AutoTrader Find of the Week: How Much Porsche 911 Can You Buy for the Price of a New Car?

The average price of a new car in Canada in 2025 was $63,665. That’s about $65,000 in car-enthusiast math — nearly double the average price from less than a decade ago. In fact, the average price of a used vehicle, at $36,911, has now outpaced the estimated average sales price of a new vehicle in 2018.

It’s not news that new vehicles are expensive or that the average price is largely driven up by North Americans' lust for enormous trucks and SUVs — as well as inflation, the pandemic, and now tariffs. And true enough, there are plenty of reasonable, well-optioned vehicles that can be had for less money. For example, the best-selling vehicle from Canada’s best-selling manufacturer, the Toyota RAV4, can be comfortably purchased and loaded to the absolute gills for under $60,000.

Still, if you’re feeling depressed about how the amount of money that would have bought you your dream car now barely gets you into a base BMW 3 Series, you’re not alone.

The question then, for any true and proudly self-deluded car enthusiast, is, “If I’m going to spend $65,000 anyway, how much fun can I have? What’s, say, the best Porsche 911 I could have for that sort of money?”

Now, if you were searching for legitimate consumer advice in this article, this is probably the time to jump off, because we’re taking the wishful-thinking train straight to questionable-financial-decision town.

If your brain isn’t scheming out how to pitch your partner on how you could “totally fit a baby seat into the back row of a 911 and how, in a lot of ways, this makes way more sense than a RAV4 because it’s totally at the end of its depreciation curve and will hold its value so well…” this article just isn’t for you.

Still here? OK, you’ve been warned.

The short answer is you can have a well-maintained, reasonably low-mileage Porsche 911 997.1 Carrera S just likethis 2006 example for sale on AutoTrader in Richmond, B.C.

It’s only done a smidge under 43,000 km, and while it may have some less desirable options like the five-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission and middling “Arktissilber” exterior paint, it is an honest-to-goodness rear-wheel-drive hardtop 911. It’s also an upmarket Carrera S model that features the more powerful 3.8-litre engine offering 355 horsepower instead of the base model’s 3.6-litre 325-horsepower unit.

An evolution of the least desirable 996-generation Porsche 911, the 997 corrected many complaints of its immediate predecessor, largely the exterior styling and interior quality. The 997 marked a return for the 911’s iconic, buggy, rounded headlights and wider arched rear fender flares. A glance at its front fascia alone is enough to see the decided departure from the “melted cheese” look that plagued the 996 (and most sports cars birthed in the 1990s). Inside, materials quality was improved overall, while Porsche also addressed some driver ergonomic nitpicks.

While many would submit that the 996 provided a more analogue driver feel (a holy testament by which 911 enthusiasts insist on preaching even when completely unprompted), the 997’s improved power output and refined chassis dynamics continue to make it a preferred choice for the discerning enthusiast. Many more would argue the 997 (particularly the mid-cycle refreshed 997.2) rides that perfect line between analogue 911s of the past and the hyper-tech models of the present.

Expect base-model 997 Carreras, higher-mileage cabriolets, and aftermarket muckery to bring down expected prices. Inversely, models equipped with six-speed manual transmissions or rare colours — such as this 2007 example finished in “Carmonarot” exterior paint — will increase prices.

Curiously, the all-wheel-drive (AWD) option doesn’t seem to have much effect on pricing, despite purists often loudly decrying it. Perhaps this is a symptom of blue-blooded enthusiasts and the mass of casual fans cancelling each other out.

Of course, the downsides (of which there are so many) to buying any used sports car over a brand new family crossover are going to be service and maintenance cost, the all-too-real risk of getting a lemon, and the need to always plan for the unexpected.

While the 997 doesn’t have a particularly bad reputation for reliability, there are a number of issues to check for on a model you may be considering purchasing.

In all cases, you’ll want to get into your nearest Porsche-certified tech for an overall examination of engine health, as they’ll have the best tools for evaluating your potential money pit — er, I mean, investment.

Ask for a borescope to check for bore scoring or a worn IMS bearing (a Porsche-specific engine component). While low mileage is generally a plus, especially low mileage in, say, an automatic car like the one we first featured in this article or one that lived its entire life in a city, should be under suspicion for a history of “cold run short cycles.”

A car too often driven short distances may not have been sufficiently lubricated due to not properly cycling fluids, which could lead to the above issues.

A Porsche specialty computer (dubbed a “PIWIS,” which is definitely funny to say) can reveal historical data of fault codes, overrevs, and compare the computer’s mileage with what’s shown on the dash.

So, we repeat, take it to an actual Porsche tech.

Additionally, check for any cooling leaks (cap, radiator, hoses). A heavy clutch pedal in a manual car likely indicates a severely worn clutch. Finally, if during your test drive, something feels off in the suspension, trust your gut: it probably is (this is a 911, it’s supposed to feel perfect).

Hey, we warned you. We did say this wasn’t good financial advice. At best, it’s a creative exercise; a simultaneous stretch of your imagination and your wallet.

The larger point we’re making here is that just because the price of an average new car is depressingly high, it doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with a vehicle that doesn’t spark joy.

Because with all due respect to the Toyota RAV4, nobody dreamed about growing up and buying one of those.