Not to change the subject of the thread but I am surprised to see so many boxster owners who have a prius as well. WHY a prius there is a huge market of better looking cars that perform better then the prius and are around the same price. Just asking and I mean no insult to the prius owners its your choice and I respect it but I am also curious to the thought process.

All I can add to this is my Box S+ gets better MPG than any other vehicle I have ever owned. Admittedly being able to utilize the drop top any day here in SoCA is a big bonus!

I guess i'm asking for too much wanting everything in a practical package for a good price.

Mazdaspeed 3 gets similar gas mileage, similar 0-60mph, similar top speed. It is also known for its great handling for a FWD. It is a hatchback with back seats. It's the best mix of both worlds. Being a Mazda owner of 8 years means I have an attachment to the sporty little brand.

But for $25,000 for a new one, and $16,000 for a used one, I cannot afford it. I can only afford the monthly payments for a $10,000 car for now.

I say yes tho I have a different daily driver so it isn't about that. For me, if I don't drive for a while I start thinking about something better, newer, faster. Like a 997 or Cayman or beyond. Starting looking at stuff online etc... Then I drive my car and get the smiles, I care less about trading up so soon and a happy until I don't drive it for a while and start wondering again lol...

For me it was 4 things.
1. The wife likes it. If your married you'll get it, especially if she's a strong willed professional type. The wife needs to be on board most of the time for auto purchases and for some reason, chicks dig the Prius. This is necessary if I'm to be allowed to take up garage space with project cars.
2. Resale value is nuts. They sell like banana in a monkey cage in the Bay Area, the only thing I can compare it is my old Jeep Wrangler which I sold two used for 80 cents on the dollar.
3. They have a certain of panache that other "cheap" hybrid cars don't. Both the wife and I are decently paid professionals and most of our colleagues drive Acuras, BMW's , Mercedes, blah blah blah. The Prius (probably since so many celebs drive them) are also commonplace in our executive parking lots, and don't scream, I'm a poor college student or Walmart employee. In fact (gasp) my neighbor just traded in his AMG Mercedes for a new plugin prius much to my shock.
4. It gets 43.8 mpg , even with my heavy foot.

This being said, we also have a new Siena Minivan, and the old Porsche 986, and they all get driven somewhat. I couldn't survive with just the Porsche, especially with 2 kids, a big house with lots of projects, a wife who shops a lot, etc...

To the OP...You need a beater my friend. A few years back I had a Maxima that was a 2nd car I had bought for my nephew. The car had like a long Matrix size gash one the passenger door. Well one day I pulled into a parking lot and this guy had is SUV parked way over the line. I parked my car dead on between the lines of my spot where the Suv driver couldn't get in his car. It was great. I would of never done that in the Boxster so I decided to teach the guy a lesson. What could he do, key my car? Who cared it was bought to teach my nephew how to drive a stick. I would park that car anywhere. No stress!! 2nd car will get you cheaper insurance also or about the same.

For me it's a YES. I'd much rather have a 991S, I just can't afford it (yet). I want a back seat and a much larger motor and a car that doesn't have poorly made parts on it. The newer Porsches are far more dependable and have better crafted parts than the 97 models of the 986 and 996.

If I did, I would take a $50,000 loss on the car. I am much to proud (& cheap) to do that! This happens when you buy new.

Not always the case. Women and wifes come in more than one flavor. Just sayin'.

I've got so much invested in the Dangermobile, it's death do us part. :cool:

Think about it just a little sometimes. Bought the '02 in spring of '08. Still only has 37k on it since I am in Minnesota and park it for half the year. I sometimes think maybe a used 911 Carrera 4 with AWD might be cool for the weather here but I already have an A4 quattro daily driver that I just love. Added an '87 924S two years ago (another low miles mobile with only 39K) so it competes for drive time. I did do the troublesome seals replacement this summer so have $$ invested in the Boxster and it is an awesome drive. Got to get new tires because the ones on it are cupped and the noise is drving me crazy.

Guess I'll stay a three car guy for the near future. Maybe I just need a bigger garage? One last thing, I am thinking of doing the local Porsche club drivers ed training. Would like to get the Boxster out on a track just once before I am so old that the sight of me there would scare the younger kids!

The Prius is genius engineering. The concept of using wasted kinetic energy and converting it to usable electric power is mind-boggling. The first gen Prius was not efficient enough for Toyota, they sold that technology Honda and Ford, and they still use it. The second gen is amazing for commuting. Back in the days when I was driving the kids 60+ miles to school each day, it was necessary.

The Porsche dealer took it in trade without hesitation, and it was sold to another dealer before the end of the day.

But I'm not going back, I enjoy the Box too much. No takesy-backsey is what I told the dealer. :D

What happens with all of the batteries that will eventually have come out of those Prius-es ? They can't be reused or recycled . Buried in the earth for the next 100 millenniums ?

We're shipping them to your house, Johnny. :D

No way... I will keep it to the end... I never had a car that handel the rood like she does! I wood be in heaven if I could drive it daily but I need a truck for my daily work and here in quebec I also can't drive it in the winter. I do love it very much and don't tink of selling it.

Lithium batteries are between 70-100% recyclable. The problem is lithium is so cheap, there's little financhial incentive to do it.
Unfortunately , due to EU's over zealous carbon emissions laws, and the US MPG laws coming into effect, even companies like Porsche will have to looks at "hybrid" tech to meet these crazy quotas.

The Prius uses NiMH, not lithium ion batteries. Toyota has a program to encourage extraction/reuse of the nickel in the batteries, but yes, lots and lots will end up buried.

That's true, the older Prius use Nimhs, but the 2012 Plugin Prius, Volt , Tesla, and Leaf uses Li-ion batteries, and the next gen Honda's will also.
Soon most cars will be li-ion batteries due to their power to weight and lack of charge memory.
We'll probably actually have to start paying a recycle fee on them since its not very profitable.

Done, and done.

Porsche 918 hybrid.

In pure electric mode, the 918 will hit 93 mph and run for 15.5 miles. You have to experience the otherworldly silence and serenity of this kind of departure to begin to understand what Porsche is trying to achieve with this car.

In a world where noise and flamboyance don't necessarily engender good feelings in your fellow human beings, the 918 cuts an entirely new character: It looks like it just left a racetrack, but it glides like a Tesla. Only not for as long.

2014 Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid Ride-Along

Porsche Hybrid, only $845,000.

But you'll make that up in gas savings in no time. If you drive to the moon. :D

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