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    997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Hello, all!
    This is my first post, so I'm apologizing in advance. I have a 120 mile daily commute and am currently driving a Mazda RX-8. I'd like to upgrade, but I can only have one car as my daily driver. Is the 997 a bad choice?
    I also notice that it's pretty rare to find huge miles on a Porsche. I'd be putting on 25K miles/year.
    Dave

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    great choice...as opposed to all of those, myself included , that dont use their p-cars as daily drivers you will be having more fun on a daily basis....imo go for it

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Yes there are tons of Porsche cars with low miles. I buy them to drive them. If you put 25K miles on the car a year and you enjoy the car go for it. I only have 6K on mine after 18 months but that is becasue my job changed and I have to travel 1/2 of the time. I don't believe in spending all this money for a car and leaving it in the garage. If I don't start driving mine more I will get rid of it.

    So buy that car you like and drive it!!!

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Quote:
    bstew said:
    Yes there are tons of Porsche cars with low miles. I buy them to drive them. If you put 25K miles on the car a year and you enjoy the car go for it. I only have 6K on mine after 18 months but that is becasue my job changed and I have to travel 1/2 of the time. I don't believe in spending all this money for a car and leaving it in the garage. If I don't start driving mine more I will get rid of it.

    So buy that car you like and drive it!!!



    I couldn't agree more. I purchased my 997 to drive it. In regards to reliability, the car is great. IMO, I find it to be very comfortable on long commutes and very "tamed" in traffic. The beauty of Porsche is that it's an all around sports car, you can drive them all day everyday. It is a functionaing work of art that brightens my day on the gloomiest of mornings. I say GO FOR IT!

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Quote:
    krown05 said:
    Quote:
    bstew said:
    Yes there are tons of Porsche cars with low miles. I buy them to drive them. If you put 25K miles on the car a year and you enjoy the car go for it. I only have 6K on mine after 18 months but that is becasue my job changed and I have to travel 1/2 of the time. I don't believe in spending all this money for a car and leaving it in the garage. If I don't start driving mine more I will get rid of it.

    So buy that car you like and drive it!!!



    I couldn't agree more. I purchased my 997 to drive it. In regards to reliability, the car is great. IMO, I find it to be very comfortable on long commutes and very "tamed" in traffic. The beauty of Porsche is that it's an all around sports car, you can drive them all day everyday. It is a functionaing work of art that brightens my day on the gloomiest of mornings. I say GO FOR IT!



    I couldn't say better!

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Quote:
    beltar said:
    Quote:
    krown05 said:
    Quote:
    bstew said:
    Yes there are tons of Porsche cars with low miles. I buy them to drive them. If you put 25K miles on the car a year and you enjoy the car go for it. I only have 6K on mine after 18 months but that is becasue my job changed and I have to travel 1/2 of the time. I don't believe in spending all this money for a car and leaving it in the garage. If I don't start driving mine more I will get rid of it.

    So buy that car you like and drive it!!!



    I couldn't agree more. I purchased my 997 to drive it. In regards to reliability, the car is great. IMO, I find it to be very comfortable on long commutes and very "tamed" in traffic. The beauty of Porsche is that it's an all around sports car, you can drive them all day everyday. It is a functionaing work of art that brightens my day on the gloomiest of mornings. I say GO FOR IT!



    I couldn't say better!



    Thank you kind sir

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    That's exactly my thoughts. Go for it by all means



    Quote:
    krown05 said:
    Quote:
    beltar said:
    Quote:
    krown05 said:
    Quote:
    bstew said:
    Yes there are tons of Porsche cars with low miles. I buy them to drive them. If you put 25K miles on the car a year and you enjoy the car go for it. I only have 6K on mine after 18 months but that is becasue my job changed and I have to travel 1/2 of the time. I don't believe in spending all this money for a car and leaving it in the garage. If I don't start driving mine more I will get rid of it.

    So buy that car you like and drive it!!!



    I couldn't agree more. I purchased my 997 to drive it. In regards to reliability, the car is great. IMO, I find it to be very comfortable on long commutes and very "tamed" in traffic. The beauty of Porsche is that it's an all around sports car, you can drive them all day everyday. It is a functionaing work of art that brightens my day on the gloomiest of mornings. I say GO FOR IT!



    I couldn't say better!



    Thank you kind sir


    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    I agree too. The great beauty of a 911 is that it's a genuine sports car that you can enjoy every single day in most types of driving situations. Great choice.

    Now turning to some practicalities, since you live in Chicago where I assume there can be heavy snowfall in winter, it makes sense IMHO to go for a AWD variant whether coupe, cabriolet or targa i.e. 997 C4, 997 C4S, 997 T4, 997 T4S...also, in winter, don't forget to change your summer tyres to winter tyres...alternatively you could go for all-season tyres like Bridgestone Potenza 960AS....just a suggestion...especially considering that you are planning to do around 25k miles per year...with maximum performance summer tyres, your tyres may cost a lot to replace...you could ask Leawood911 here on rennteam for his opinion since I know he has been using those tyres...

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Quote:
    krown05 said:
    Quote:
    bstew said:
    Yes there are tons of Porsche cars with low miles. I buy them to drive them. If you put 25K miles on the car a year and you enjoy the car go for it. I only have 6K on mine after 18 months but that is becasue my job changed and I have to travel 1/2 of the time. I don't believe in spending all this money for a car and leaving it in the garage. If I don't start driving mine more I will get rid of it.

    So buy that car you like and drive it!!!



    I couldn't agree more. I purchased my 997 to drive it. In regards to reliability, the car is great. IMO, I find it to be very comfortable on long commutes and very "tamed" in traffic. The beauty of Porsche is that it's an all around sports car, you can drive them all day everyday. It is a functionaing work of art that brightens my day on the gloomiest of mornings. I say GO FOR IT!



    krown05,Gloomiest of mornings????????in Florida?????????!!!!!!!
    Then you need to visit my place in November...:-)

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Quote:
    easy_rider911 said:
    Now turning to some practicalities, since you live in Chicago where I assume there can be heavy snowfall in winter, it makes sense IMHO to go for a AWD variant whether coupe, cabriolet or targa i.e. 997 C4, 997 C4S, 997 T4, 997 T4S...



    Not so. You really don't need awd at all. RWD works more than fine with snow tires. If the snow is deep it makes not one bit of difference whether you drive awd, rwd, or no wheel drive - ground clearance is by far the biggest barrier not grip or traction.

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    I'm happy to stand corrected Le Chef !

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Quote:
    easy_rider911 said:
    I agree too. The great beauty of a 911 is that it's a genuine sports car that you can enjoy every single day in most types of driving situations. Great choice.

    Now turning to some practicalities, since you live in Chicago where I assume there can be heavy snowfall in winter, it makes sense IMHO to go for a AWD variant whether coupe, cabriolet or targa i.e. 997 C4, 997 C4S, 997 T4, 997 T4S...also, in winter, don't forget to change your summer tyres to winter tyres...alternatively you could go for all-season tyres like Bridgestone Potenza 960AS....just a suggestion...especially considering that you are planning to do around 25k miles per year...with maximum performance summer tyres, your tyres may cost a lot to replace...you could ask Leawood911 here on rennteam for his opinion since I know he has been using those tyres...



    Easy_rider is correct. I use my car all year around in KC and the weather here is just about the same as CHI. I also drive to Colorado in the Winter with it.
    I own three other cars which just sit there. I will, sometimes take one of them if there is HAIL in the forecast else the P-car takes all my abuse. If you have one then DRIVE it all you can. Getting ready for my 1400 mile drive to Montreal June 7th. It's the only car I can think of that will allow you to drive that distance alone in one sitting (19 hours straight through!) and feel refreshed.

    And, yes I still like my Bridgestone all season tires. They make the ride very quiet and they seem to last forever. I know I give up some ultimate dry weather traction but in normal street driving and especially in the cold, wet or snow they can not be beat. Even dedicated snow tires would not do much better.
    I also agree that you do not really need 4WD if you have decent all season tires since the rear engine gives such superb traction.

    cheers and enjoy the daily drive.
    (Buy one that's a year old. That way the big depreciation hit was taken by someone else and you will not feel so bad about adding a ton of extra miles.)

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    If you do put that many miles on per year, see if you can find a '06 with low miles and buy it with the certified warranty. That will give you 6 year/ 100,000 miles from original purchase date.

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Winter tires are critical.

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Quote:
    Le Chef said:
    Quote:
    easy_rider911 said:
    Now turning to some practicalities, since you live in Chicago where I assume there can be heavy snowfall in winter, it makes sense IMHO to go for a AWD variant whether coupe, cabriolet or targa i.e. 997 C4, 997 C4S, 997 T4, 997 T4S...



    Not so. You really don't need awd at all. RWD works more than fine with snow tires. If the snow is deep it makes not one bit of difference whether you drive awd, rwd, or no wheel drive - ground clearance is by far the biggest barrier not grip or traction.


    Agree with Le Chef, drove my 997S through Boston winter as daily driver with Pirelli Winter Sotto Zero's on 19's, through snow and ice, very nice... Perfect as daily driver but you will get cut off and harassed and taunted on the road by the masses a whole lot more than you did in your RX8 so get ready!

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    i have close to 50,000 mi. on my 05s and i love this car. no problem as a daily driver...

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Quote:
    pawelmontana said:
    Quote:
    krown05 said:
    Quote:
    bstew said:
    Yes there are tons of Porsche cars with low miles. I buy them to drive them. If you put 25K miles on the car a year and you enjoy the car go for it. I only have 6K on mine after 18 months but that is becasue my job changed and I have to travel 1/2 of the time. I don't believe in spending all this money for a car and leaving it in the garage. If I don't start driving mine more I will get rid of it.

    So buy that car you like and drive it!!!



    I couldn't agree more. I purchased my 997 to drive it. In regards to reliability, the car is great. IMO, I find it to be very comfortable on long commutes and very "tamed" in traffic. The beauty of Porsche is that it's an all around sports car, you can drive them all day everyday. It is a functionaing work of art that brightens my day on the gloomiest of mornings. I say GO FOR IT!



    krown05,Gloomiest of mornings????????in Florida?????????!!!!!!!
    Then you need to visit my place in November...:-)



    Perhaps "gloomiest" is an exageration. However, during Hurricane season the rain and humidity make it seem almost unbearable at times.

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    so a non "4" 997 will do good enough on slippepry roads? i live in toronto and temperature here can get to minus 30.. will the winter tires really offset the rear wheel drive system? i hope it does because i'm in no position of getting a 4-wheel drive on my 997. maybe in the future i will

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    I think a RWD with winter tyres should be fine in snow, ice, rain etc BUT, surely a AWD with winter tyres is just a little better?

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    And what about a 997 GT3 on a daily basis, with another car for those days with rain or other [beep] weather ?

    Because I'm just crazy about GT3 but wouldn't want to see it stuck in my garage for most of the time.

    I just wonder if there's a lot of fun when doing mainly highway traffic in a GT3, and just putting on highway miles seems like a waste on a GT3...

    Currently I'm having a lot of fun in my 996 4S, even on the highway...

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    I can confirm that you don't need AWD for winter (aka a C4 or a C4S).
    I have one of the first 997C2 since August 5, 2004, and I am driving the hell out of it each day, all year, through snow, ice, mist and a huge number of potholes. Winter tires are a must. But, I didn't went for PASM or 18" wheels to have maximum ground clearance.

    I am now at 50.000 km or about 31.000 miles.

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Just remember that the GT3 only has TC (traction control). No PSM (Porsche stability management).

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    In increasing order of preference:

    2wd w/summer tires
    4wd w/summer tires
    2wd w/winter tires
    4wd w/winter tires

    Four wheels are better than two, but any wheels that stick to the ground are better than any number that won't.

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    It looks like everyone here thinks the 997 is a great daily commute car, I will be a contrarian and offer another point of view.

    The 997 is a great car. I have had mine for a couple of years and enjoy it a lot. It is a car that when driven is fantastic. But, I don't like to use it on my commute.

    The first year I owned my C2S I drove it to the office every day for a number of months. Day after day of sitting in traffic in the Porsche just was not any fun. After a while I just stopped taking the Porsche and took another car.

    Now I drive the car on weekends and at night when the weather is good. I enjoy the car more and love to drive it hard. The car is just so good on twisty roads, everything just sings so perfectly together.

    My daily commute is about 30 miles each way. At least 15 miles of which are in heavy traffic. During my commute I enjoy having a cup of coffee. It is also a time to make phone calls. Both of these were not ideal in the Porsche. First, the coffee cup holders are not great. There has been many a day where the coffee ended up all over the PCM and dash. Talking on the phone and shifting never really worked either for me. I tried a hands free, but the ambiant noise in the car made it hard for people to hear.

    In the cold rain that we experience in this part of the world, the car never felt completely safe, probably because of the tires. All in all, the C2S nevery really worked as a daily commute car.

    There are a good number of people at my office that drive their 911's and boxsters summer and winter, rain or shine and in the ice and snow. They have no problems and enjoy their cars on the commute. So the car can be used as an everyday driver.

    But, I think the 911 is better suited as sports car to enjoy when the only purpose is too enjoy the drive. For the commute, give me my cup holders, a quiet ride, AWD and an automatic transmission.


    If I did not like coffee, did not make a lot of phone calls and there was little stop and go traffic and I had a great road to drive on, the 997 would be the car of choice. But my reality is not so ideal.

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    Perhaps you should take public transportation if you need to use the phone and eat breakfast.
    Please do not use the phone while driving, if at all possible.
    Your focus on phone calls and drinking coffee in heavy morning traffic and bad weather is perhaps not appealing to your fellow motorists.
    See ya in Montreal for F1

    Drive right!
    Cheers,

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    I use our 997 4S Cab as a daily driver. IMO there's no feeling as good as having a hard day at the office and then coming out to this gorgeous car.

    Re: 997 as all-weather daily driver: good idea?

    I'll throw my two cents in as well -- GO FOR IT. My 997 C4 is a true daily driver, complete with two kids car seats in the back. I have a short commute but still, the drive makes my day. I drive the car every day.

    My only hesitation is that a stick (which I have) can be a hassle in traffic but if you have traffic, you are probably already dealing with the problem in your RX-8.

    I agree with those who have said to switch out tires in the wnter. I did not do that this year and it's very tough to get out of slick areas, even with the AWD ... the tires just aren't meant to grip in that kind of weather.

     
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