981 S, 2014. What would you call high mileage?
Discussion
Decided I want a 981 for my next car (probably a Cayman). There are a few on autotrader that have 70k+ on them, from around 2013-2014. These cars are listed as having 30- or 40 thousand miles above average, but this is obviously above the average of the other cars on sale. Should I be looking for something lower? How's the long term reliability of these?
Lots will have been daily drivers, so around 10k miles a year is average. Average Porsche sports car (second/third car) mileage in general is 4-5k miles. That will be the difference you're seeing.
981s are a great car, and they seem to be very reliable. You don't hear of any major scare stories.
981s are a great car, and they seem to be very reliable. You don't hear of any major scare stories.
sxmwht said:
This will be my daily driver, and I do probably 7k a year, so I've been looking to see how many they've done per year on average.
I presume, from what I'm hearing, that a fully maintained and serviced vehicle is the priority, vs absolute mileage.
I think the rule generally with Porsche is service history and condition are much more important than high miles. If anything I'd be steering clear of very low mileage ones in particular. Porsche need using/driving regularly (incl winter), not storing away in a garage for weeks on end.I presume, from what I'm hearing, that a fully maintained and serviced vehicle is the priority, vs absolute mileage.
Ezra said:
I think the rule generally with Porsche is service history and condition are much more important than high miles. If anything I'd be steering clear of very low mileage ones in particular. Porsche need using/driving regularly (incl winter), not storing away in a garage for weeks on end.
I think I've decided that I'm going to aim for a GTS (will require a bit of saving and man maths). I'm looking at 2014-2015 cars with 35-40k on them. I assume that's enough? Twinfan said:
Lots will have been daily drivers, so around 10k miles a year is average. Average Porsche sports car (second/third car) mileage in general is 4-5k miles. That will be the difference you're seeing.
981s are a great car, and they seem to be very reliable. You don't hear of any major scare stories.
Hardly any have done 10k a year. Early 981s are 10 years old, hardly any with 100k miles. Just check the classifieds.981s are a great car, and they seem to be very reliable. You don't hear of any major scare stories.
In market terms I'd say anything over 5k a year is high-ish. But it's less about yearly mileage than total mileage at this point given the age of 981s. There's no hard cut off, but anything over 70k miles is viewed as pretty high. OP putting on 7k a year would net a pretty significant hit re residuals in a few years starting at 70k. Once you are up at 90k / 100k, the market really punishes you.
None of this is to comment on how well the cars take the miles. But there's a market reality that can't be denied re residuals. I'd say about 40k is a good mileage to buy on. You could add 15k without totally knobbling the value.
sxmwht said:
I think I've decided that I'm going to aim for a GTS (will require a bit of saving and man maths). I'm looking at 2014-2015 cars with 35-40k on them. I assume that's enough?
As has been noted above, they seem to be pretty hardy cars and there doesn't appear to be many big gotchas to look out for. Anything with FSH should be viable. I'd also agree with esotericar's comments regarding mileage; they are a little sensitive beyond a certain point and lots of people have seemingly used them sparingly, so I would have half an eye on this depending on how much you plan on driving it. Warranty is a bonus, but from what I can gather the only big ticket item you'd expect to use it on is a failure of the dynamic engine mounts, which can go and will cost ~£1.5k per corner to fix. However, I'm not sure how prevalent this failure is. On a car of this age, corrosion on the underside can be a problem, so an inspection might be worthwhile too. I bought one last year on 17k miles and it's already up to 25k, so it is perhaps finding life a little less sedate under my ownership
sxmwht said:
Ezra said:
I think the rule generally with Porsche is service history and condition are much more important than high miles. If anything I'd be steering clear of very low mileage ones in particular. Porsche need using/driving regularly (incl winter), not storing away in a garage for weeks on end.
I think I've decided that I'm going to aim for a GTS (will require a bit of saving and man maths). I'm looking at 2014-2015 cars with 35-40k on them. I assume that's enough? https://fastestlaps.com/comparisons/zcrs16e2ojlt
rawenghey said:
sxmwht said:
I think I've decided that I'm going to aim for a GTS (will require a bit of saving and man maths). I'm looking at 2014-2015 cars with 35-40k on them. I assume that's enough?
As has been noted above, they seem to be pretty hardy cars and there doesn't appear to be many big gotchas to look out for. Anything with FSH should be viable. I'd also agree with esotericar's comments regarding mileage; they are a little sensitive beyond a certain point and lots of people have seemingly used them sparingly, so I would have half an eye on this depending on how much you plan on driving it. Warranty is a bonus, but from what I can gather the only big ticket item you'd expect to use it on is a failure of the dynamic engine mounts, which can go and will cost ~£1.5k per corner to fix. However, I'm not sure how prevalent this failure is. On a car of this age, corrosion on the underside can be a problem, so an inspection might be worthwhile too. I bought one last year on 17k miles and it's already up to 25k, so it is perhaps finding life a little less sedate under my ownership
I drove it a lot more than originally intended, it was a great car.
The GT4 is having a much more sedate life though.
I guess the question now is: is it worth going for a GTS when there are some very well-optioned S-es on the market for significantly less? I'm not overly concerned about the GTS power bump, but I am a fan of the more aggressive front bumper and the alcantara interior. If I found an S with PASM, PSE and sport+... isn't that most of what a GTS offers?
sxmwht said:
Amen. Not a chance I'm shelling out for a Porsche and getting a 2L
But surely as you fart along in the daggy, laggy four pot, the abstract knowledge that somebody else has lapped it faster around a track you've never driven is what matters? Forget the growling then howling soundtrack, the precise response, the thrilling power crescendo at the top of the rev range. The driving experience is all about somebody else's laptime!sxmwht said:
If I found an S with PASM, PSE and sport+... isn't that most of what a GTS offers?
It's subjective. Personally, I'd go with a well-optioned S. But it's worth remembering that total cost of ownership may not be better on the S. GTS holds its value so well, by the time you've bought, driven and sold the thing, it's hardly obvious that the S will be cheaper. Though it will tie up less capital.If you like yellow, this looks well specced and good value versus a GTS:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210060...
Possibly a bit pricey for a private sale. Think Ashgood sold that car earlier this year, was advertised for £36k IIRC.
sxmwht said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Amen. Not a chance I'm shelling out for a Porsche and getting a 2LThe 2.0 does appear marginally quicker around a track (0.4s over a 70 second lap), which one would expect, but the GTS has a higher top speed and is quicker 100kph to 200kph.
Anyway, none of that really matters, as the differences are tiny and these cars are emotional purchases. Try everything you can at your budget. The one that's right for you will become apparent. It won't need justification.
HighwayStar said:
I had a 2013 981 CS… bought 2016, sold March this year with 82k miles. In those 6yrs 2 engine mounts, a coil pack, and exhaust actuator and the left bank exhaust (stuck) valve all replaced under warranty. The extended warranty is a wonderful thing. My main concern was an issue with the PDK but it never missed a beat. Nothing serious enough to stop me driving the car in that time.
I drove it a lot more than originally intended, it was a great car.
The GT4 is having a much more sedate life though.
Ah I see. Do you know if that's common on the 981 in terms of expected faults/maintenance? My warranty is up next year and I'm going through the predictable shall I shan't I conundrum. Do you recall how much all that cost? The 1 year warranty is £690 I believe.I drove it a lot more than originally intended, it was a great car.
The GT4 is having a much more sedate life though.
thompson9745 said:
I wouldn't believe the usual internet myths perpetually spread on here, the 2L is actually a great unit and very effective.
It sounds like dog s
t though, to my ears. I heard one not long ago pulling off a driveway and away, and honestly, I thought it had broken. I thought that the internet talk was probably overplayed but I did not like it at all. A question for all you knowledgable people...
When I'm reading the specs of the adverts, I'm also checking the buttons on the centre console. I've seen a few cars that are listed as having PASM but they don't have the suspension button. Likewise, I thought maybe the sports chrono option added the sport+ button and removed the PASM button, but then I see some cars with both. Are the advert listings just wrong? Can a car have PASM without having the button for it?
When I'm reading the specs of the adverts, I'm also checking the buttons on the centre console. I've seen a few cars that are listed as having PASM but they don't have the suspension button. Likewise, I thought maybe the sports chrono option added the sport+ button and removed the PASM button, but then I see some cars with both. Are the advert listings just wrong? Can a car have PASM without having the button for it?
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