how much are boxster's going for? Options

[bd1308]

how much is a drivable boxster going for these days?

[pbanders]

I just bought one recently, a very clean '03 non-S with Tip, 30K miles, factory warranty through the end of the year. I also have a '98 M3 sedan (manual 5-speed) in addition to the Boxster and the 914. Oh, and an '04 Sienna XLE Limited, but I doubt anyone is very interested in it...

The Boxster is extremely fun to drive. Handling is really excellent, like my 914 but without the harsh ride. Interior features are somewhat sparse but are decent. Front and rear trunk space is good. While my wife can drive a manual fine, I got Tip because I knew she'd like it and drive the car more. I find a really like the Tip for city driving, and when you put it in manual mode and stick your foot in it, it's quite sporty. Wind noise at 70 mph with the top down, windows up, and wind deflectors in place is amazingly low, especially compared to my 914 with the roof out and windows up.

It does have a pretty pukey sound, until you really get your foot in it and get above 4K, especially compared to my M3 which sounds absolutely great at all engine speeds. I hear you can "desnorkel" the intake to improve the situation, something I probably won't do. As far as engine performance, my base '03 Boxster with Tip is a pussycat compared to my E36 M3 manual, but I'm pretty sure any manual S model from '03 onward is a real tiger. The '07 S with the 3.4 sounds like a really super performer, but seems quite expensive once you option it out. I did a "build your own" at the Porsche site today, and got to near $70K with just a few options.

If you love your 914, you'll probably love a Boxster. Right now I'm keeping both, but I can see moving to an '07 Boxster S in a few years, after prices drop.

Oh, and one more thing - this is the first car I've ever owned that my wife is really interested in. It's black, and my neighbors (who have some pretty nice cars, too) are all drooling over it. If you like for your car to attract attention, a Boxster is a good candidate.