ALL info/help GREATLY appreciated! - Student

[Neal]

Originally Posted by jdraupp

Don't forget to factor in about 2,000 a year in maintenance.

These cars are a blast and very fun to own and drive. But as I hope you're getting a feel for, this isn't a Camry that you can buy and drive 300,000 miles with only tire, brake and oil changes. German cars required continuous scheduled maintenance and the boxster specifically has a long list of interval parts that are known to fail at specific mileages. I can afford to own one because I do a lot of the maintenance myself and I only put 3,000 miles a year on mine so there is less maintenance to do. Just an oil change at the dealer will set you back 180 bucks on this car.

Being that you are a med student and and are going to be fairly broke for some time, a quality daily driver like an accord might make more sense for you. If this is a second car, then just be aware that maintenance costs of 1-2k a year are not a joke. Some years it's more some it's less. Just trying to make you aware of the quirks of porsche ownership. It can get really expensive, and the cheapest car you buy will be the most expensive car you ever own.

Should I just grab a ford mustang, dodge challenger, mazda mx-5 miata, audi tt quattro, bmw z4 3.0, honda s2000, honda civic, or toyota carolla/camry for now? If you wanted to stay in the SAFE zone in terms of maintenance & wanted to be around the $10,000 mark which one would you personally go for taking into account my situation?

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Neal

Should I just grab a ford mustang, dodge challenger, mazda mx-5 miata, audi tt quattro, bmw z4 3.0, honda s2000, honda civic, or toyota carolla/camry for now? If you wanted to stay in the SAFE zone in terms of maintenance & wanted to be around the $10,000 mark which one would you personally go for taking into account my situation?

For $10,000 you can get a nice 986 Boxster and have the car professionally refreshed and maintenance caught up. 1998-2000 are some of the best deals out there and I have found them to be very reliable cars if well taken care of. Having the IMS bearing replaced is good for peace of mind, as is having a good history of service. Audi TT Quattros are a great car too and the first generation is very affordable. Rather than a Corolla/Camry, how about an Infinity G35 coupe? Nothing wrong with the MX5 or Honda S2000. I was originally looking for one when I came across a 2000 Boxster S and decided to go with Porsche instead.