Quote:
Originally Posted by Salty Dog
I think my point is Porsches generally get used differently than most other cars so that my skew things a bit.
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This is something one must consider here. There's no doubt in my mind that Porsche sports cars, not their Audi/VW cousin SUVs, are pretty reliable, BUT most people tend not to drive them much. Most 911, Caymans, Boxsters, etc. are only driven 2K to 5K miles per year. That makes a huge difference.
Maintenance, repair, and parts costs are MUCH higher than Benz (and BMW) as well, typically 50% more on everything. In most cases, you'll be stuck having to service/repair your late model Porsche at a dealer because of the tech and tools needed to work on these somewhat exclusive cars.
Also, when looking at used mid 2000s to 2015 Porsche sports car on Bring a Trailer, I am astounded by how many have had $10K in maintenance after about 5-6 years on the road. It also seems like total engine rebuilds in the $20K+ range are common place on low mileage 993 and earlier generations. I do have to wonder about the later model motors and the long term maintenance/repairs as these motors have a ton more tech and aren't very serviceable unless dropped out of the car. Also, most every common non-turbo Porsche engine built in the last three of decades seems to have some pretty frightening potential issues that can take the motor out in the blink of an eye. Take note of the costs of an engine replacement is these cars. It's hilarious.
Porsche has really good long term dependability per the data, but consider how these cars are used.
As for Benz, yeah, not so reliable and not on the same playing field as Porsche. Per JD Power Long Term Dependability data (3 years of ownership), Porsche ranks #2, BMW #8 (above the industry average), and Benz #15 (below the industry average).