40K Budget - To "S" or not to "S"
 

First Post! Hello All!!

So I'm buying myself a Boxster for my 40th birthday and I've budgeted 40K (Out the door price) for the purchase. I was hoping the knowledgeable folks on this board could help me with a few decisions. I'm thinking I want to stick with a 2009 or newer to avoid any IMS issues. So I'm wondering.......

2009 "S" with more miles vs 2010+ "Non-S" with less miles?

Also, what are your thoughts on CPO?

Thank you for your input. I can't wait to be part of the Boxster club!

Bill

Personally i would suggest getting a 911 engine converted 986 for the money, you can have the bearing replaced with one that shouldn't fail.

However, sticking to your original suggestion, i would go with one that isn't an S if it means a warranty, if both cars are out of warranty then your are better off with the S.

I'd say get the S .

One word of warning ...
Cpo can only be transferred if you buy from a porsche dealer or private party .
Beware of any car advertised as Cpo that are at "other brands" dealers .
You'll be amazed how many Cpo cars get traded for other brands , then that dealership advertises them as Cpo ....

Go for S,
"Non S" is fast enough, but after a while, you always want more power....:)

When it comes to Porsches always go for the S if you can.

Adding power later is very costly with this brand. And the extra oomph is very handy when merging on the highway and overtkaing all manner of sedans and SUVs that now have considerably more power than 15-20 years ago. When the Boxster first came out the M3 was a ~250 HP car.

If you intended to only use it for track/autox, the base is plenty enough power to get you up a tree.
Conventional wisdom thinks its the other way around. The bigger power car for the track, smaller for the street.
They have that backwards in my opinion.

2009 is the way to go, not really because of the IMS, but because it's the next engine regime.
Addressing the IMS is simply a day at the shop, costly but not take out the engine costly.
a 2000-2004 S is probably the best value in my opinion. The 2009-2012 is a faster car but I didn't feel it was fast enough to justify the delta while in-warranty.
But now that the 2009 cars are off warranty the prices should start to dipping hard soon a.k.a the second big wave of depreciation.

When in doubt go with the "S". That said test drive both a 986 S and a 987 S. People tend to have rather strong feelings about which generation they prefer (due to size, performance, interior design, etc).

I personally like the looks for the 986 more. While the 987 has more ummph, it wouldn't be enough to have me dish out more money above a 986 S. The only 987 Boxster that makes me weak in the knees is the Spyder, but those aren't at their second round of depreciation yet.

Happy hunting.

I wonder if the spyder will depreciate, I saw one for more than a new base, and the car had 20k miles on it.

But I agree with the others on at least looking at a 986, as they said, the ims is an easy fix with a budget that large. Not only is it cheaper up front but I wouldn't expect much depreciation on the 986 over a few thousand from now to 5 years down the road. Which you could possibly even afford a 911 engine swap on a 986 if you really want power. Many would argue this is the perfect boxster combo with its light weight and purpose built interior.


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Go with an S.

As for CPO, my experience is that its about a break even deal - the add'l cost is about what you'll save on repairs and vice-versa. But it is comforting knowing that a catastrophic failure will be covered.

I have an S and I'm very glad.The extra low end torque makes merging etc a lot more fun.

I've always tried to buy the strongest.My MINI Cooper S and Mustang GT were my previous cars.

Each had the strong drive train.

Thanks for all the comments. It sounds like the S is the way to go. I'm not buying for a few months so it will give me time to test drive a few and really get a feel for what's out there.

Bill

I would not worry about the IMSB in a 987 with the larger bearing.

If you look at these forums you will find a lot of folks spending time and money to get more performance. So get an S and save yourself some upgrade bucks.

Also when it comes to resale the "S" is more desirable and will earn you some extra money and a faster sale.

Have you ever heard anyone say a Boxster had too much power? Get an "S"

Styling is a personal preference so 986 or 987, what ever makes the bigger smile for you.

Don't forget the $2000/yr avg maint cost, so save accordingly. Even without a failure, oil, brakes and tires do add up.

S for sure. I have an 03 S as a DD, and I love it. also did AX with it and it is fantastic. Where in PA are you?

Likely an S. I have noticed that the new list prices of an S versus non S differ by about $10k. As you get towards the older models the price difference narrows.

I have also noticed that the newer the base model the more the power.
For example I have my 2001 Box base and it has 217 hp. I tried a 2007 Box base and it has I believe 240hp but I could not notice much power difference.

You will likely try both and see how they compare in power. An enviable situation to be faced with! Guy

09 and later may not have an IMS, but that doesn't mean that they don't have issues. After developing the 9a1 engines for 4 years we've been there and done that.

p.s.
get the factory CPO if you can. And avoid third party warranty policies pushed by dealers on used cars, the fine print is heavily on their side should there be a big issue.
You will get hosed. It's better to invest that cash on a repair fund on the side if you can't get CPO on the car you want. I've yet to hear of any Porsche ever built that didn't like attention of your discretionary spending.

Happy Birthday!

Be ready to look for a period of time & be willing to go long distances to find a 987.2. With the stock mkt crash of 2008, only 1600 987s (lower s means both base & S) models were sold in the US in 2009. This after selling 10K+ models alone in previous yrs. Also be ready to pounce when you find one you like. Others desire the same vehicles.

Good luck finding the perfect present.

Thanks guys! Birthday is not until December but I'll have enough saved in a few months to start my search.

Husker: I'll be looking all over the US....would love to fly somewhere and drive it home :)

Ed: I'm 30 minutes outside Philadelphia.

Bill

Like others have said, be patient and be ready to travel. If you need someone to give a look at a long distance find, post a general request on the forum and someone will probably volunteer to go give it a look. There is a great group of guys and gals on here. Oh, and get an S. If you are debating it and you get a base, you will always be wondering:cheers:

One more thing to consider is that $40k is certainly enough to get you into a pretty well sorted 993 C2 or C4 (narrow body 993). Prices are climbing fast on the air-cooled Porsches so start your search now if you'd consider something more old school that a Boxster.

That said, I loved my 986 Boxster and I do miss its true top-down, mid-engine experience. :cheers: