No More Boxsters ? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

NickCats · 04-14-2009, 05:28 AM

What would you do if you woke up tommorrow and all of the Boxsters have disappeared from the planet ? The good news is, a check in the amount of the fair market value of your car has been deposited in your bank account. So, what would you replace it with ? There is a catch, though. Your replacement vehicle has to have back seats ( oh, I forgot to mention, you also woke up and found out you have a newborn baby girl ).

Here are some of the models I have been considering :

Audi A5 - Pro : Beautiful Car Con : Expensive for what it is
BMW 335i Coupe - Pro : 300 hp Con : Boring interior
Infiniti G37 - Pro : It's not German Con : It's not German
Mercedes CLK - Pro : Classy Con : Kind of a chick car
Porsche 911 - Pro : It's a Porsche Con : Tiny back seats

Thoughts ?

Thanks,

Nick

By the way - I bought my Boxster 3 years ago today

04-14-2009, 05:38 AM

Hey Nick!

For me, to replace the Boxster, with the same purpose and use pattern I have today (not a DD), the answer is easy. I'd get a 911.

For YOU, the answer might be different, from my perspective. You need a car that is easy to access the back seat for little-NickCat's car seat. That's hard to do with a 4-door! Can't imagine how hard that would be with a 2-door, not to mention a 911.

Where will you put the stroller?

PS- Happy Birthday!

23109VC · 04-14-2009, 06:43 AM

when my wife and I found out we were having our son - I had a 99 Honda Prelude. that was a two door with little back seats - nothing like a 911 in terms of it's performance, but the 2+2 arrangement of that car as *similar* to the 911. I could not get a car seat back there and get my son into it without breaking my neck.

whatever you get - take your car seat wtih you to the dealer and test fit it and practice/mimic what it would be like to put the baby in/out. i have taken several car seats to a car dealer- i have flat out told the dealer I want to test fit all my car seats into the car - as the ability to fit htem was part of the reason we were looking at various cars.

all those cars you mentioned have relatively small back seats but will probably fit at least one or two car seats. four doors makes it a lot easier.

the 911 sounds like the most fun and most "cool" option on your list. also the least practical as getting to the rear seats would be a PITA. I see the 911 as a great car when you child is 6. they can get in/out themselves, may no longer need a car seat but are still so small that those seats "fit" them. i don't know how well they accept a car seat... i'ms ure if you google that you will find an answer.

what about the new 4 dooor M3? not sure what your price limit is. i have heard that those are selling in the 50k range due to recession issues/poor sales.

same price point can get you into a late model M5 or RS4. both wicked fast "family" cars.

if you are like me - and need to be on a much lower budget and get something that will be somewhat fun - have you considered the Mazda RX8? i test drove one and it was the ca I would have bought had I not bought the Boxster. you can't put the top down but the back seats are FAR more accessible due to the rear doors that hinge open backward. not super fast, but about as fast as a 2.5 or 2.7L 986. similar power/weight. the car is GREAT handling - not mid engined but b/c the rotary is so light and mounted so far backward - it mimics rear engined balance. also the cockpit/layout/etc is just really really fun. it is a pure sports car, but has back seats. i reallyh reall liked that car. BTW - mazda has retroactively added a 10year/100k mile FULL warranty to the engine on ALL rX8s. even if you buy a used one from a private party that is OFF factory warranty - you get a 100k miles warranty from Mazda on the engine. wouldn't it be nice of Porsche did that for us????? you won't hear any horror stories on teh RX8 forum of someone having their motor blow with 95k miles and then having to pay a dime. test drive one - i think you would reallly like it.

is theer any chance you could buy a POS sedan like a civic, used accord, used camry, something cheap but reliable,safe - and then keep the boxster as a third car? that's what I have done. my boxster is a third/fun car. we have one good car for my wife to drive with the kids that we take on our weekend trips, and I have a DD that is a fairly good sized sedan, that is cheap/paid for/runs nice/but not much to look at. it gets me to work/back and it makes me appreciate the boxster a lot more!!

good luck

and

congratulations on the baby you will soon have!

Brucelee · 04-14-2009, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickCats

What would you do if you woke up tommorrow and all of the Boxsters have disappeared from the planet ? The good news is, a check in the amount of the fair market value of your car has been deposited in your bank account. So, what would you replace it with ? There is a catch, though. Your replacement vehicle has to have back seats ( oh, I forgot to mention, you also woke up and found out you have a newborn baby girl ).

Here are some of the models I have been considering :

Audi A5 - Pro : Beautiful Car Con : Expensive for what it is
BMW 335i Coupe - Pro : 300 hp Con : Boring interior
Infiniti G37 - Pro : It's not German Con : It's not German
Mercedes CLK - Pro : Classy Con : Kind of a chick car
Porsche 911 - Pro : It's a Porsche Con : Tiny back seats

Thoughts ?

Thanks,

Nick

By the way - I bought my Boxster 3 years ago today

Congrats on the baby girl.

Tip: consider a sports sedan. You will get very tired of putting your little tyke in the back seat and so will she. And then, she will cry. And then, you will have to push the front seat up and reach back and then ......

You get the picture. How about a nice A6? Or a Cad CTS?

NickCats · 04-14-2009, 07:28 AM

Thanks for the suggestions so far, keep them coming...

I forgot to mention, I do have a MB c280 which I drive in the winter and can be used to transport our daughter ( and my wife gave up her beloved Mustang for a Audi A4 ). The primary function of my replacement for the Boxster will not be to transport children, but I would like the option to load the entire family in the car on occasion.

Thanks,

Nick

blinkwatt · 04-14-2009, 07:32 AM

993. I really like the look of the old 964 Turbos with Carrera Lightweights though.

Perfectlap · 04-14-2009, 07:37 AM

Mini Cooper S with the Works package.

get the CLubman Works for all the family stuff. Red with the black stripes down the back. NICE..

VIDEO CLUBMAN S

renzop · 04-14-2009, 07:45 AM

I'd buy a Cayman and get my Sawzall out. :troll:

Boxtaboy · 04-14-2009, 07:49 AM

You already have 2 sedans that can transport the family when needed. IMO, I'd either keep the Boxster or get the 911, because as another boarder so accurately put it, "once you drive a Porsche, everything else sucks."

FWIW, I have a 6 month old. At the time, my wife and I only had a Boxster as a weekend fun car, since we lived in NYC and didn't really need a car. Once we knew the baby was coming, we got an 08 A4 as the family truckster, but kept the Boxster, and I got the airbag deactivation bar installed for use with a baby seat.

When my son gets old enough to sit on his own in the back seat, I'll prob. go for a used 997. IMO, if you get another european sports sedan/coupe, it'll feel too similar to your Audi or MB, so what's the point? The Boxster is for fun when you need a little escape, and since you already have ample family haulers, I'd opt to keep the fun in your life.

spine911 · 04-14-2009, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickCats

Thanks for the suggestions so far, keep them coming...

I forgot to mention, I do have a MB c280 which I drive in the winter and can be used to transport our daughter ( and my wife gave up her beloved Mustang for a Audi A4 ). The primary function of my replacement for the Boxster will not be to transport children, but I would like the option to load the entire family in the car on occasion.

Thanks,

Nick

Sports Sedan all the way....I have an 02 M5-the best all around sport sedan.
There are the other obvious Euro car choices previouskly mentioned.

BUT, if you want reliability with performance, low maintenance.......Id go with the Lexus IS F

, or the new GS 350/430

vath2001 · 04-14-2009, 09:05 AM

I would buy nothing and keep the money in the bank. The present economic climate does not allow me to consider replacing anything I have... repairing Yes, replacing, No.

silver arrow · 04-14-2009, 02:51 PM

09 Subaru STI, Pros: Extremely fast with $1500 in mods, very versitile. Cons: Love it or hate it looks, interior not up to European standards. Don't believe what they say about the understeer, they come with 0 camber from the factory. 5 minutes on an alignment rack makes the car pretty neutral.

Jaxonalden · 04-14-2009, 07:15 PM

Since the birth of my son our Boxster has become our date night car. For comfortable transportation for the three of us we have a Lexus ES 300 and a Toyota Sequoia. His baby seat, when set backwards, "just" fit in the back seat and now that he’s two and facing forward he rests his feet on the back of my wife’s seat! If you’re going to replace your Boxster with another sports car, it better have a big back seat.

Like Vath2001 said, your best bet is to take the money and bank it. Buy a CD and sit on it. It might not have the same joy as having a Porsche in the garage but in time you’ll be thanking your lucky stars.

Immortal1520 · 04-14-2009, 11:44 PM

The easy answer would be to go for a 911, but considering I bought an 04 Box at around 25k... I can't imagine getting a 911 for 25k that wasn't riddled with problems and covered in a cloud of smoke most of the time. To an extent, it's the same with an M3 as well.

Considering that I'll have a kid in the back, anything with a high level of torque is out of the question. I don't feel like catapulting my child through the windshield. Even if he or she is crying a lot. If I'm going about as a family, I'd like to go about in something classy. And usually when I think classy, I think Mercedes. And I'd easily take a Merc CLK.

Sure, Merc's are a bit on the heavy side and don't growl like their other German bretheren. But who cares? You're taking your family around, you don't need to worry about going at a screamingly fast speed. Instead, you want them to enjoy a nice, luxurious ride. A CLK can do that for you, and considering that I could buy a somewhat-new one for the same price that I got my Boxster for... and I'm lacking the financial funds to get another car, I'd take the CLK as a replacement.

Or, I could always sell that newborn on eBay and get a Cayman/Carrera, haha. Totally kidding.

fatmike · 04-15-2009, 07:39 AM

Tough comparisons coming from a Boxster. The 335 might be the best of that bunch -- but I was deeply disappointed with mine. Why? Throttle response was poor. Steering too light and the road feel is numb (maybe because of the run flats?). The clutch is too light, and the shifter engagement is vague even for BMW standards. 335 was lacking the interaction on the driving inputs that makes the Boxster so much fun.

335 Pros:
The 335 is wicked fast. Its smooth and quiet on the highway. It gets remarkable gas mileage for its size and speed. The BMW bluetooth is impressive.

I would consider an M3 - possible a certified used one if price is an issue.

unklekraker · 04-16-2009, 05:13 AM

Nick, how you doing? I knew it..the box has to go to make room for the new princess

I rented a 09 G37 last night and I'm taking the whole familia to San Diego this morning and I will let you know what do I think of it when I get back on Sunday.

So far what I like about it is the start button, the steering wheel, the seats will adjust by itself, it has 7 speed (Sportshift), trunk is large enought to fit 4 regular suitcase/small ice cooler and that thing could accelerate.

I took it last night on the backroads and the handling is not bad...got tempted to test it out...hehehehehe

Topless · 04-16-2009, 06:20 AM

Nick,
Congrats on the Bambina. Drive a Lexus IS and a BMW 3 series. Not Boxsters but engaging to drive and useable back seats with 4 doors.

Pilot2519j · 04-16-2009, 09:25 AM

An Obamobile runs on hot air which the government gives at no charge!

Sammy · 04-16-2009, 04:59 PM

Buy a "Smart" car... and then run it over with the Hummer you bought as the baby-mobile...

Or is this too much money???

nola911 · 04-17-2009, 08:38 PM

Nick.. I did the same thing 1 year ago. When I had the baby girl I sold my boxster. I bought the 996 thinking it could do everything I needed it to do. That was a mistake. A huge one.

Though fun, the 996 is not a family car. It does not do baby seats well. I sold mine, bought a proper 3 row suv.

My dad has the clk500... It really is a great and comfy car. it has tons more room than the 911 and is much more practical. It has a trunk that can do strollers, back seats that do forward and rear facing seats and is a much better (smoother) driver.I was about to buy the clk55 just last week to fill the "toy void" but bought something else instead.

My vote is for the CLK..

EDIT: I want to add that I totaled an eclass last year and you would be amazed at how little damage was done to the car. In an 8 car pileup, the merc took it extremely well.. front and rear had trucks on top. I had 0 damage, and not as much as a sore neck. Heavy=safe when it comes to your child.