I just started my research on these cars. I would love to know common problems they have, driving characteristics, the good the bad, etc.

I will have to sell my teener and current daily diver VW both to buy a Boxter

thanks,

Levon

No place to put your purse.

Excellance Magazine has great write-ups on what to look for with all Porsche models. I'm away from my stash of their magazines, but, someone here might be able to tell which month the Boxster's were discussed, I do remember that specific years and options were discussed in depth regarding them.

I wish that I could help you more.

I drove one in Daytona at the Rennsport lll. They had an AutoX track (I think it is a permanent GoCart track) . $10 to charity and you took three laps, 2 for you and the third with an instructor from The Prosche Experence. My impression was the car was numb. Handled unbelievable, stopped unbelievable, but with ABS and traction control and what ever they call slip control, you just go as hard as you can and the car takes care of itself. Oh ya ! I even took the automatic so no clutch drama.

had a 1999 2.5L for 5 years....Zero problems
on the S models they had a lot of RMS leaking problems that required either replacing the RMS or if they found a case problem, a replacement motor.
some of them have power steering pump/rack problems.
My car was AXed for 2-3 years and was on track for at least 5-6 track days. Maybe more.
As a daily driver it was the best Porsche I have ever owned....period, and I have had 8 different, soon to be 9, Porsches.
AC that actually blows cold air even when it is 100* outside.
you can cruise or you can drive it hard, it doesn't matter it will do it all very well.

All the folks that say it is a chicks car have never driven one properly or they are just jealous.

If I were in the market for a newer Porsche, I would definitely look for another Boxster...

Check out
www.renntech.org

and
www.babblers.org

two very good sites for Boxster information and tech stuff.

good luck.

I have had a 99 Boxster since 2002. Black /black. Soft rear window, get the glass rear window if you can.
After I got the car the motor took a dump. Factory replaced for free. Be sure you get one with some history or service records that you can follow. I also had to replace the power top motors and transmissions, $1500.
They are a nice driving car, but they can get kind of boring. They stop and go, and they have AC and heat, plus power everything.
The values are going down on the Boxster, I have seen them priced at $9500.
Even though my Boxster has 30k miles with even less on the motor It is probably in the price range of $19-18k, at least I would like to think so.
I just got a 2005 Nissan 350Z roadster. Now I have to tell you that is a fun car to drive. And I would pay alot less for repairs and I have a feeling that the market will be kinder to the Nissan than it has been to the Boxster.
CCL

Make sure top mechanism is working well. You will want to talk to owner to understand if car has had any RMS issues. My car was a RMS leaker that could be fixed.

The cars really dont have too many issues beyond the RMS problem on the average. Like any car there are some that have horror stories. But with Boxsters its usually catostrophic engine failures that happen if its anything. Mine was trouble free for 50,000 plus miles. Great cars.

Owning a new 350Z makes me realize what a great deal used Boxster S's are now. I wouldnt want a Boxster right now, but when I want an edgier daily driver a Boxster S may just fit the bill.

Also try the Boxster BB, lots of helpful info:


http://www.986forum.com/index.php

November Road and Track had an article on buying a used Boxster and went through each year. You should try to dig it up or see if you car find the article online. I like my '99 2.5 and would probably like an S with 6 speed even better.

2003 model started the glass rear window.

I love my '00 with Tip, but the values are tanking. I'm considering selling and getting a mid 80's Targa, which are in the same price range, but also with the rear seats for the kids.

We recently bought a 97' for my wife with 60k. Very nice car, great drivers. All 2.5's should be checked before buying though. If you're looking at a 2.7 they don't have the issues some 2.5's did. We paid $11k for hers. A lot of car for the money, but I agree with others, values are tanking and her car will probably be worth $8k another year down the road. I think we will see Boxsters follow the same pattern as 944's did never really finding a good place in the market. Too much competition from other manufacturers and too many 986's out there still with no end in sight. I see them all over. So great deals can be had on them, but don't think you'll ever see your money back out of one. My wife and I certainly don't. Drive and enjoy.

I've driven and autocrossed an S and regular boxster. The extra power of the S is defintely nice. I'd spring for the S. Handling is phenominal, it stops, it goes, it turns. It's a very neutral platform, really fun to drive. I suppose it can get boring at times, but that's all subjective. As with any newer Porsche, mod parts are fairly expensive, can't compare to the 914s. Also as mentioned here, don't expect the car to hold it's value, Boxster values are on a crash course and have been for years. In 2002 my mom purchased a 2000 boxster with 6k miles for $32k. Eventually you'll see people stripping boxsters down to a bare frame autox/track platform. However, it's an out of the box track car that needs nothing.

Good luck!

The way a boxsters are depreciating, in 2 years you will have given your 914 away for free. If I were you, I would get an 89 Carrera coupe. At least you won't get killed in depreciation. You might even make money eventually.

I have a '97 with 55G miles and just recently had the coolent reservior split, so I parked it for the winter. Not a winter car here in Ohio anyway. The reservior fix is about $750 job. It's a common problem on the '97s so check it out if considering this year. Otherwise car has been great in the 2 years of ownership.

Mack

986, Babblers, and RennTech already mentioned and they are good.

Here's another good one for potential buyers.

http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/mikespor...boxsterwebpages

Rules: 1. PPI 2. Buy the best example you can afford. 3. Be patient, there are plenty of bargains. 4. Make sure you know which options (like cruise control) you cannot live without. 5. Have fun!

Wife drove an 04 Boxter S Tip for two years and traded up to 997 Targa 4 this year. That S was FUN to drive, although too small for me to drive regularly (6"4 and bulky)

The Boxster is our next developmental platform.. I just picked up a '98 2.5 car to use as a test vehicle.. It's OK for a radiator laden piece of generic shit, but its time someone made these engines do what the factory never intended...

Six stages of tuning including displacement increases with "Nickies" cylinders and a Turbo kit will come in the next 18 months along with head, cam and the typical optimization...

Our goal is to begin with the early cars that are now dirt cheap and increase their performance to that of the "S" and even exceed the stock "S" power...

This is some great information!

I am looking for a tiptronic as my daily driver, that leaves me with a
(1991-92) 911 or a (2000) Boxster S both in the same price range.

How do the two compare? the older 911 reliabilty, repair and maintanance vs. the newer Boxster S maintanance and depreciation over the next 10 years (that is how long I usually keep a car).

thanks

You could always convert to a widebody!



I really dig the Boxsters myself as well. No more 2 seaters for me though...just for the next 16 years!

In reply to the original question, have a PPI done by a dealership. They know what to look for. Some models had the RMS problem and in most cases it should have been taken care of by now in the years you are talking about.
I agree with Dan that it is the best daily driver Porsche I have ever owned. Creature comfort abounds. All you guys who love the sound of a six behind you would get a thrill from driving this car.
Lots of trunk room. In fact probably about identical to the 914.
Problems... hmmm. One for sure with the early cars is the plastic rear window spliting. Plan on it every 5 years of ownership ($700). You could replace it with an aftermarket top that has a glass rear window ($1200) but even this has its problems. I have heard the fabric pulls away from the glass top.
Best advice I can give is to buy the post glass window S model. You eliminate the 5 year window replacement. You get 60+ more HP. You get better brakes.
There are some great Boxster values to be had out there. A gal at work wants $17K for her 55K mile '99 or '00. But she desperately needs to sell it. She foolishly bought a big Dodge Truck with a 6 month no payment financing deal. Ooops! The 6 months is up! I would guess she would part with it for $13K.