Vette vs. Boxster 1 week later

[RevDice]

Recently traded a 2005 C6 Corvette for a 2006 Boxster.

The Vette was a fun car with a host of unresolved mechanical problems... so I made the trade.

Surprisingly, giving up pure, straightline horsepower hasn't diminished the thrill I get from carving up the twisties in the Boxster. The Vette was a beast going straight, but had a tendency to understeer and got very jerky over any mid-corner road imperfections. The Boxster's suspension seems more finely tuned, with neutral cornering characteristics and great road feel through the steering wheel.

Squeaks, creaks and rattles galore in my Vette. The Box handles some rough roads here in Upstate NY without any whining. The fit/finish on the Porsche is far superior to the GM. My first year Corvette suffered from some terrible panel fit and gaps and a decent amount of orange peel in the paint.

At the end of the day, they are both seriously fun cars... but IMHO the Porsche is a serious driver's car. Just a ton of seat-of-the-pants fun. I glad I pulled the trigger on the trade.

[drburton]

Good information. Do you have a Boxster S or the Standard? So you don't miss the HP at all. I love my Boxster but do wish that it had a little more HP to get me moving on the straights.

..forgot to mention that I'm sure you look much 'cooler' in the Boxster, it is a Porsche after all

[boxsterx]

the handling on these two cars are worlds apart. the boxster looks way cooler in appearance imho!

actually my friend has a corvette sitting in his garage covered in 2 inches of dust.
its 1993 anniversary edition. the car has 15,000km. i dont think it has even been drivin in the past 10 years, just sitting in the garage.......why i ask him.........not a fun car to drive on the streets or in traffic. farrr too much power for city driving.

instead he drives his acura type r everyday and loves it over a corvette...

[super66]

well my dad does, and I drove it religiously up to about 50K miles..it has 60 now....it was fast straight but a very bouncy ride....and don't hit a bump going fast because you think you are going to spin out and loose total control....your review of the C6 doesn't surprise me, I used to love vettes, then I drove the box and saw the light its funny to drive the vette hear andthere now, total what I was thinking!

Originally Posted by super66

well my dad does, and I drove it religiously up to about 50K miles..it has 60 now....it was fast straight but a very bouncy ride....and don't hit a bump going fast because you think you are going to spin out and loose total control....your review of the C6 doesn't surprise me, I used to love vettes, then I drove the box and saw the light its funny to drive the vette hear andthere now, total what I was thinking!

TWO WORDS:

LEAF SPRINGS!!!!!


PS- according to Rail26 this would actually be 1 word!!!

[RevDice]

Originally Posted by drburton

Good information. Do you have a Boxster S or the Standard? So you don't miss the HP at all. I love my Boxster but do wish that it had a little more HP to get me moving on the straights.

..forgot to mention that I'm sure you look much 'cooler' in the Boxster, it is a Porsche after all

I've got the Box standard. I took a nice depreciation hit on the Vette... drove the S and the Cayman. Loved the power in both. At the end of the day didn't make good fiscal sense for me. Especially after carving up some twisties in the standard. I also have two motorcycles in the garage so it's getting hard to split my time between three things I love, driving/riding... tough problems.

[Porschekid]

Congrats on the purchase...

[RevDice]

Originally Posted by Porschekid

Congrats on the purchase...

Thx Pkid! Having a great time cruising topless... so is my girldriend.

Originally Posted by RevDice

Thx Pkid! Having a great time cruising topless... so is my girldriend.

Really? Lucky guy!

[longislander1]

Originally Posted by RevDice

Recently traded a 2005 C6 Corvette for a 2006 Boxster.

Squeaks, creaks and rattles galore in my Vette. The Box handles some rough roads here in Upstate NY without any whining. The fit/finish on the Porsche is far superior to the GM. My first year Corvette suffered from some terrible panel fit and gaps and a decent amount of orange peel in the paint.

Welcome to the club! I was trying to make the same choice in March '05 and came very close to ordering a C6 convertible. I chose quality over hp, and since I get to average 30 mph where I live, it was the correct choice. The Boxster felt like it was carved out of a single block of metal vs. C6 as more of an amalgam of parts. The C6 shifter was notchy. And the more I clean the 987S, I realize how nice the paint is. The deal-breaker for the C6 came when a salesman proudly showed me the heads-up display -- and it was crooked. Too bad, because the C6 is still a nice car in many ways.

[Nick-L]

Ditto for me. I also came perilously close to buying a C6 convertible. It's hard to argue that it's a performance bargain, 400 hp convertible for $60,000 and facial distorting acceleration is tough to beat. But, it's still built to a price point rather than a quality standard. There were so many signs of obvious cost-cutting that just turned me off: turn signal stalk that felt like you were breaking a chicken bone when actuating it; ridiculous "electric" push-button doors that either make you shift into reverse before GM's lawyers let you get out of the car, or pull the "emergency" door release lever which feels like tugging on a cork attached to a piece of fishing line (and will probably last about as long); interior plastic quality that that wouldn't pass Kia quality control; and overall build quality that feels like North Korean workers assembled it at gunpoint.

And then there were the rattles, squeaks, creaks, and groans. On a brand new car. I HATE rattles.... All the salesmen could say in weak but indignant defense was "they all do that", and "if rattles bother you, you shouldn't be buying a Vette".

So, I didn't. I bought a 2006 987 Boxster S last month, and love it. I agree with you longislander1, it feels as if it was hewn from a solid billet of steel, and except for not having the same raw power of the Vette that can rupture eyeball capilliaries, it's more fun to drive overall.

If the C6 Vette was ever built to a higher quality standard (like, if Toyota built the car), it would be scary good.

[ohioboxster]

Nick-l You said like North Korean workers assembled it at gun point, LMAO I almost pee'd in my hanes, thanks.

[threpwood]

I heard Toyota is making Supra again, for 2008?

Nevertheless, Vette is a vette despite all the problems. LS2 and all still makes me drool sometimes. Did you try putting any subframe chassis or anything alike to get rid of the rattles?

Originally Posted by Nick-L

If the C6 Vette was ever built to a higher quality standard (like, if Toyota built the car), it would be scary good.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

Hardly an unbiased thread. Everyone won't/can't appreciate the car's fine points, even those who may have owned/driven them. This is true of every car - all cars can be criticized for something and not everyone will like them.

The C6 is the Real Deal, a true World Class Car. This has been proven in numerous reviews, at the Track, and in the Salesroom. To ignore this simply shows how little one may know about cars in general. The C6 represents 50+ years of continual development with each itineration getting better than those before. GM is to be commended for staying the course - much longer than Porsche for any of their models.

I fail to see the logic which says that denegrating one Marque/model somehow raises the stature of another. Face it, Porsche isn't the only one making Great Cars. Get over your bad selves...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Brucelee]

"Get over your bad selves..."

I always loved that line. I also like "rock on with your bad selves!"

I believe that foks generally "self-select" to the car(s) that ultimately floats their boat. I am a big fan of the Boxster AND the Corvette and for different reasons.

So, depending on who is showing up in my body that day, I like to drive one versus the other.

Both cars have many many merits to extol, such that their is no reason to denigrate the other. Both cars are not perfect, as no cars are.

Now, when it comes to motorcycles .............

[Brucelee]

PS- one way to make an IMMENSE different in the experience of either the C5 or C6 is to get rid of those GD run flat tires.

Worse invention of the 20th century IMHO.

Nice idea, very poor execution.

[eslai]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

Hardly an unbiased thread. Everyone won't/can't appreciate the car's fine points, even those who may have owned/driven them. This is true of every car - all cars can be criticized for something and not everyone will like them.

The C6 is the Real Deal, a true World Class Car. This has been proven in numerous reviews, at the Track, and in the Salesroom. To ignore this simply shows how little one may know about cars in general. The C6 represents 50+ years of continual development with each itineration getting better than those before. GM is to be commended for staying the course - much longer than Porsche for any of their models.

I fail to see the logic which says that denegrating one Marque/model somehow raises the stature of another. Face it, Porsche isn't the only one making Great Cars. Get over your bad selves...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Geez, zip up your pants--your ego's showing! Why do you always feel the need to chastise people from on high? I'm surprised you don't use The Royal "we".

Y'know, you COULD just say how the C6 is a fine automobile WITHOUT denigrating other forum members.

For instance: I love the way the C6 sounds, looks (outside), and flies. Nothing like it in the price range. Interior build quality is the only thing that stopped me from buying one then, while continuing quality issues are the only things stopping me from buying one now.

[Rail26]

How about this argument. We drive cars because of how they drive and how they match our personalities. I don't think anyone is arguing that a vette sucks...we are just voicing our support for the car that we have chose. We are on a Porsche forum because we like Porsches soooo.....we feel a sense of camraderie in supporting our own. What is the first rule of the playground? Make fun of those who are different.

I would be driving a Aston Martin if I could afford it. However, I look forward to getting into my daily driver Box...in fact I might skip the shower before work just so I can take the long way through the mountain. The only problem is I have done this for a week straight...people are starting to talk.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by eslai

Geez, zip up your pants--your ego's showing! Why do you always feel the need to chastise people from on high? I'm surprised you don't use The Royal "we".

Y'know, you COULD just say how the C6 is a fine automobile WITHOUT denigrating other forum members.

For instance: I love the way the C6 sounds, looks (outside), and flies. Nothing like it in the price range. Interior build quality is the only thing that stopped me from buying one then, while continuing quality issues are the only things stopping me from buying one now.

Hi,

Huh...??? I'm not even going to go there. But let me get this right, exactly which forum members did I denigrate?

You reinforce my point about every car having criticizable issues. Guess you'd rather deal with the quality issues of a Porsche than those of a Chevy - that's acting a little Regal don't you think?...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99