On more than one occasion the 911 has been tipped to die, yet more than 40 years after its introduction, the range is going stronger than ever. While many thought the idea of water cooling for the rear-mounted flat-six was the end of the world, the 996 has proved to be more usable than any of its predecessors - yet it's still one of the all-time great driver's cars. Just don't expect to buy one on a budget.
Key Dates
10/97: New 911 launched, known as the 996.
10/98: Carrera 4 introduced with four-wheel drive. Cabriolet also goes on sale.
12/01: GT2 and Targa models arrive.
10/03: 40th Anniversary special edition appears.
5/00: Turbo reaches the showroom.
Checklist
It's not Porsche's first water-cooled engine, yet this version of Porsche's flat-six can suffer from the oil and water mixing. Check the underside of the oil filler cap for white emulsion; if there's any there, just walk away.
Wet-sump models (which is most of them) can suffer from oil starvation if cornered especially hard.
Four-wheel drive editions tend to suffer from a disappointing amount of transmission noise.
Rear brake discs can rust if the car isn't driven hard every so often.
Turbos have been recalled no fewer than five times - has everything been done to the car you're looking at?
Only the French would produce something as outlandish as the Avantime - a two-door coupé with the profile and dimensions of a full-sized MPV. However, while Renault should be applauded for being so bold, it turned out to be a sales disaster; with a near-£30,000 price tag, buyers instead flocked to their local Audi, BMW or Mercedes dealer to buy a posh saloon. It's not hard to see why, if you look independently at the Avantime; its packaging is hopelessly flawed, the interior plastics are shocking and let's face it - buyers in this segment are notoriously conservative. But the Avantime is guaranteed to attain classic status - there's even an owners' club already.
Key Dates
4/02: The Avantime is introduced with a choice of just two models; the 2.0T Dynamique or the 3.0 V6 24v Privilege. Both are high-spec models with plenty of standard equipment.
Renault Avantime (2002-2003) Checklist
Those doors are big and heavy, which is why they can drop on their hinges.
Automatic transmissions can be unreliable, as the gearbox's cooler is mounted in the radiator. If the cooler fractures (which it can), the coolant gets into the transmission and wrecks it.
Parking sensors can be unreliable.
The power steering can fail; check there are no heavy spots.
The headlining can sag, especially towards the rear, over the luggage bay.
There are some cars that will never go down in history as all-time greats, and the Sportage is just such a vehicle. Bland in every way, it's hardly a landmark car - but it does redeem itself by offering reliability and a reasonable level of towing ability. However, refinement isn't great and it's dynamically tedious too. But with Sportages now worth little more than yesterday's newspapers, buy a good one and you can at least enjoy some top-notch reliability on a budget.
Key Dates
7/95: The Sportage arrives, in 2.0 petrol form only, with a choice of SLX, GLX or GLX SE trims.
6/96: The Executive and Executive SE join the range.
6/99: The old trim levels are replaced by S, SX and GSX derivatives.
7/00: A four-speed automatic transmission is now offered.
Kia Sportage (1995-2003) Checklist
With only a 2.0-litre petrol engine, the biggest problem is the Sportage's thirst.
Spare parts costs can be very high; if you're looking at a Sportage that needs any work, first investigate how much it'll cost to put right.
Front wheel bearings can be fragile, so listen for rumbling and chattering as you turn corners at speed; the noise will come from the outside of the bend as the weight is transferred to the duff bearing.
