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Been looking a Boxter. I know a few here have owned Porsche's and I know they require maintenance. What are the pro's or con's of owning?

I sold Porsches in the early 90s .Not an everyday car.
But that was before the Boxter..

wheel,

One of the cons is that they get stolen. My brother in law had his stolen at least 2 times.

370z Roadster!

Okay...had to be the first in the thread to suggest a different car :-)

Weeeellll... the Boxster fully loaded is about 60k. 310 hp and about 3k lbs.

The Nismo 370Z (Nismo package has ALL the goodies) is about 40k. 350 hp and about 3.3k lbs.

If you're looking at the entry boxter and just want to flash a porsche badge around, it's about 45k and only has 255 hp, whereas the entry 370Z has 332 hp and is closer to 33k.

And I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that the Nissan would be more reliable and cost a metric ****-ton less to maintain.

All that aside, it is YOUR money and your choice, sir. I have nothing of real value to add to the conversation. My apologies for the intrusion. Carry on.

In terms of maintenance, just like a sexy woman, it demands a lot of attention and there is always drama. Buying tires is a complicated balance of performance vs. comfort vs. wear (just visit Tirerack.com's forums). Filling the coolant is a conundrum between DexCool and antifreeze (google 'dexcool class action'). The "check engine" light goes on too often (google 986faq.com). There is a 2x variation in maintenance costs among dealerships, assuming you can get an appointment within 2 weeks. Oil changes, though infrequent, are shockingly expensive.

Things to watch out for when buying a Boxster:
- people bang these into curbs all the time so get the suspension checked
- pre-99 models have engine failures, just google "blown engine boxster"
- RMS failures (986s and 996s) seem to be due to a manufacturing defect and once you've got it you will continually be replacing the seal OR you will live with the oil leak OR you will blow your engine - so caveat emptor
- you will have a coolant reservoir leak. You can fix it yourself for $300 or have the dealer to it for $1000.

Buying a Boxster comes down to a decision of emotion vs. reason. Your brain will tell you it costs too much and that it is impractical. Buy it as a car and your brain will be right and you will be disappointed. However, buy it as an emotional experience and your heart will be very satisfied.

epinions

BTW, last time I worked on cars for Sears was nearly 25 years ago, so the info. I have on repairs would be a tad dated!

Hell yeah it's tempting. You're a dude and it's a PORSCHE!

I just think the thrill of driving such a sports car will be diminished by the costs and headaches.

I'd like a new car, myself. Just can't seem to justify it. There is nothing wrong with the car I have and it's paid for.

More often than not, the practical side of me wins the argument.

Couple of issues:

First:

If you buy a Porsche, buying cigars from a discount cigar auction site becomes a serious "elitist" violation. You may need to buy from rareeliteshpoagedgurkhas.com instead.

Second:

Do you really want to buy a car from a company that would let Wheelrite sell them. Would you buy a car from George Costanza?

I need 4 doors personally... I bet you could find a nice BMW that would perform just as well if not better...

boxters are the ugly step-childs of the porshe family. Please don't buy it.

Boxter the new 914.

My brother owns one and he loves it but you have to have two sets of four tires(winter/good weather).
I think it's a 911.
All's I know is he can't drive up the cabin driveway because it BOTTOM'S OUT VERY EASILY.

I'd think you'd need to follow-up more on the 'emotion' path with all that's listed here... Seems like the tech/maintenance is generally available. Need to bump this up against the gain for:

1) Enjoying the ride
2) Badge name importance

Is there any place you can test drive or rent one? Test enough times to get past the 'whoopee' and into the daily-mode frame of mind.

Also, what weight does the badge have for you? If it's really about the joy-of-driving, this opens up more options on performance across the board.

If it's really about checking the 'Own a porsche' box on the bucket list ... well, ensure you know the cons, buy from a reliable source, consider carrying and extended warranty for a period of time after the purchase, etc, etc.

For about $250 bucks in my area, you can do a driving class/course with some really high end vehicles that may satiate the 'gotta drive fast' bug in a legal and safe environment. You'd likely run into several folks considering some of these same questions.

My $.03 cents (+$.01 for rambling).

-N

You can get a Turbo Carerra with some years on it for about the same price. The 996 turbo engine is bullet proof. None of the other engines are as stout. And if you want more power they are the cheapest and easiest to upgrade. Just a flash and you will be pushing well over 500 HP at the crank. VERY FUN CAR!!!

#14 Sorry I couldn't help more. Don't know anyone that owns one. Where I live, they tend to stand out.

#15 There ya go. When I sold cars and we'd get around to talking about something impractical, spendy but flashy, etc., I used to say that some folks buy with their heads, some with their hearts, and others rely on an entirely different body part to make their decision. Porsche makes that third kind of car.

#19 Porsche makes a four door, the Panamera. Unfortunately, it's as ugly as sin. Picture the designer of the AMC Pacer making a Porsche. There you have it.

#23 Used to love the looks of those, but hated working on them. We didn't get a say in which tickets we got when I worked at Sears. You had to take the next ticket up so no one would cherry pick. I'm 6'3"...those damned 914s forced me to get on my hands and knees, angle to climb in sideways, then steer with my knees up around my ears. I'd have to reverse the process to get back out. If I worked on them full-time for years, I'd either be completely hunch-backed, or I'd be able to blow myself by now.

buy a Subaru......it has a boxer engine too.

#32 Well, you have one point there...I searched for models about 4 years old, give or take, to try to retain relevance to the car the OP was looking at. Top speed of a 2007 Boxster S is a mere 169. Then again, I have yet to see a case where the difference between being able to go 180 in everyday life vs. being limited to a measly 169 ever made a huge difference in the life of anyone who bought one intending it to be a daily driver. Most of us commute a bit more slowly than 169 mph to work.

As for not being able to do a burnout, if you cannot light up the tires on a modern-day Porsche (and I know I shouldn't use the word, but desperately inane claims call for drastic measures), you are a retard who should never be allowed to pilot a car ever again. ****, I had a five speed in my former everyday driver, a PT Cruiser. I prefer a manual transmission, as I like the driving experience, it helps make up a little for an underpowered car, and I don't have to worry about stop and go traffic.

The PT, with something like 170 HP is even capable of laying down a couple stripes on pavement, unless you're a complete tool. I did so a couple times, just to amuse myself by watching the tires of a PT light up.

I don't handle PI cases. It was down (from seven cars) to either a Hyundai Tiburon or a PT Cruiser. The Hyundai looked and felt incredibly cheap inside. Yes, they've gotten better...this was in 2002.

The PT had really nice materials inside, great visibility, an amazing amount of interior room for a small car, stereo that played both cassettes and CDs, and a whole bunch of other stuff I liked (including dual setting seat warmers up front, heated side mirrors, very nice leather, etc.

I'd probably still be driving it if I hadn't seen and heard a Mustang GT fired up back in late 2006. I lusted over those for months. Nearly 4 years later, I still love the Stang, it still looks and sounds great...not even 28K miles on it yet.

Hey Chief,

That kind of car - be it a Corvette, Mustang, Camero, G37, Porsche, Viper, BMW M series, AMG, etc. should do one thing, and that's put a big smile on your face when you mash the accelerator and drive it.

If it does, enjoy.

If it doesn't, don't buy the piece of ****.

^ camaro = chick car

I do like to drive fast. But, I'm frugal. Frugal doesn't mean cheap, it just means I want the best value for money spent. And, I really don't want high maintenance costs. I know the Porsche's require some specialized maintenance as does the BMW and a few others.

I was hoping this thread would appeal to my frugalness and talk me out of buying one because I know the maintenance can be expensive. And, thankfully, you have done that. I passed on the 1999 with 43000 one-owner-garaged-immaculate-condition miles.......

I hate making emotional decisions because they are usually flawed. So, I have made a logical decision and am back on the hunt for a CTS/DTS/STS, G35/37, M35/45, etc.

Thanks all.....

chiefburg:

Frugality and driving sports cars don't come together. You have to give up something for something. Sports cars are very expensive toys - big boys toys.

If you are looking for the best value for your money, look at Mazda Miata. Small little car that handles very well, but it is made for small framed people. If you are looking at HP and straight line acceleration, look for Mustangs and Corvette...Nothing can beat the Vette value. If you are looking for dream handling combined with ample acceleration, look for Buxter S and Cayman S.

If you don't want to spend that much money on a toy, look for GSXR, CBR, R6, and R1. A lot more fun for the a fraction of the price.

#45 - John: Yes, the Miata can be ton of fun with a few modifications and I've owned one for 10 years now. But, I think it's time to move up to something with a little more luxury and a little less bone-jarring. I think the Vette is good but I think I'm looking for something that seats more than two.

There are two 2010 bmw m6's in my parking garage that i drive by everyday. retarded