[vbb]

For $45K you can have a well optioned, brand new 335i. For the same price, you can have a '99-'00 Porsche 911 with less than 50K miles for a really fun weekend car, and still have $20K left over to buy a reliable daily driver.

My lease is coming to an end on my 335i, and I've got a budget of about $45K give or take a little. I'm trying to decide if I should re-lease another 335i (I've loved the car, it's been great), or just purchase an older 911 to drive on the weekends/nights/occasional day to work and then take the leftover money to find some sort of daily driver (there are a lot of good options out there for $20K).

Which would you do?

[pittyinSC]

Buy a cheap DD and then mod the crap out of another car and still have a ton left over to splurge on things......like say buy a roller 93 RX7 and put an LS1 in it or something along those lines...that would be best of both worlds really. Reliable and great gas mileage when not getting on it

[T3X4S]

I'd take the 911 and get a reliable daily driver. However, don't forget that you will have to pay car insurance on two instead of one. It's painful since I have a dd and my E93.

[smallseafishie]

Or just buy a used 335i for about 30k and save yourself 15k for a DD.

[SV Concepts]

Since when is a 335i not a good daily driver?
If I can drive this daily, you can drive a stock one around town, I assure you.

[Molos 2003]

Originally Posted by Jlevi SW

Since when is a 335i not a good daily driver?
If I can drive this daily, you can drive a stock one around town, I assure you.

This is the nicest crimson red E92 I have seen.

[I335]

^I think it's one of the nicest there is - try searching a bit and you'll find more info on it. Apparently JLevi has great taste!

[vbb]

Originally Posted by Jlevi SW

Since when is a 335i not a good daily driver?
If I can drive this daily, you can drive a stock one around town, I assure you.

Where did I say the 335i isn't a good daily?! It's a fantastic daily driver. Last I checked though, I can't find one for $20K. And since I said my budget is around $45K, and the used 911 will be about $20-$25K, I couldn't afford a 335i as a daily if I wanted to have the 911 as my fun car.

The choice is either to get a new 335i as my only car, or to get a used 911 as a "fun" car for $25K and pick up a less-expensive 2nd car as a daily driver for around $20K. Get it?

[Budfox27]

First model of watered cooled 911's. I think they are ugly and not dependable. I would rather have a late 80's carrera or one of the last air cooled models. Stick with the 335i and buy a 911 when you can afford it.

[blue2fire]

Nice, but get a 2002+ Boxster and a 325i which is loaded with low miles. The 1999+ 996's are still unreliable and do not handle as well as the 997's (which are not as good as the cayman).

OR an NSX ,they go on forever and they are mid engined. The good thing is that these cars might start to actually appreciate over time.

[EDM92]

Originally Posted by vbb

Where did I say the 335i isn't a good daily?! It's a fantastic daily driver. Last I checked though, I can't find one for $20K. And since I said my budget is around $45K, and the used 911 will be about $20-$25K, I couldn't afford a 335i as a daily if I wanted to have the 911 as my fun car.

The choice is either to get a new 335i as my only car, or to get a used 911 as a "fun" car for $25K and pick up a less-expensive 2nd car as a daily driver for around $20K. Get it?

Why can't you purchase a used 335? When you buy new you lose at least 5k just driving it off the lot. Also can a 335 not be a fun car and a daily driver? There's no need to drive it in DS all the time. An 07 335 loaded with 20k miles-ish, and CPO will cost ya 30,000. Then ya got 15k for anything ya want.

[galahad05]

Originally Posted by vbb

Where did I say the 335i isn't a good daily?! It's a fantastic daily driver. Last I checked though, I can't find one for $20K. And since I said my budget is around $45K, and the used 911 will be about $20-$25K, I couldn't afford a 335i as a daily if I wanted to have the 911 as my fun car.

The choice is either to get a new 335i as my only car, or to get a used 911 as a "fun" car for $25K and pick up a less-expensive 2nd car as a daily driver for around $20K. Get it?

I almost went this route (335 fun car + Toyota DD in my case). I very very quickly realized just how much I didn't want to drive my daily driver. It was simply no contest. I found myself dragging myself slower and slower to my Toyota every weekday. I found the difference behind the wheel between the Toyota and the 335 just too much to stand driving the Toyota. I eventually gave it to family.

I think you might feel the same way, if your "fun" car is daily-driver-capable while still being fun. Like a 335.

Remember, you'll spend much more time in your daily than in your weekend car.

[Majikthese42]

I wouldn't. Google "Porsche 996 rear main seal".

A nice 993 (the last air-cooled Porsche) is probably around $40k, but you can probably buy a 964 or air-cooled 911 plus a new Honda Accord EX 4-banger with a stick for $45k.

Any car with a stick shift has a soul -- even an Accord.

[wrickem]

Why not buy the car you have now at lease end for your daily driver and buy a fun car with the difference?

[vbb]

Originally Posted by Budfox27

First model of watered cooled 911's. I think they are ugly and not dependable. I would rather have a late 80's carrera or one of the last air cooled models. Stick with the 335i and buy a 911 when you can afford it.

I can afford a 911 now, just not a new one. There's nothing wrong with buying a used sports car, especially if it's not something I'll be daily driving.

[vbb]

Originally Posted by galahad05

I almost went this route (335 fun car + Toyota DD in my case). I very very quickly realized just how much I didn't want to drive my daily driver. It was simply no contest. I found myself dragging myself slower and slower to my Toyota every weekday. I found the difference behind the wheel between the Toyota and the 335 just too much to stand driving the Toyota. I eventually gave it to family.

I think you might feel the same way, if your "fun" car is daily-driver-capable while still being fun. Like a 335.

Remember, you'll spend much more time in your daily than in your weekend car.

Yeah, that's why I want to have a car I can stand as a daily driver. I actually have considered the possibility of picking up a used 325i as a daily. I'm sure I could find a good CPO model for around $20K.

The 335i is a very, very fun car. But it isn't the type of car that I'd keep in the garage all day an only bring out on nice days and weekends. I'm looking for a more "dedicated" sports car if that makes any sense. I've had a crush on the Porsche since I was a kid. The NSX and Elise would also make that list as a fun dedicated sports car. I want something a little less ubiquitous. Something I'd keep for a very long time. The 335i is a fantastic daily driver, but it's not exactly the sports car I'm looking for.

[mike-y]

keep looking for a porsche then. I'm sure if you have a little patience, you'll find one. A friend of mine recently scored a great deal on a loaded '05 boxster for his fun car and loves it. He's got a honda pilot for DD duties, which is pretty nice in his own right, but something like a 06 325i would also make for a really nice DD

[ar design]

Get a used 996TT

[methodtim]

Originally Posted by vbb

Yeah, that's why I want to have a car I can stand as a daily driver. I actually have considered the possibility of picking up a used 325i as a daily. I'm sure I could find a good CPO model for around $20K.

The 335i is a very, very fun car. But it isn't the type of car that I'd keep in the garage all day an only bring out on nice days and weekends. I'm looking for a more "dedicated" sports car if that makes any sense. I've had a crush on the Porsche since I was a kid. The NSX and Elise would also make that list as a fun dedicated sports car. I want something a little less ubiquitous. Something I'd keep for a very long time. The 335i is a fantastic daily driver, but it's not exactly the sports car I'm looking for.

You should get the Porsche and a 325i. That would be perfect.... until the maintenance bills come.

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by vbb

For $45K you can have a well optioned, brand new 335i. For the same price, you can have a '99-'00 Porsche 911 with less than 50K miles for a really fun weekend car, and still have $20K left over to buy a reliable daily driver.

My lease is coming to an end on my 335i, and I've got a budget of about $45K give or take a little. I'm trying to decide if I should re-lease another 335i (I've loved the car, it's been great), or just purchase an older 911 to drive on the weekends/nights/occasional day to work and then take the leftover money to find some sort of daily driver (there are a lot of good options out there for $20K).

Which would you do?

Scenario1 You drive a piece of crap 5 days a week and a nice but fairly old car 2 days a week. You pay 2 lots of insurance and taxes and at least 1 lot of repair bills

Scenario 2. You drive a nice car 7 days a week, pay 1 lot of tax and insurance and repairs are covered by warranty

Personally I'd take #2

[vbb]

Originally Posted by SteveC

Scenario1 You drive a piece of crap 5 days a week and a nice but fairly old car 2 days a week. You pay 2 lots of insurance and taxes and at least 1 lot of repair bills

Scenario 2. You drive a nice car 7 days a week, pay 1 lot of tax and insurance and repairs are covered by warranty

Personally I'd take #2

I see your point, but that might be a bit of an oversimplification. First off, you can get a very nice and reliable used car for $20K. That's enough to not be driving a piece of crap. Secondly, when it's all said and done, the two car option that I've thrown out there will actually be LESS money on a monthly basis than going out to lease (or buy) a new 335i. Granted, my expected repair bills will be a little more. But if I buy a used Porsche (or whatever) and it becomes a money trap, I'll sell it. Everything I've read says that the 996 was actually quite reliable, as long as the RMS (Rear main seal) wasn't leaking. Obviously that's something I'd have checked before I made any purchase.

Of course for a little more money, I could always lease a bare-bones 328i as my daily. I could probably get a fairly decent deal on one. Hmmm....

[Speed_Addict]

I would stay away from the 99 - 01 Porsche 996 unless you are buying a Turbo or a GT3 (they have a different engine block). I was looking at those and found there where lots of issues with the alumisil cyclinders cracking. It appeared it could happen at any time (between a few thousand miles on the car and whenever). There is no warning it is going to happen and when it does the motors are $14K - $17K to replace. Find a 2005 997 Carrera or Carrera S coupe or a 1995 993 (96 - 98 993's had the varioram intake manifold that improved torque and HP some but those cars also got ODBII ECU's that monitored issues with the emmssion control systems SAI (secondary air injection) ports - this was a problem as the valve guides on all 993 will pass some oil over time and this clogs the SAI ports causing CE (check engine) light to come on and you can't get the car through emissions in many states until the ports are cleaned and/or the new guides are installed. 1995 ODBI system don't monitor this since its not technically a real problem from that perspective you don't need to worry about it).

I really wanted a 993 but not as my daily driver as I wanted to find a really nice one. Of the 911's these are currently holding there value the best and a good example will all papers/history, no accidents, low mileage can go for around $40K. They are the last of the oil cooled 911's and some might say they were the last of the classic 911's. I have driven both. If you want the raw experience a 993 is the way to go. the 997 is also great and I love that as well - much more refined. the 996 era - not my favorite - but that's just me.