Test drove a 986 and it didn't feel sporty or stable? Did I drive it wrong?
 

Disclosure: I've never owned a sports car/roadster and my last current car and the one before that are mid-large sedans which are very comfortable. The dealer said he thought that was why I felt the way I felt.

Test drove a 2004 986s 3.2 today. Has 105k miles on it. Tiptronic model.

It looks to be in great condition from the exterior. The interior has this gold leather finish which is still in very good condition as well and the original porsche entertainment system still works well with working sat nav.

The seats don't seem to have much lumbar support though, and had to do quite some adjusting to get into a somewhat comfortable position.

I was suprised first at how slow the acceleration was, and I'm comparing my 2015 2.0L diesel Vauxhall Insignia (Buick Regal in the US) which goes 0-60 in about 7s, so supposedly a little slower than the 986s.

While test driving, the salesman told me to open up the throttle a bit, so I did, revved at about 4k rpms and when I hit 65-70mph the car did shake a fair bit and didn't feel as stable as I'd have liked it to feel on the road. Not the smoothest drive. Is this just a sports car thing with a stiffer suspension? Or should the 986 be fairly stable at high speeds?

Also, I did have to floor it QUITE a bit to get it to rev and the brakes didn't feel super responsive. Again, I'm unfairly comparing my car which has power brakes and power steering etc. to a 2004 sports car so I'm not sure.

Am I just not used to how sporty a 986 is having never driven a sports car or should I go out and try another one? :confused:

Also, the weather was very **************** today so couldn't take the top down to drive it. :(

Keep looking
 

That does not appear to be a squared away 986S

David

Agreed, I have a 2.7 base model, and it sounds completely different from mine. I won't say it's a rocket, but it pulls plenty hard, and does not shake and is very stable.

Look at other 986's, with one that is working properly you will now know the difference.

Shaking and poor acceleration definitely suggest something is wrong with that car. However, the brakes on mine didn't have very good feedback until I bled all four corners, and compared to other sporty cars I've driven it seems much less exciting at lower speeds- it really comes alive when going hard through a twisty section of road, but much less when going along with traffic. The brake feel still isn't fantastic, but I hate to throw out pads with most of the life left.

Still think it's a great car, try some others and see if your suspicions are correct.

When I saw the word Buick I knew it was going to get interesting.

Go drive another Boxster or two. It's a sports car... so that rumbling whatever you felt is not going to compare to the geriatric platform you enjoy right now.

Go drive a few sports cars so you know why a Porsche may seem a little tighter than a sofa.

Cheers! :cheers:

Hello Cymjay, compared to a Buick, the feeling should be of a 'much more stable' car specially at higher speeds..

The 'unstable feel' suggests poor alignment or worn out suspension components, and the vibration (shaking) suggest worn front shock absorbers and/or worn out engine/transmission mounts, how many miles does this car have?

As others suggest, find another Boxter and test drive it again :) A Boxter in good condition should feel Very Stable and without any vibrations, now regarding the torque.. unfortunately you cannot compare it with a diesel engine the Boxter engine likes to be (you have to..) reved-up a bit to get you moving but will be very smooth while making beautiful sounds.

If you find one in good condition, you will be hooked :-)

The shaking could be just the tires. Whether out of balance, or if the car sat very long, flat spots. The unstable part at high speeds could also be underinflated tires. Those are best-case scenarios. Worst-case could be alignment issues, worn suspension/steering linkage, etc. I'm sure the dealer would at least have checked the tire pressure before getting you into the car, otherwise they should be out of business.

Regarding the low power, like redpepperracing said, the base 2.7 pulls pretty well, and the S you tested should perform better. And like Starter and others suggested, test-drive other sports cars so you get a feel of what one should feel like.

But in the meantime, I'd run away from this one.

the 986 isn't "fast" by todays standards. I would classify it as quick and lots of fun to drive

130+ isn't fast?

The 986 isn't necessarily "quick". I find it to be almost a slug off the starting line but, with some gas... I get mine "fast" pretty quick.

the 986... They are fun to drive.

$.02

I left a C7 Vette in the twisties and he was trying to keep up. I'm not sure how good of a driver he was but in my opinion the 986 is super fast on a race track...maybe not on the dragstrip though.

that's kind of what I mean. Not super fast off the line but quick in the turns. I haven't had mine over 80 tho cause I can't afford to break anything LOL