2002 Boxster S or 2003 Boxster?

[BentleyJava]

Help me decide...I'm going insane.

I want the glass, but I also want the power...booo

[Perfectlap]

you can get glass from the aftermarket for about $1000-$1300 installed.
Getting more power will cost you allot more.

But this should not be the only factors you consider. Mileage, service history, exterior/interior wear, are as important.

If all things are roughly the same between the 03 and 02 S,
I wouldn't hesitate in getting the S. You'll end up 2nd guessing
yourself forever if you don't get the S. You don't need that.

not sure if this will help.........but i was in the same situation.....

my choices were a 2001 S with 30,000km out of warranty or

2002 with 10,000km in warranty

i picked the 2002 because of the warranty and honestly the extra 20h.p just doesnt justify that much of a power gain. if it was anything over 50h.p maybe. that extra year on on my warranty really came in handy when i had my rms leak. i had the rms leak taken care of on the last day that my warranty expired. if it had happend in the 2001 s i would of been screwed.

do consider the rear glass window on the 2003. i personally like the front and rear bumpers on the 2003. more of a finished car then my 2002. power shouldnt be your only concern. the boxster has plenty of power for highway driving and street driving in the city.

[Brucelee]

03 would be the deal for me, all things being equal (they rarely are though!).

[Perfectlap]

an extra 20 HP? I agree 20 HP you woudln't really notice.
but difference between the 3.2 and 2.7 is DEFINITELY noticeable.
Its enough of a difference to classify the S with the standard 911's at my local Autocross events. I've bettered 911 lap times with less power many times.
The hardtop M3's times are a bit closer vs. the 986S and the driver usually tips the scale in that match up.


The 2.7 Boxsters run against the Honda S2000 and they go back and forth for quicker times usually. I am rarely slower than the S2000 even in the hands of some very very good drivers even though the S2000 only has 10 less HP than the BoxsterS. And the S2000 is one very well layed out car. The engine actually sits behind the front shock mounts and not forward of them. Good competition between those two. Now add S power and suspesnsion to the Boxster and its not so close.

Also I've said this before but at this particular curb weight I feel the car behaves very differently with 240HP-250 than it does below that. Both are fun no doubt but very different experience. Hard to describe but coming out of corners both fast and slow the car seems to "come alive" with the xtra HP/Torque.

For every day driving I doubt you'll see a difference other than highway merging/passing. There is no deficiency with either but they are different.

Buy a little S emblem and trick yourself into believing you have 20 more horses. Besides, the 03 might accualy have more power depending on condition, like people say, once they change out their maf and o2 sensors they kick themselves for not doing it earlier. So unless you have a G-tech like me and go test the 0-60's, you shouldnt count on factory rated horsepower.

[aBsOlUt]

I would go for the S.

Besides the obvious power gain, the S will provide a much better resale value in years to come.

Not to mention the brakes and suspension.

[red_wagen]

I too would go for the S.
May I ask what the '03 is going for? And what options does it have?
Thanks and good luck. I'm in the middle of my search as well

[Sammy]

BUY A CORVETTE!!!

Sorry... still waiting for Porsche to respond about my RMS leak... it's been a week and I'm still driving the courtesy vehicle and my car hasn't been touched...

I wonder if they are waiting for me to give in and pay for the repair myself?

In regards to the topic at hand I personally bought the S for the extra power and handling which is noticeable on a track. If the primary purpose of buying the Boxster is for looks and non-competitive driving fun the base model will foot the bill. I doubt I would ever need the S for anything I would do outside of a track event. For me the warranty would be nice but I plan on keeping the car past the warranty and will risk having to pay for repairs at some point. If I was that concerned about a warranty I would buy a new(er) vehicle, extended warranty, or whatever gives me 2-3+ years of coverage.

Either way, you'll enjoy yourself!

[JP-s-in st. louis]

Originally Posted by Sammy

BUY A CORVETTE!!!

Sorry... still waiting for Porsche to respond about my RMS leak... it's been a week and I'm still driving the courtesy vehicle and my car hasn't been touched...

keep in mind I will have a C6 Z06 as my next car....Make sure the roof on the Vette stays on... All car have their own set of issues...

As for to S or not to S...Drive both if the base hase enough for you then you just answered your own question. I would not buy anything but an S but I am a speed monster!

[Sammy]

I'm starting to believe that I should've bought a Corvette...

My car was diagnosed on September 6th and Porsche still hasn't responded about helping with the repair bill for the RMS. I finally returned the courtesy vehicle after 2 weeks and my car has been sitting in my garage ever since (with the exception of one trip).

No, I'm not serious about the Corvette, I just think it is absolutely terrible customer service when the dealer can't get a response out of Porsche for a month.

[AUDIOGUY]

Not even a question..
Get the S...
The 2003 Boxster is a fine car... but the S has the edge if you want the extra power..
it is noticable. The brakes have a better feel as well. I was comparing an 05 non S to a 2001 S and went with the 2001 S. You wont regret it!

[bronxballer]

get the S 100% I cant believe your even considering the non-S
Does anyone know the the avg 1/4 mile of the non-S? for the boxster S it is usually in the very low 14s or high 13s which is outstanding. I doubt the non-S will be even any close. I am thinking mid 15s for the nonS.

To put it in comparison m3's are in the mid 13s on their 1/4 mile

[ukchris]

I bought an S... but because it was a great deal and a beautiful car. I'd say it comes down to which car you like best from a color, options and appearance point of view and how hard you really drive. Sure the S is faster but I'd bet there are a lot of people go faster in their base than I often do in my S. You only need the power if you're going to use it.

Other than that warranty is a big issue, if you want to get an extended warranty tey usually expect you to purchase it while still under factory cover, the 03 may still be in warranty.

Personally I love the glass window and would rather have factory than afternmarket, if you think adding glass after market makes things equal make sure you compare what you will get. I believe the after market glass is smaller and early ones had stitching issues.

How do the colors, interiors and options compare? If they were both base models and the same price which would you pick based on the options?

Toucgh choice, good luck! Bottom line, you'll be thrilled with either I think!

[mylamb]

BentleyJava,

Have you made your purchase yet? I had the exact same dilemma as you - I wanted to spend about $28K - $33K, and was debating between a 2001/2002 'S' or a 2003 Base. I took 60 days to research and call around to hound technicians in IL & MI to get their opinions. I also test drove 8 Boxsters before I decided on my car, a 2001 'S' with the sport package. Maybe you won't be surprised by what the techs told me, but I was... slightly.

Test Drives:
1998 2.5 Silver
2001 2.7 Lapis
2001 3.2 Meridian Metallic
2002 3.2 Black
2002 3.2 Black
2003 2.7 Black
2006 2.7 (Silver - service loaner discounted 10%)
2001 3.2 Arctic Silver (my car)

Sales people want to push toward the newer car, or at least whatever they have in stock. I made an effort to walk past them and talk to the guys in service. This is where I get a lot of my info from. Feel free to correct any numbers that are incorrect. EVERY SINGLE tech told me the same thing - a 2003 is a better overall vehicle than a 2001/2002 & a 2005/2006 is much improved over every Boxster before it, but for performance, the 'S' in any model year is a better choice than the base in ANY MODEL YEAR. Now that's for performance minded people only. I realize that the glass rear window, improved front fascia & glovebox mean a lot to people. It meant a lot to me, I just didn't go with it. EVERY TECH said this, though. EVERY ONE!!!! And to be honest with you, I agree.

I was able to test drive a few of the 'S' models for 30 minutes - hour, and I can tell you that even a 2001/2002 S feels quicker than a 2006 base, let alone a 2003 Base. Here's why: It's not just hp, the S has considerably more torque. Even a 2006 base model has only 199 lb/ft. I'm not sure about a 2003 - maybe 195 lb/ft??? Not sure. The first Gen 'S's have 225. And yes, it matters. Add to that, that you get 1/2 litre of displacement and 6 short gears that are closely spaced to improve acceleration. Even if the "numbers" don't seem all that far off, the "feeling" does. I'm serious when I say that a 2001/2002 'S' feels faster than a 2006 Base. I couldn't really afford the 2006, but they wanted me to drive it so I figured "why not?" And of course... the brakes & suspension on the S...

I'm certainly not a Porsche expert - I am new to the family (08/02/06) but from my research, and test drives combined with talking to guys at: Loeber Porsche, Rizza Porsche, Napleton Porsche, Porsche Exchange, Fred Lavery Porsche & Midwest Eurosport, this is the advice I'm giving you. A used S is only marginally more expensive, but the overall value seemed worth it to me. Your service bills are surprisingly going to be the same on a Boxster, whether you drive a base or an 'S.'

Happy hunting - swing the 'S' if you can.

[BentleyJava]

Thanks to everyone for all of your interesting posts.

I still haven't made a decision - The only Boxster I have driven is a 99 base, which is where I caught the bug. I just love this car. My first car was a Miata (which I loved) and I currently have a TT (for commuting). My father used to race MG Midgets in the UK and is also a huge Porsche fan, he's owned a 924, 944 and currently a 993. He also worked in the car industry for 20 years and still swears that out of every car he's even driven, the 944 had the best steering, followed by a Ferrari 355 and then the Boxster. He's my old man, so who am I to argue.

I think you're all right that I'm going to be happy no matter which Boxster I end up with. I'll take the advice and drive the 02S and the 03...or maybe I'll hold out for an 03S....

I'm enjoying even thinking about owning this car, so I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I can park one outside my house...

-Adam

[ukchris]

When I read the latest posts I was a little suprised at some of the prices mentioned. I bought an 03S over a year ago for $35k privately. Dealers will inspect it to assure you of what you are getting if needed. My car is well optioned, Bose, Litronics, Sport Design interior, heated seats etc and also had Techart rims. I think I got a good deal at the time but I'd have though you could get an 03S for low 30's.

Chris.

[BentleyJava]

The lowest I can find an 03S in the DC area is listed at just over $35k, with 26k miles.

So could probably get it for around $33...? Problem is that my limit is $30.

-A