Rotary to Flat-6
 

After a year of driving my Mazda RX-8 every day and six months of "*sigh* what now?" I take it to get a compression test and it fails at a measly 20k miles (thanks Mazda re-manufactured engine program!)... anger and rage aside, it'll probably cost somewhere in the realm of $2000-$3500 to fix on top of new tires, ignition, 2 quarts of oil a month, and the ever-present demon that is gas mileage. I have spent about $2180 in repairs and maintenance so far this year and plan to hit 4 grand regardless if I replace the car.

NOW, looking at what seem to be more bearable repair bills, I am lead to a 96-04 Boxster. I really like how the car looks, I have fond memories of my old civic convertible, and to find out that it would be cheaper to insure and fuel is an added bonus.

Is it realistic to think that a 986 Boxster for under $7500 is cheaper to run than my RX-8, or are some owners trying to downplay the car's faults?

Hi,

stay with your RX-8 or look for something else with low maintenance and repair costs.

Repair and maintenance costs on a 986 can be much higher. ;) 2k for maintenance and repairs p.a. is not uncommon for a daily driven 986. Especially if you need a workshop to do all stuff i think 2k will not be enough.

And if you blow an engine in a 986, you're approx. at 6k for an used replacement one and 12-15k for a rebuilt.

Regards, Markus

Markus is correct. The 986 carries the very real possibility of being a much larger money pit than your RX8 could ever hope to be.

BTW, I used to race a first gen RX7, and think rotaries are really cool engines. I've heard plenty of stories of high oil consumption and bad gas mileage on RX7's but it IS a two-stroke engine, so that is to be expected. A friend had a RX8, and I really liked the way it drove.

My recommendation is to find something other than a Porsche (or any European car, really) if you are searching for something with low ownership costs.

There is little comparison between a mainstream Japanese car vs a German car - the Japanese car will almost always be cheaper to own/maintain/repair.

With that that being said, a 15 year old Boxster will certainly require some maintenance and repairs, but there isn't a better sports car for the money. Yes, it will cost you more than a Miata, S2000, 350Z, or RX-7, but it will bring a huge smile to your face every time you get in the car.

Lastly, replacement engines are readily available for $2000-$3000. There is no reason to pay more unless you simply don't know where to look. I paid $1800 for the engine that is in my car now and I have a spare engine sitting in my workshop that cost $2800 (it took all of 3 mins on eBay to find it along with several others in the same price range).

Hi thstone,

OK, it seems good used engines might be a lot pricier over here Germany. If you can find a good engine from a good guy like Woody go for it. But over here in Germany there are a lot of black sheeps on Ebay that sell engines that were parted together from different engines badly and never will work properly. So i think you have to know where to buy to get a good engine.

Regards, Markus