[rteichman]

As other posts have said you CAN work on the car yourself, and you CAN take it to a mechanic other than a Porsche dealer (though sometimes that might cost as much as going to a Porsche dealer). There is no question about it though, parts are expensive. For example, the center cap on 2 of my wheels fell/popped off. Replacing them ended up costing me over $50, for 2 little pieces of plastic! Something that I would never have imagined having to buy.

In the end it really boils down to how price sensitive you are. If money is REALLY tight, the joy of owning the car will be outweighed by your anger/worrying over the cost. In that case you would be better off with an old Miata. Most of the fun for almost no cost. However if you feel you could swing an extra few hundred in savings ($500?) somewhere for eventual repairs, then go for the Boxster. Use that savings to cover the "extra" it costs for the repair of the Boxster.