Somewhere in the rhetoric the intent of this thread got somewhat lost. In my incredibly humble opinion, I believe the point being made was the ownership costs will start to pile up...IF Porsche recommended service is followed and even more so, if such service is done by an outside mechanic (either independent or dealer). Conceding the point that DIYing will greatly reduce the associated costs, many people don't either have the skill, time, tools or patience to work on their cars.
Also, it's my personal experience that these cars have some items that are more prone to failure than other cars I've owned, we could debate if that's due to engineering, complexity or poor quality, but that's not the point. My point is that some items that shouldn't fail as soon as they do, will...and that cost to repair/replace should be considered when thinking about purchasing, and that it's only smart to factor in the total ownership costs not just "how much am I forking out today?".
Before I'm taken to task on the items I've mentioned, here are some things I've needed to do that I've not experienced on any other car I've owned (and all at less than 40k miles):
- water pump failure
- climate control unit
- coolant cap (not a big $$, but common, really? I've never had to replace a cap)
- plug tubes
- radiator (due to pump failure)
- IMSB (proactive, but something I've never considered on another car)
- clutch
And I'm sure many items I'm forgetting in 10 years of ownership. Also, this list doesn't count wear items (that I *might* have done on any other car) and all other regular maintenance items (fluids, etc). As far as maintenance costs vs miles driven, this has been by far the most expensive car I've owned; not that I'm complaining, I just see it as a "pay to play" situation...and something that I think potential buyers should consider.
And yes, all of the numbers being thrown around are most likely "top of the head" guesses, but if I were to personally throw in my (ahem, humble) guess, maybe $2000/yr is about what I suppose I've averaged....and yes, your mileage may very. And one final admittance...I'm not a big DIYer on engine/drivetrain items, so I've paid to have those things done.
One last point of contention, I read "elitist" and I personally disagree with that term (it sounds insulting), but I'll admit that I see my Boxster as something special, or at least I feel something more than I do towards my other cars (which are Audis, and cost far more than my 986). I don't think my attachment is "elitist" and I don't think it's just the Porsche badge...I don't really know how to explain it, perhaps it's just got more "soul", and as it's won my affections, I take care of it. I suppose I could say my Audis are cars, but my Boxster is family. Well that's just wonderful, I've now described my Boxter as my "elite" vehicle, so I suppose I am an elitist. Sigh...
