2004 Porsche 911 Review

Name: 2004 Porsche 911 Review
Brand: Porsche
Price: 12330 USD
Rating: 4.8 (70 reviews)

2002 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S AWD 2dr Coupe Shown

2002 Porsche 911 Carrera Tiptronic Rwd 2dr Coupe

2002 Porsche 911 Targa Rwd Tiptronic 2dr Coupe

+93

Used 911 for sale

$12,330 - $18,526

1 listing

See Cars for Online Purchase See All for Sale

Appraise This Car

Porsche 911 model years

Porsche 911 for Sale

Porsche 911 types

See Edmunds pricing data

Has Your Car's Value Changed?

Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.

See pricing history

Edmunds' Expert Review

by the Edmunds Experts

Pros

Pinpoint steering, effortless acceleration, industrial strength brakes, the soothing sound of a powerful flat six.

Cons

Interior quality doesn't match sticker price, outlandish option prices.

What’s new

For the 2004 Porsche 911, cabriolet versions of the C4S and Turbo models join the lineup along with the GT3 and a 40th Anniversary model. A mechanical rear differential lock is a new option for Carrera coupes, while the options list for the Carrera 4S adds a new Aerokit, two new types of 18-inch wheels and the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake system (PCCB). Turbo models get a new tachometer and additional 18-inch wheel options. Finally, the GT2 model receives a boost in power along with brake and chassis upgrades.

Edmunds says

Still the quintessential sports car after four decades, the 2004 Porsche 911 has a unique blend of style, performance and sound that's unmatched by anything on the road.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2004 Porsche 911 Carrera Rwd 2dr Coupe (3.6L 6cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.92 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$250/mo

$168/mo

Avg. Compact Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2004 Porsche 911.

5 (89%)

4 (7%)

3 (4%)

2 (0%)

1 (0%)

4.8

70 reviews

Write a vehicle review See all 70 reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Best Porsche despite what "purists" say

Jeff w., 12/05/2015

2004 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S AWD 2dr Coupe (3.6L 6cyl 6M)

Internet says these cars blow up but it's just not the issue the purists would have you believe. Stories stem from early IMS history, but failure rate is really much lower than Toyota and other "reliable" manufacturers. This is the car that saved Porsche in 1999. I've owned 2 other Toyotas and have never really had a sports car- Im 60 years old now, not a wealthy person, but mostly been … on the conservative side of family car type ownership. I love this car because it is an icon, beautiful, comfortable and untouchable from a performance and racing legacy point of view. I would buy another. Buyer beware however, these cars are often abused, but they can take it like no other make. Personally I think the 996s are one of the best 911 designs, because it was the first thoughtful departure from the old VW bug aesthetic...from the 1998 models forward, the Porsche became a modern car. Porsche sold more of this 996 series than all other series prior, so they did something very right. Just look at the brand new 991 models, they are very similar to the innovative design of Pinky Lai and that design language is carried on today. The 996 headlights were a style complaint from many of the owners of the 1999 model - but Porsche fixed that the following year of the new 911- the design is not ugly (subjective), but again innovative for the time. In fact, the lights came directly from the GT1 high performance exotic Porsche. Then the lights were moved to the Boxster - which preceded the new 996 911 and was considered a good thing. Owners of the pricier 911 didn't want their ride to look like the cheaper Boxster from a distance. Water cooled is a more reliable than the air cooled and interior comfort is on par with modern vehicles. The interior is very comfortable. I drove from Boston to Hershey Pennsylvania - 7 hours and didn't feel stiff or achy at all. Very surprised, but pleased. Only real complaint is that cabin noise had a lot of engine and wheel/ tire noise and can be tiresome after many miles of highway driving. On the flip side it's sound is intoxicating when accelerating and cornering, giving occupants the visceral feeling of driving in a true race car legend. I now have 99,000 miles on this car and this is still my daily driver- 90 miles per day all year round. We live in New England where snow and ice is a regular occurrence. Super stable in the snow and wet for such a light car. After all these years, I still get thumbs up from all age drivers and pedestrians. The 4S model (mine) is the Turbo look style so it has all of the great wide body wheel wells, has Turbo (large) brake discs, Turbo clutch, sits very low and was like that stock in 2004. All the rage these days , racer boys slam their rides to the ground for the right stance. Porsche figured that out ages ago and the car still looks and performs better than any modern car today. I've had two main problems though: a torn CV boot on the front wheel viscous drive transmission, caused a bearing to fail and killed my differential. I replaced that with a used unit for $3K. Power steering fluid got low every few months. A major leak was found in the steering rack at 99.7K miles and decided to sell the car. I love this car. After changing away from the summer sticky tires to all weather radials, the noise in the car is now very tolerable by -10dB from before and the tire wear is superb. Finding replacement parts has been easy for plastic, light bulbs and small parts. Transmissions, glass and remarkably, carpet is hard to impossible to find. Gas mileage is very good at 31 mpg with Premium, and about 23 with middle grade unleaded (89 octane). I frequent PCA club events and car shows as a spectator, but people ALWAYS say you should be showing that car, because it is extraordinary in its lines, color (Midnight blue metallic-special order color and Natural All leather interior) and sound. If you can get one, do it. The 996 is an incredible deal right now because the purists are poo-pooing the water cooled machines driving the price down. Btw: air cooled may be interesting from a design point of view but the reason Porsche is still in business and still the king of racing is because the water cooling allowed more horsepower in a smaller engine size which translates to a better power to weight ratio. Interestingly, new 911's have a smaller block, with turbo and automatic transmissions - because they are faster and again lower power to weight ratio. Still water cooled, just like all other cars on the planet. Whats the point in having a great car and keeping it in the garage? Get a boost to your street cred, have FUN driving EVERY day and enjoy that rush acceleration and flat hard cornering gives you. No one drives this car without finishing the ride with a big grin on their face. I think that if a car makes you smile after every drive, many years of ownership, many miles, it is a very good value indeed.

40th Anniversary 911

solarwinds, 04/06/2014

2004 Porsche 911 Carrera Rwd 2dr Coupe (3.6L 6cyl 6M)

Love this 40th Anniversary 911... It is a blast to drive and been reliable driving all over east coast... Rides great for a true sports muscle car. Ice cold A/C I did change the Navigation Head unit, get one with a radio it looks better and it does not not get outdated . The car is beautiful a head turner acceleration is instant in any gear the clutch is crisp...

First Porsche

Colleen, 08/26/2007

2004 Porsche 911 Carrera 40th Anniversary Edition Rwd 2dr Coupe (3.6L 6cyl 6M)

During this past year I test drove and researched every Porsche made from 1996-2007. I chose the 2004 Anniversary. I loved its price, acceleration, styling, engine sound, aggressive exterior, and interior creature comforts. It has the most bang for the buck without all the added expenses of a turbo which will be my next Porsche, a 993TT. Maintenance has been marginal and fuel economy …

Drove It for Fun...and Bought It

puma, 12/06/2004

2004 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 AWD 2dr Cabriolet (3.6L 6cyl 6M)

I was at my dealership replacing a bent rim on my '99 996. Wwhile waiting I test drove the 04 Porsche 911 C4S. Even though the salesperson said "we're dealing on this last '04" I thought it would be "joy" ride to kill some time. We'll the ride, speed and handling made me start thinking "how much of a trade could I get for the 996". First, this car is glued to the …

See all 70 reviews of the Porsche 911

Write a vehicle review

2004 911 Highlights

Type:

Coupe

Trim:

Carrera

Base MSRP	$68,600
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	19 MPG
Cost to Drive	$250/month
Seating	4 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	4.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

People who viewed this also viewed

Chevrolet Corvette
4.9 average Rating out of 22 reviews.
Starting at $64,500

See Chevrolet Corvette Inventory

Porsche 718 Cayman
Starting at $63,400

See Porsche 718 Cayman Inventory

Porsche Cayenne
5.0 average Rating out of 1 reviews.
Starting at $72,200

See Porsche Cayenne Inventory

2004 Porsche 911 Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2004 Porsche 911 Carrera Rwd 2dr Coupe (3.6L 6cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.92 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2004 Porsche 911.

Trending topics in reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Best Porsche despite what "purists" say

40th Anniversary 911

First Porsche

Drove It for Fun...and Bought It

2004 911 Highlights

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2004 Porsche 911 info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research recent models from same make

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

2004 Porsche 911 Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2004 Porsche 911 Carrera Rwd 2dr Coupe (3.6L 6cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.92 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.

Most helpful consumer reviews

Best Porsche despite what "purists" say

40th Anniversary 911

First Porsche

Drove It for Fun...and Bought It

2004 911 Highlights

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2004 Porsche 911 info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research recent models from same make

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2004 Porsche 911 Carrera Rwd 2dr Coupe (3.6L 6cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.92 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.}