, no slipping if you are low speed/high gear/full throttle? No excessive vacuum on oil cap while idling? No idiot lights? Obvious stuff not working (like windows lowering with door handle, any peculiarities with options, etc.)? Visible portion of brake pads have some meat left? No scoring on rotors? Clean carfax, any dealer and indy service history documents? Contrary to conventional wisdom, I think this stuff is more important as a PPI. PPI's seem to vary greatly in thoroughness and value. There is no easy way for a PPI to identify pre-failure conditions on the most critical issues anyway... How many PPI's drop the oil sump plate and look for debris? That would be valuable. For that matter, how many PPI's even change/cut/check the oil filter without specifically asking them to do so? Same year, same mileage, I'd much rather spend $4K more on the front end to find a car that is visually nearly perfect with no identified issues than a cheaper car to start fixing. Auction cars, wether Manheim, eBay, whatever, tend to sell at a significant discount because most of these things can't be fully evaluated pre-purchase.

Quotes source post: 10760121

Very true. You cannot judge the cars based on the internet listings alone. To evaluate the car you need to see it in person and drive it. Carfax and service history is also extremely important. You don't want a car that had accidents, title issues, and limited services. If car was serviced by the dealer, it will most likely be reported to the Carfax. Since 996s are getting older and they are moving into DIY hands, receipts for parts are now invaluable.

On your more specific question of MKI vs. MKII... I find clearbook to be the best of the value guides out there other than having access to Manheim auction results. For a base, no-option C2 coupe with 70K miles in excellent condition, Clearbook puts the target private party sale prices at: 1999: $18,335 2000: $19,229 2001: $20,949 2002: $22,373 2003: $25,060 2004: $27,262 That looks pretty damn linear to me, flattening out just a bit as you might expect at about 13 years when it becomes more about condition/mileage than age and a bit of a premium on cars less than 10 years old. Certainly no cliff on MKI vs MKII, though personally I find the MKII cars to be much more desirable. Yes, I know 1999 3.4L double row throttle cable cars have a big fan base as well...

...and while I'm on my soap-box :-) People bitch about how the price on 996's have fallen through the floor... It seems to me that they have held their priced better than most other luxury brands. e.g. clearbook puts the price of a base 2004 Mercedes S430 (excellent condition, 70K miles) at $15,929. It had a base price about $5K higher than a 911 in 2004 and similarly expensive option prices. And a 2000 S430 (70K miles, excellent condition) at $10,555! That is killer depreciation, though fairly typical of high end luxury cars.