Used 2003 Porsche 911 Consumer Reviews
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The Every-Day Super Car
I bought a blue '03 C4S in Jan '08 with a 6-sp man & 64,000 miles on the odometer. Factory MSRP was over $82K (with destination), but I got it for 40. I had concerns 'cuz of the mileage, but it looked great, everything worked, the leather smelled new and the car rode as solid as a brinks truck. Having used it as a daily driver for 11 months, I can report that handling is phenomenal on a dry road (even with AWD and PSM, the car will spin if pushed in the wet), acceleration is sublime and the brakes are in a class of their own. The tear of the flat-6 when the revs pass 4000 makes the driver feel like he's in a race car. The C4S's gorgeous turbo-style body draws envious stares.
A decade of Porsches are lemons
Forget your prejudices about Porsches and German engineering. With the 996 and the Boxster (water cooled Porsches for over a decade until 2009) Porsche built and sold a car it knew had a self-destructive intermediate shaft bearing that could easily and without visible warning destroy the engine on any car, and has not issued a recall to correct the design defect. It has also not recalled the more common leaky main bearing seal. This is especially egregious because the 996 has the highest gross profit margin of any automobile ever in production. They could have replaced every engine on every 996 sold and still made a handsome profit. And yes, it is a hoot to drive.
- Carrera CoupeMSRP: $29,99982 mi away
- Turbo CoupeMSRP: $77,000148 mi away
- Carrera ConvertibleMSRP: $23,484178 mi away
TIMELESS
This is my 3rd Porsche,,,,,and the best of them all.....the design is "timeless" and the car is completely up to date.....nothing even comes close....this is an "exotic" for everyday use.....the only "problem" I find is that I hate the factory radios....changed mine for an Alpine with cd changer (6 disc).....
2003 911
It's a piece of history! After 40 years Porsche has finally tuned its chassis against the laws of physics. It's amazing to drive and so reliable. No other super car can reach 100,000 miles and still run smoothly. The Germans know how to build and it shows on the JD Power survey.
911 Porsche delivers!
The performance and handling of the Porsche 911 border on telepathic! It deleivers on the promise of exception performance, comfort nad reliability. This is a true driver's car; not Spartan but neither is it burdened with clutter and unecessay bells and wistles. What is most remarkable is that such a capable sports car can be so civilized!
Continuing Pleasure
The research I did found the IMS bearing problem affecting only 4% of the models produced. However if the IMS bearing fails you're looking at a very expensive repair, if not a replacement motor. That being said, once "repaired," the car runs "like a Porsche." It pulls strong, with anything above 4000 RPM bringing an ear-to-ear smile. The handling is spot on, as expected, from any Porsche auto. I plan to do some "hot laps" at the track this season, as that's the only place you can properly drive the car without being arrested!! Addendum 09/22/2017: I have now driven two different tracks, doing "hot laps": High Plains Raceway, Byers, Colo. and Aspen Motor Sports Park, Aspen Colo. The car ran strong and did NOT disappoint. The drive to/from Denver area to Snowmass added a very pleasurable 1180 miles to the clock. Very comfortable for a long trip and those mountain road curves were made for this car!!!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
996's are the value of the century
I bought my 911 on 9/11 from an individual who had babied it. It only had 13K miles when I bought it 5 years old, so essentially I got all the experience the first owner had when it was new at about 1/3 of the original price. 996's, especially the later ones, like this one, are very underrated, mainly because of the different shape of the headlights. Let me say this - when you're cruising down the road and going through the gears, you're in a Porsche. Period. It is still a work of art, a marvel of technology and a high performance race car all rolled into one. I bought an extended warranty from Easy Care just in case, but haven't had to use it. Great value on quintessential sports car!
Go Baby Go!
After driving a Merecedes, then a Corvette, my husband suprised me with a 1990 911 Cabriolet. That was three Porsches ago, and now my 2003 is my baby. My husband drives a 1996 993 Twin Turbo, so we are a Porsche family all the way! A benefit of this car that I would not tell my husband is that men check it out ALOT...which has made for some interesting conversations at red lights. ;)
My car
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! It is awesomesome and beautiful!!!
Childhood Dream
This is my first Porsche. I spent part of my childhood in Stuttgart as an army brat and said one day I'll own one of those cars! The day finally arrived and it was well worth the wait. Performance is awesome, limited only by the driving abilities of the driver. I now have total closure with the old addage of "Porsche, there is no substitute." Excellent vehicle for the true driving ethusiast, who has lots of loot to lay out fot this worthy babe!
2003 911 Cab. review
Car handle like no other. Very responsive, but not overly powerful. Very good car for a "drive" or everyday use.
Poorsh Quality - Planned Maintenance Lemon
Never had a Porsche before and once I sell this will never again. Look, it's bad enough to worry about an IMS bearing failure destroying your 80k mile engine - what do you do with the car after that? Sell it for parts? What annoys me most is the poor engineering and materials. Broken cup holder, floor mat holders breaking free, brake system overhauls, both rear window regulators fail to 2k a pop, the leaking seal, poor radiator and hose design, cheap plastic interior parts - broken visor cover along with yellow dingy headlight covers which cannot be sanded off. At only 80k miles mind you. I love the car shape and I can take my kid in the jump seat too, but it seems that with the controlled parts pipeline (no aftermarket) and cheap design, the best option is to sell it and never go back. A Vette, Z, Miata or other is a far better option.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
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- Value
Performance to die for, quality to wish
With the x-50 horsepower package this car @ 450 hp has all the performance and high end torque you'd ever need unless you're an F-1 driver. The car has immense practical driveability as an everyday car. Rattles - a service department that has a hard time listening and a car that died with a mechanical failure at 4,000 miles leaves a little bit of a bad taste though-maybe a Ferrari next time?
responsiveness: an extension of self
Thus is foremost a driver's care. The handeling is superb. It can be used for an everyday driver as well as a weekend sports car. While I purchased the convertibe triptronic, I would recommend a fully optioned coupe from a value standpoint. One of the few cars purchased where I can't wait to purchase my next Porsche. You will be happy, very happy.
03 Carrera White
The Carrera is a very easy car to drive fast. It's also very comfortable too. Must get the Xenon lights and 18" wheel option. Leave out the PSM because you'll never need it. Spend almost $3500 just for power leather seats! Ouch...Great car. Very pricey. But worth buying the legend.
911 C4S
Over 7500 miles, including two driving events at Mid-Ohio sports car course and no problems. Every time I get in the car, it is a joy to drive.
carrera coupe
Big difference with this and the 2002 is the motor. They added 20+ horsepower, more low end to the car. This car is very easy to drive, perhaps to easy. I have driven a boxster and this car is even easier to drive. Brakes are excellent and overall the build quality is excellent. I suggest you skip a lot of the extra add on's and opt for the 18 inch wheels and tires. Get it with the 6 speed.....don't be a whimp!
03 911 T
Great car on the track, the street, and the snow (must use winter treads). I use the 17 inch winter rims from my previous 99 C4 Cab in the winter, and make it up any hill thanks to AWD and PSM traction control. The Natural brown leather looks great if you don't like the Porsche cinnamon and mustard looking leather. The radio is still not great even though its a bose, and has caused a few repair trips. Fewer rattles than the C4Cab. Great cornering and unreal acceleration. The C4 is really fast enough though.
2003 911 Carrera Cabriolet
This is a more luxurious car than any of my other 911 Porsche that I have owned. It does't have exactly the same ferrocious acceleration as my 1998 C2S or my 1993 RS 911, but it is a more forgiving ride. It is more comfortable around town. It oozes with a formal, superior luxurious ride. I have found that if I switch off the PASM control, things get back to the Porsche feel that I am more accustomed to. This car has the full leather interior option and it feels, looks, and smells great. I also have the aero kit, it adds a fantastic look to the car.
Midlife Crisis
Crisp handeling, acceleration is awsome, and an overall dream car. A must have before you die and leave this world, because you dont know if theres going to be one wherever your headed.
Read this if you want to buy it.
I didn't write this before I sold my Porsche. After so many years 1998-2004 car is falling apart: interior and mechanical side: Gaskets, plastic - all bad. Any part will cost you fortune (check ebay). Take Toyota the same year-Toyota is like tank. IMS bearing - don't worry about it. Clutch is weak: 20K-30K miles and it costs about $3000 to replca it (part is $1000). Bottom line. It is just a cute little car. Only 300 hp. There are many new cars with similar HPs. Pay 20K to impress your neighbors? You want it but you want to sell it. it is very hard to sell it. You can't sell it because people don't have cash in this country. Majority of buyers were over 70 yo. I got to tell them that it is hard to get in and out of this car and it is hard to handle it. Drive it every day? Not comfortable.
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
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- Value
Miss High Maintenance
With respect to reliability, the car has been disappointing: close to $500 to fix a burned out xenon bulb; a failed rear main seal (a universal problem in 996s, 911s built from 1998- 2008, I have since found out, a lemon by any other name); failed sport exhaust cutout; failed radiators and there are 2 of them; increasingly stiff and notchy shifter; fractured dash trim (due to age) etc. Honoring the warranty has been reasonable. Noise and ride can be intolerable at times. Totally lacking in balanced handling, compared say to a Boxster or Miata, especially dangerous in very high speed curves, when camber and rear weight bias can combine to give it Corvair (or original VW Beetle) characteristics
If only I could afford a Turbo
Great car. Handles supurbly, power is frightening at first. Beatiful car and gets a lot of attention by others.
Porsche Carrera 2 Convertible is Great
I bought a new car from Claridges in Fremont, California. The car was perfect. Never needed any dealer adjustment for any initial delivery defects. Totally perfect. Awesome convertible top - one button and/or key controlled. The fit/finish of this car is perfect and is better than a new Ferrari I bought. Needless to say it is much more drivable. Finally this car has outstanding performance - wonderful in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear - pulls very strongly at all rpm. Only so so point is that all my driving resulted in rear tire wear. When I owned a C4 the tire wear was more distributed - this car is a C2 and hence the rear tires suffered.
THE BOMB
THE BEST CAR IN THE WORLD
Dream as reality.
Growing up i loved the shape & performance of Porsche 911's, never believing one day that it could be me owning & driving one. For nigh on $40'000 NZ i purchased my 2003 Carrera 996 4S. (A 911, 996 is the factory designation number.)An all wheel drive 2 door coupe this car grips the road. With 8% continual balance to the front wheels rising to a maximum 40% any increase in power on a dry road means this car sticks & accelerates at a blistering speed. A Porsche interior is to be felt. Like the body, it has prestige in its looks yet can handle daily use & still perform. All switches are laid out handily with gauges easy to read with a stick on the steering column simply for menu navigation of the on-board computer with all parameters of performance & essential data met on a central screen between the 2 main gauges. Though you wouldnt think of a 911 as the apt vehicle for ferrying large bodied persons or acting as a rather stylish Uber its surprising the load that can fit comfortably in the rear area &, as always, front luggage compartment.( think 7 weeks clothes, work paperwork, toiletries & any books, electronics or other necessities needed over covid 19 lockdown). Outside of myself, my car regularly carries an additional passenger with more often that person being 6 foot+. The suspension is all "sport" & allows the 4S to perform while making oneself feel that they are merely driving at a rather pedestrian pace. With this car it pays to flick the eyes over the speedometer with regularity as part of your mirrors casting while concentrating on the road. Its so smooth 140kmh is a speed you could easily find yourself having to draw back from with some regularity excepting the beautiful tone of the dual pair of exhausts acts rather like an aural rpm gauge warning of imminent ticketing possibilities. The engine is classic Porsche, a horizontilly opposed 6 cylinder with 4 overhead cams, its fuel injected though this time water cooled as opposed to the usual air cooled engines Porsche is known for. The engine doesnt suffer for this change though redlining above 7000rpm. It reaches 100km/h in 5.9 seconds with a top speed of 275km/h when coupled with the 5 speed tiptronic automatic. A lack of speed & power through the gears is obviously not lacking but neither is stopping power. ABS is standard with some cars fitted with Porsche ceramic composite brakes, this coupled with the 4S's PSM(Porsche Stability Management) gives the driver outstanding control on cornering & lane holding even with varying friction elements being presented. The 4S is built to the dimensions of the 996 turbo with a wide rear and low stance but surprised me with an overall length of almost 4.5 mtrs with width at 1830mm. The height of 1295mm with rear tyres being 295/30 18's & fronts running 225/40 18's gives a nice solid feel, as well as look, to an already classic body shape & lines. An automatic adjusting rear spoiler, electric windows, mirrors,seats, infrared theft protection system & airbag systems are only some of the additional items that are too many to give justice to in listing, that the Carrera 4S driver has at their command. When getting into my work vehicle (an Isuzu Elf)or most any other vehicle after a stint in the 996, a distinct feeling of knowing what its like to step back into being Clark Kent seems to take over with a commonality of the humdrum that has me jumping straight into my 911 Carrera after work or any chance i get & hitting the open or any road with pleasure. For almost $40'000 i got a car i dreamed of, in reality, that, with the proper servicing schedule, feels like a prestige or "super"car but with the driveability of an everyday car. Dont ask "why"? Say, "Why not!"
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- Technology
- Performance
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- Value
MY 4s
Generally I am very pleased with the car except for the poor gas mileage. This is further complicated by the fact that it has a very small gas tank. Be prepared to refuel every other day!!!
Best 911 ever
Uncanny handling, perfectly matched to the substantial power of the car. A beautiful exterior, and (at long last) a functional, attractive and logical interior. The overall balance is striking, between cornering, acceleration, braking, shifting, you name it, it's just perfect.
arctic silver
Most beautiful exciting fast and superior handling.
third Porsche
this is my 3rd 911...it is awesome....even the Tiptronic is better then I expected.....worth every penny....and more....
Amazing Machine
This is the definition of perfection. The car is blazing fast, and quickly puts an end to other cars trying to keep up with you in turns. A REAL dream to drive, and always makes you turn around and look at it when you park it. Porsche, there IS no substitute.
996 Cab So Good !
The car is really a joy to drive. Looking at the new Cabriolet Turbo this spring. You cannot find a better manufacturer or a better devotion to ensuring the quality of the brand! For example. I was contacted by Porsche that they didn't like the way my particular engine transmission was made ( they claimed it was a little too notchy in the 2nd to 3rd shift) so they sent a brand new $19,000 transmission from Stutgart and swapped it in a day! The car was and is in my estimation handling beautifully and I for one am duly impressed! Having taken laps at Watkins Glen at over 150 MPH I assure you It's a dream.
2003 Carrera 4S
I love the exterior design and the car's performance
The true ultimate driving machince
It is a fun car to drive. It is the best car Ive driven in terms of response and handling performance. Even the radio was better than I expected. A truly dream car.
MY SUNDAY DRIVER
I LOVE THIS CAR ALWAYS DID SINCE I WAS LITTLE. AND I ALWAYS WANTED THIS TO BE MY FIRST CAR SO I WORKED 2 JOBS FOR 3 YEARS TILL I TURNED 21 AND ON MY 21ST BIRTHDAY I BOUGHT MY DREAM CAR..
It isn't all that it seems
I am a car collector and this car just isn't up to my standards. It is uncofortable and the cockpit is hard to understand and things are hard to reach.
This Porsche is more like a Volkswagen
Thinking that I would get a great performing car for the money, boy I was wrong. Last week I came up to a light next to a corvette z06. When it turned green, the Z06 took off and I could not catch him. Even around the winding roads. I should have opted for the ZO6,and saved myself 40,000. Porsche is a waste of money.
Go With the Ferrari Instead
Service and reliability and Porsche NA are not worth the price of admission at any level. Save the money and go with the Infiniti G35 or bypass the lack of German workmanship and go with Italian craftsmanship.
My Review
Its great
First 911 coupe
I love the car, but I felt the stock suspension was too soft and the exhaust too quiet, I love performance so I modified both and the result is fantastic. It now handles and sounds like it should of from the factory. I would like more power also. but i had a Zo6 Corvette prior to it.
My favorite Porsche
this is my baby, I drive her everywhere, She handles the open roads great, anyone who wants a car this is the one to buy. Closely resembles a 69 shelby mustang
BEST CAR ON THE ROAD
Just couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of driving my friends 911 Turbo X50 for couple days. Well, now I know what a real car is!!! I swear it's more than what you can ever imagine... incredibly fast, your eyes start watering when you start accelerating, it reminds me of the acceleration and fun of a 1000cc sport bike.. Fit and finish is unbelievable, with the stereo system being up there with the best of them! Grabs attention like no other car, I had a guy pull next to me at a stop light in a new S500 and ask me: "How does it feel to drive the baddest car in the world?" I have no words to express the experience.
Expenssive Maraca
Porsche has poor quality control in their assembly. My vehicle was delivered with an annoying rattle from the dash and rear of the vehicle which has still to be completely corrected. The car has been in the shop three times already and will return. The dealership service department has been very gracious but the initial quality of the car has taken some of the joy of ownership out of the experience.
Incredible
Without question, the ride, performance, and handling of this vehicle is incredible. In addition, the engine "talks to you" when working at higher rpm's. Light years faster and roomier than the Boxster.
Excitement on highway. Good day-to-day.
Overall: * Great ride for someone who needs a day-to-day ride that is humungous fun on the open road! * Excellent torque from 4000rpm and up to the 7200 red-line. * Beautiful intake roar as the engine moves above its middle point * Beat the convertible M3, Corvette, Jaguar XKR, Aston DB7 Vantage, and other luxury convertibles to 60 and 100; and have your friends and family wave from the back to the Viper and 360 Modena 2-seater crowd just as they creep past you!
PORSCHE...THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE
I HAD A 2002 996 CAB.I THINK IT WAS A LEMON..THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER 10 TIMES MOST OF THEM WERE MAJOR REPAIRS SO I GOT SICK OF THE BRAND AND TRIED FINDING A NOTHER.LOOKED AT CARS FROM NSX TO S2000....TO BMW BUT NOTHING MATCHED THE PERFORMANCE AND THE PLEASUE OF DRIVING A PORSCHE..SO I WENT BACK TO THE PORSCHE DEALER AND DROVE THE TURBO AND IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST DRIVE THIS CAR WILL MAKE YOU FEEL ON TOP OF THE WORLD IT IS SO FAST SO FIRM SO SMOOTH THER IS NO OTHER CAR ON THIS PLANET THAT MATCHES ITS PERFORMANCE AND THAT GOES FOR THE FERRARI TOO.
my 911 coupe
rough riding difficult to get in and out loud wind buffeting with sun roof open difficult to read oil gauge difficult to operate tape an cd,rsdio;one gets distracted when selecting favorite program
fast fun all in one
very fun car TO drive and also attracts alot of people and alot of head turns
Carrera 4 Cabriolet
Excellent handeling and performance for the price range of the vehilce. Great acceleration and steering. It actually feels like a vehicle on rails with it's tight feel and cornering at high speeds.
My 911/996 2003 Cabriolet
I drive a triple black Porsche and its just a great automobile far superior to my 1995 C2 and Z06 Vette. This car just has class, speed, comfort and handles unbelievably. I am very happy with it and cant wait to break it in. The engine noise is like the old 994's, I can just get mesmorized listening to the engine when taking off and accelerating. I have been stopped a few times already with admirers,, this is the ultimate rag top roadster that sets the standard for all others in my opinion. Once you drive a Porsche, you never go back, I tried to but couldnt stand another car and couldnt replace the feel and the experience.