Reviews, Comparisons and Flying Low

[rkwei]

We invite you to tell your story of why you love your Porsche, and compare it to other performance cars that you've driven (or driven against!).

Please include your model (e.g. Boxster S) in the title of your post.

R

[Jeannot]

Ok, let me try this.
I love my Porsche because:
- it is PRECISE. handling. braking. response. It does what I want. Nothing else. Nothing more.
- it is beautiful. these curves...mamma mia !!!
- it is reliable and a daily driver
- people will still turn they head around in 20 years
- 987 made the boxster a classic
- it's a flat 6 !!!!!
- the engine sound comes from back
- ...and because i am fan of the brand from childhood...
I also drove: (the ones worth mentionning)
- Audi TT quattro 225hp
Nice but behaves like front wheel drive, and small 4 cylinders with poor noise
- Honda S2000
No torque, no pleasant for daily driver, misses 2 cylinders...and is going to be recycled in something else in 20 years
- BMW M3 SMGII
Fantastic gearbox. Perfect all-year, everywhere, love it.
- of course other Porsches, but do they count ? :-)


What I do not like with Porsche however:
- cayenne looks ugly
- no sequential gearbox available. their tiptro is a joke.

[Brucelee]

Perfect handling, mystique of the Porsche marque, and man, it just is a tactile blast!

[RandallNeighbour]

I love my 1997 boxster for the following reasons:

1. It has no rear badge and unique rims ... which causes people (usually folks that are at least 50 or older) to come up to me at gas stations or rest stops and ask "what kind of car is that?" Looks just like a Porsche to me, but apparently, lots of older (no offense to you 50+ readers!) people have not seen one up close and personal.

2. I've updated my interior to a 2002 5 speed shifter and now a 3 spoke wheel, which makes the car look very current.

3. The car is incredibly "cat and mouse" like in light traffic. I can zoom around others and take advantage of the sprint-like responsiveness if I remember to keep it in a lower gear.

4. I drove my Boxster 300 miles this last weekend, and did not get out and say "my back hurts." My '90 Mitsubishi Eclipse Turbo and my '86 Toyota MR2 were both really hard on my back.

5. I've dreamed of Porsche ownership since I was 8 years old, and now I own one. I often open my garage door, see the Boxster and think, "I can't believe I own that car."

6. Ditto on the mid engine and flat 6 comment prior to my post. I have never driven or owned such a balanced sports car that is predictable and fast. Even my smallish 2.5 liter engine is quite strong compared to the light weight of the car overall.

[YellowJacket]

I have a 1997 with 40k miles.

There is nothing obvious about my car that I can say makes it perfect. It's fast, but not that fast. It handles well, but so did my highly modified 325i. It looks fantastic, but even American automakers are starting to make cars that look good. What makes this car perfect is that everytime I get in my car, it makes me smile. It just feels right -- no more, no less. I knew I liked it when I bought it, but now that I've driven it a while and I go to ride in friends' cars, I realize how the Boxster has grown on me even more, and I have no desire to have anything else.

I think it says a lot that my dream car (other than something fairly unattainable such as a CGT or 550) is an 04 Boxster S, which in the grand scheme, is not too far off from what I'm driving now.

The only downside is that at 22 years old, I have a lot of cars left to buy, and there's not a lot of room for improvement. So it's scary to think what I might be driving when I'm 40 or 50. :-)

[jiggysubman]

The 986 is timeless:
-7 year old body that still isn't outdated
-cat-like reflexes
-everyone wants to race me off the line at lights....i let them go, let them wonder...then wait for that curve to catch up
-I'm 20, and the older guys at work all go "You drive a Porsche? Damn!" Envy, hate to say it, but its nice
-I remember the first time I saw a 911, I was 9. I was in downtown Chicago and one drove past...I knew then that I was going to obsessed.
-Ever just look at your car and say "wow, that is a really beautiful car"

[Pilot2519j]

Originally Posted by YellowJacket

I have a 1997 with 40k miles.
The only downside is that at 22 years old, I have a lot of cars left to buy, and there's not a lot of room for improvement. So it's scary to think what I might be driving when I'm 40 or 50. :-)

Dam I should feel angry at your statement about the "old folk" but I am 56 and waited until I was 55 to buy my first Porsche 2003 Boxster S. I always bought the practical car as my father had saddled me with that thought. If it wasn't for my wife I would not have this car today. I originally looked at the Audi S-4 and M-3 when my wife said to me why don't you look at the Porsches that you have always longed? I love the car , Boxster S and it is a machine and an experience that keeps multiplying every day. I use it as a daily driver and people are shocked about that! In NY in the winter Oh my god!. I simply answer I bought to be used not to sit in a garage and collect dust.
So young man just think of me when you get old and still driving my Porsche and your scary thoughts should disappear. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride.

[boxsterbaby]

First porsche 98 boxster. I'm like a kid at the candy store. Or needing a reason to drive there. My wife says you are driving where again? What a car, I hope it stays to-gether for me. I thought my friends 92 325beemer was fun, but it is no comparison. You're never too old for a porsche......

[PSP]

I've only had my 2001 for a few weeks. The Boxster is everything that the British sports cars were supposed to be, but with reliability thrown in. The gently used cars are the best value on the market right now.

Yellowjacket - there are many steps up from a Boxster, but most are going to require a serious investment. It's the best reason to work hard and be successful

[BoxsterBoi]

Most of my sports car life has revolved around Mazda Miatas. I have owned eleven of those little Japanese Roadsters and I still love them (still own one too). Granted they are no match for a Boxster but you have to consider price positioning as well. Last Christmas my hubby bought me my 2000 Boxster. We actually bought the car from Courtney Cox (from the TV Show Friends). I have never been so in-love with a car! I have had some cool and different types of cars (two DeLoreans, two BMW Z3's, a Corvette, other Porsches and plenty others). The Boxster kills all of them for pure smiling while driving! I love the way it looks, the way it sounds and the way it feels! Way to go Porsche!!!

[ralegen]

As a teenager, I said to myself, "when i turn 25, something great is going to happen." (Reason being is because my Bday lands on the 25th, and I just felt like hoping in something great).

25 years old now, lost my girlfriend, and I started to get worried about staying bored. Ever since I bought my first Brand new car '99 Civic Si, I babied it. Then sold it. another truck, Bla bla. I needed another car to baby. I thought everything was going down the drain, but after my break up with my girl, BAM! Got the Porsche. (LOL, on her Birthday!)


Ended up with a 98 Porsche blk/blk, sports package, very reasonable price. BELOW Kelly blue book value by thousands, all car fax done, major maintenance done. I couldn't refuse. Used yes, but I never get bored of looking at it. It turns heads everyday, and I honestly get complements about once every two days. Even in the drive thru! Everyone always say, "OMG, I can't believe you got a PORSCHE." Friends ask the common questions, "how much, what year?" I tell them it's a '98, their response, "oh.. errr.." Then they see it later on; their response, "WHOA looks better than I thought! You bast*rd!"

Got back with the girl I wanted, and there's nothing in the world better than driving with the top down, girl in passenger seat, people staring, and bumping the music. Ahhh... what a great dream.......Oh wait.. It's not! It's all for real!!!

Who cares about all the maintenance costs. It's realiable as any other used car, it's a PORSCHE, and everyone will know you as, "oh, [name] who drives the PORSCHE!"

Okay enough said. That's my life story.

[gRed04]

First Porsche - 04 Boxster

Initial impressions are great handling and sharp looking. Still breakin in engine so no idea about overall performance. Ride is very nice for 18 wheels and stiff suspension. Smile factor very high.

Cons
For the price the interior is very cheap almost laughable ( I looked at 05's before settling for a 04 and the interior is much nicer ).
I have the Bose system and the audio is very poor ( they should be able to do much better than this in their top of line audio system).
Stock seats are not very comfortable and manual adjustable???? ( btw 3k+ for good power seats w/memory is a shame ).
No tilt wheel available ???
Don't get me started on cup holders.

I have owned 98 MB CLK320, which from a luxury wiz bang feature standpoint was a very nice car. Holds value like no other. However not much of a sports car.

Got rid of a 02 Miata LS for the Porsche. Great little car for the money. Held it's value remarkable well. However a little cramped for me and I'm short and of course could not get out of it's own way if it had too.

Daily driver is 02 BMW 330Ci. This is a all around great vehicle. Perfect blend of performance, luxury, and reliability. I only hope that the Porsche will make me as happy.

05 Harley EG Standard that is very jealous since the Porsche showed up as it is not getting out much

[Sy Vee]

everthing Randall Neighbour said!! bout sums it up!!

[wombat7]

I do not own a Boxster, but do have somethings to compare it to since I have been on a test driving spree lately.

99 Boxster (Non-S)
- I absolutely loved the car, great throttle response, crisp handling, love the feeling with the top down. Has enough torque that it can be easily driven around down. Very responsive. Its almost like the car knows what you are going to do before you do it. Very neutral when it comes to handling, no understeer and only oversteers when you want it to.

05 S2000
- Another car I absolutely loved. This is a true 240 hp go-kart. Very nimble and agile. Like the boxster, the car seems to know what you are going to do before you do it. Handling is very crisp. Lacks the low end torque to make it a serious daily driver. Interior is very cheap looking, but controls are positioned very well. Everything within arms reach of the driver, passenger has no control over anything. I think this car has the best gear box on the market right now. A simple flick of the wrist is all that is needed to change gears. My main complaint with this car was the fact that it was very tail happy. Now it was definately predictable, but just the fact that the car was so prone to oversteer annoyed me more than anything. The ride is very harsh and unforgiving. I would not want to take this car on a very long trip.

04 Lancer Evo 8
- Another very fun car to drive. This car is a completely different animal that a Boxster or S2000. It has loads of low end torque and when the turbo kicks in you get an incredible rush. Interior is put together nicely. You can't really beat the feeling of a redline launch in an AWD car. The backseat was a little cramped and I'm only 5'7." One of the major complaints I had about this car was the fact that it definately liked to plow through corners. It did not fit my driving style well at all.

04 350Z
- If this car was about 800 lbs lighter it would be a total monster. Loads of torque and power throughout the full rev range. Very nice interior. Great gearbox and very precise handling, for a 3000+ lb car. The main complaint I had was that it acted like a 3000 lb car. You could just feel all the weight and that made it a chore to try to drive on the edge. If you are looking for a 2 seat grand touring car this is where you should look. In my opinion the best car of that class on the market.

Hope that helps a little. I will update soon as there are still numerous cars on the list.

05 GTO
05 Elise
05 WRX STi
05 Mustang GT

[TOM986]

The Boxster is my 5th Porsche and the most all around fun. It is the most precise to drive and the best driving car I have driven. I have had faster cars, but none that were so much fun to drive. I bought it in Plano, TX and drove it home to Oregon. I love it and have done many mods to it. I can't come up with a car that I would rather have.

[scubaguy10]

My 01 Speed Yellow S is definately the fastest, best performing car I have ever owned. Actually, except for a buddy's Viper and maybe the Kawasaki 750 I owned in law school, it''s the fastest thing I've ever driven.

What makes the Boxster S so special is their everyday usability compared to most comparable machinery. You can't drive a Ferrari or a Lambo on a day to day basis, even if you can afford to maintain one. Only a Corvette has an equal combination of reliability, performance, and image. And with a Vette, you still have a GM, engineered by a committee, machine. The Boxster has better steering, better handling under most conditions, and almost as good of acceleration with barely half as big a motor. Ya gotta love it

Mike

[tonyg]

I've had my Porsche Certified 12K '03 Boxster for one week - its my daily driver too and from work which is a 50 mile trek each day. I had a small problem with the passenger window which was quickly remedied by the dealer (Champion Porsche - excellent overall experience with them ) with a new regulator. My last car was an '04 Audi TT (Champion Audi) which I loved dearly - but - it was no comparison to the Porsche! The Boxster drives like a much more substantial automobile, more pep and power, road holding capability, and the Tiptronic S acts differently than the TT tiptronic did. The shifts are not as diffuse as the TT's were and the Porsche feels much as my '03 VW Beetle Turbo S 6 speed manual did - only with alot more power of course. My Boxster is every bit of what I dreamed - only more.

[SJP3003]

First Porsche was a '99 996. At the time I also owned a 383 stroker C5 vette with 464 RWTQ and 446 RWHP that ran 11.7 ET's. The PCar was great in traffic, nimble & the flat 6 sounded perfect. The interior was so-so. Acceleration was good but not great.

The C5 stroker was a monster accelerating & handling was good as well (lowered, coil-overs, beefier sway bars & 18 inch wheels). Not totally reliable after heavy mods though. The interior was terrible & build quality was so-so.

Traded both the C5 & the 996 for a rosso mondiale Maser Coupe that I still have. The Maser has one of the best interiors in th business...leather everywhere. The cabin's design, black with red piping & stitching, is perfect for long trips. The Maser's paddle shifters in sport mode are quicker than any manual shifter. They work well at speed but are lousy in stop & go traffic (jerky). The V8 offers good grunt & the sound is good straight out of the box. The Maser is a consumate GT and that's what I use it for...extended trips. Last year I drove it to NH, VT, ME, MA in the fall (from my home in Miami). The day after I bought it I drove to GA, SC, NC, TN & KY with one of my sons. I also drove it to the Porsche Driving Experience in Brimingham on another trip. Negatives regarding the Maser: the shifters aren't good in traffic, the paint seems soft, the sound system is passable but not good. In terms of quality issues...none on mine after 15K miles. This will be a long-term keeper.

Last year I bought an '04 GTO as a commuter car while I got on the waiting list for an Elise. The GTO's muscle was entertaining. The interior was better than most any GM product. Good seats in particular. Many bits looked OK but were basic plastic though. The shifter was grade B at best. Exhaust note rumble was a B+. Handling at higher speeds was not as collected as any of the others mentioned here. Exterior styling was non-existent-- good for melding-in with other cars but nothing to look at.

The Elise came in much sooner than I expected. Sexy styling. A+ exhaust with the Quicksilver exhaust. Outstanding handling--one of the best in the world for a production car. A+ acceleration too when it's on the boil...the type of shove in the back that the P-Car Turbo provides. A visceral driving experience. Decent shifter. On the low side: the shell is an egg-shell...one bump & it cracks to the tune of $6K for the front clam. Some people complain about ingress & egress-- I'm 6' and don't complain on that count. No torque. And last but not least, the AC can't cope with Miami's summer heat. It was fine November through May, but once the summer arrived I had it in the shop 3 times to try to fix the AC...which led to the heavily discounted left-over '04 Boxster S I now drive as a daily driver.

The Boxster S also looks great, despite its age. The engine has the note I enjoyed on the 996, especially with the top down. I find myself turning down the radio to listen to the exhaust. The interior is better than the '99 996's. Acceleration is much quicker than it feels, but no muscle car. Handling is very good...not as tight as the Elise, especially over bumps. Creature comforts are generally good-- B+. The AC works. The Bose system sounds fine (although audiphiles will always want more from it). The automatic top is easy to operate. Stowage is excellent for a 2 seater. In Miami the Boxster is as common as a Beetle at this point...easy to blend in & I don't get too concerned about leaving it with a valet if I need to, although I still search for the safest parking spots wherever I go. The biggest negative is concern over the possibility that the Litronics will get stolen here. I bought the Boxster as an entertaining yet practical daily driver. It is that & more.

[nastyboxster]

Here are some sports cars that I've driven and my impressions of them. I have a 2000 Boxster S and my previous car was a 2000 Boxster:

S2000

Loved the 9000 rpm redline, but you get tired of it if you are driving it everyday. The thing that bother me the most is the tail swinging out in tight corners. Great for drift racing, but not an everyday sports car. Also, the average age of owners seems to be in their 20's. I'm almost 40 and I don't feel right driving it.

350Z

I actually ordered this car in 2002 for the 2003 year. Drove the demo before taking delivery and cancelled the order. Nothing wrong with the car - good looks, power and handling, but just didn't like it.

M3

Fast car with loads of torque, great brakes. Heavy car, but power compensates for it. Good value for overall performance. Performance is at par with 997, but at 2/3 the price. However it doesn't have the sexiness of the Boxster. It's like Pam Anderson vs. Julia Roberts. Pam Anderson is not that great of an actor compare to Julia Roberts, but she has sex written all over her!


Lotus Elise

Handles like it's on rails and good power. Didn't care too much about the sound of the engine. Some people love it, but not for me. Quality feels like a home made kit car. Rattles everywhere and very tight inside - My shoulders were touching the passenger the whole time and I'm 170lbs! Great autocross and track car, but not an everyday sports car. Price is about right for it.

996 Cab

I always thought that this would be my next move up the food chain. Has more power on paper, but certainly does not feel like it. It actually feels slower. Doesn't handle as good as the Boxster and didn't care too much for the looks from the rear. It's also about $15K cdn more than my car for the same year. I'll pass this one for the move up.

997S, Boxster and Boxster S

Everything is right about the 997S - power, handling, braking etc. But didn't get the same feeling as the first time I drove the Boxster. I was dreaming about getting the Boxster for over a year before I took the plunge. Took another year before moving to an S. I'm very happy with my S and I don't dream about getting the car I want anymore........for now.

Well, I was lying, wishlist for my Boxster S

GT2 bumper (I have the factory sideskirts already)http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-996-GT2-Style-Front-Bumper_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33640QQitemZ8002 069271QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
18" Gemballa Competition wheels with R compound tires http://www.wheelenhancement.com/getpic.php?pic=42_83_Lapis%20blue.jpg
MO30 suspension
+35hp performance upgrades (chip, exhaust, air intake, cat bypass) http://www.fabspeed.com/


Already did the B&M Short Shifter and just love it.

[TerryB]

I recently bought a 2004 Boxster S.
I think the best way to express my opinion is to relate the following:

Several weeks ago I had a problem sleeping and went downstairs. After awhile my wife came down to see if I was OK. She found me in the garage sitting in a lawn chair. I was admiring my Boxster with a glass of Pinot. She said "unbelievable" and went back to bed.

The bottom line for me is that the car is like a beautiful woman! She is great to look at AND drive.