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My first post here although I've been lurking for a few weeks. I'm a single male making a good salary looking to buy a new "toy" in the next 6-12 months. At this point, the cars I'm considering are a Boxster, an Elise, an S2000 or at the low end, an NC Miata. While I love the looks and performance of the Elise, the interior is just too sparse for my tastes. I'm a former Miata owner and while the power performance obviously isn't there, it can be a lot more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow and the handling is great. Plus, they are built like tanks and the maintenance costs are low. The S2000 is an interesting intermediate consideration but when I see one on the streets it just doesn't do anything for me. On the other hand, I've lusted about owning a Porsche since about 8th grade!

So, my dilemna is that while I can afford a Boxster, is it something I want to spend my discretionary income on when I also fully enjoy travel, good restaurants, etc.? I've read a lot about the maintenance costs being high for a Boxster but I haven't seen any real figures yet. I also hate mechanical work, whether it be a lawn mower or a sports car so I'm not interested in saving money by learning to do it myself (sorry, I love driving but getting under the hood just isn't my thing). Tires last 15k or so. What does replacing them cost? Oil changes are 10-15k. What do they cost? What are the costs of the recommended scheduled maintenance? What else should I consider?

Being a former Miata owner, one thing I appreciated was the phenomenal help and input that was available from other enthusiasts on miata.net. This forum seems to be the same so I'm happy about that.

Thanks.

Doug