Almost a new owner....

[kwakr738]

Hello,

This is my first post and would like to say hello. I recently found a 2004 S with about 26k miles. I am very close to buying it, but a few people have told me that maintenance and upkeep of the car will kill me. I was hoping someone could tell me if Porsche ownership is that much more expensive than Subaru ownership.

Thanks,
Alan

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by kwakr738

Hello,

This is my first post and would like to say hello. I recently found a 2004 S with about 26k miles. I am very close to buying it, but a few people have told me that maintenance and upkeep of the car will kill me. I was hoping someone could tell me if Porsche ownership is that much more expensive than Subaru ownership.

Thanks,
Alan

I've got an Impreza and a Boxster. I do my own maintanence and some repair on both. My Subaru is an impressively worry-free vehicle at 115,000 miles, the Boxster isn't. Figure about 3X costs for the Porsche.

[bmx672]

I try and do most of my work myself as well... but I always keep it in the back of my head that I might need a thousand or two, here or there.

[kwakr738]

Thanks for the response. I currently am in Brooklyn and will not be able to perform maintenance on the car. I did get in touch with with a local garage and he informed that the cost of maintenance and repair is comparable to a BMW or Mercedes. He recommended that a pre-sale inspection is something I should invest in.

Any more experiences good or bad with maintenance/repair would be much appreciated.

Thanks again!

[mikefocke]

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

Poke around on that site (read at least the first 3 or 4 web pages) and get a feel for what ownership is like, what the risks and rewards are. I'd only buy if I had located a well though of Porsche maintenance facility as, without that (and given that you can't self maintain) I'd think ownership would be impractical.

I've never owned a Boxster and lived in the city where I was subject to parallel parking and the differing bumper heights of SUVs. I'd worry about that where you live.

Having said that, I'm on my second Boxster, both used, both quite trouble free over 5 years. I do do some routine maintenance myself and for that there is an enormous amount of help available...write ups (some of which are on that site, others are linked to). I use independent mechanics where I can, some dealership services when I need them. Dealers vary. But then that is true for all brands.

Do definitely get the Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI) done.

It is a wonderful car.

[kwakr738]

Mike, thanks for the link and the great info you put into that site. I actually have been pokin around quite a bit over the past couple of days.

Yes NYC cars are known for their hideous bumper scars. It will always make more sense to take the subway to work, and the car will be used mostly for recreation.

Thanks for emphasizing the PPI again. I am currently calling up independent garages in my area now. It's promising to hear that your 2 Boxsters have been a pleasant experience for you.

Thanks,
Alan

[saaber]

Originally Posted by kwakr738

Hello,

This is my first post and would like to say hello. I recently found a 2004 S with about 26k miles. I am very close to buying it, but a few people have told me that maintenance and upkeep of the car will kill me. I was hoping someone could tell me if Porsche ownership is that much more expensive than Subaru ownership.

Thanks,
Alan

Maintenance is expensive and unless you are ready for it will be a huge surprise compared to the subaru. f.e. Subaru 4x4 clutch = $450-$500, boxster = $1500-$2500 depending on if it needs flywheel. I think the poster who said 3x more is probably fair but I would say 5x more if you were to include unexpected items that will probably pop up (which really is repair and not maint. I guess). I own both a subaru and a boxster. The boxster is harder to work on and it seems that every little thing is darned expensive. .02

[CJ_Boxster]

Maintaince hasnt been bad for me at all, If i cant do my own oil change, I atleast buy my own oil and have a cheap little shop do the flush and filter.

As for tires, I buy Nexen N3000 tires which are Z rated and also meet W and Y rating but for some reason only cost 60-70 bucks each tire.

So shop around and maintence shouldnt be that bad... Plus you get to push the oil changes to about 10,000 miles before the next change cause the boxster holds 9 quarts.

Plus as far as anything mechanical needing repair, theres alot of site sponsers that sell parts at better than dealer prices and used parts availible from forum members selling parts they dont need anymore.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by CJ_Boxster

Maintaince hasnt been bad for me at all, If i cant do my own oil change, I atleast buy my own oil and have a cheap little shop do the flush and filter.

As for tires, I buy Nexen N3000 tires which are Z rated and also meet W and Y rating but for some reason only cost 60-70 bucks each tire.

So shop around and maintence shouldnt be that bad... Plus you get to push the oil changes to about 10,000 miles before the next change cause the boxster holds 9 quarts.

Plus as far as anything mechanical needing repair, theres alot of site sponsers that sell parts at better than dealer prices and used parts availible from forum members selling parts they dont need anymore.

Subarus take 4 qts of oil, and will run for 200,000 miles on dyno oil, the tires are MAYBE 215 cross section on an Impreza and even the softest tires, if driven sanely will last at least 2x as long as the rears on a Boxster. I can find a place where I live that only charges $50/hr to work on Subarus, !$50!. If you can get a Porsche mechanic for twice that, you're in good shape.

A Porsche is an extravagance, not a necessity, and as such, it's going to be considerably more expensive to own than a Subaru.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by saaber

The boxster is harder to work on and it seems that every little thing is darned expensive. .02

That's another thing. The Impreza has to be one of the world's easiest modern cars to work on. Everything's accessible and simple. You'll never, ever find a mid engined car that's as easy to work on as a Subaru.

[fatmike]

C'mon guys. Now your getting me scared about my own Boxster.

The Boxster is not an econobox, but its more reliable than most people think.

Sure there are are things that cost more like tires, and brakes. But the Boxster is totally worth it.




/

[gmboxster]

Thank you Fatmike. These guys have me wanting to go out and sell my Boxster ASAP. LOL. Working on your own car is difficult unless you have the knowledge and location to do so. When I bought my car I knew it would be more expensive to maintain then say a Toyota Camry. That comes with the terriority. But hey you only live once and think of some of the other things you spend money on. Restaurants, movies, starbucks,etc. I would rather spend money on my boxster than buying a $4 coffee everyday. BTW, I've had my car 7 months and completely troublefree so far. Knocking on wood right now.. Enjoy it, these cars are a total blast to drive.

[blue2000s]

Hey, the question was how does it compare to a Subaru. No one said it's not worth it.