New here looking for a used boxster
 

Hi there

We currently have a 914 which my husband uses solely for AX and after looking at the Porsche's at the Porsche Parade here a few weeks ago I'm determined to get a used boxster for me. I can't afford a new one unfortuately. From what I have researched so far I can see that in 2002 they seemed to have made many changes. This car I want for my daily driver as well as touring and rally's. I would have to get the tiptronic transmission as I really am not in the mood to shift and due to medical reasons can't alwasy rely on my legs for the clutch. I'm trying to find anything I can comparing the years to see which years are better than others and which year model's to avoid. I haven't had too much luck so far. I'm trying to keep in in the 25-28K range and so far I have seen mostly 2002 and earlier. Actually haven't found any 2003-2005 around here. Any help, suggestions, opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Sabrina

Buy the newest lowest milage car you can afford and you can't go wrong. Check ebay, they shoud have some 03's and 04's in your price range like this one. Good luck!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2003-PORSCHE-BOXSTER-TIPTRONIC-HTD-SEATS-BLUE_W0QQitemZ170130973022QQihZ007QQcategoryZ6015Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Hi Sabrina,

I agree with Adam, that you should buy the newest car you can possibly afford. I also agree that ebay is a great place to look. At any time there are over 100 Boxsters to choose from, and you can search them by year and distance from your home. Once you find something you think you like, it may be worth the cost of a plane ticket to go and see it, if it's not local.

I bought my car off of ebay, and it has been an absolute joy.

Don't forget the most important thing; a pre purchase inspection (ppi). They are done by the Porsche dealer for about $250.00. It's the best $250.00 you'll ever spend. They'll go over the car with a fine tooth comb and tell you everything that may be wrong with it. Don't buy a car without having one done.

If you're not comfortable with ebay, look in the classified section of the PCA website (you have to be a member to access the classifieds). We PCA guys tend to be pretty particular about our cars, so you're likely to find nice examples there.

Lastly, be patient and wait for the right car. It took me months to find the one that spoke to me, and I couldn't be happier.

Welcome aboard. Now that you're here, get acquanted with the search function. Every question you have has probably been addressed at some point. If not, we're all here for you.

Good luck.

Research is key. First you need to know what you want besides Tip. Like cruise control, heated seats, Bose etc. I nailed that by building a bunch of Boxes on the PCNA website.

Then search comes in. I hit every dealer site on the web within driving distance, as well as using Autotrader and other free services. You'll find some dealers understand the web, and other just use it do generate phone calls. Some BMW dealers the same way, I recently learned.

And don't forget PCA as Grizz said. Altho many of us PCAers seem to overvalue our cars cuz we do tend to take care of them.

And last of all - if you are in the 03-05 range, there are no bad Boxes. Just badly cared for or previously wrecked examples.

Good luck and have fun in you search!


PS - RandallNeighbor is another good source:

http://www.iwantaporsche.net/BoxsterBuyersTips.htm

http://www.iwantaporsche.net/BoxsterInfo.htm

PPS and Mike Focke

http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/mikesporscheboxsterwebpages

options decoder
 

Mike Focke has a link to the option decoder that is invaluable for your search.
I believe the options info page is glued inside the front trunk lid, correct me if I"m wrong. Several used places will have a photo of this sheet in the car hotos so you can verify the factory options. Instyle Auto in Pompano Beach, FL does this. They have 60 Boxsters!!
The option decoder link is
http://www.kindel.com/Porsche/options.asp
I'm also on the search for 03/04 S - Seal Gray with Graphite Gray interior, 18's, Bose, Litronic.

Kurt