MX-5 vs. Boxster?

For me, it isn't jsut about numbers. It is also about style.


Drive into a gas station in a Miata...err...sorry, MX-5 and people might glance over. But probably not since Mia...MX-5's are common as dirt. Everyone and his brother owns one.

Drive into a gas station in a Porsche and heads will turn. People might even come up to you and say, "Nice Car", or , "How do you like your Boxster?"

I'm not talking about snob appeal. Especially since the Box costs about the same as most heavier-duty Pick Up trucks these days. I'm simply talking about a car that isn't seen every day like the MX-5, the S-2000, the TT Vert or the Z3/Z4's. I'm not knocking the cars; I've driven all of them, and i considered all of them when looking for my roadster.

But the Porsche is just a bit special, a purely subjective qualifier, but it is why I went with the Pooch.

[rteichman]

I just traded my 92 Miata for a 99 Boxster (and the dealer is making a killing on the sale of my Miata.... I should have sold it myself ) so I think I have a good feeling for the differences (yes I also looked at the new MX5).

The Miata is a fabulous car. Mine had 130,000 miles on it when I traded it and NEVER, EVER had a problem. It would sit under a bank of snow for months and then start as if I just drove it 5 minutes ago. Heck the original battery lasted 128,000 miles and 12 years! Get the picture? RELIABLE. It was also fun to drive. Whenever I was depressed or in a bad mood I would drive it and it put a smile on my face. One person described it as a grown-up's go-cart and thats the best description I ever heard about the car.

The Boxster, at least from my readings on this board, will not be anywhere near as reliable. BUT it has a beauty that the Miata does not. The lines (IMHO) of a Boxster are much more beautiful than those of a Miata. As far as fun to drive goes.....well this is a tough one since it almost like comparing apples and oranges. The Boxster is as fun to drive as the Miata, but it does not have that go-cart feel. To me this is good to others this is bad. You get the "performance feel" from the Boxster but it does it in a much more "elegant" and refined manner. So it boils down to "elegance" vs. kid type fun.

Also, ride in a Miata for a long trip and you will start avoiding it on long trips. The Boxster will make you yearn for more. Just imagine driving a go-cart for a few hundred miles..... it wears on you!

Rob

[Brucelee]

Great little car. Nothing at all bad to say about it.

Given the price differential, I would assert this is really an apples vs oranges issue.

[ford40]

I have to agree with the poster who said the Boxster is better on long drives. I regularly drive mine from Indianapolis to my house in the lake of the Ozarks...about 450 miles. I am always rested and enjoy 30 mpg on the road. As a matter of fact after I take my luggage in the house and do the bio-break thing I'm usaully back in the Boxster to go for a ride on the Ozark twistys...my wife thinks I'm crazy....

[Perfectlap]

I drove the mazdaspeed turbo miata but not this latest 180 HP (or close to that, certainly with some mods) Not really a huge difference in ooomph over my 150 HP 1.8 handling was no more dialed in either. The new mx5 is pricey for sure. But its a car that has been in development for nearly 15 years now. Handling and steering is just as good as the S2000 or Boxster. Its low weight means accelration is plenty good. And the high revving engine is awesome. And to tell you truth it was more fun at the autocross because it had a bit of oversteer.
I wouldn't take a heavier 2.5 Boxster for this new Miata. A 3.2 now that's a different story!

From a driver's point of view its a top roadster no question but if you are interested in what other's think about your car or you are a status seeker its certainly not the choice. I dunno buying a car for others to think you are wealthy always seemed really tacky to me. Some people just appreciate finely made cars.

p.s.
rteichman, a few mods and I sold my 1994 Miata in November of 2004 for $7,000.
When I picked up my BoxsterS at the dealer I saw a 1996 M edition and the salesman told me it was a trade in they bought from the owner for $2,500
Some people's ability to reason and negotiate goes out the window when they walk into a dealership.

[jiggysubman]

i should point out that which ever car i choose next, it's going to have to be my daily driver. My 97 box isn't the most relaible daily driver in the world. ultimately this is going to be a hard decision.
You can mod the hell out of that mazda for far cheaper than you can our cars. That's also a plus.

[Perfectlap]

I think the S2000 is the best two seater if its going to be a daily driver.
Honda=Bullet proof
Or a very low mileage BoxsterS, hard to replicate the special something the Boxster has that the Miata and S2000 don't have on daily drives. I think it has something to do with the torque the Boxster put down in lower revvs (exact opposite of the S2000) , that grip is something I can't get used to. Hard on the wallet when it comes to gas station visits! I spend $60 a month and only drive it 4 times a month.
The Miata has such little trunk space, very impractical and I never really felt safe in such a tiny car. In an accident the S2000 would fair much better.

[rteichman]

Originally Posted by jiggysubman

i should point out that which ever car i choose next, it's going to have to be my daily driver. My 97 box isn't the most relaible daily driver in the world. ultimately this is going to be a hard decision.
You can mod the hell out of that mazda for far cheaper than you can our cars. That's also a plus.

Get a sporty sedan (3 series BMW, VW 2.0T, Audi A4, Mazda 3,...) and keep the Boxster. That way you can have a practical daily car and a fun car

[xclusivecar]

Originally Posted by jiggysubman

You can mod the hell out of that mazda for far cheaper than you can our cars. That's also a plus.

If your gonna mod the hell out of any car I'd say stay away from the Boxster. Lots of money, little gain in performance, possible major nagging problems.

[longislander1]

[QUOTE=creseida]For me, it isn't jsut about numbers. It is also about style.


Drive into a gas station in a Porsche and heads will turn. People might even come up to you and say, "Nice Car", or , "How do you like your Boxster?"

[QUOTE]

Maybe I live among a bunch of jaded New Yorkers, but my seal grey 987S does not turn heads. People barely notice. By contract, I was always getting looks and comments when I had my 968 cab, right up until I sold it last June.

[Perfectlap]

That's a very subtle color, seal grey. If it were a yellow or even my arctic silver you would get more looks I think. I've yet to go a day without driving where I don't get at least one comment or stares at stop lights.
Lately I've been impressed with the numbers of under 12 year olds that know my car is a Porsche and how excited they get. A couple of kids on bikes chased after me and when they caught one looked at the trunk and said to the other tween "yeah its the S".

[wild1poet2]

I think Mazda has done a good job with the new MX-5. They're cool. Why am I getting the feeling that creseida would turn heads no matter what car she is in?

[sooner]

Before my recent purchase of a '98 Boxster, I drove the MX-5, Z4 and the S2000. I was very impressed with the MX-5, but it was too small for my 6'2" 185 lb. body. There were no manual trans Z4's in my area, but the automatic I drove was ok. The S2000 was a truely great and affordable car, a real screamer that was flat on hard curves, but I felt compressed in it. The day I bought the Boxster I drove the S2000 one last time and it was like breaking up with a girlfriend I really liked.
The Boxster felt right, not only the more spacious cockpit, but the overall performance. After 3 weeks, I know I made the right decision.