996 Carrera Running Costs compared to Impreza STi

Hi Guys First post so be gentle with me. I currently drive a 2003 Subaru Impreza STi, which i've owned for getting on for 3 years and have spent thousands on it, both on performance mods and handling. It's currently making 292 Bhp @ the wheels. I'm getting a bit tired of the Impreza Image with the older models now being able to be purchased for less than £3k and am thinking of joining the 991 Brigade with a 996 Carrera 2. The Impreza returns c. 20 MPG with "sensible" driving. maybe getting up to 25-30 on a long run. It needs to be serviced every 12,000 miles or 12 months which roughly costs anything from £200 for a minor service, to £450 for a major. (Brakes extra, with Brembo pads costing £200 front and £160 rear) What would the running costs of a 1998-2000 Carrera 2 be like in comparison :?: I'm looking at spending £22k Tops, and looking on Pistonheads there seems to be a pretty good choice of cars at that sort of price. Can anyone recomended any good independent specialists in the Essex area who would look after servicing. Thanks :thumbs:

Me Too Hi I came from an 02 STI with the TSL 333 mod on it... lovely car... had it from new .. and one before it,, so all in all 10 years of Scoobies.. but i agree the image is sometimes a bit naff... but a lovely 'easy' car to drive. Some things i have noticed, its a Porsche, expect it to be considerably more expensive to run, fuel consumption on my 02 C4S is far better than the STI, even when driven hard, the Porsche is way better on fuel. My insurance is cheaper, obviously tax etc will be about the same. OK down sides, Porsche main dealers are really bad, they will tell you all sorts of crap, they are expensive and very one sided in my experience (Chester and cardiff) However, some indies are very good, Paragon who are not a million miles from you are excellent, and a third of the MD price, be very careful what you buy, becuase mistakes will cost, parts are not cheap, indies are essential at our end of the budget, I paid 38 for mine, and it has taken a long time to see why i spent the money... When you first buy the car you will think it handles really badly... the front end lifts, the brakes seem awful at first, however, the brakes are magnificent, you just need to push them twice as hard as the over servoed Impreza brakes, the handling is really stunning as well, it just takes allot of miles and time to get used to it, after the Impreza did it all for you... If you want a slow depriaciating 911 think about the the 964, or the 993, i you have to driv it everyday the 996 is a better bet. it takes time but i am now so in love with this car... even though i have had some problems, paint, window winder, etc... all should be covered by Porsche but they are just so slippery, they dont want to pay for anything.... making indies invaluable...hope that helps I am on [email removed] if you want any more questions answered cheers Paul

Thanks for that paul. What makes the running costs more expensive than the Impreza? Is it just the cost of servicing parts :?: Also looking through the Pistonheads forum they claim that the 996 suffers from a lot of problems with the Rear main seal. Is this something that is as common problem as they claim :?: s they seem to claim that there is no lip and therfore difficult to seal the bell housing to the block. I doubt very much Porsche would desgin something that way. Another reason for considering a 996 is i doubt i'll find the need to spend thousands on mods, as indeed you did with your TSL 333. Already had some insurance quotes and they all come back cheaper on the Porsche than they do on the Impreza

RMS The RMS (rear main seal) is a common gripe, i personaly think this would not be a problem on other cars!! ie its not a lot of oil, (usually) I also wonder if it is a scam that OPC (Official Porsche Centres) use to make money.... that could be a bit synical.... or..... My insurance is cheaper to, parts can be very expensive, especaily from OPC's always go to an indie for anything other than servicing, and tbh servicing as well if you are out of warranty. You could do allot worse than take a drive over to paragon, they are good people you will learn lots, thay will let you drive cars, their coffe is good, i would buy a car from them for peace of mind, at these prices a grand here or there can be very well spent (earlier) on a good example rather than after the fact with a bodged motor... Porsche is a new language You learnt 'scooby' all the different versions etc, now its time to take time and learn 'Porka' there is loads to know tbh, 911 Virgin seem good as well, if they are close to you... hope this all helps Paul

Much appreciated Paul :thumbs: