What to Buy???

[cfurman]

Hello.. I am a newbie here..

here is my dilemna..

brand new 08 Boxster Limited Edition - $53000 out the door price

used 06 Boxster S - $49000

brand new 08 BMW Z4 M - $53000 out the door price

brand new Audi TT 3.2 Quattro - $53000 out the door price

any suggestions? the Limited Edition is such an eye catcher! and the Z4M is absolutely set on rails and pins you back in your seat in every gear.

I'm lost.. don't know what to get!!

[Jeph]

I like the '08 LE of those listed.
If the Z4 were a Coupe, and not the Roadster, I'd totally make that my number one choice.

[cfurman]

why the coupe, not roadster?

I was REALLY impressed with the rigidity of the chassis.. almost no flex.. and the engine.. WOW... and just the note coming out of the exhaust was impressive.

But the Boxster has the WOW factor.. as in "look at me!" and it also has more room in the cabin.. and you don't see them everywhere. I see Z4s all the time.. not Ms, but the look is the same.

man.. can't decide!

THEN... I drove a TT 3.2 Quattro.. and that was beautiful also! I love the 4 wheel drive.

[boxs2000]

Life is rough...What I would do is first figure out what is most important to you;
Looks, Performance, and grin factor.
If you like performance, drive them and rate it and just go down the line... You may get biased opinions here since it is a Porsche site, I know I pick the Boxster S! but it's not my ride....

[Soetekouw]

My choice would be with the 08 Boxster or 08 BMW Z4. I have owned both of these cars.

My take on the BMW:
Pros:
1. I prefer the BMW design over the porche.
2. Automatic top without having to unlatch.
3. More front leg room.
4. An engine I can get to, look at, and clean (and easily change oil without lifting the vehicle).
5. Volume control on the steering wheel.
6. Free 4yr/50K maintance (although it is probably paid for in the price, nevertheless, it seems free).
7. Great aftermarket service. They even provide periodic surveys to ask your opinion of the car (porsche is really not interested in our opinions).
8. Several aftermarket add-ons to personalize your vehicle.
9. You sit lower in the BMW than the porsche (seems like a real roadster as compared to porsche).

Cons:
1. Seats.

My take on Porsche:
Pros:
1. More solid, detailed, and finished. Higher quality.
2. Better seats (lumbar support available)
3. Grips the road better.
4. Better engine response.

Cons:
1. Few aftermarket add-ons available (when you buy your porsche, that is basically it)
2. Radio system has small buttons and too many of them (I still haven't figured out how to set the stations - it's probably me).
3. Expensive, expensive, expensive ($225 for oil change).

Again, these are my observations, and may not apply to your particular needs.

Bottom line: You can't go wrong with either car. I found the BMW to be a 'fun' car and 'seemed' to go faster, while the porsche is a more serious car. You can compare the BMW to a go-cart (fast and fun) and the porsche as a more serious race car.

I sold the BMW to try the porsche. If BMW would provide better seats (with lumbar), I would probably buy a BMW, again. But, you will not go wrong with either car.

[husker boxster]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

You have some interesting choices. Since I don't know about the other makes, I give you my $.02 on the Porsches.

Here are some things to consider:
- the 08 LE has 245 HP while the 06S has 280 (07S and newer have 295). If HP is important, don't buy the 08 if you will be craving more HP later. And going aftermarket to add an extra 100 HP isn't possible w/o spending a pile of $$$. You're already spending a lot of money - be sure you get what you want from the start.

- you don't mention what the 06S has for miles and options. Unless it has some high $$$ options like nav and tip trans, $49K would be a good starting point.

- the 08 LE will have 4yrs of warranty while the 06S will be somewhere around 2 yrs. The 987 model seems to have fewer problems than the 986, but maybe the problems with the 987 haven't surfaced yet. Long warranties are good to have.

- the 08 LEs are not stealth. The Intl Space Station can clearly see them.

Some new / additional options:
Before I purchased my 08S LE, I did a nation wide search for left over new 06Ss. There are a couple still available in states not too far from you. They could be bought for probably $51-52K. The speed yellow one has some sporty options while the midnight blue one is a great color. Here are the links:

http://holbert.porschedealer.com/new_cars/info.php?inventoryid=185270

http://bert-wolfe.porschedealer.com/new_cars/info.php?inventoryid=182067

Good luck with your decision. Have fun deciding what to buy.

[cfurman]

Thank you for all the great input!

This is the 06 S that I am looking at...

ebay auction link

Now... since I live in Michigan and we don't always have the best weather, another consideration was the Audi 3.2 TT Quattro... I must say that it is the roomiest out of all of them and also handles fantastic. Instead of spinning the tires, it basically feels like you are being "launched."

Any thoughts on the new TTs?

I an get away with one of those with the DSG tranny for around $49k OTD.

[Adam]

I'm with Jeph, I like the M coupe. Those are nice little cars and they look great. I need to take one for a test drive. I was all about getting a convertible back in the day, but now the novelty of it has worn off and I drive with the top up most of the time now. Caymans are overpriced; maybe I just need to get a hardtop. Back to the topic, I would take a look at the 06 S and the Z4M, particulary if you are into high performance driving or autocross/track days. The Audi and the base boxster are great cars, but those other two have a higher performance pedigree. I think the Audi is definately the "softest" car in the group and better suited for boulevard cruising than high performance driving. My .o2

[Jeph]

Originally Posted by cfurman

why the coupe, not roadster?

I was REALLY impressed with the rigidity of the chassis.. almost no flex.. and the engine.. WOW... and just the note coming out of the exhaust was impressive.

The Couple looks incredible! It's nice and roomy and will have that same exhaust note you love. Personally, I'm not a big convertible fan (my Boxster's hardtop stays on at least 80% of the year and I'm in Texas).

I know you're up north so AWD is appealing, but Audis get boring to me really fast. I don't think I'm alone in this. The formula for the TT is there, but it's just not up there in rank with the BMWs & Porsches.

[drburton]

I'm a bit Porsche biased so I would say go with the Boxster S, I think you may be disappointed with the power on the Base Boxster.

Just another consideration, the 05 Boxster S is almost identical to the 06 and you can get a low mileage one at a very good price. You can pick one up in the low 40's. I'm being a bit self serving here since I plan to sell mine in the Spring.

All of these choices are nice cars though, so I think you will be happy.