Boxster as a high mileage daily driver?

[Rayn325]

First off, I'm frugal and am habitually rushing to get somewhere. My BMW is getting upthere in mileage and I'm thinking about getting a somewhat low mileage used one (2000 or so) and putting about 20k a year on it.

While searching online in my area, I'm finding low mileage Boxsters at about the same price as the BMW's I'm looking at. Though it would be nice with a back seat like a 3-series convertible, I do plan on keeping my BMW sedan.

My questions is, what have your experiences been with driving a boxster all over the place on any given day, many days of the week? The BMW has/is still great (modded - 5 speed) repairs have been rare and fair priced.

Basically I'm looking for something to drive till it it has 150,000 plus miles on it, enjoy every mile, and not concern myself so much with dings and dents; all with little worry of what could go wrong next (I had the unreliable sports car before!)

Thanks for reading, looking forward to your honest opinions.

[KevinH1990]

I kept my 96 Infiniti G20 when I bought my 2000 Boxster. I drive my Boxster about 10k per year, and keep the G20 for backup or when I need to take more than one person with. My experience is similar to what you are planning, and I think you have a workable plan.

First, check this web site:

http://www.iwantaporsche.net/

Second, check this web site:

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

They will tell you about the common quirks and expenses of a Boxster.

I don't drive my Boxster in snow, but we don't get as much as you do in New York. I'm told that a good set of snow tires works wonders.

If you can find a good independent Porsche specialist, the Boxster is an affordable (but by no stretch of the imagination cheap) daily driver. I believe, and my mechanic agrees, that regularly driven Boxsters have fewer problems per mile than garage queens. However, it seems like most Boxsters have more problems than Asian imports and they are more expensive to repair. I'm not sure how they compare to BMW's but I guess they will be more costly on average. If you buy a 2000 as you are planning, the cost should be in the $20,000 range and that should leave you plenty of money for repairs - unless you have a catastrophic engine failure.

Good luck.

[9eighty6]

Welcome to the Forum -

I was in the exact same boat you're in not too long ago. I was pricing out several different options but always had my heart set on the Boxster. I managed to find a low-mileage one which, for the year I've had it has seen 20k. It is my daily driver every day of the year. You'll notice that I live in Toronto, where the climate is not at all unilke that in NY. If you don't need the back seat and can deal with the abundance of trunk space (compared to something like a BMW Z3 or Z4 then I'm sure you'd be happy with a Boxster.

I suppose what it all comes down to is what you consider "fair priced" repairs. I have had nothing but scheduled maintenance, which has been wonderful (albeit rather pricey in my own opinion). That said, I haven't had any other problems at all, and would highly reccomend it any day of the week, regardless of snow/rain/sun (basically any weather condition). My reccomendation would be to find a low mileage post-model year 2000 since it seems that previous years experienced more "kinks". Also, a base Boxster is just as much fun as a Boxster S and it can save you a good deal of money when buying one. Oh, one more thing, the hardtop comes in handy in the winter thanks to the defrosting glass window.

I always say where there's a will, there's a way!

Good luck with your search!

[rick3000]

My Boxster is a Daily Driver, it does great in rain, snow and ice with proper tires. I enjoy ever moment I drive it and it makes a great DD. It sounds like it would fit your criteria, and probably costs about the same to maintain as a BMW. If you frequently drive in snow I might consider something else, but as regular all around car it is the ultimate daily driver with two relatively large trunks, and about as practical as you can get in a convertible.

[Stunin_Stud]

My boxster used to be my daily driver until I started to commute really long distances. now its a garage queen as someone mentioned, my alternative car is a 99 passat with 165K miles. It is true that the less you drive it the more problems you get. I havent had a problem yet but I have seen those who have. BMW's are great cars but the boxster is a different kind of car. it should be respected, which means maintained accordingly. I have been smart about my maintenance and repairs, doing with a porsche specialist or myself.

I have had my car for 2 years now and here are my costs

0il change $135 (porsche mechanic)

Tires $500 ( tirerack sumitumos)

30K maintenance+ oil change $196( did it myself with a lift and a friends with a dealer account)


If you get a low milage check it out for problems first. I have an RMS it sucks but its not that bad, make sure you check if yours has it. also wash you car and clear bra it if you drive freeways.

[HB986]

I drive 85 miles round trip 4 days a week on LA freeways (405 / 110). My '02 had 35k when purchased in late July. Just rolled 43k with 2 oil changes. Get a 6-speed and install a short shift kit straight away. You won't regret a Boxster S.

[mchi5]

Originally Posted by HB986

I drive 85 miles round trip 4 days a week on LA freeways (405 / 110). My '02 had 35k when purchased in late July. Just rolled 43k with 2 oil changes. Get a 6-speed and install a short shift kit straight away. You won't regret a Boxster S.

got a 2000 boxster S, bought it with 50K miles on it, and is my daily driver. have driven it in snow and rain in chicago traffic, and love it every moment. With the proper tires, it works as well as any FWD car. and yes i agree with HB986, gonna install my short shift kit in a couple of days! :dance:

[saaber]

Originally Posted by Rayn325

with little worry of what could go wrong next (I had the unreliable sports car before!)

I suggest looking at known problem areas (every car has chronic problem areas) and evaluate how likely you are to experience that problem before 150k miles. My experience has been similar to others here as my 2000 S is a daily driver. I have had rms leak, coolant tank, and and one wheel bearing replaced so far at 75k or so. In my opinion this car is drastically different than the BMWs I have owned. The BMWs I have had have been incredibly complex electronically and several electrical items have went out. The boxster is much more simple n terms of elctronic gizmos IMO. I do not get the feeling from the boxster that something is going to go wrong in the near future like I did with the BMWs.

I think if you compare this car to most other well built cars (ultra-reliable toyotas and lexus excluded), repair cost/frequency are similar. f.e. subarus run forever but you may have a head gasket failure (chronic problem with subaru 96-99 2.5l). Similarly the boxster has known problem areas.

Here is my wild ass guess for "% likely to fail" in 150k miles and I am sure others will have drastically different opinions than me which is fine (you asked for honest opinion ha ha) I did not include wear items like tires, brake pads:

RMS leak 15% (cost $800 dealer)
Coolant reservoir replaced 90% (cost $175 DIY, $700 dealer) (spray out radiators regularly to reduce the peaks in the heat cycle)
Wheel bearing 15% ($350 with alignment?)
Alternator 15% (cost?)
O2 sensor(s) 20% (cost?)
Water pump 35% (cost? change coolant regularly to reduce wear and drastically lower this "% likely to fail" Do not use Porsche's recommended "never change" standard, it is BS)
Mass air flow sensor 15%??? (cost ?) (Cleaning this and throttle body regularly helps, not part of Porsche maintenance I don't think)

Intermittent shaft failure - rare overall I would say (depends on year of engine, if you have a single bearing int. shaft the chances are much higher than the double bearing as I understand it, tool pants would know)
Slipped cylinder sleeve - very rare overall I would say
Cracked head, head gasket, or block - rare (head gasket failure frequency probably influenced by coolant change frequency)

I would love to hear from people like tool pants who have more experience than I on these guesstimates for "% likely to fail"

Note that alternator, water pump,MAF, O2 sensor failure rate is probably true with any car. Ac compressors seem to go out in other cars before 150k but haven't heard much about that with boxster. Of course climate and driving style have effects on these items.

[Chills]

I'm really glad to hear so many good things about putting the miles on our cars.

I've had mine just over a year and I've been worried about putting too many miles on her. I don't think I'll worry as much now. Besides, I just found out the warranty I bought covers my Boxster up through 94k miles.