I've had my 911 for a few months now and put about 1,800 miles on it, so I thought I'd share some of my feelings about it and compare it to some other cars I've owned. The car is a joy to drive. It handles amazingly, the hydraulic steering is responsive and communicative, the engine sounds great, and it's the quickest car I've owned. Just as importantly (to me), I love to look at it. I'll peak out my window to see it sitting in the driveway and just admire how good this car looks. There are some things that aren't quite perfect with it though, like a whistling sound from wind above 60MPH, some creaky interior parts (especially the passenger's seat when there's no passenger in it), and the clutch is very heavy, so it's tiring in traffic.
So now that I've spent some time with my dream car, how does it stack up against some of my favorites?
2010 911 vs 2022 Veloster N
The Veloster is a fantastic car. It doesn't feel anything like a 911, and they're hard to compare head-to-head, but they both bring me a lot of joy while driving them. The 911 is better in terms of pure driving feel, which shouldn't be surprising, but I never feel like I'm jumping into a lesser car when I swap between them. The Veloster has a lot of charm with the exhaust sounds and is a much more capable daily driver with all of the customization options and cargo/passenger space it has. I can go from a nice soft-ish suspension and a dead quiet ride to tight steering and stupid, fun pops and burbles with a single button on the steering wheel. The Veloster is loaded with tech and I use CarPlay every time I'm in the car. The lack of tech is noticeable in an older 911 if you're trying to daily it, but when it comes to sports cars I think less is more.
When I had to take a 10 hour road trip to Ohio with my brother I didn't even consider the 911. The Veloster is more comfortable, easier to drive, and still a ton of fun. The VN is an absolute steal for the price and anyone who owns one should cherish it. In my opinion it also looks significantly better than the other hot hatches available. My white one looks really nice, but I do wish I had it in Performance Blue.
2010 911 vs 2015 Cayman
I loved my Cayman, and it's a little bit closer of a competitor to the 911 than the VN is. There were some things about the Cayman that I enjoyed more. Having an engine screaming right behind your head is one of the most fun things to experience while driving. The Cayman felt smaller and more nimble, and I really loved how it looked. The seating position is low in both cars, but in the Cayman I felt lower, more enclosed, and more connected to the road. I always felt like the base Cayman was lacking in power though, even though it's the same as the VN -and- 300lbs lighter. I think if I had owned a Cayman S I never would have sold it and wouldn't currently have the 911.
The extra power from the 911 fixes my biggest complaint with the Cayman, but I have a feeling I'll own a Cayman again in the future. If anyone out there is looking to get a Porsche and buys a Cayman or Boxster because it's more affordable, just know you aren't settling. The 911 is the more "prestigious" car, but you could argue its younger siblings are just as good but in different ways. I've owned 3 mid-engine cars (two Boxsters and the Cayman) and there's something really, really special about them. Get an S though if budget allows it.
2010 911 vs 2002 NB Miata/2019 ND2 Miata
Miatas are awesome. Old ones are cheap, easy to maintain, easy to get parts for and stupidly fun. There's a degree of pure driving joy that Miatas give that you can't get anywhere else, and I felt that in both my 2002 and 2019. It's so slow, but feels fast, and the engine screaming never stops. Rev it hard, fly through corners with the top down, and smile.
The 911 is fun to drive, but Miatas are on another level. The community is amazing too. People get big dumb smiles on their faces when they see another Miata coming down the road.
I traded in my NB as the down payment for my 911 and it's bittersweet. Just be very careful about rust. They're very prone to it. If you can get a clean one, just be nice to it and make sure the undercarriage gets washed regularly. You'll also probably want a new battery.
I own a 911 and long for my 20 year old Miata... I don't regret my decision, but it should also go to show that you can have a lot of fun without spending a lot of money.
Final Thoughts
The 911 is beautiful. It's everything I hoped it would be when I was a kid dreaming of getting one. When I was a kid though, I didn't have all of the car experience that I have now. Over the years I've had so much fun with other cars that quite honestly offer a much better fun per $ value. You can get a lightly used 2020 VN for $28k on Carvana that you could take to a track on day 1. You can get an NB Miata for less than $10k, or a nearly new 2019 ND2 for $28k. Even in the world of Porsche, there are a ton of affordable fun options like a 986 Boxster or 987.1 Cayman. But, as much as I love all of those cars, there's still something magical about having a 911.
