I8ABMR

I have heard nothing but good things about Porsche reliability. I have heard that the car is slightly over engineered so it will last

nabbun

yes, there are stories of old 911's driving around with 400k miles w/o an engine rebuild and still running well!

and the difference between porsches hitting 400k and camry's hitting 400k is one of them mostly sees daily driving duties.

clickart

Since we are talking about Porsche, how is the handle or performance of a Porsche compare to a BMW? Are they in the same category?

LexFather

Porsche is in a class by itself reserved with Ferrari, Aston, etc. Porsche >BMW period.

The Panamera will change our perceptions of what were thought was a sports sedan.

mmarshall

Porsches, being lower and rear-engined, have quicker steering response, less body roll, instant-stop brakes, and more oversteer then BMW's, but, IMO, lack the superb telepathic feel to the steering, chassis, and brakes that BMW's do. I consider BMW engineers the best on the planet for chassis/suspension engineering. Porsches, years ago, used to have what is called drop-throttle snap-oversteer, which, in plain English, meant they spun out in curves if you went in too fast and reacted too quickly. That nasty habit has, for the most part, been engineered out of the newer Porsches with larger tires, new suspensions, and computer-enginering.

IS-SV

Porsches have superior handling, steering, braking as compared to BMW's. Porsche steering feel and braking feel is superior too (although this is subjective and the the opinion of most experts and having owned and driven both brands I agree). Much of the steering feel and braking power comes from the fact that the flat six engine is located low behind the dirver, like many race cars. Or in other words there is not a heavy engine sitting on top of the wheels that do the steering.

They are sports cars (911/Boxster/Caymen), with a emphasis on performance attributes. BMW's have a superior ride and handling combo.

mmarshall

As you somewhat allude to, the key to the typically very short Porsche braking distances (some of the shortest in the industry), along with large rotors/calipers, is the fact that the weight of the rear-mounted powertrain causes a marked forward weight and center-of-gravity transfer on hard braking. On front-engined BMWs, the front brakes end up, even with RWD and close to 50/50 weight distribution, doing most of the work, because the center-of-gravity pitches forward under under hard braking. With a rear-engine Porsche, under hard braking, the center-of-gravity, due to the effective forward-weight transfer, ends up, more or less in the center of the vehicle. That, of course, causes all four brakes (and tires) to do their share of the load bringing the vehicle to a stop quickly. That is why top-line Porsche 911's (and a few other mid/rear engine exotics) get such extremely short braking distances, and why most BMWs can't match them. However (and I know this is subjective), I still think that BMW has a smoother and more pleasant-feeling brake pedal, if somewhat less-effective.

YEH

Porsche's reliability has improved recently, but on a no. of older models with specific engines - there have been problems such as IMS failures which appear to have affected an alarmingly high % of vehicles.

IS-SV

Yes, as I mentioned above a $13K+ problem for those out of warranty, some older models affected are not that old. The IMS was eliminated in the new current direct-injected engines.

IS-SV

Maybe so (subjective as it is), but I haven't slept with a BMW brake pedal lately.

But short stopping distances can mean the difference between a panic stop and a expensive accident.

mmarshall

Test-drive one and you'll probably WANT to.

Depends on what type of accident you're talking about. Stop a Porsche 911 in minimum distance, and a vehicle behind you with lousy brakes (the Chevy Suburban is a prefect example...you'll know what I mean if you've driven one) could do a number on your rear end. You would merely exchange one type of accident for another, although, granted, if the Suburban hits you from behind (and your Porsche isn't squashed) at least you wouldn't be at fault.

IS-SV

I have and owned several Porsches too, no comparision.

I prefer to not sleep with my cars, although I do pamper them in a climate-controlled, insulated garage

snowday

I bought a used 2001 911 Turbo several years ago. It now has 62K miles. I'm the 2nd owner. I've had only two problems in 4 years, a faulty oil pressure sender ($200 parts & labor) and a faulty ignition switch ($30 & DIY labor). Other than that, I've just driven the car (including track days at Watkins Glen) and performed routine maintenance. The prior owner had zero problems.

I consider this car to be very reliable. Maybe this is a single lucky case but if you peruse some of the 996 Turbo forums, you often see these cars described as "bullet-proof". You also will see however, as in any single marque forum, lots of problems described.

The overall sense I've gathered is major problems are rare and minor problems are hit and miss.

IS-SV

Porsches often have low annual mileage accumulations since they are often garage queens or weekend cars. In fact puting over 9K miles per year on a Porsche is considered above average mileage. My personal experience with owning 3 Porsches resulted in no major repairs in or out of warranty, but I also was doing relatively low annual mileage.

huddleston

iTrader: (3)

porsche makes some great looking cars but the reliability issues mentioned make it any easy decision for me. for the amount you would spend on one you could easily find something more fun and more reliable.