2002 Boxster S for $18k, good deal?? A couple of Q's

[phatjoe]

Hey:

I'm about to pull the trigger on a car this weekend (tired of searching )

I came across a 2002 Boxster S for $18k. It has a 47k miles on it, and appears to be in top notch condition.

I did a search on cars.com and autotrader.com, and I couldn't find an "S" close to the $18k number. That being the case, I'm still curious if folks are snagging the "S" for a cheaper price than $18k?

This next question may sound funny
I never hold onto a car for more than 2 years. I'm also considering a 2005 Z4, 2.5i, manual, for $17.7k. Come 2 years from now, do you think I'll have a hard time selling the porsche because it will be 9 years old?? The Z4 would only be 6 yrs old.

Thanks....

[impboy]

I'd get a Carfax on the Box first to get some extra history on the car but the way the economy is right now, I'd say if the car is in as great of shape as you're saying, it's a good deal.

[Lil bastard]

$18k can be a good deal, a bad deal, or somewhere in between.

It's a great price for an EXCELLENT '02. It's a BAD deal for an '02 in poor, or abused condition - not always visible.

NEVER buy a Boxster w/o spending at least $300 on a PPI from a dealer or independent who KNOWS what they are doing and looking at. Make a list of the things which need correction and their cost and use this to make the decision and/or negotiate the price of the car.

The old addage: "The most expensive Porsche to own is usually that one which was cheap to buy" should keep ringing in your head.

The world is FULL of used Boxsters. No need to settle for one which could run you into the Poor House.

Forget Carfax, usually nonsense.

Look for ownership history, service history backed up by receipts, and have the car looked at by an expert (PPI).

Weigh all of this and then take the plunge... or not.

Good Luck!

[E Kaplan]

First, I definately agree with getting a PPI.
I purchased my base (non S) 2000 Boxster about 14 months ago for $18,000. I know prices have decreased since, so I think your price for a 2002 S is good (as long as the car is in good shape.
There are alot of cars out there. If you are thinking about getting a new top with a glass window, updated stereo, new wheels, body moldings, etc., You may want to look around and try to find a car someone has spent $ to make the car the way you want it.

Good luck!

[SeanZ4]

I had a black '03 Z4 2.5i for several years. I wanted a Boxster. I bought a 2000 S with 30k mi. on it from a Porsche / Mercedes dealership. I gave them the Z and $2500 cash. Did I pay too much?? Maybe. Maybe not. The Z cars are dropping in value like crazy too. Actually more so than the Boxsters. I belong to several Z car forums and they discuss the same things. My Z was a great car and I had a Z3 before it, but neither one even comes close to the fun-factor my Boxster has!

Get the Boxster!

[impboy]

Since my idea for a Carfax was called "nonsense", what's a PPI?

[Immortal1520]

Make sure to get a report on it. 18K for a Boxster S is a steal if it's in stellar condition. But with how much miles it has and it's current age, it CAN come with a lot of repairs and servicing that you need to do.

[mylamb]

Originally Posted by impboy

Since my idea for a Carfax was called "nonsense", what's a PPI?

Pre
Purchase
Inspection

Any reasonable Porsche seller will understand that you will want one & will permit it to be done. If they won't, walk away. PPI's don't tell you the WHOLE story about the car, but will usually indicate if it has been well taken care of, or if it is a grenade waiting to happen.

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by impboy

Since my idea for a Carfax was called "nonsense", what's a PPI?

Sorry... I didn't call your reply nonsense. I meant that to be the info carfax often supplies.

I have run carfaxes on cars that return, in one case, 27 'reports'. These turned out to be every annual registration, every oil change, even a car wash/detailing! No 'bad' news at all, which is really the point of their service.

The PPI I did trumped the CarFax report and we bought the car. Which was in fact a well cared for low mileage one-owner that we owned for 9 years with no major repairs and went on to sell for about twice it's book value.

And, there are many shops and repair facilities which do not report to carfax, and many times owners, in an attempt to avoid a carfax record (depressing their resale price) will pay cash for a minor collision and not report it to their ins.co. In several states, a collision will not even generate a police report if there were no bodily injuries. This means CarFax's database is incomplete and not a good indicator of the real condition, or history, of the car...good or bad.

[impboy]

Thanks for the education and the lesson on acronyms!

[Viper5]

I picked my 2000 boxster s up for 12k. It has about 110k miles and is in great shape. Craigslist is a good place to look. I've had to replace water pump, throttle body, and i will be fixing an air leak in the near future (waiting on the new hose to arrive). I've spent about $550 total and it should be good as new after hose replacement.

[fatmike]

A couple of things on the '02:

There are a few very desireable options. Mid-year in '02 Porsche started making the Litronic headlights standard. This is a $1000(ish) option. They are Porsche's version of Xeon headlights and I highly recommend them. My car also came with the stability control system which I also recommend.

The '02 was the last year for the plastic rear window. How does it look? I am just in the process of replacing my top because of end-of-life on the plastic window.

I had my car inspected when it bought it (I paid a bit more than you, but not too much). I bought my car with 11K miles on it two years ago. It was a garage queen (not a scratch).

I would place a high emphasis on buying a car that has a clean inspection. If you search this forum, you'll find a list of common ailments. Have someone who knows what they are doing look at your potential purchase. Make a good decision. I would suggest a well cared for 7 year old car is better than a 4/5 year old one that hasn't been maintained...

Proof of oil changes? Proof of filters and fluid changes? Spark plugs? Other pseudo maintenance like O2 and MAF sensors? Tire condition? Figure on $1500 or so for a new set of performance rubber.

Also, expect to spend some money when you buy the car. You will.

That said, no regrets. An '02 Boxter S -- or any Boxster -- is a great car.

Good Luck.

"phat" Mike

[urban_legend]

But that is just part of the legend. Oh and my an p-car education from LB, Vath and others was free. How great is that?

[Banana S]

Just for reference, I watched the prices of 2000-2003 Boxster S's for three full years before I found my car last October. I paid $19,900 for my car with 39,900 miles on it, in excellent condition, in the color combination I wanted, with a thumbs-up from the local Porsche dealership after a PPI. (Incidentally, I bought it just five days after it went up for sale on the CarMax website... And I had it transferred from the Chicago CarMax location to the Indianapolis location within 12 hours of it appearing on the CarMax website, and before they even had all of the pictures of it uploaded! Mine! It's MINE! You cannot have it!!! )

When I pulled the trigger, that was the lowest price I had seen in three years for an S in this condition, nationwide. I still haven't seen a better price for a similar car since I bought mine (although, admittedly, I haven't been looking as hard lately). So if the one you're looking at passes a PPI and otherwise appears to be in good condition, I'd say it definitely is a good price for the car. Let us know what you decide!

Originally Posted by Lil bastard

And, there are many shops and repair facilities which do not report to carfax, and many times owners, in an attempt to avoid a carfax record (depressing their resale price) will pay cash for a minor collision and not report it to their ins.co.. This means CarFax's database is incomplete and not a good indicator of the real condition, or history, of the car...good or bad.

not sure where I read it, but it was estimated that carfax catches only 20% of accidents, floods, and odometer fraud.

[epotter]

I'm 'shopping' for a 2001 Boxster up here in Canada.

I've noticed that the prices seem to range from about 21K to 30K (US).

I have my eye on a nice one that's listed for 22 grand. It's loaded and appears to be in very good condition with 50,000 miles.

I would like to 'pull the trigger' and make a purchase in a few days. But I wanted to get a reaction from the experts out there.

I see that some of you wait for years before buying one.

[Sputter]

Tough to answer not knowing the car. You need to get a PPI done before anything. Don't fall in love with the car, do your homework.

Originally Posted by epotter

I'm 'shopping' for a 2001 Boxster up here in Canada.

I've noticed that the prices seem to range from about 21K to 30K (US).

I have my eye on a nice one that's listed for 22 grand. It's loaded and appears to be in very good condition with 50,000 miles.

I would like to 'pull the trigger' and make a purchase in a few days. But I wanted to get a reaction from the experts out there.

I see that some of you wait for years before buying one.

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by Fred Demara

not sure where I read it, but it was estimated that carfax catches only 20% of accidents, floods, and odometer fraud.

That wouldn't surprise me at all.

[AlexH]

Originally Posted by mylamb

Pre
Purchase
Inspection

Any reasonable Porsche seller will understand that you will want one & will permit it to be done. If they won't, walk away. PPI's don't tell you the WHOLE story about the car, but will usually indicate if it has been well taken care of, or if it is a grenade waiting to happen.

I appreciated someone's comment before "pay now or a lot more later." I started out looking to spend $10000 for a 2000 but ended paying over $15000 for an '03 that has a good history of work done by the dealer as well as having a new clutch replaced because the prior owner decided to pay for the parts while the car was being worked on by the dealer under warranty. The car was CPO and I still have 10 days left Couldn't be happier except if I could get my hands on a Cayman S.