2001 Boxster s
 

I'm looking for some guidance in the purchase of my first Porsche. I'm very gratefull for all the information on this site and others and have read all the basic information and guides. I have the opportunity to purchase a 2001 BOXSTER S which is listed at $27,000. The positives are that this is the color combination that I'm looking for and there are not that many of them. The photos show that the vehicle is in very good condition and almost pristine and is at 32,000 miles plus has premium Kinesys wheels. I'm assured I should have no concerns about the mechanical. There are no other options other than the base Boxster S. The negatives are that the vehicle had 4 different owners, has a small ding, and is 1500 miles away. It appears to me that at this price there are many 2003 base Boxster's and some 50,000 mile 2003 Boxster S's at this price range. What guidance and information can you provide? Should I concentrate on a 2003? What is the experience of owners of the 2001 Boxster S? I'm willing to make only one extended trip to purchase a Boxster and don't want to make extra trips to get it right. Opinions, advice and guidance are appreciated. Thanks.

2001 S
 

I bought a 2001 S this past May for $28,000 but it only had 7,600 miles on it. Last I looked 27K is the KBB for excellent condition and I think you could actually get it for 25K so I'd start at 24K or 23K and work up to 25K.

I highly recommend that you get the car inspected by a Porsche dealership to ensure that the rear main seals are not leaking. The RMS leaks will cost you $800 to repair.

Luckily my car is in perfect condition which is why I paid an extra $1K over the KBB.

The car is fun but not as fast as a 911. You can find 1999 911 convertibles with 30K miles in the 30-35K range but I have no idea on your budget.

Good luck!

-Chitowndad

I purchased an '01 S about a year ago. So far so good. After much looking (cars.com, etc.) at cars often-times hundreds of miles away, got this one up in the Cleveland area (an hour away). It was a bit more than you're looking at (by about 6 grand) BUT it did have a 2-year CPO warranty and only had 19k miles. Also had 18" wheels, new tires in the rear and lots of carbon fiber. I'm no mechanic, but the car just felt right the first time I drove her. If there's no warranty on the one you're looking at, I'd be cautious. (Unless you are a mechanic, you may want to have a dealership do an inspection on it.) With regard to the car I got, I'm lovin' it.

i bought my 01 Boxster S exactly three years ago 'sight unseen' from over 1000 miles away. it had under 10k miles on it and is pretty heavily optioned. i paid $31k.

i had the seller take it to his local porsche dealership for a complete inspection which i had scheduled with their service department and paid for at my expense. i spoke with the tech doing the inspection as well as the service mgr. some defects were found which were fixed under warranty (now expired).

i also had the seller take the car to an appointment i had scheduled on the same afternoon at a local body shop near the Porsche dealership. i paid a nominal fee for them to look the car over for dents, paint work, etc.

after satisfaction with the condition of the car, i had a cashier's check made out for the purchase price and flew one-way where the seller and his wife met me at the airport parking garage where we completed the deal and i drove it home.

having a good gut feel about the car and seller helped, especially since it was a private party sale. i would feel more comfy with a dealership for obvious reasons.

it all worked out great and i love the car which has proven to be wonderful.

one suggestion....don't be in a hurry, if you don't need to. pick the year(s), color, options, mileage, condition and price that work for you and wait for that car. it is out there and somebody wants to get rid of it. i saved a lot of $ by going to where the cars are popular and finding a buyer that wanted to sell asap.

best of luck to you!

matt

Distance doesn't really matter that much. I had my car shipped from Boca Raton Florida to Tulsa Oklahoma and that cost, $700. Turned out cheaper than a plane ticket and gas and saved my from unnecessary miles.

Not even heated seats?
 

I have a 2001 S I figure is worth maybe $23-24kUS. And we aren't far from cold weather where rag-tops drop in value.

I'd suggest waiting 4 months and looking for an 03 S because of its heated rear window. Yes, you could add that to an 01 but it would probably cost you $1400US.

The best buy you'll get is from someone who has to sell when there are no other potential buyers (few buy convertibles in the winter) and you, willing to overlook the weather, have the upper hand in negotiating terms and price.

I figure such a strategy saved me $4k. January, snow on the ground, car dirty as heck. Seller needed to sell for her job. Me willing to wait. Made her sweat and made an offer that was in my favor.

I just bought a 2001 Boxster S. I found this one locally, one-owner, 14,200 miles. Significant options were the 18" "Turbo" wheels and PSM. I paid $27,000.

Random Question: Should I replace the tires? They still have quite a bit of tread left, but they feel slightly out of balance at 70-75 mph. Do these tires tend to get twisted/flattened or otherwise decompose with 7 years of aging?