2003 S or Base 2005 ?
 

I apologize if this has been asked before. In my budget I can get get a 2003 S with aprox.70,000 miles or a Base 2005. This will not be a daily driver but just something for weekends or trips to the mountains or beach.I do not expect to take any HPDE classes but do enjoy spirited driving. I live in the NW just outside of Portland so have plenty of twisty roads to enjoy.
Thank you for your opinions.
Steve

Considering you yourself will not be putting many miles on the car, i would suggest seeing how low of miles a 2000 S you could get. The 03 is little improvement, and the 05 will only be depreciating more. Get a low miles 2000 S and you should be set!

A lot of other factors go into the decision such as overall condition of the vehicle, maintenance records, previous owner.....as well as how you like to drive. The 2.7 has enough pep for me as I don't track it and everyday driving - well, if you keep to within a reasonable speed vs. speed you really aren't using all of the power of either engine.
I always say get as new a car as you can afford. Things wear down simply by getting older, so buying the older car will speed up the repair cycle. But - it's a Porsche. You won't be disappointed no matter which one you take.

From another Oregonian, you WILL want the S for the extra passing ability going over Cascade/coastal range twisties.

03 and 04 have improved interior and glass rear window. Both highly desired

Now tell me again, what year is your Boxster :rolleyes:?

for Jake, that would be ahhh 2000, Joe.

Drive both the base car and an S so you know the difference in power and upgrades. Then pick the car you like best. :)

I have a 03 S and my parents have a 06 booster

Performance wise the 03 has more HP but you can hardly notice it.

06 has a very nice interior and look.

It will come down to personal preference, take a few of each out for a test drive.

if you don't care about the S badge get the 987 and try get one with low milage and lots of options !http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1409545235.jpg

I would stick with the S for resale value. I watch my base C resale drop like a stone...sadly...while my '02 Boxster S has gained value this past year. Stick with the S.

Bingo haha, but for good reason, the 03 is awesome but what is this glovebox thing you mention!? What in tarnation! (I do miss my aftermarket glass window, and now have a hardtop, so I haven't had to deal with the chop that much, could make the 03 worth the extra money haha)

All things equal on mileage, condition, etc. I'd take the '05. Updated interior, but especially the updated front fascia. The base 05 closes most of the power gap to the 986 S. Good points were made about resale value that cannot be denied, but I look at the car as something to drive, not something to sell.
Good luck with the search.

If you look at the performance data for the 2005 base and the 2003 S there is very little difference Porsche improved the HP of the 2005 so there is only about 18 HP difference. 2003 S 258HP, 2005 base has 240 HP, 2006 Base has 258 HP

My guess would be replace the UDP and Exhaust and your equal.

Test drives
 

Thank you all for your advice sounds like I need to go out and drive some more.:) To see which I like better, as for resale values I am really looking at driving enjoyment more. That being said will I feel the same 5-10 years down the road?
Steve

Don't forget the difference in peak torque. The 03 S has 236 and 05 base has 199. In this case the is no replace for displacement.

Its not just the power and torque differences that distinguishes the S.

If sps really appreciates the driving experience, then all the subtle upgrades that Porsche gave you (apart from an extra couple of S badges) are really worth while - things like the 6 speed gearbox vs a 5 speeder, bigger brakes (red calipers too), 3rd radiator, bigger oil cooler, wider wheels, silver instrument dials and (I think) different suspension and stronger drive shafts.

So though outright engine performance closed between the 2003 & 2005 cars, all the extra's in the S models are very desirable, plus they are quite a lot rarer so if & when trade in time comes along ......

If your two choices were of the same generation, it would be a no brainer, definitely take the S. Since the 2005 is not only newer but includes all of the "benefits" of the redesign, IMO that would make it a complete toss-up since the newer model is a base.

Have you driven both? If not take your time and look around and learn more about the differences in base vs. S, 986 vs. 987, etc. Regarding how you will feel in 5 to 10 years, no one could answer that, not even Carnac the Magnificent.

Worth a look for those just beginning to look at Boxsters:

Porsche Boxster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have read that the track is wider in the 05s but is the interior a bit wider as well?

I have an 05 base that needs an engine at 61K miles. Its a seal grey/ black car thats very clean and only has a broken heart. You can fit it with my reconstructed 2.9 and not have much more in it than a stock vehicle with a used engine.. This way all the failure modes are addressed and you'll make more power than a stock S.

:-)

Jake does have a beautiful 05 base that he speaks about. Seen the pics. Unfortunate that I couldn't take advantage but caused many sleepless nights in a good way. Something to consider....