Newbie needs buying advice
 

Hi all,

Tried posting something earlier but it seems to have been lost. I'm shopping for my first Boxster - a car I've always wanted. I'm looking to spend anywhere from $9K to $18K. Naturally, I'd like to spend on the lower end of that range for a "fun car" but I also don't want to make a penny-wise, pound-foolish type of purchase.

My target right now is anything manual between 2000 to 2004. "S" would be great but it's not imperative. Of utmost concern to me is how clean and well-kept the vehicle is, and how I feel about the color combination. I'll be driving it for a short commute 2-3 days/week and for weekend fun in the twisty roads just north of San Francisco.

I've seen a lot of junk so far and just a few nice Boxsters. Pricing does not seem consistent and some cars have had more dings, nicks and scratches than my F150 truck which gets heavy use.

The best vehicles I've seen so far have been a clean 2000 base with hardtop and 85K miles for $9K and a 2002 S, loaded, with 84K miles for $16K. Recently, I've started searching Ebay to widen my search and there might be one or two in So Cal I'm interested in (and would have someone check out for me).

Recommendations, advice and guidance from recent purchasers and long-time owners would be greatly appreciated! In particular, I'm interested to know what you guys would be targeting, purchase-wise, in my price range.

Thanks!
Eric

Sounds like you need to drive a few and see what you like. Your price range covers pretty much the entire range of 986 cars. IMHO the 03 and later S cars are the best.

Be sure to have a PPI done on whatever you decide to buy. There can be a variety of problems in these cars that can quickly add thousands to your cost if you don't know about them in advance.

03 and forward gets a glass window top, probably not as big deal in Cali. Drive the base before you automatically discount it, if this is your first Porsche a base should still impress you. If you desire the S go for it, all I'm saying is you may be able to find more access, bargaining power and options you may desire at a cheaper price point in a base.

Thanks for the tips. Did any of you guys buy a base and ultimately regret it? The last sports car I had was a 914 twenty years ago. So, even a base Boxster will seem very quick by comparison. I've driven both a base and S but dinot in any sort of conditions where I could really "test" either. S definitely had a little more pickup but both seemed fast to me.

I went with the base and it works for me. I don't race it and there is no wear that I can really use anymore. Maybe go from stop light to stoplight a second faster but the base is fine. I have the larger wheels and drilled rotors so from just looking it is tough to tell the base and S apart. I do not regret buying the base and would do it again.

If they seemed the same in your drive, than you'll probably be happy with either. The S definitely has more grunt, but really both are plenty quick for public roads. The S also has better brakes and better resale value. Cost to maintain is likely the same for each.

If there's nothing on the market today that catches your fancy, just wait a bit longer. There's tons out there, and once Spring really gets going there will likely be many more hitting the market.

I have a 2001 Boxster base and never even considered an S. Why? Did not need any more power, better fuel mileage. Am not racing it. Likely less $$$ than an S. Like the above poster says, take your time, try out lots of cars and when u decide get a PPI done. Ask for repair receipts and history. Be patient!:)

I drove both, and the price premium for an S wasn't enought to scare me away. Just took me longer to find one I wanted - the '03 glass rear window and PSM were requirements for me, I drive it year round in Chicago....

However the 987 base I drove was certainly more than enough car for me - i probably would not end up with a 987 S.

Thanks for the advice and thoughts everyone. Good stuff. Related question: what do you guys think I should be looking for, miles-wise? Is 90k too much? 70k too much?

I know there are lots of variables, but just a good general rule of thumb? I'm hesitant about ultra-low mile cars because I'm worried they probably weren't used enough. The sellers of such cars also seem to want what seems like an unreasonable premium.

Thanks...Eric

I would say around 5 to 10k miles per year should be good. Also if buying from individual have them take you for a ride, you will get an idea if how car was driven. - was it reclined daily or was it pampered and never seen 5000 rpms. It needs to be between that.

There's very little that distinguishes "S" models from one another between '00-'04 . With that said, look for the best kept, most well maintained vehicle with a clear history, and you'll be fine .

I try to do this but the seat will only go back so far. Am I doing something wrong?

I knew I would always regret having a base while the S existed. That's just me. Some people are like that, some aren't. No logic to it. I'd be fine having a Carrera S even though Turbo, GTS, GT3 and GT2 are above it in the heirarchy, so I can't explain about needing the Box S. And I'd choose a 987S over a Spyder, even though the Spyder is more hardcore.

So I bought a new S back in 2004 and have never, for one second, regretted that decision. I suppose if I had been making payments on it every month and figured out what the extra was costing per month, and that was a hardship, I might have regretted it. But it was a one-time payment for me, and whether it was 53k or 63k was soon forgotten. But the car's essential S-ness is there every day. :)

While you may be hesitant to buy an older low mileage car, make sure that main oil seal is not leaking. Along with the suggested PPI, you should be fine.

I did exactly that with my '01 and it's been awesome with very little maintenance costs. And just another FYI...as the economy still is bad/recovering, people get rid of their toys and a Box is usually in that category. Be patient and you'll find someone who needs to unload their "toy" for a great price.

Good luck!

My stupid spellchecker. Red lined.