2002 Porsche 911
2002 Porsche 911 questions and answers
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Q: Porsche vs. maserati?
can't decide which to buy, a 2002 porsche 911 coupe (50,000 miles) or a 2004 maserati coupe (23,000 miles), also looking for which one will have a higher resale value in 3 years
A: The Maserati will only be in the shop for half the year. The other half you will have the most fun of your life..
Q: Why is that the first thing they change?
Why is that when ever newer model cars come out, the first thing they change is the headlights? I mean everything else on the car looks pretty much the same except the headlights. For example, a 2002 PT Cruiser looks the same as a 2008 model except a slight difference in the shape of the headlights. Another thing I noticed are cars that look the same but has a different name and manufacturer. Like GMC Sierra trucks look just like Chevy Silverados, Ford Fusion looks like a Mercury Milan. Mercury Mariner looks like a Ford Escape. I can't say for sure but everytime I see the Nissan 350 Z sportscars, I can't help but see a slightness of a Porsche 911. I first looked at the body of a 350 Z and that of a Porsche, especially the back and side view of both cars and they look almost alike to me in some way.
A: I think you are talking about the changes to a car after it has been REDESIGNED.
The headlights and tail lights are some of the first things that you notice on a car and they are the things that differentiate makes and models of cars from other makes and models. That's the reason why most of the redesign is seen in the headlights and tail lights. Other "unseen" changes might be in the safety and efficiency areas which are then presented to the public as either advertisement of in the form of brochures for the cars. This is to inform people of the changes that have taken place and to state the positive things about the car and to try to say that their product is in some way or another better than the next guys product.
As far as car models being alike: You have made some very smart observations. But the BIG thing that you have missed in that is that most of the car companies you mentioned are RELATED to each other. Ford owns Mercury and Lincoln. GM owns GMC, Chevy, Cadillac, Saab, Hummer, Saturn and so on. Toyota owns Lexus. Honda owns Acura. Nissan owns Infiniti. And most German car companies such as BMW/MINI are related and Audi Automotive Group is the parent of Porsche, VW, and Audi. Mercedes used to be with Chrysler, but they separated some months ago. The companies that are related to each other or are owned by one another, share not only technology and part with each other, but they also share the same cars and then sell them under different names. This is done to have different makes and models and to have variety in the market. It is also done to cut costs. So by sharing one car, several companies can benefit from them and sell them. I should also mention that some of the car companies, due to very bad economic times, are in trouble. And we may see a CHANGE in future as far as the relations between the car companies.
As far as the Nissan Z being similar to a Porsche is just a because both are sports coupes/convertibles. There shape is similar, but they don't share any parts or technology.
Q: Are Porsches Reliable?
I have heard horror stories about the old 944's in the 80's. I hear that at around 100,000 miles, the gearbox could literally explode. And when this happened and my friend brought it into the Porsche dealer to fix it the mechanic said noncalantly, "oh yeah, they all do that eventually."
Well, I am looking at a 2002 911 Targa for $25,000. I have heard stupendous things about the 911 about how it could be driven every day. I want to know if they have fixed their reliability record since the 944, and would this be a good buy? It has 75,000 miles on it.
A: I know that some of the older Porsche's had their problems, however that is very much fixed. For example a Ferrari with 40,000 miles would be a bit of a problem. Very few people would want to touch it. A Porsche though, not problem. My 997 C4S needs serviced once every 20,00 mile or every 2 years.To put that in to perspective Ferrari's need serviced ever couple thousand miles. It is a brilliant car. It can be used every day (which i do) and can even cope with a bit of snow.
My advice would be so spend a couple more thousand and get a 911 with lower mileage. Although the one you are looking at should be fine (if it has been maintained and looked after properly) it may be a bit tricky to sell. Purely because people are put off high mileage cars.
I think you should look for one with a full Porsche dealer service history (that way you know it's been looked after), go for one that has 50,000 miles or less and enjoy it.
Hope that helps