what does it take to be a satisfied porsche owner?

[super66]

my brother's 98 Z3 piece of junkity junk, 2002 while stylisticly better still a piece of junk.....and lets not even talk about all the 5 series loaner cars that had issues with the heaters...I used to love the Z3 but would not even consider BMW when it came time to get my car...

Overall the boxster has had some minor quirks, I've avoided taking it in because then I wouldn't be able to drive it....I will drop it off this weekend because I had a hard time getting out of reverse yesterday, heard a crack and now no problem getting out of reverse...not sure what it was but I guess I'll find out....

all I can say is I feel great in it.....people love it....and when its all said and done would you rather fix a porsche or some average car like my old Blazer, Cherokee and the list goes on....want to talk garbage? Talk Chevy Blazer

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by alohaincal

I'm sensing a pay to play mentality here. I also notice that almost all of you own 2005+ model cars. I'd like to hear from the guys like me who own older models(1997-2000). I just got my Boxster 3 months and All I can say Is "Where's the horses!" And no I'm currently not driving a Ferrari or Benz. My current drive is a 1998 jeep grand cherokee 5.2 v8 230 HP. Just a newbies opion that's open for debate.

Well, not to be glib but the horses on these cars are not there, nor is the torque.

But the car looks and handles great.

PS-if you drive a 2000 and up S model, it def. has more punch!

[Perfectlap]

well the 987 is a new model that still in development.

Buying the "all new" version comes with its problems.
That's why people say its best to avoid the 1st and 2nd years of a redesign.
By the 3 and 4th year the car should be hassle free.

I can only say that after driving my BoxsterS for almost 20,000 trouble free miles
that owning a Porsche is WAY more than all the hype promised.

There are sports car DRIVERS and there are sports car owners.
If you enjoy partaking in driving events and high performance driving instruction
you'll quickly learn why Porsche has the eye brow raising brand name.
They may not be as good as Honda at reliability but those are just cars.

as for power, people who complain abou the Boxster not having enough power spend too much time driving in a straight line. They're better off in a Mustang GT or Merc 500 SL.

[mach schnell]

so let's say that with the 987's, we have to chalk up "issues" to the 'new model effect' - whether it's porsche, honda or god forbid one of the subpar domestics, that's a common hook to blame "issues" upon. furthermore, if that's the easy way out (when arguing satisfaction), then one might expect that the dealer and ALL of the people who represent the dealer, are well aware of the 'new model effect' and thus much more receptive to entertaining/understanding/investigating the returning owner's complaints with the new model. if that assumption can be considered valid and true, now dismiss the mediocre experience that one should expect from a domestic brand, and rather, consider the superior experience (call it the pay to play, if you will) that one purchases along with the vehicle when investing in Porsche (or MB, Bentley, Mazerati, etc). in other words, it's not wrong to expect that the service advisor is familiar with the car (maybe even drives one), that the technician didn't just quit his/her job at ford and is driving an el torino (the person who fixes your high end car should be just as much an afficianado as you - and should drive the car!), that when you walk into the dealership there is a level of respect (it's not arrogance - it's arrogant to expect to walk into Target and have everyone think you're hotsh%$, but when you walk onto the 'holy ground' that represents your vehicle, its a kind of - you're one of them thing, you've arrived or i'm a member - without the hideous member's only jackets from the 70's - who knows maybe Old Navy will bring them back!!! )

i think what seems to be a an ongoing theme with these issues of quality and/or satisfaction is the lack pride and commitment to value and everyday satisfaction that one should able to count on from porsche, just isn't there. in another one of my famous, 'make an everyday situation into a doctor analogy' rants,:
a patient shows up to his or her physician, they know the doc is human and thus fallible, but don't expect nor want a mistake. the doctor understands this as well, and (a good one) strives to provide error free care. studies have shown that doctor's who have made mistakes (mild medication errors or grave diagnostic/treatment errors) and communicate with their patients, show (and have) concern and empathy are far more likely to retain patient trust and avoid litigation, whereas doctors who are more callous to their patients and treat them less as an individual and more as a number have less likelihood of acquiring patient trust and more likelihood of litigation. maybe porsche should take a few courses at their local medical school on caring, compassion and commitment.

[denverpete]

I was driving home the other day when I passed a guy in a black MB 500SL (new). A few lights later he pulls up next to me and asks if I like my Porsche. I tell him, "Yes thank you". To which he replies, "I'm Todd, the service manager at Murray Motors (Where I bought my Porsche. They aren't Porsche dealer so I've never had a reason to go back) and I remember you had some early problems (which they took care of and paid for). But it's running good for your now?" We chatted a bit before the light turned green....

That's service - a year later the guy sees me on the road and asks how the car is. Wish that place was a Porsche dealer instead of MB and BMW!!!

[Perfectlap]

MS,
have you dealt with more than one Porsche service center in your area?
or have all of your experiecnes to date come from the same outfit?

There are two here in my area and although their labor rates are very very similar the experience in visiting them is not all the same.

Also Porsche is justifiably getting a rap for being arrogant. They sold allot of cars and have made allot of profits. The big head factor is dangerous and common.
But I have begun to see some changes recently that seem to be a direct result of customers wanting this and that. The Cayman is the best example. People were demmanding it for years and finally they relented. Now my service manager tell me the new Boxster will have a CaymanS engine option. As sales start to slip further they will be listening.

My advice is to write to Porsche, write to Porsche North America, the Porsche Club and tell them the Porsche hype has not lived up to your expectations and that you are very close to not recomending this brand to your wealthy friends who have money dying to be spent. Well assuming you havent already done so.

[lexuspilot]

What does it take to be satisied?

Well, Porsche get's a lot of things right! I do have my Boxster for sale on this board because of the new addition to my family. However, in all my test driving of the other makes so oftenly mentioned in the "grass is greener" posts on this board, I have gained a great deal of respect for Porsche's engineering. I am so unimpressed by anything less than $44k. $50k+(back to the orginal MSRP for my Boxster) is what it takes to get the equivalant smile on my face.

I also have never gotten so many "I love your car"'s from such a diverse group of people. I remember how many people said that to me in the Lexus(1), Ford(0), and Honda(0)

I am so satisfied that I am not trying very hard to sell my Boxster.

i believe that goes both ways...alot of times porsche owners will walk in like they own the place. only because they own a porsche. so i can see how some dealers may think very high of themselves....try a new dealer.

i noticed that at the downtown location. they act like they all drive gt3. go to the suburbs and the dealer is great.

i also realized that with my first problem i felt like you. but as i got to know my dealer they became very welcoming and easier to talk to.

it might be you, n not them!!!!

n with my experience working at bmw, first year cars were terrible with lots of problems, so every car manufacture is like this. you already bought the car, you need them now. n in most case's cities, porsche dealership are limited. we have two dealers in toronto. compared to honda who has 1 dealer in every town every corner. i can name you 4 honda dealers within 15 mins of my house if not more.

[mach schnell]

i've dealt with two of the many local southern California porsche dealers - hoehn in carlsbad, where i bought the car (85 mile one way drive for me) and walter's in riverside (10 miles one way drive for me) which is where i've been dealing with service/warranty issues. the next closest dealer is probably desert imports in rancho mirage - about 70 miles. so, certainly, one of the underlying issues in my case may be my initial experiences with the riverside dealer and recognizing that unless i wish to drive 100+ miles everytime i need something done, i'm bound to use walter's. i think anyone on this forum would agree - that if you have the option to drive 10 mile versus 80 miles, you'd prefer the convenience and satisfaction of the 10 mile option.

of course, also consider that this past weekend i was on the verge of letting the box (and my vw) go for a 330ci performance pkg. although i was gonna take a hit on the vw, their trade in offer was pretty good. furthermore, offering me kbb on the boxster was not only a good trade-in value, but versus what i paid for the car, translated into VERY VERY mild depreciation, had i closed the deal. thus, i'm not completely dissatisfied - just a little underjoyed - but that may rub off.

on a side note, i called a friend's local porsche mechanic to inquire his cost to install my schnell short shifter - although i could do it, just seems like something to put in the hands of an expert (maybe if my boxster was an older one and/or a second car, i'd be more apt to dive in my self). anyway, the mechanic must be a bit of a purist, here's what our conversation went like:

me: - hey, met you bout a month ago, you do a lot of work on my friend's cars. i've got a schnell short shifter and an 05 987 - can you install it and if so, how much?

mech: why would you want to do that?

me: it really cleans up the shifting with out making it too notchy

mech: no it doesn't

me: well, from what other owner's who have installed it have stated, it makes for a nice solid shifting experience.

mech: don't you think if that were true, then porsche would have thought about that and made the shifter like that to begin with

me: (laughing in my head, thinking about things like windstops that don't rattle, radios that have ipod adaptors or satellite radio, locking doors at > 5mph, the overly expensive porsche short shifter) - believe it or not, i have many missed shifts going from 2nd into 3rd, i really think this will help and think there are actually some things that porsche has overlooked!

[ghoonk]

Funny I only just noticed this topic; I'd just blogged a short article about my love-hate relationship with my '99 Boxster (it's at http://ghoonk.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/2006/05/the_boxster.html) and just a couple of hours ago had a chat with a very close friend of mine about the Boxster vs the S200 (yes, it's come to that again).

I'd been bugged out about my creaky clutch and that weird clattering from the engine that's loud when cold, and a tad quieter when warmed up (yeah, the one that sounds like a 911 -- only while talking about it did I realise that the Boxster's engine was the same as the 996's, just detuned in some way), and only just realised through BruceLee that the clatter is normal (leaving me to sort out the creaky clutch next).

But the more I reflected upon it, the more I realised that the S2000 was more the wife, and the Boxster the illicit lust affair.

The S2000, like a good wife, is reliable, understanding in spending my money on oil changes and replacement brake pads every now and then, and, well, downright sensible -- my wallet and watch say I should settle down with her, but I can't help feeling that something will be missing somewhere down the line.

My '99 Boxster, on the other hand, is like an expensive mistress, throwing funny tantrums every now and then (the experts in this forums are akin to her best friends, advising me on what I need to do when she's acting up), needs more time and attention -- I know she's just bad bad bad for me and my pocketbook, but I can't help this twisted love affair. Once the tantrums are over, she just sings when I put my foot down. I wouldn't complain about another 40 bhp, but I guess that's not in the cards for now. And like a twisted love affair, I just keep coming back after every drive.

I think I need a shrink.....

[Perfectlap]

LOL

your curt mechanic may be right. The 911 owners love ths short shift,
Boxster opinions are mixed.

I've been on the fence but I find the stock set up to be to nothchy already.

I have a similar take on most things expensive. I expect it to be top notch right out of the box and they better not give me one iota of slack cuz I could have simply gone elsewhere with my dinero. Unfortunately Porsche know their owners emotions about their cars let them get away with mistakes and they don't need to bend over backwards for their clients. Annoying for sure but Germans do have a rap for arrogance.

But a recent trip to the mazda parts desk where a chain smoking truck cap wearing toothless angry parts guy made me wait 10 minutes just to tell they didn't have what I wanted made me realize how cushy the Porsche experience is.

by the way you didn't actually say you were thinking of giving up the Porsche for the "ultimate tanning machine"? That's a nice nice car but NOT a sports car.
M3 Cabriolet ok, a sports car albeit a structurally compromised one...


If its any consolation my Boxster is ready and I have nice $700 bill waiting for
me at service pick up tonight. I hope that includes the two day rental car.

i ve been driving boxes for the last 4 years now and i can't believe the amount of problems some guys have with their cars on this forum, first had a 97 2.5 tip and frankly all the problems encounter by the guys on this forum i had, maf. rear window whitening and broken waterpump which snap the belt but otherwise 3 pairs of rear tyres for one pair of front in 3 years ownership, have the S since last year and had no problem whatesoever, drive around 15000 km per year on mainly ****************e wet roads, i still can't believe the amount of problems some guys have on this forum with their cars, if i had the same i would buy japanese build cars but hey i am driving my second Porsche and frankly i can say safely that my next car will be......a Porsche!

[mach schnell]

[QUOTE=ghoonk]Funny I only just noticed this topic; I'd just blogged a short article about my love-hate relationship with my '99 Boxster (it's at http://ghoonk.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/2006/05/the_boxster.html) and just a couple of hours ago had a chat with a very close friend of mine about the Boxster vs the S200 (yes, it's come to that again).

just read your blog - funny and accurate. man, if the box had the s2000's shifter and an rpm range of 9000 - holy f$%K!!!!!! asian women are hot and nasty, but there's something about these german wenches!!!

Originally Posted by super66

all I can say is I feel great in it.....people love it....and when its all said and done would you rather fix a porsche or some average car like my old Blazer, Cherokee and the list goes on....want to talk garbage? Talk Chevy Blazer

Well.......... I would say that I am a satisfied Porsche owner, for the most part.
My '98 box has 40k on it. I did buy it used. It was a 4k mile a year garage queen before I bought it. The only thing wrong with it is the stupid airbag light is on, which I simply ignore. Other than that, I've not had any problems in 16,000 miles. Although I'm not one who cares to draw attention to myself, the "NICE CAR!" comments and wolf whistles are always nice. I don't get those in my jeep for some reason.....


Still, I love my Jeep Cherokee. She's a 1991, with 175,000 absolutely trouble-free miles on it. I finally had to do my VERY first non-routine-maintenance repair on her last week. I replaced the power steering hoses because they were starting to leak. And if you think I baby her, you couldn't be more wrong. She gets driven hard (on and off road) and put away wet, and thrives on it. (she does get oil changes every 3k like clockwork, though)

[Brucelee]

I suggest you NOT ignore "that stupid airbag light." Checking it out may just save your life!

[ghoonk]

[QUOTE=mach schnell]

Originally Posted by ghoonk

Funny I only just noticed this topic; I'd just blogged a short article about my love-hate relationship with my '99 Boxster (it's at http://ghoonk.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/2006/05/the_boxster.html) and just a couple of hours ago had a chat with a very close friend of mine about the Boxster vs the S200 (yes, it's come to that again).

just read your blog - funny and accurate. man, if the box had the s2000's shifter and an rpm range of 9000 - holy f$%K!!!!!! asian women are hot and nasty, but there's something about these german wenches!!!

Seems my German wench has rims that are out of shape. And the clutch needs to be replaced. Brake pads and rotors are due for replacement in the next 2000 km. And another minor service due in 4000 km.

Total cost? I've just been told to stand by at least $3,000 for parts and labour, and goodness knows if anything else needs to be changed. And that still doesn't include the rims (tyres are fine, though)

For that pincely sum, I could switch over to the 2004 Honda S2000 with the improved chassis but using the original F20 engine (yeah, the one that revs to 9000 rpm), and with only 12,500 km on the odometer, a year remaining on the original warranty, and an option to extend it by another 3 years when it expires sometime next year.

I'm toying with the idea of downgrading to the S2000 for a couple of years and then saving to get a 987 Boxster S - preferably new, or not more than 2 years old.

It's been a heart-wrenching 6 months for me -- I bought my Evo IX last July and having moved to Dubai, I'd just sold it; and now less than 2 months after I pick up my 99 Boxster, I may be hard-pressed by budget constraints and a 'black box' issue on repairs and replacements that may be required over the next 12 months on a 7 year old car. And one thing I've learnt is that repairs and parts in Dubai cost more than what I'd originally budgeted for based on Internet pricing with a 20% margin

My appointment with the dealer will decide the next steps tomorrow. Unless someone's planning to unload a Boxster S for a really good price, it looks like I may be out of the game for awhile

That said, if you guys are going to be in Dubai any time, drop me a PM so we can catch up for a drink (or the nearest equivalent -- there's a zero tolerance policy here on drink and drive)

this sounds good the rest of the world should follow suit, here it is a bank holiday week end and as it stands and you have to consider that it is not saturday yet we already have seven dead people on the road and the carnage rolls on, i realise that this sounds like nothing to the US where this is probably a minute rating but here it is a lot.
otherwise it seams that this is a very high amount of repair for your boxster was this car badly looked after before you bought it?

Originally Posted by Brucelee

I suggest you NOT ignore "that stupid airbag light." Checking it out may just save your life!

Well, unfortunately, the nearest Porsche service center is over 70 miles away, in a direction I rarely travel. Perhaps "ignore" wasn't the most accurate term, but it isn't in the top 10 on the priority list of things to do.

take bruce's advice, drive down on a lovely sunny day and get it check woman!!
we do no want to loose such a special lady if the worst was to happen, this has to be to the top of your priority now, the saying is :accidents only happens to others!
wrong...

[Brucelee]

As we used to say in the ghetto, dead is forever!

Please get your airbag light checked out.

Good luck!

Oh, and wear your seat harness too!