Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Except one just can't get a Porsche unless they are exclusively wealthy.

For those who only buy new, they are definitely getting prohibitively expensive. But there are plenty of great Porsches to be had on the used market. You can buy a very nice 996 in the 30-40K range. 1st/2nd gen Boxsters are still a steal in the 20s, and nice first gen Caymans can be had in the 30s. These cars will give you 80-90% of the driving experience of a new generation...potentially even more since they are more analog and can be driven more spiritedly within the speed limit.

Ie. a car like this Cayman S is a great bang for buck.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...3-92a7feeb9875

And if you buy smart, you can turn around and sell it for pretty much what you bought it for in a few years...if not more, depending on the car. I'm not saying they are cheap, but as long as you can afford the maintenance, and set aside some money for unknowns, Porsches can be a relatively solid financial decision compared to other brands*. They are the Rolex of the car world.

*Talking sports cars, not the Cayennes, Macans etc...

[photon]

Don't forget Panameras!

Hopefully my next car.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by photon

Don't forget Panameras!

Hopefully my next car.

Great cars too, they just don't have the same type of value retention as the 911/Cayman/Boxster. I'm sure there's a good sweet spot too, but you definitely have to be ok with the steeper depreciation curve and potentially higher maintenance costs.

[photon]

Hm ok good to know.. I was trying to sell my wife on the idea of not worrying about the cost and just consider total cost of ownership for cars that don't depreciate much.

Good thing I didn't convince her on a Panamera recently then.

[Table 5]

I mean it's still better than a BMW or Audi...

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

I don’t see the point of Audi/BMW/Merc when one can just get a Porsche.

If you want to haul kids around, you're either getting an SUV (I'd rather just admit what I need and get a Rav4) or you're getting a Panamera (yay).

BMW/Audi/Merc have offerings much more affordable than a Panamera.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Table 5

For those who only buy new, they are definitely getting prohibitively expensive. But there are plenty of great Porsches to be had on the used market. You can buy a very nice 996 in the 30-40K range. 1st/2nd gen Boxsters are still a steal in the 20s, and nice first gen Caymans can be had in the 30s. These cars will give you 80-90% of the driving experience of a new generation...potentially even more since they are more analog and can be driven more spiritedly within the speed limit.

Ie. a car like this Cayman S is a great bang for buck.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...3-92a7feeb9875

And if you buy smart, you can turn around and sell it for pretty much what you bought it for in a few years...if not more, depending on the car. I'm not saying they are cheap, but as long as you can afford the maintenance, and set aside some money for unknowns, Porsches can be a relatively solid financial decision compared to other brands*. They are the Rolex of the car world.

*Talking sports cars, not the Cayennes, Macans etc...

Originally Posted by Table 5

Great cars too, they just don't have the same type of value retention as the 911/Cayman/Boxster. I'm sure there's a good sweet spot too, but you definitely have to be ok with the steeper depreciation curve and potentially higher maintenance costs.

Originally Posted by Table 5

I mean it's still better than a BMW or Audi...

The comedy in these posts.

[nik-]

The Panamera Sport Turismo is nice, I honestly think the regular Panamera is ugly as hell. Especially the first gen. Porsche's are honestly way too expensive now. $200k CSs at the dealer is crazy.

edit: actually it's apparently 225k for a Carrera S now.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

If you want to haul kids around, you're either getting an SUV (I'd rather just admit what I need and get a Rav4) or you're getting a Panamera (yay).

BMW/Audi/Merc have offerings much more affordable than a Panamera.

Heck it's now $73k CAD for a base Macan which is a tiny CUV that has the same 2.0L engine and transmission that you get in a GTI. The word "value" should be taken lightly when it comes to purchasing luxury vehicles but most Porsches are poor value at new prices. I will say in the case of most 911's and high spec Caymans they don't lose much value compared to BMW, Audi, MB. The SUV's lose value just like any other luxury SUV.

[speede5]

Originally Posted by photon

Don't forget Panameras!

Hopefully my next car.

I can't get over the a$$ end on these, everything else is great, but I'd have to get the wagon myself. I saw lots in Germany, I can only imagine they are a fantastic ride on the autobahn.

[you&me]

I lost track if anyone is actually looking to buy a Panamera, but anyone doing so should take a close look at the trunk and do a dry-run with their typical cargo - suitcases, grocery bags, or (too late in my case) strollers...

The relatively high floor combined with the sloping rear class (non-Sport Turismo versions) and rear wheel arches make for a shallow, awkward space.

Awesome cars otherwise. I think the current gen looks great, but the first gen was definitely less-so. The good news is, you don't see how ugly it is from behind the wheel and they're fantastic to drive.

[TorqueDog]

I had always considered a Panamera 4S or better as a possible winter runabout, ugly or not. Then prices went a bit looney and that was that.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I'm looking for recommendations on resources.

I'm looking to buy a new vehicle in the next 6months

I'm looking at wagons or 4door sedans, I am done with SUVs.

What are some great websites that can be used to review quality, longevity, technical specs (don't want no low HP).

I'm looking for a long term purchase of more higher end vehicle (Audio/BMW/Mercedes)

I think part of the question depends on how you want to enjoy the vehicle. There's reviewers out there that specialize in reviewing in a way that is more "relatable" to certain buyers out there (not necessarily enthusiasts) you can try to look for.

For instance, there's reviews based on something like, "Will it baby?". You're long past that, but for cargo space and accessibility concerns, some of those "Will it baby?" reviews do show useful interactions with the vehicle in ways many others do not. So for instance, for a Panamera reference, you could indeed watch a "Will it baby?" review to look at the car seat/stroller segments to determine if a passenger/package/luggage may fit to avoid walking up to a test drive and immediately realize that there's a deal breaker for cargo space. I think there's others reviews that always try to see how golf clubs fit (length) others that jump in the vehicle and then do road trips (road noise, comfort, real world fuel economy/passing)... how easily the vehicle can be dismantled and reassembled (I think for DIYers to figure out if it'd be fun or frustration) etc.

Honestly speaking, I don't really watch this stuff. Just saying that I recall it exists. So if you find a style of review for vehicles you like, just type in the vehicles you're wondering about + that style. It might be helpful looking at styles of car reviews to get the algorithm primed before looking at the specific car model reviews?

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

For instance, there's reviews based on something like, "Will it baby?". You're long past that, but for cargo space and accessibility concerns, some of those "Will it baby?" reviews do show useful interactions with the vehicle in ways many others do not. So for instance, for a Panamera reference, you could indeed watch a "Will it baby?" review to look at the car seat/stroller segments to determine if a passenger/package/luggage may fit to avoid walking up to a test drive and immediately realize that there's a deal breaker for cargo space.

Back in 2020, I started to devise a whole "Will it Bernese Mountain Dog?" scheme to figure out if I could (have gotten my dad to) build a carpeted rear floor insert out of plywood that would have allowed me to fit a 100 lb. floof in the back of an AM Rapide with the seats folded down.

The golf-club scenario is handled surprisingly poorly by a lot of these four-door hatch sports GTs, considering the demographics of the people who buy them heavily overlap with "spends too much time golfing".