So what don't you like about the Boxster? Options

[96conv]

I can't understand what folks don't like about the Boxster. Even the base 1997, 2.5L model is way quick and handles like a sports car should. I've had the hots for a 993 for a while now but the 2005 Boxster S has taken its place in my dreams. So, besides the stigma that it's a hairdresser's car, is there any other reason to dislike the Boxster? I wish I could afford it now but I'll have to settle for an '03 S next year.

[EdwardBlume]

I went through the Boxster phase and now I'm getting over it. I don't like the fact that with a little massaging from the factory it could be so much more... but maybe I'm just too used to seeing them.

[Hi_Fi_Guy]

The Boxster is a great car. I've had my 2.7 for 3 years with zero complaints. Plenty of power, great handeling, telepathic steering, a surprising amount of room in the cockpit, and enough storage for a couple to have a two-week getway or a weekend getaway.

There were refinements to the car every year so buy the newest one you can afford. The rear-mail seal seems to be an issue with all 986 & 996 cars so if you find one that is under warantee or has an extended warantee you will have some peace of mind. I had my RMS replaced at about 20k miles due to some small dripping and have had zero problems since. Others have had several RMS failuers, while others still have had no RMS problems at all.

In my own oppinion the S is not worth the extra dough for most people... coming from a 911 might change that so I would suggest driving both. I prefer the revvy nature of the 2.7 while others prefer more low-end grunt and shifting sooner. Both are fun so it comes down to preference. Most people wouldn't mind the extra power if the price was right.

This car is a Porsche and meant to be driven like a Porsche. On paper it may not look like the fastest car out there but in the real world you will seldom meet another driver who offer you much opposition. The Boxster will cruise all day at 115 like most cars cruise at 75. The car does have a different level of refinement than Porsches built 30 years ago. The car does insulate you from your surroundings a bit more but it does not isolate you from the road or the driving experience.

All in all a great driver's car.

The Boxster is not a 914. They have similarities and a lot of them but the experience is not exactly the same. If you can't have both a Boxster and a 914 be sure to get the one you really want because no Porsche will make you happy if you are always lusting after a different one.

[ConeDodger]

I have a couple of things to add to the things that I have already said about the Boxster.

First, an apology. I rarely listen to anything that contains marketing. I have XM Sat, so I don't have to. I was not aware that Porsche marketed the Boxster as a direct decendant of the 550. If the Boxster is a direct decendant of the 550 so is the 914. If Porsche had been thinking they could have cashed in on the craze started by the new Beetle. (See also BMW Mini, Nissan 350Z, etc.) These are new cars that recall their roots from previous successful cars. They could have cashed in on all of the Boomers who had a 914 or wanted a 914 in the 70s. No mention of the 914 in the Boxster promotion was at the least unimaginative marketing and at worst an indication that Porsche thinks the 914 was a VW. The people who were around when the 550 was made are for the most part too old to crawl in and out of a roadster now. They marketed to the wrong group

Second to address the concerns by a couple of you about how there are too many Boxsters or that it was a sports car for the masses. I love sports cars. I have several and you may want to sit down for this... a couple of them are not 914s, nope, not even Porsche. I also own a Datsun 240Z and an MGB. I recall that when I first owned my Z people were using the same argument. It couldn't be a real sports car because it was made for the masses. I will tell you what I told them back then. "Someone has to get the parts cars ready for me". Same case with the MGB. This was, until the Miata the most successful sports car in history. It may even still be second. How many MGBs did you see today? Probably no more than one. Yet I have no trouble getting parts for mine and people don't try to retire on the sale of that used tachometer.
The Boxster is flat out a great car. The S is even better. The 987 appears to be a subtle yet large improvement on the original. I have never had to do anything but scheduled maintainance and slight modifications on my Boxster. Changing the oil couldn't be any easier. You don't even have to jack up the whole rear. It can be done by jacking only one side. I plan on keeping it. If you see too many Boxsters out there, I ask your indulgence. Those people are getting my parts cars ready.

How the fact that it isn't air cooled is a cogent argument for what is wrong with a Boxster I don't see. Most of the really amazing cars in the world aren't air cooled. That simply isn't relevent. I can give you a relevent twist on that argument, Most of the air cooled cars in the world are pretty cool while most of the water cooled cars in the world are purely junk. If your neighbor pulls in the driveway with a new Ferrari and tosses you the keys and says lets go for a ride, are you going to do it and then say "nice but it isn't air cooled"? If you did, your neighbor if he was polite would laugh and think "that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard" If he was not polite he would simply say it out loud to your face.
The only relevent thing about how a car is cooled is if it is effectively cooled.

Rotten Robby

[ArtechnikA]

QUOTE (Rotten Robby @ Feb 3 2005, 11:22 AM)

I rarely listen to anything that contains marketing. I have XM Sat, so I don't have to.

the Boxster predates satellite radio.

QUOTE

I was not aware that Porsche marketed the Boxster as a direct decendant of the 550.

it was in all the magazines. there were many prominent TV ads.

QUOTE

If Porsche had been thinking they could have cashed in on the craze started by the new Beetle.

the Boxster predates the New Beetle.

QUOTE

an indication that Porsche thinks the 914 was a VW.

perhaps because it was marketed as such everywhere in the world but North America...

QUOTE

The people who were around when the 550 was made are for the most part too old to crawl in and out of a roadster now.

have you checked the demographics of this board recently ?

QUOTE

They marketed to the wrong group.

undoubtedly why they sold every car they made...

[Trekkor]

Don't get me wrong, I like the whole family of Porsche cars.

I'm just bummed a bit that 60% of the ones I see on the Bay Area roads are Boxsters with Cayennes creeping up.

I like seeing them all.

BTW, Air-cooled motors just sound amazing... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wub.gif)

KT

[BigD9146gt]

I gotta agree with a lot of the points Robby made, but not so much the connections.

The 914 was an affortable, mid engine sports car. Regardless of who was doing the marketing in which country, Porsche designed it. The amount of energy people spend on who "makes it" is funny to me, but thats another topic.

The boxster is a entry level, more affortable than a 911, mid engine sports car. Its the first in a long while from the german car market, cause the Jap's have been on that train ever since the 914.

personally, i see more yuppy hot-chicks, wanna-be/semi rich punks, and over-the hill snob couples in Boxsters than any other type of people. THATS NOT TO SAY their isn't humble folks that just love Porsches because they know the true meaning of a Porsche, but it seems to be the majority.

What the Boxster lacks, and most new Porsches lack, is what we find in these early cars and all love: Masculine, vintage, sexy, raw, 70's era cars. It was the hay-day of racing, and these cars personify those leaps and bounds in engineering.

With regards to the 550 spider, i laughed at that too. BUT, the ad had class, like just about every Porsche ad i've ever seen. PLUS, do NOT forget about James Dean. I know, it pisses me off to hear people say "the James Dean car?", but A LOT of youth know the 550 because of James Dean's unfortunate death...

[Root_Werks]

I have driven a couple of early 986's. They seemed like fun cars. If I was in the market for one, I would grab one, sure. But I think I would always own an air cooled 914 first, then a 986. Early, no options (If possible). (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif)

[ppickerell]

My wife and I have owned an 04S for about 9 months. She primarily drives it and has ZERO complaints. I have posted before that you can't wipe the grin off her face when she is in that car! I have only one complaint and that is legroom and headroom for me is quite tight (6'4" 235 lbs). Sound? This car sounds fantastic when you stomp on it! Weight? The car corners with amazing grace! Styling? I work with industrial designers for a living and this car satisfies all my design criteria for a sports car. No competing product out there!

[horizontally-opposed]

I think Perry pretty much nailed it.

I drove a 2001 2.7 for a year and a half as a loaner and it never, not once ever, had to go to the dealer for anything but routine maintenance. We now own a 1999 2.5 and, six months or so in, we've only had to contend with a leaky coolant tank -- a known issue.

Sure, I worry about total engine failure -- but not as much as I worried about other (far more expensive) stuff going wrong with my old 911 SC... And comparing Boxster reliability to 914 or 911 reliability is a pretty complicated subject.

Anyone who can buy a Honda Civic new can afford a used Boxster (at least the purchase), so long as a two-seater is OK.

The Finnish cars are probably (a little) better built, actually.

The Boxster IS heavy by 914 standards, but a lot lighter (some 150 pounds or more, I think) than a 996 and the 996 was lighter than the 993....

I love the air-cooled noises too, but I like different kinds of music on the radio, too. And my Boxster makes more thrilling noises than my 914-4. Sit in a Boxster at WOT when the tach sweeps past 5000 rpm -- few cars at any price make a noise that good. You hear PLENTY behind the wheel of a 986. You just are not making everyone else listen to it.

I don't care what others think about my cars. I buy them for me. After all, I drive them.

As for judging other people based on how they look in their Boxsters, I am sure the same fallacies could have been applied to 356 drivers in a bygone era.

I'll admit the Boxster is a little bland with its high U.S. ride height and inset wheels. We stuck 18x10s in the rear and 8s up front and that helped a lot. Researching the best way to lower it now, but this single mod will transform a 986 visually! They look wicked when lowered correctly!

As to what the thread asks:

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

-Cheap Interior Issues
-Squeaks and rattles
-RMS issues
-Could use a little more grunt, but only because the chassis is so good (can you say 914-4?)
-Plastic rear window is a bummer, but you see more than with the glass...
-Stereo is so-so
-They put cupholders in the damn thing and, worse, my wife likes them!

pete

[redshift]

The new one coming out... who beat it with the ugly stick?

Oh my GOD new Porsches are UGLY!!


M

[ppickerell]

Alright, one more small complaint. Visibility with the top up in lane change situations is a little iffy.

[ppickerell]

QUOTE (redshift @ Feb 3 2005, 09:26 AM)

The new one coming out... who beat it with the ugly stick? Oh my GOD new Porsches are UGLY!! M

M,
Compared to what? Mike's avatar?

[RON S.]

The only thing I dislike about the boxster is that it's gonna take about 15yrs. of depreciation to bring the price down to a level of affordability.
The wife keeps saying she wants one.I have to be the to keep telling her no.Guess what position that puts me in?

The cheapest one I've seen so far is one that's running in the local classified paper right now.
A guy has a '99 model w/a Tip in it asking $13,400.00 or best offer.
If it weren't for the Tip I might be tempted to take a look.


Ron

[airsix]

I'll make my gripe list simple.

• Too big. Concept car was smaller
  
• Too heavy. Concept was intended to be lighter.
  
• Too flat looking. Concept car was curvier & sexier.
  

Everybody was excited about the concept car because it was what we wanted - a small, light roadster. Porsche keeps giving us luxury cars. Luxury cars are nice, but we want something else. What are the Porsches that we all wish we had? 356 Speedsters. 550 Spyders. 911R's. RSR's. GT2's. GT3's. That's what we REALLY want. Granted, there are more people in the world who want a cushy comfy Luxury car that is 'sporty' rather than a true undiluted performance car. I am cut from different cloth than the general populace in that regard.

-Ben M.

[seanery]

I like Boxsters, have from the beginning. I like the new one, too.
I wish I could buy one, an S would be sweet! Although I hate the new style wheels.

I wonder what they would look like with some Lindsey or HRE 18" Fuchs on it?

[Dave_Darling]

What Ben M said. For me, the early S that I drove felt too large, too heavy, and too soft. The power was very nice, but kind of unobtrusive. The Boxster may be lighter than the 996/997, but it's still getting perilously close to 3000 lbs. Which is just absurd (IMHO) for a two-seat car.

The car also looks way too heavy. The show car was much more sculpted, and had a much better flow to it. Every time they show the Boxster with a 550, it makes me wince. The 550A is one of my absolute favorite car designs ever, and seeing the huge bloated Boxster next to the ultra-sexy 550 just makes it look that much worse in comparison. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif) (The Box looks an awful lot better when they put it next to Porsche Number One, BTW.)

I am not a typical car buyer. If they built a Boxster along the lines of what I wanted, they'd be selling a tenth as many cars as they are now. (At best!!) I feel that they have really hit the target that they were aiming at with the Boxster's design--they have made a great sports car for the masses. And you know, I wouldn't kick one out of the garage for dripping oil...

But I won't go out of my way to buy one, either.

--DD

[KaptKaos]

QUOTE (airsix @ Feb 3 2005, 10:00 AM)

I'll make my gripe list simple. Too big. Concept car was smaller Too heavy. Concept was intended to be lighter. Too flat looking. Concept car was curvier & sexier. Everybody was excited about the concept car because it was what we wanted - a small, light roadster. Porsche keeps giving us luxury cars. Luxury cars are nice, but we want something else. What are the Porsches that we all wish we had? 356 Speedsters. 550 Spyders. 911R's. RSR's. GT2's. GT3's. That's what we REALLY want. Granted, there are more people in the world who want a cushy comfy Luxury car that is 'sporty' rather than a true undiluted performance car. I am cut from different cloth than the general populace in that regard. -Ben M.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/agree.gif)

IMO the Boxter is a GT car, not a sports car. It asks too little of the driver. I am not a masochist, but the insular feeling of the Boxster (power seats, AC, power windows, etc..) make it less desireable to me.

However, Porsche exists today because of Tiptronic, the Boxster and the Cayenne. Without the auto tranny, the lower end Boxter and the SUV, Porsche's fortunes might be drastically different and they may not be in the car business.

- Joe

[ninefourteener]

The Boxter is an awesome car. A tad bit underpowered, and a little heavy.. but nevertheless, an awesome car.

What I DON'T like about is one thing: THE NAME

For years, the 914 was the bastard of Porsche, and is still not even recognized by many as even being a Porsche. Yet, Porsche goes and practically re-creates the car (in a modern version, of course), and doesn't even have the common courtesy of letting it keep its name.

Chevy brought back the "SS" theme
Pontiac brought back the GTO
Mazda brought back the RX-7 (RX8)
Toyota is bringing back the Supra
Dodge brought back the "Hemi" badging/engines
Ford brought back the original Thunderbird concept

I'm sure there's more.

Why didn't Porsche just bring back the 914??

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)

[machina]

QUOTE (ninefourteener @ Feb 3 2005, 04:05 PM)

What I DON'T like about is one thing:  THE NAME

Uh, mine's not a boxster, its a 986. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[ArtechnikA]

QUOTE

Chevy brought back the "SS" theme Pontiac brought back the GTO Mazda brought back the RX-7 (RX8) Toyota is bringing back the Supra Dodge brought back the "Hemi" badging/engines Ford brought back the original Thunderbird concept Why didn't Porsche just bring back the 914??

those names evoke good memories.

there are people within Porsche who still remember with Waldegaard wanted to drive a 911 in the Monte Carlo rallye, but the competition director made them drive a 914.6 and did horribly in a rallye they probably could have won.

there are people within Porsche who still remember 914.6's sitting unsold on the docks in New Jersey until the tires rotted off.

there are people within Porsche who still remember the "Not A Real Porsche" rants.

but mostly, there is this: "VE HAFF ALREADY USED ZAT NUMMER!!"