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

[fatmike]

I got my PPI done in Rockaway NJ at Powertech. Its a big place (6 bays), all Porsche. They are worth the drive (25 miles?) if you can't find a closer place that is a specialty shop.

Good luck.

[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.




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[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.

[kwakr738]

Thanks guys for all the input. The collective experience from you guys is great. The difference in labor costs and parts are quite surprising, but it is good to know alternatives to cushion the cost. That I really do appreciate. I think I am leaning towards the Boxster more. Even the cost is high, I have not heard any regrets about owning a Boxster. If I can get through financing without anything major breaking, I should be okay.

Fatmike thanks for the info on Powertech. I will call them for a PPI quote as well. I spoke to a gentlemen at Authohaus who quoted me about 200 beans for the PPI. I also got a quote from someone further away for 400. I am guessing every garage performs a similar PPI, but were you satisfied with Powertech's job?

Thanks again for all the input and I would love to hear more experiences.

[fatmike]

I've used ******************************** recently too. They are close to my house & I had them do an oil change just to start a relationship with them. I will go back to them in the future. My initial impression is that they are honest, and clearly pationationate about Porsches. You can't ask too much more than that. But, they aren't at all like Powertech. ******************************** is 1 bay and very informal (Powertech is 6 bays & much more like a "business").

Good luck with the car. Make sure you go into the PPI with a list of things you want them to look at (the expensive stuff). You can get that list from Mike Focke's web site & other places on the web (rear main seal, coolant leaks, condition of tires/brakes, top condition, etc.). But, tell them its not about the cosmetic stuff (except to look for any hidden collision damage, etc.). Don't forget that some people buy Porsche's to collect, and a small scratch matters. Your buying a Porsche to DRIVE & you want to know its mechanically solid. Stress that in your PPI.




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[saaber]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

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

Yes that comment is right on the money. You want to go into it with your eyes open. The facts are that it is much more expensive to own and run compared to a subaru. It's part of the deal with owning a Porsche. But it also drives like a Porsche and all the other benefits that come with that. Like blue2000s said, no one said it's not worth it.