Do I need a Garage?
 

I am thinking of buying a Boxster but I live in an apartment complex. If I cover it, will that adequately protect it against any degradation. I live in Fayettville, NC. It gets pretty hot in the summer and mild the rest of the year, and can get cold sometimes in the winter. Would it be okay in this situation?

Yea it would be fine even without a cover, Boxsters are pretty robust. For the winter I would get a hardtop. The main reason for a garage is the convience of pulling into your house and the car does not get as dirty. Just wash one every two weeks and it should look new.

No you don't need a garage, but it would definitely better if you had one or had covered parking. It's like any other car, it'll get dirtier faster and it's less secure. Car covers can scratch the paint especially if the car is dirty, so be careful if you go that route. Get a Boxster, you won't regret it =) Good luck!

Larez

I put off buying a Boxster until I had a garage to put it in. Raising the top all the time is a pain in the butt, but when you have a garage, you can just drive it in and leave it there with the top down.

If this is going to be your sole car and it snows where you live, you may want to reconsider buying one as they can be a little slippery when on wet and snowy roads... and moreover, all the other cars are too and they could slam into you as so often happens in winter driving.

I don't drive my Boxster when the weather is not dry and the roads are wet. I have traction control, but other driver's don't and this is what concerns me.

As far as the hard tops go, I personally think they make this wonderful car look stupid. Just my opinion, but it seriously defeats the purpose of having a convertible unless it's a retractable hard top such as the MB or Lexus.

re: >>For the winter I would get a hardtop<<

Without a garage, there is no place to store a hardtop.

In Albany, NY I don't need a hardtop - so I think it is a matter of choice. The heater works with a soft or hardtop, the weather is kept out with a soft or hardtop, the engine is noisy inside with a soft or a hardtop(up).

Real differences include A) appearance, B) easy of converting your convertible, C) top storage.

Since I prefer top down driving at 30+ degrees, the soft top is my top of choice. The plastic window can't be operated below about 45 degrees, so I keep my window warm with an electric blanket.

Another choice, as stated above, is not to drive your Boxster in the winter. That is probably smart, but I drive anyway (on winter tires).

You guys are great. This forum rocks! It is a scary prospect for me to just jump into something. I think I will keep my Mazda Protege(104,000m) for winter and inclement weather driving. I will have that paid off in January. My whole thing about getting a new car, (besides the price) is that I am not impressed with anything at all around on the market today except Nissan 350Z and the more prestigous, renowned and better handling Porsche Boxster. I test drove both and although the Z has more get up, it doesn't have that awesome heavy control feel that the Boxster has. My friend has a Z and is trying to convince me, telling me the Z beats the Boxster in races. After driving both, Porsche has my vote hands down. Anyway the Z stole Porsches' body style as do half of the other cars on the market. But as the saying goes "Porsche, there is no other". Thanks for all your help and quick responses. It feels good to be able to get all the facts from people who have been there and done that.

re: >> My friend has a Z and is trying to convince me, telling me the Z beats the Boxster in races.<<

In heavily modified form (emphasis on Heavy), I could see Z silhouette cars leading. I'm no expert on cars or tracks, but it is hard to picture the track where a stock Z would be in competition.

Oh yeah, a Drag strip.

A Z might offer more satisfaction to a car 'tuner'. As Porsche adds a lot of 'fast bits; to the cars BEFORE they leave the factory, there is a lot more that can be done to most other cars to make them better than stock. Adding performance to a new Porsche is generally expensive.