Indeed it has been said that 96/960 is one of the best 960 series. I have one and I can't complain. The car has 130,000 and is going very strong. There is only one problem with the new design for the front suspension. The rear control arm bushing seems to crack sooner than one may expect. The 4" clearance is not a problem unless you are going to the woods with the car. The muffler is more likely to hit the pavement going out of a step entrance into the main road than the front end. A mechanic lifting the car up on a rack is more likely to damage the frame of the car than you would on the road.