Daily driver issue - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Warped Sol · 06-14-2007, 05:41 AM

Hi all. Newbie to the forum, but not to car forums in general. I did a search of the site, but didn't find specific answers to my question. I hope you don't mind me asking here.

I am very interested in purchasing a used, low mileage Boxster. My question is.....can the Boxster be practical as a daily driver?

First off, I believe performance cars should be driven, and not kept under a car cover in a sealed garage. Second, I really don't want to own another car for my 50 mile round trip to work per day.

A good buddy in the neighborhood insist the the Boxster can fit that need. I would greatly appreciate your opinions. Thanks ahead of time for your responses.

BeechSierra · 06-14-2007, 05:54 AM

"Our" '06 Boxster is actually my wife's car and she drives it every day to work and to run errands. She thoroughly enjoys driving the car and has no issues with using it the way she does. They're built to be driven.

CJ_Boxster · 06-14-2007, 06:17 AM

Well, for a 50 mile trip, i think the boxster will be fine just as long as you arent too over weight, can work the auto climate control and arent too tall.

Reason being... Weight, that can be a factor because the seats will feel uncomfortible after awhile, jabbing your love handles and your thighs slightly. I was 255lbs and i was fustrated everyday with how the seats felt so i went on a diet and lost 55lbs. just so i can drive my boxster without wanting to constantly drive it into a tree in fustration.... same fustration you get when your argueing with your wife and shes being stuborn.

Auto Climate control... If you get hot or easily warm while driving, You need to know what temp you can equalize the interior temps so you dont get hot and fustrated... usually 69 does it for me.

and height... if your too tall, that can be a problem since there are no back seats, That means, Firewall against your back which mean you cannot lean the seat too far back before hitting the firewall. Im about 5'11 and found a comfy seat position but any taller and i dont know weather i would be able to find a comfy position but thats all relative to the driver and there seat positions.

Warped Sol · 06-14-2007, 06:20 AM

I get the impression they are not as mechanically twitchy as the 911 variants.

Dependable driveability is a key decision point for me. I've driven Hondas for 35 years, and this would be a leap of faith for me. Just fishing this forum for real world experiences.

Warped Sol · 06-14-2007, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ_Boxster

Well, for a 50 mile trip, i think the boxster will be fine just as long as you arent too over weight, can work the auto climate control and arent too tall.

Reason being... Weight, that can be a factor because the seats will feel uncomfortible after awhile, jabbing your love handles and your thighs slightly. I was 255lbs and i was fustrated everyday with how the seats felt so i went on a diet and lost 55lbs. just so i can drive my boxster without wanting to constantly drive it into a tree in fustration.... same fustration you get when your argueing with your wife and shes being stuborn.

Auto Climate control... If you get hot or easily warm while driving, You need to know what temp you can equalize the interior temps so you dont get hot and fustrated... usually 69 does it for me.

and height... if your too tall, that can be a problem since there are no back seats, That means, Firewall against your back which mean you cannot lean the seat too far back before hitting the firewall. Im about 5'11 and found a comfy seat position but any taller and i dont know weather i would be able to find a comfy position but thats all relative to the driver and there seat positions.

Ah, thanks Carlos. I'm 5' 10" and 180 soaking wet. Sounds like I shoe horn nicely for the long drive.

[z0ne] · 06-14-2007, 07:44 AM

I think you'll be fine. The ride quality is very nice, and, as long as you don't weigh a metric tonne, the seats will be nice and snug.

mikefocke · 06-14-2007, 08:19 AM

Carried clients in one, grocery shopped in one, etc. Just got back from a 50 miles up and 50 miles back jaunt over a mix of city and country roads with wife in the car. Weather was raining like crazy, car was snug and dry.

I do have a back up SUV for winter and put the Boxster away for 2 months just so I don't have to have wheels and snow tires and so I have a 5 person car for the occasions.

My Boxsters have averaged less than one unscheduled repair each year (none disabling) and $20 a month unscheduled maintenance costs. This at the 6+ years and 50K miles point.

I'm 6' 220 lbs with a very tall torso.

Longest trip yet was 310 miles one way but I wouldn't hesitate to go much longer.

steve00s · 06-14-2007, 08:19 AM

The Boxster is a great daily driver. It has been my daily car except when things get icy in the winter for three years now. Gas mileage is descent (great given the performance). It has a very refined ride quality. When I drive other cars and than get back into my Boxster it feels very comfortable and precise.

rick3000 · 06-14-2007, 08:37 AM

I bought a low mileage 1999 two months ago as my daily driver. The storage space is great for hauling things around, and it drives great. I've had in the shop for the past 3.5 weeks due to some unforeseen problems but while I have had it it has been very practical. I am 6' and I fit in it fine, but I like to have my seat forward a bit so I push the clutch in all the way.
The only daily driver dilemma's are the soft top and milage (depends). If your going 85 on the freeway everyday the soft top might get annoying and when it rains you need to make sure your top has been waterproofed. I hard top would be practical to if it snows in your area. If you do a lot of around town driving you will only get 19-20 on premium. But at a 50 mile commute you're probably on the freeway and will average 26+ mpg, which is as good as most cars.
Hope this Helps!

Warped Sol · 06-14-2007, 09:00 AM

This is superior feedback, gang.

Being in Texas, I don't have to worry about winter issues (much).

Really good to hear about the mechnical reliability (other than what was mentioned below). This is really helping me make up my mind about the machine.

rick3000 · 06-14-2007, 09:15 AM

My boxster is actually very reliable the reason it is the shop is because when I bought it the rear engine plate was bent, and then I got two check engine lights from the same problem. But it didn't die on me, it ran fine, but I wanted to get the CEL taken care of.

spine911 · 06-14-2007, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warped Sol

Dependable driveability is a key decision point for me. I've driven Hondas for 35 years, and this would be a leap of faith for me. Just fishing this forum for real world experiences.

Ive had 5 Porsches(87' 944, 89 Speedster, 92 911 TT, 03 996) including my 01 986. I consider myself to be a true blooded Porschephile, I can personally attest to you that Porsches aren't as reliable as a Honda. Dont get surprised about the cost of maintenance of Porsche ownership- Its part of the whole Porsche experience.
To each his own, I love Porsches and will continue to love driving them despite all other issues.
Jerry Seinfeld drives a Porsche regularly, and from time to time you'll read about him on the tabloids of having car troubles.

Grizzly · 06-14-2007, 09:33 AM

Warped Sol,

You and I are about the same size (well, I'm about 20 lbs heavier, but I'm working on it). I drive my car to work, about 35 miles each way, on nice days. It's very comfortable and well behaved in traffic. More importantly, I drive it to our farm every weekend, 150 miles each way, and it's a really nice little road car. It has a comfortable ride, nice road feel, it's responsive and well balanced.

Coming out of a Honda, I'm sure you are concerned with maintenence. Well, it's not a Honda. Though I have had excellent luck with my car since the day I got it, if you search around this forum you'll learn that these cars do break...and when they break, they break big. The way around this little inconvenience is to find a car with a warranty, or to buy an extended warranty. I regard the possibility of an expensive repair as the price of admission for driving a Porsche. I thoroughly enjoy the car (originally purchased for my wife, but I drive it most often) and I seriously doubt that I could get anywhere near this much enjoyment from a Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc.

Oh yeah, and I get about 28mpg highway, if that's a concern.

One of the members here put it perfectly a couple of weeks ago, It went something like this...If you're buying with your head, buy the Honda. If you're buying with your heart, buy the Porsche.

I'll tell you that at 5:00p, I drop the top, wind that little sucker up and all the stresses of the day just melt away...I sure wish I'd brought it with me today

.

timothy · 06-14-2007, 09:56 AM

Welcome. There are a couple of Dallas residents here. The Boxster is great as a daily driver in Texas ... except for trips to Ikea. Even that's doable but the result is pretty funny looking.

FrayAdjacent · 06-14-2007, 10:04 AM

My Box is my daily driver. I'm 6'1", 180lb. Plenty of headroom, and the seats are comfortable. At first they felt a little tight on my upper back, but now I've gotten used to it. I wish I got the seats that had the adjustable lumbar support... it could use a little more for long trips.

The best thing you can do is find a Boxster that is the newest, lowest mileage you can afford, and have it checked out (PPI) before buying. Look into a warranty, they can save your a$$, and your wallet.

Warped Sol · 06-14-2007, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spine911

Ive had 5 Porsches(87' 944, 89 Speedster, 92 911 TT, 03 996) including my 01 986. I consider myself to be a true blooded Porschephile, I can personally attest to you that Porsches aren't as reliable as a Honda. Dont get surprised about the cost of maintenance of Porsche ownership- Its part of the whole Porsche experience.
To each his own, I love Porsches and will continue to love driving them despite all other issues.
Jerry Seinfeld drives a Porsche regularly, and from time to time you'll read about him on the tabloids of having car troubles.

Ah, like someone who buys a Ferrari (knowing full well that he will soon become close and personal friends with a Ferrari mechanic). I'm sure it's not that bad. I willing to accept some degree of increased maintenance $$$.

Totally understand the concept. I currently have a 97 Del Sol VTEC that has had a total suspension upgrade, Vortech Supercharger, tweak this, tweaked that, and producing 240 whp. While it hasn't hit me in the pocket book on maintenance too bad, it does require a lot more attention than stock Honda.

Wonder how much? An articles or threads that hammer on this issue?

Thanks again guys. Feedback from actually users much better than the so-called experts.

Brett_Engel · 06-14-2007, 10:13 AM

I'm about your size (5'10" 180lbs) and the Boxster is a perfect fit with room to
spare. As a daily driver, I'd expect somewhat higher costs, but then the Giggles/$
is much higher on the Porsche than a Honda.

We took the plunge earlier this year and bought a 2001 Speed Yellow Boxster S
with 44K miles from a private party in our local community. I needed to replace all
the CV boots (2 cracked and 2 very hard) and a cable on the convertible top.
The total repairs were about $2000 total and the car has been dead reliable since
then. I work from home, but drive the Porsche about 30-200 mi. week depending.

We get about 25-30mpg hwy and maybe 17-20mpg in town, mileage seems to be directly related to your right foot position LOL!! T he A/C works well for a ragtop, we'll know more as it gets to 110F this week in Phoenix...

If buying from a private party, I'd suggest having the car checked out by a Porsche
dealer or mechanic, it may cost a bit, but, that way you know...

rick3000 · 06-14-2007, 10:58 AM

Warped Sol, the issues vary and there is no one thread that talk about all of the problems that can occur but the RMS and Engine problem thread is similar.

Pat · 06-14-2007, 11:07 AM

Thanks everyone. This is helpful info for my search for a 986.

cfos · 06-14-2007, 11:10 AM

My opinion agrees with what has already been posted. One thing to consider is whether you have to cart alot of crap around with you since it has limited trunk/cabin space. I take a laptop with me everyday and, generally, put in the passenger seat. If I have a passenger, it goes in the front trunk -- the rear trunk often runs warm so it is ideal for casseroles or defrosting meat (j/k), not perisible food or a computer. actually, aside from the dry cleaning it doesn't get much use from me *L*