Thinking about buying a boxster, need direction!

220 in a boxter will still be more entertaining that 280 in a mustang. You are buying road feel, styling, and a lovely engine note. If you want more bang for your buck, go get a nice mid 80's 911sc, it will run for 225,000 miles easily, so get a nice one with 100,000 on it, and you are ahead.

Or get a nice 928, like I did, but be prepared to cry when you get it worked on, or learn to work on breath-takingly complex machinery.

Or get a mustang, if you are too worried about the number you say when people ask..

Bernard

I smell a troll...

direction. The Boxster (no S) looks like a nice entry level Porsche and more

Ahhh, if it were all about HP. But it ain't. I'm a sucker for more HP too, but the power in a Boxster is very well placed even if it's a bit meager in the base model. This car has balance and deft handling as it's cohorts on the open road. Yes, more HP would make it go faster, but most will find it a handful pushing it around corners at speed. If HP is your only concern, go get the Shtang or something else, but if not look again at the Boxster with its superior open road handling and excellent build quality. With that said, I'd get the S model (I like it's styling and it's extra oomph.) or an older Porsche that fit my fancy to stretch the pocket book further. As I said, I like more HP too, but the base Boxster really wouldn't be the particular Porsche model to provide that. Unless you got the S. Now that would be a fun car. I think used Porsches provide a lot of bang for the buck. Sample those waters and you'll likely not be sorry that you did. Happy hunting and kiss that Alero goodbye!

DS

95 993 Coupe

Shout out to Devs! Hope all is well and it's not raining too much for ya!

I recommend you test drive one and see what you're getting into - I think you'll find the driving feel and handling are worth the difference, and you'll still have the speed and acceleration. However, if you don't like it but still want a Porsche with high horsepower, there are other options and they're less expensive. As another poster mentioned, there's the 928. A 928S from 1985 or

1986 has 288 horses, the 928S4s have over 300. Good handling, comfortable ride, with a top speed of ~170 mph, all for $10k-15k. There's also the 944 turbo (aka 951). You can snag a 951 for five or six grand and have a 250hp Porsche that's faster and outhandles a 911, and a few relatively inexpensive mods can get you close to 300 hp. Emanuel

Thanks for the awesome responses! I'm looking at acceleration and gear ratio rather than top speed. I'm already a target for the cops as it is. I suppose

225hp won't peak out too early in first gear, and you cruise as a nice low rpm at 80mph.

I was looking at a '00 boxster at $27k with 42k miles, it's got none of the cool options on it, and it's 5 year old technology. I just can't get excited about that. I suppose adding aftermarket stuff might be fun, although expensive. A seasoned car won't get me too worried about damaging or putting miles on it (I get high anxiety about that). I'm not looking for a trophy car, I want to use it for all its worth!

But I'm also told we don't really know how well boxsters hold up in high mileage?

Anyone here go with leasing? Or is the resale value generally high enough to make leasing a big waste of money? To me it seems resale value is high only because they were $75k cars new!

-Max

"Max" wrote

If you consider 3500rpm - redline is 7K - low.

That price is about right - you might be able to go a couple $K lower. Don't forget that "old technology" includes variable valve timing, brakes bigger than on a 'Stang, about 1000lbs less than a 'Stang, etc. Also, we typically get 30mpg highway (on cruise control) at 80mph.

If you live in an area where you can have the top down more than just a couple of months a year, you'll definitely get your money out of it - the car is *much* better with the top down than up.

The 2000 and later models have a better engine (oil seals, etc.) and seem to be lasting a lot better.

FloydR '2000 Boxster

Well if you want to haul the jetski, get the wife a SUV! If HP is what you want, a nice 80's 911 conv will work anyday.

----- '78 911sc Targa w/ '87 3.2

If you are looking at several vehicles and Porsche is one of them, the worst thing you can do is to drive the Porsche first. You'll never even want to give the others a chance. The base model will beat most 4 bangers and even

6's and many 8's, but not all although those that can really have to try. Even in automatic (tiptronic). But most of the 8's that can beat it off the line can never keep up around those curves. Plus it will go 150+ if you have a place for it. I don't think either of those other cars will do that and I'm not sure I'd want to be in either at that speed anyway. The boxter does it with no fear of coming apart. It was made for it.

But do try to get an S if HP is important to you. That will give most cars a run for their money.

I have a 2001 boxter and I love it. I test drove a miata but I am too tall for it and there is more trunk space in the boxter. You can put more in the rear trunk than you can in the miata's--then you have another trunk left to fill! You'd be surprised what you can stuff in that car!

Another factor is that you won't see yourself driving around everywhere you go. There are a lot of Miata's and Mustangs out there.

However, there's still the issue of the trailer.

What's a troll?

I said that so people wouldn't spend time writing about how great a porsche is compared to a Miata. lol! I want to get a feel for what Porsche I should be looking at in my situation.

Read the first paragraph...Trolls typically make an underhanded comments followed by a compliment. If the person REALLY understood that a Porsche was a nicer car, he wouldn't be concerned with power compared to a Mustang.

Did you read this line???

Anyone that knows cars or has researched cars knows that an entry level Porsche refers to the lowest priced car in the group. An entry level Porsche is usually better than a flagship any other brand.

If the man was serious, I apologize, but it smelled of troll.

Well Max, there is an alternative to the Boxster that might suit you better...a 968 Cabriolet is a very nice ride. 240HP, handles like a dream. Problem with 968's is they tend to be more expensive than '97-'99 Boxsters.

Keep in mind...an entry level Porsche is not like an entry level Chevy. An entry level Porsche just happens to be the least expensive of the line. You still get a Porsche.

Performance is a part of every car's overall "how good is it" factor. Porsches are "nicer" than various other cars, but when even a Nissan Maxima sedan has 255hp, the power numbers can start factoring in. If a Porsche is to be considered a performance or sports (or even grand touring) car, then it must be partly judged on performance.

The point of my comment was more to compare a new $40k Porsche with a $100K Porsche. I don't feel like I'm getting a Porsche with a lower-end model. I brought up Mustang, because I don't really consider a Mustang a Mustang unless it's a GT, Cobra, etc. The Mustang is a crappy car if you aren't even going to get the big engine without any options.

I felt there was a similar comparision with a $40k Porsche and a $100K Porsche, or even a $60K Boxster. Am I really getting a Porsche I can feel good about having if it has none of the nicer options?

-Max

~~~~~

Max, the point I think you are missing is there really are no "lower end models" just models with different prices and features. For instance, would you feel in 1995 you were getting a "lower end model" if you got a brand new

911 (993) ? Well, in your terms, you would because the "top of the line" model was the 928GTS4.

When I was buying my latest Porsche I drove several late 80's 911 Carreras and finally decided on the "lower end" 944S2 Cabriolet, you know why? The

944 offered far better all around performance than the "top of the line" 911.

All Porsches are/were built to the highest standards and all models share a lot of common parts, some just come with more expensive engines, come in limited numbers or just plain have more features.

Here's another example...the current generation Boxster is 10 times the machine as my old S2. The Boxster costs around $45K and my old S2 cost well over $50K in 1990! Do I consider the far cheaper Boxster below my more expensive 944? Hell no...you are not buying the "bottom" of anything except the price scale. Another way to look at it is, you want to buy in a 50 story building overlooking Elliot Bay. The condo on the 50th floor will cost more than the condo on the 30th floor, but the view will generally be the same....get it?

You won't really be missing any features on your Boxster and I can guarantee you will enjoy the hell out of it.

In the end, a car's real value boils down to its "seat of your pants" feel, right?

I mean, a VW GTI is a nice little car - nothing impressive, it just scoots along very nicely. Same with the Nissan 300Z (now the 350Z).

However, if you want "prestige" in your nameplate, Porsche will buy some of that - but Ford and Mustang won't.

If you want (cheap) power, then Mustangs and Camaros are the way to go - but they drive like a brick!

Go drive a Porsche 944, then a Boxster, then a Mustang Cobra. You will likely discover that the Porsche products (both young and old) are far and away the better "seat of your pants" cars than the top-of-the-line Mustang.

If you are interested in screeching away from stoplights, then why pay for nameplate? Everyman's Mustang (or any American musclecar) will work for this.

p.s. - If you are interested in skittering around corners like a mad squirrel, then consider a Beck Spyder (a replica of the Porsche 550 Spyder) - no "power" but those 150+ horses only have to move about 1200 pound of car. My research indicates you can spend about $25K for a good used one. I'm yet to drive one, but I hear great things about them. 0 to

60 MPH in under 6 seconds for less than $30K? Cool by me.

Take this as you will, but from what I've gleaned from owners, a reputable Porsche mechanic, and others, I'd run, not walk, away from a Boxster purchase.

Why? Engine failures mainly. According to my factory trained source, the engines are failing between 30-60k miles.

I personally drove an early tiptronic model and thought "what the hell is this?!" It was absolutely one of the deadest, boring cars I'd ever driven. And cup holders! Cripes.

Mind you, I'm a luddite at heart. Give me a short wheel base 912 or

911 any day. A car you have to drive and drive well to go fast and live to tell.

The "uber" Miata is coming, the Mini hs a drop top now, and the Solstice is coming. There are a myriad of choices. Drive 'em all and buy whatever makes your heart flutter.