Thinking of buying 996 for my wife

Hi guys. 1st post on here so be gentle[ ] We've just been looking at a 996 Carrera 4 coupe at an independant dealer over in Harrogate. The details of the vehicle are here: http://www.marcusfothergill.co.uk/vehicle-details.asp?region=&order=&Model%20=&Make=&BodyType=&FuelType=&Transmission=&intMin=&intMax=&RSpage=1&ID=78975 I know nothing about the marque and just wanted some opinions on whether it seems to be about the right money, anything to watch out for etc? I was concerned that the vehicle has 6 former keepers but the salesman tried to convince me this wasn't unusual for a porsche, and that people tend not to keep them very long? Any help,observations,warnings and advice would be very greatfully received. Thanks Andy Brown

Andy, If the salesman was looking for a sale he would have told you anything "Well actually Sir, three wheels are adequate unless you want to drive it" As you say that you new to the Marque I would suggest taking a knowledgable friend or mechanic with you. Ask if they are happy to have the car independantly inspected (if the salesman says "No need Sir, Its a Porsche" then insist on one before going any further. Six owners does seem rather high for a 996. Hope this helps. Cheers,

I'd say it probably isn't too unusual for a 996 to have 6 owners in 6-7 years. At least it is consistent with the mileage, and all 6 have probably used it as a daily drive. What is important is that it has been properly cared for with a full service history from OPC's or recognised specialists. A stack of invoices is always comforting as it shows the previous owners realise the importance of a documented history. If that's the case, I wouldn't worry about the mileage either.

I've seen the service booklet and it does have a full service history from Porsche main dealers. The salesman did say that i was welcome to ring the dealership that serviced the car as "they know the car and can confirm it's history". I've owned BMW in the past and a VRM or chassis no. would be all that's required to show the cars history including any accident damage. Is this the case with Porsche and who would I ask for this info? I would be happy to pay a fee to satisfy myself that the cars not a lemon. Is an RAC inspection appropriate or would I need a Porsche specialist to do an inspection? Many thanks for the information thus far. Andy

Why not get the OPC to do an inspection? If you get them to do the pre-warranty one, you have the option of taking the Porsche Warranty. Maybe you could negotiate with Marcus Fothergill on this. Although the Porsche warranty is £725, Fothergills must be paying at least half that to provide you with an independent warranty. Played carefully it might be win-win for you.

Thanks Richard. I'll look into this. Andy

Hi diesel , what Richard says is good advice. The price is OK , and if you dont know much about Porsches then you are best buying from a dealer. My comment would be to look at Tiptronic 996 as these are less likely to have been revved and there is no clutch to worry about. Performance is still adequate and it is much more user friendly in town.....you wont suffer the embarassment of stalling it .

Diesel It seams a nice car but i would be put off by the fact that it has had 6 owners and when you come to sell it you would be the 7th making it a lot of people with diffrent driving styles having used this car. I spent a lot of time trying to find a car that only had 1 owner, low millage, with full opc history but it is all down to prefernce i would also insist that it goes to OPC to have the full inspection done you can go round the car while they are inspecting it and ask any questions. The Rac will not know the 996 as well as the dealer. Good luck. Phil

Andy I am the 6th or 7th owner of mine, bought from an independant, had it checked over by OPC and warranted. At first the number of owners was a bit of a mental hurdle for me (but the car was cheaper). All forgotten now and it does seem not uncommon to come across high ownership numbers. I wouldn't worry about it, I have no regrets. Hugh

I agree with Hugh. I respect Phillipe's view, but there is no doubt you would pay a premium for a one-owner, low-mileage car. Most of us buying a car of 5-6 years old are working to a budget. My advice is to buy the best condition car you can afford. Mine has had 5 owners and 69000 miles, and I like to think that it has been well cared for, each owner using it regularly and spending money keeping it in tip-top condition. After a year or so, I expect most upgraded to a better or newer model, or simply moved on to a different marque. I believe this is a common phenomenon, and I don't think it is necessarily a sign of the car being a lemon.

Yep, I'm number 7 on mine too! Wasn;t an issue to me.

I think that Porsches are prone to having high numbers of owners, especially in the first few years, as people get the car out of a sense of accomplishment or yearning but then move on due to the cost of repayments or fear of depreciation etc....