*High Milage Boxster: Yes or No????

[Gary in BR]

As an owner of a 160,000 mile Boxster I will agree with everyone that says stay away from this car.

My son is 14, there is no way he is owning a 2 seat convertible for his 1st car, no Miata either. I think 1st cars should be SAFER than average.

I feel as if a Boxster can be a very reliable car if its taken care of very well.
A car with 90k miles on it....what is the service history? What kind of shape is the car in, and I agree 15k is too much for a 97.

Go buy a less expensive car, keep some cash.

[JCL12]

Originally Posted by Gary in BR

As an owner of a 160,000 mile Boxster I will agree with everyone that says stay away from this car.
.

Gary,

Very few boxster owners have even cracked the 100K mark, let alone 160K. Granted, boxsters are often not DDs and they have only been around in the USA since 97. What have your experiences been with maintenance of the ol beast?

[Gary in BR]

There are a few other Boxster owners who are on the forum who have more mileage than my car. I think one of them is approaching 190k.

I change the oil every 10,000 miles. Air filter every 20k
Spark plugs, every time I change my means of forced induction

The car is on its second water pump, alternator, air oil separator, passenger side window regulator, water reservoir, and clutch.
I changed the RMS when the clutch was changed.

The drivers seat had a hole in it, so it was changed last Christmas.

My lifters lost fluid at one time and I had to replace an entire bank of them, that was at 90k miles. The Porsche mechanic said the engine was so clean he could not believe the miliage.

I always use Chevron/Texaco or Shell 93octane gas.
Mobil 1 oil.

One of the picky things I di that I think has kept my engine healthy is I NEVER rev over 4k rpms until it is fully warmed up, I avoid short trips. If I need to go to the corner store and the engine is cold I get to take the long way, this has 2 benefits. the car gets to stretch its legs and if my wife is in a hurry she goes herself

Common sense goes a long way, pay attension to the car. If something seems odd check it on it.

Good luck and go for a drive!!

[Lil bastard]

Man... so many Red Flags here I hardly know where to begin.

Your profile - 16-18 yrs., limited funds, living in the snowbelt, etc. just screams that, at this time in your life, a Boxster is the wrong car for you .

Insurance - you're going to pay through the proverbial nose to insure it.

Fuel Costs - Compared to most cars out there, the Boxster gets lousy mileage. I imagine that a young person is probaby looking at 20 MPG Max. due to driving style, etc. If the experts are correct and Gas hits $5/gal., what are you willing to give up to keep driving the car?

Maintenance costs - As mentioned, this car needs, or is soon to need, lots of $$ for upcoming or possibly overdue maintenance. Boxsters, unlike a Toyota or Honda don't react well to putting off scheduled maintenance - the car will bite you, possibly leaving you stranded and incurring tow charges. There are few generic parts available for these cars which means that you're going to pay high prices for parts and consumables. Also, living in the snowbelt, you're really gonna need a 2nd set of wheels w/ snow tires - these cars don't do well in snow/ice w/o them, figure another $2k just for this.

An early Boxster - Lots of unresolved issues in the '97s. Add to that the depreciation which is gonna steadily reduce your investment. I'm assuming that you are including the value of your current Audi in the mix - either by selling it or trading it in on the Boxster. In a very short time, you could find yourself with a car you cannot afford to keep, but which you can't sell for enough $ to get another decent ride.

Best advice is to invest the money you have, keep the Audi, study hard and buy yourself a new, or near-new, Boxster in a few years to reward yourself for all your hard work. In the end, that'd be the smartest thing to do.

But, I was your age once too, and I realize how strong the allure can be, and that this advice is the least attractive option and that little, if any, of this is sinking in. Good Luck!

[john4394]

Lil Bastards advice is right on........not what you want to hear or probably want to do.....but most of us as kids had to learn the hard way...........if you have the 2 seater convertible bug.............get a used older Miata in the best condition and maintenance record that your budget will support.....guage if you can support the maintenance costs on that car..............if you can then multiply it by 4 and that's what the Boxster will run you.....then assess whether or not at this particular point in your life if it makes sense........ Believe me, the girls that want to go out with you because you have a "cool" car will not the the women that will make you happy over the long haul. I own a number of "toy" cars (older Ferriaris, Corvettes, etc.) in addition to a Boxster. I've learned over the years that there is ALWAYS another great car and they will always be available either by private sale or classic/special interest car auctions. A lot of guys my age are buying the cars they lusted after in the sixties and seventies because they can afford them now.....

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by john4394

Lil Bastards advice is right on........not what you want to hear or probably want to do.....but most of us as kids had to learn the hard way...........if you have the 2 seater convertible bug.............get a used older Miata in the best condition and maintenance record that your budget will support.....guage if you can support the maintenance costs on that car..............if you can then multiply it by 4 and that's what the Boxster will run you.....then assess whether or not at this particular point in your life if it makes sense........ Believe me, the girls that want to go out with you because you have a "cool" car will not the the women that will make you happy over the long haul. I own a number of "toy" cars (older Ferriaris, Corvettes, etc.) in addition to a Boxster. I've learned over the years that there is ALWAYS another great car and they will always be available either by private sale or classic/special interest car auctions. A lot of guys my age are buying the cars they lusted after in the sixties and seventies because they can afford them now.....

Hey, there is nothing wrong with shallow or immature girls. Just don't take them too seriously!

[Brucelee]

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Price $9,999
Mileage 85,231
Body Style Convertible
Exterior Color Silver
Interior Color Black
Engine 6 Cylinder Gasoline
Transmission Automatic
Drive Type 2 wheel drive - rear
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Stock No. 22185
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[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by Gary in BR

There are a few other Boxster owners who are on the forum who have more mileage than my car. I think one of them is approaching 190k.

I change the oil every 10,000 miles. Air filter every 20k
Spark plugs, every time I change my means of forced induction

The car is on its second water pump, alternator, air oil separator, passenger side window regulator, water reservoir, and clutch.
I changed the RMS when the clutch was changed.

The drivers seat had a hole in it, so it was changed last Christmas.

My lifters lost fluid at one time and I had to replace an entire bank of them, that was at 90k miles. The Porsche mechanic said the engine was so clean he could not believe the miliage.

I always use Chevron/Texaco or Shell 93octane gas.
Mobil 1 oil.

One of the picky things I di that I think has kept my engine healthy is I NEVER rev over 4k rpms until it is fully warmed up, I avoid short trips. If I need to go to the corner store and the engine is cold I get to take the long way, this has 2 benefits. the car gets to stretch its legs and if my wife is in a hurry she goes herself

Common sense goes a long way, pay attension to the car. If something seems odd check it on it.

Good luck and go for a drive!!

Lots of good info. Thanks.