[algiorda]

To be very honest, I shopped the Z4 before purchasing the Boxster and the handling and performance were nowhere near the Boxster. The Z4 felt heavy and long and because the engine is in the front, that hood is looong and definitely gave a harsh ride.

The next day I test drove my current Box and the ride was just smooth, not bouncy nor harsh, nimble, responsive, and I just felt the box hugged the road. I also felt the interior cradled me in more comfortably.

I had a PPI done on my car and the only thing they found were some paint defects, oil leak by the bell housing, a non functional cigarette lighter, and that was it.

As my 2004 only had 52k miles on it, I really didn't HAVE to replace the IMS, but for peace of mind I went ahead and did preventative maintenance and replaced the RMS, IMS, and AOS.

My car is now rock solid and I have much better peace of mind driving it. Some folks on this forum feel the IMS issue is WAAAAY overblown and drive their cars over 100k without IMS issues. I'm very cautious by nature, so if I perceive a risk, I mitigate it right away. One other note, the statistics show the 2003-2004 model years with the single row IMS have a greater failure rate. That also played into my decision.

Best of luck with your search; The Box is definitely worth getting and maintaining.