Is it worth owning a Porsche?

[MooseMiller]

Bet your merc doesn't make you grin like the Porsche does?

[Skyway]

Bet your merc doesn't make you grin like the Porsche does?

No it doesn’t although it is amazingly comfortable. I’m with you guys though in terms of the Macan making me smile. Just hoping I can smile through the cost of something going wrong which seems a much higher probability than with my Merc

[2japs]

Bet your merc doesn't make you grin like the Porsche does?

No it doesn’t although it is amazingly comfortable. I’m with you guys though in terms of the Macan making me smile. Just hoping I can smile through the cost of something going wrong which seems a much higher probability than with my Merc

It’s funny you should say that, a friend from the golf club changed his Mercedes SL for a 911( secondhand) about 6 months ago because the SL was costing him a fortune, we have a great Porsche specialist up here and they look after his 911 and so far it been cheaper to maintain than the SL.

[GTB]

I suppose it all exactly depends on what Skyway means by "Worth" it?

For the noise generated by the car when it starts, that alone to me, plus car in the drive knowing I worked hard since the age of 16 to buy one, brought up by just my Mum and Gran both on part time jobs just to feed and clothe and pay the rent for myself and my brother and give us a work ethic without a doubt the Porsche means something to me thats priceless along with my own family and what I have achieved in life.

Now is a £2k bottle of whisky "Worth" the price compared to a standard whisky? again its down to the purchasers opinion.

If the question is do you get the full benefit of the technology and engineering built into our Macan's then the answer is simply no. I had four E Class Mercs before buying the Macan, some of them with really high spec leather and fit out on the interior, were they worth it? Again purchasers opinion.

Nearly every day modern car now can achieve 100MPH, so does any motorist get the "Worth" of the car they purchase, I guess the answer is always No.

In comparrisson, my brother who had the same upbringing as myself, but academically was "Brilliant", gained a Phd, has over 40 patents to his name and held Directorships of a few companies and currently a C.E.O of a large science park and has a eye watering salary. sees life with a diffrent "Worth"!! where I like to work hard, play hard and buy nice things I can afford, he is the polar opposite, saves his money and much to me horror, he always for the last 20 years or so since onset of eBay buys his cars second hand on that platform and does his own servicing!

He thinks Im mad for cars I have purchased brand new and I think he is even madder!!

Great question Skyway but we will all have diffrent answers for sure.

Cheerss GTB

[FirstSeaLord]

I had a 997 GTS for many years as the only car in the household, and found I was using it less and less as we live in central London. Then a Zip Car appeared opposite the house, so I lent the Porsche to my dad and after a couple of years sold it.

Using the Zip Car for trips out of town was great. Think I saved a lot of money and my worries that the Porsche would get vandalised in the street went away. And obviously there's nothing faster on the road than a rental car

The Zip Car adventures stopped when the pandemic started as I had to wipe all the surfaces down, and also when a previous user had spat on the inside of the windscreen (why?), so I got back into Porsche ownership.

I do have moments of doubt for the reasons previously stated by the OP, but they're such great cars which make you feel good when driving them - and one only lives once

[IPKnightly2]

My insurance is due at the end of Oct ..last year I paid £450 via Cornmarket (IAM’s broker) just done a quick quote check ( having read the news about premiums) cheapest quote is with Admiral at £1090 fingers crossed premiums drop before Oct

I’m a 58 year old boring Chartered Surveyor living in rural SE with max no claims, the car parked in a garage at night and IAM Master qualification

Maybe a VW polo next time!

[Moriarty]

I recently relocated back to the UK and was considering what car to buy after a long period living somewhere where I didn’t need a car at all. A good friend, ex-car dealer, and long-time recurring 911 owner warned me away from Porsches due to poor reliability and build quality compared to comparable mass-produced brands. His last 911 was in the garage a lot and he advised me that, at one point, about half a dozen people he knew with various Porsches all had their cars broken down and in the garage at the same time. He also complained a lot about the disappointing materials used in his 911, if you look closely and poke things with your finger. Worse with a Ferrari, of course. He drives a Mercedes AMG GTS now, so he meant what he said and he is still delighted with the Merc after a couple of years.

I ordered a Macan S regardless. I figure it’s an Audi underneath so hopefully will be reliable and well enough made. It was just the most comfortable, best feeling, and most refined car of the type I wanted (either a small-medium premium SUV or an E-Class sized saloon). The price of a highly specced Macan S is about the same as a comparable Mercedes or BMW with similar spec. We’ll see how well made it is over time.

I’m not somebody who sees any particular magic in a Porsche badge. I judge cars on their merits. I accept that larger volume production cars will always be better quality than small volume brands. I think a Cayenne, Taycan or Panamera are too big and wide to really enjoy on UK roads. But with all that, for me, the Macan was still the best car available for the money, from any brand. For what it’s worth, my friend who is so down on Porsches now did agree the Macan S was a great choice - fast, great handling, great interior, and a definite step up compared to a Mercedes GLC, E-Class, etc. For me it was an easy choice and the badge wasn’t part of my decision.

I’m obviously not as experienced owning Porsches as most here but I’d say just keep an open mind, try out the alternatives, and get whichever car feels best to you, based on your preferences. What is valuable to one person may not be important at all to you. Buy the car you love most for your budget.

[HertsMacan]

I totally get your point Skyway and must admit I have had similar thoughts myself. I agree with Jon that i love looking at the car, the sound every time it starts up it brings a smile to my face, and its lovely to drive and sporty. But like everything else in life, its the theory of diminishing marginal returns. They are expensive to buy, run and maintain and I'm personally not convinced it represents good bang for your bucks. I am sure i could have spent half the amount and half the running costs and still get 80% of the "feel good factor". I suppose if you can justify the extra expense, getting that little bit of extra satisfaction, and that is what floats your boat, then why not.

Do i regret buying an S a year ago - NO definitely not. Will I keep it for a number of years to come - most certainly. Will I buy another one in the future - Probably not, I've got ownership of a Porsche out of my system.

[Col Lamb]

Depends where one lives, if I was unlucky enough to have to live in the SE then no, I would not bother about owning or driving a Porsche.

Something smaller and free of congestion charges would be the way I would go.

Here up in the NW then 15 min from home we are in the Country and free of low speed limits so on the now rare occasions I can make use if the Turbo it is still worth having a Porsche.

Will I buy another, at my age no, I cannot justify the ownership costs for the mileage that I now do.

[pmg]

Bet your merc doesn't make you grin like the Porsche does?

No it doesn’t although it is amazingly comfortable. I’m with you guys though in terms of the Macan making me smile. Just hoping I can smile through the cost of something going wrong which seems a much higher probability than with my Merc

That is what not the various us and UK reliability surveys show