barryl

Hello,

I'm looking for a sporty, fast convertible that can seat 4 (driver and 2 or 3 young kids).
My budget is around $25K
Vehicles I like are Porsche 911 (2002 or newer type 996)
Audi S4 (2005 or so)
Mercedes CLK55 AMG (2004 or 2005)
Note that I insist on a cabriolet.

I am a long time PCA member, and currently have a 944 turbo set up for club racing, so I don't need another race car.

The Porsche would be the fastest, oldest and would probably have the most miles.
The Audi would have quattro, which is good, and a manual trans (which is also good) but would be the heaviest, which is not good. The Audi is also the cheapest.
The MB might be the 'coolest' but the most expensive to operate? It also has an automatic trans, which I don't care for, but could live with.

This would be a daily driver. I do have other vehicles for when the weather is real bad, etc.

Which would you select and why?

This is cross posted on Porsche, Audi, and MB forums.

Thanks,
Barry

Barry Lenoble
lenoble@optonline.net

S4iowa

Why not a 996 C4S?

kjb99

No way you could get a C4S for mid twenties.

The Mystro S4

I dont think you could get a B7 S4 Cab below $30k.

S4iowa

if you do it's a beat up POS with 100K miles

ps. I wasn't really paying attn to his price budget

S4iowa

And a bottm C4 cab was under $30K still.

ruknd

and good luck with the 911s back seat

AmazonJohn

I paid 25.6k for mine in August. 27k miles, MT, under factory warranty until 4/09. The market has gone considerably lower since then so you should be able to get a very nice deal on a car that cost close to 60k just a few years ago.

I can't speak for the Merc or Porsche but I can tell you that hearing the S4 exhaust note with the top down will send shivers up your spine. It's also an incredibly comfortable and amazingly quiet Cabrio. I had a co-worker in mine a few days ago and he couldn't stop talking about how quiet the car was with the top up. Just my 2 cents.

AUDIQSS

all of the rush you need or want from that, then you really don't have need to do so on the road. Particularly when hauling the kids. I've had a 2004 S4 Cab for the last 3.5 years. I normally switch cars every two years, but I haven't found anything else that does it all the way this one does, especially 2nd gear from 2500 to redline. I'd like a S5 Cab but as I also like to buy used, looks like I will have to wait about two more years. As for the MB, I've looked and driven, and it just didn't compare to the S4. Also, so far, all I have had to do is the annual service visit and a stiff glove box door replacement. (Knock on wood.)

charliemike71

My dad has an '87 911 Targa that he could $22k for ... I can't see a 996 for under $30k. Who knows.