how many of you guys owned miata before graduating to boxster? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

QuickSilver · 11-19-2008, 05:24 AM

I have owned a number of Miatas and truly appreciate the car. It is a fantastic platform for serious suspension upgrades. My recent 01' was fitted with Tein coilovers and other bits to make it feel like it was on rails. The gearbox is so easy to shift that I have never found anything comparable. Even my S2000 didn't equal the gearbox of the Miata.

I just purchased my 01' Boxster S and it's in another class. I previously owned an 88' 911, which I truly loved and now I'm back to Porsche again. I am looking forward to many years of ear-to-ear grins with my new ride.

stephen wilson · 11-19-2008, 08:29 AM

Quick, you should have some insight on my auto purchasing dilemma, having owned all 3 cars I'm considering. How was the S2000 to live with on a daily basis? I've driven it, the Boxster, and Miata. The lack of low end power is annoying w/ the S2, but the shifter is great, and it's at least $5,000 cheaper than a Porsche. I like the Boxster best, but am worried about maint. costs (and IMS failure!), and the fact that I can only afford a $25k purchase price right now, which means an older/higher milage car and more service issues. The Miata is OK, but didn't excite me like the other 2 options. Thoughts?
Thanks,
Steve

QuickSilver · 11-19-2008, 10:06 AM

"How was the S2000 to live with on a daily basis?"

Steve:

The lack of torque at low RPMs was always a detractor. If you drove it like you just stole it, the car was great and alot of fun. It's not fun missing the 1-2 or 2-3 shift at redline which happened occasionally for me. I always thought that the differential ratio was not the best for a six-speed. Also the 4-5 synchro in the tranny started to get balky at around 12k miles...weird. I think the S2k engine is nearly bullet-proof.

The value of all three used cars is excellent provided they are well maintained.

stephen wilson · 11-19-2008, 11:57 AM

Does the Honda have a rev. limiter? I thought it could use a lower first gear for "stoplight performance", of course that would make 1st unusable other than starts. Is it possible to find a good condition, reliable Boxter for under $25K?

mookarma · 11-19-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

Does the Honda have a rev. limiter? I thought it could use a lower first gear for "stoplight performance", of course that would make 1st unusable other than starts. Is it possible to find a good condition, reliable Boxter for under $25K?

If you are able to look hard and be patient you should be able to find a 987 Boxster for around $25k in this market.

stephen wilson · 11-20-2008, 05:27 AM

Yeah, I guess It'll just take allot of legwork. Pricing is crazy, I've seen seemingly identicle '03 S models, one listed at $35K, the other at $25K!

Dave S. · 11-21-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

Does the Honda have a rev. limiter? I thought it could use a lower first gear for "stoplight performance", of course that would make 1st unusable other than starts. Is it possible to find a good condition, reliable Boxter for under $25K?

Stephen, I just bought an 03 Boxster S, 6 spd, cruise, PSM, Windstop, 14,400 miles for $27K. The car was in show room condition inside and out. I actually think I could have negotiated a better deal but thought the price was fair. So I think you can get a pretty good low mileage Boxster for your price range. Shop around for the right car with the colors and options you want - and buy an "S".

Oh and to keep this thread on track - I didn't have a Miata, but have had a 1967 and a 1968 Triumph GT6 and I still own a 1980 Triumph TR8.

Dave S.

stephen wilson · 11-23-2008, 08:45 AM

Thanks for you thoughts guys. It's hard to tell how a car is to live with in just a few test drives. Dave, I would love an S type, but I thought it might be tough to do on my budget. A base would be easier to find in good condition? Am I the only one that likes the 986 interior better? I like the 987 exterior though.
Steve

rick3000 · 11-23-2008, 09:04 AM

I would go with a Base. I would rather have a nicer car with less HP, than stretch my budget and get something in bad condition. Unless you're autocrossing, or racing the Base has plenty of power for daily driving and you'll still be faster than 90% of the cars on the road.

I also like the 986 interior better (although I'm biased). The pre-'03's don't have cup holders but overall I think it flows better. I feel like a lot of the stuff in the 987 is tacked on so Porsche could say it's the new model. The 986 was designed in the image of the 550 Spyder, the 987 strays from that idea, so it can be "new."
Just my opinion.

mts · 11-21-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

Quick, you should have some insight on my auto purchasing dilemma, having owned all 3 cars I'm considering. How was the S2000 to live with on a daily basis? I've driven it, the Boxster, and Miata. The lack of low end power is annoying w/ the S2, but the shifter is great, and it's at least $5,000 cheaper than a Porsche. I like the Boxster best, but am worried about maint. costs (and IMS failure!), and the fact that I can only afford a $25k purchase price right now, which means an older/higher milage car and more service issues. The Miata is OK, but didn't excite me like the other 2 options. Thoughts?
Thanks,
Steve

I've owned 3 Miatas (still have 2 of them for the track) an S2000 and the Boxster S. I really liked the S2000 and don't have much bad to say about it. I thought the build quality was excellent and I've always thought the "lack of torque" issue was way over blown at least for the 2004-later cars. You did have to ring it out to get the most out of it, but the same can be said for Boxsters in my opinion. For me, the S2000 shifter is the best I've owned, better than the Miata and a lot better than the Boxster S even with the factory sport shifter.

The one thing I didn't like about the S2000 was the car tendencies. A Miata is extremely well balanced and can be driven up to the limits of the car pretty easy. When it starts to slide the car "wants" to come back into shape, it's very confidence building. I find the Boxster S to me much the same, very balanced, very easy to push the car hard and feel good about it.

The S2000 on the other hand tends to have a bit of oversteer build into it which turns into snap-oversteer in a heartbeat if you aren't paying attention and pre-2006 cars don't have traction control as an option. Driving an S2000 reminds me a lot more of driving a 911 (as far as tendencies go) than driving a Miata or Boxster. That's probably part of the charm for some because with the S2000 (as well as the 911), they will flat go in the hands of a capable driver. I have a bunch of track experience, etc, but even with that I still feel more comfortable in the Boxster S and Miata. Different strokes.