Ouch. Offerred $7,000 trade-in for my 2000 S

[Perfectlap]

^ I don't think i've ever once read a Porsche article in either a U.S. or British magazine that would categorize a Boxster along the lines of a 944 or 928 on reliablity.
If the experts on Porsches feel this way then I'm not sure why a buyer would buy into that flawed notion. There's one thing I'm guaranteed to see in my Porsche specialists shop every time I visit: a 944 needing work. And unlike a few 928 owners I've known, I've yet to meet a Boxster owner who said they sold it because the mainteance was eating them alive.

Granted, Boxster as far as buyers do illicit caution from prospective buyers. But that's more to do with Porsche's checkered reputation than the Boxster itself.
As matter of fact, Consumer Reports ranked the 2000-2002 Boxster highly on reliablitiy when I was in the market for my Boxster back in 2005. Don't think much has changed since then on Boxster reliability. I think the average 1st time Boxster buyer these days is a lot more informed than the average 1st time Carrera buyer was 15-20 years ago. Serious buyers know these are as reliable as they come as far as Porsche goes. It's not like they think they're going to do better on repair costs with an old 911, 944 or 968.

The thing working against Boxsters isn't just the checkered Porsche history, it's also the fact that it is just a two seater. At least with a 911 you can sorta get two little kids in the rear so that wifey is somewhat appeased. The car is very impractical for anyone with a family. That's going to cut down the possible buyers and explains why so many middle-aged guys are allowed by wifey to splurge on a Carrera.