To buy a newer year or a lower mileage boxster: That is the question ;)
 

Im looking to upgrade from my '94 miata to a boxster. After looking at the cars for sale on both craigslist and ebay i notice that prices vary wildly between year and mileage. im looking for a pre 2006 and the cost isnt worth it for me in a newer boxster. So, im asking this forum's advise - is it more important to get a newer boxster with high mileage (50-80k not more than that) or get a newer car?? are there a lot of changes between model years in this car (i know the 2005- up is a major redesign)? thank you all.

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

Read "tips on buying a boxster".

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

This is a good page for reference.

Buy one with less mileage is a higher priority for most, but try to avoid anything older than '03 since it has a glass rear window starting that year.

Thank you for the info!! so it looks like its between a 2003 and a 2005 (i dont see any significant differences between the 2003 and 2004). im guessing the price difference between these is 14k vs 24k? is it worth it to go for the 2005? does anyone have any opinions and has been in both cars? thanks

Buy the newest boxster S you can afford and ensure it has factory warranty on it.

I highly discourage anyone from buying a boxster with a) the smaller engine and b) no warranty on it and c) with mileage exceeding 50k....

The suspension, wheel bearings, sensors, and other expensive bits of the car wear out in the 50k+ mileage area and this car is NOT like any Japanese or domestic brand you've owned before.

With that said, buy an older, higher mileage boxster at your own risk, knowing you will probably fork over $2k a year for the first couple of years for maintenance if you find a good indy mechanic and buy the parts cheap from Sunset Porsche in Oregon. Double that amount per year if you're foolish enough to take it to a stealership.

... I'm glad I don't have strong opinions about this, huh? :D

I think it also depends on how the car will be driven; daily or weekend driver?
Will it be street driven only or do you autocross/track days?

I bought a 2002 S three years ago with 8200 miles on the clock. I could have bought a newer, but higher mileage car, but chose this for the low miles and S options (larger motor, big brakes, all important to me). The car now has 15k miles and has been flawless, requiring only oil changes. Even the rear plastic window is in like new condition.

If this is to be your daily driver, I would seek a car with a warranty, as problems do occur and they are expensive to fix.

ditto on forking over a significant amount for the first couple years. Many people figure they are going to sell their car almost a year before the actually sell it. Because of this they don't really care too much about the maintenance or how they drive it. I know i forked over quite a bit when I bought mine and still have some small things to fix....

But, I highly suggest the best S you can find/afford.

Good luck, should be easier pickings right now with the car market in its current state and it being December. Don't be afraid to haggle!

Thanks for the info guys. I have a cadillac CTS which i'll be changing into my daily driver, especially for the winter. the boxster will probably be my "Nice Day" car and maybe the car to drive when traveling to see family in DC/boston from ny in the spring/summer/fall. Im guessing that prices for "S" cars is closer to stock cars when looking at used cars. What should I expect to spend on an 03 S? im guessing that they wouldnt have a warranty but i guess i can get an aftermarket one.

So i looked over ebay and C*Listhelper.com and see that prices for an '03 boxster is around 17,500 and for a boxster S about 20k with around 40-60k miles. do these prices sound about right? am i gettin my moneys worth for the extra 2,500 that i would spend on the S? im guessing these prices will be lower after the new year. thanks.

Since it is going to be a weekend car, get the S. Just know that the less Boxsters are driven the more problems they tend to have (They don't like sitting in storage).

I would personally vote in favor of lower mileage, because you will get more life out of the car. You need to find middle ground between the year, mileage, and how you intend to use you. I would be look for an '03 S with about 30-35K miles, there are plenty of deals to be found in this economy. It's a buyers market.

I would vote for low mileage AND a Boxster that has been properly maintained. I have seen Boxster examples for sale that have fewer than 10,000 miles, but have only had one oil change in 5 years. That shows some lack of care. Even if the car is not driven regularly, it should have periodic maintenance performed at regular intervals. Lastly, buy the latest model year that fits your budget. From reading your responses above, 2003 will be a sweet spot of mileage and late year. Good luck in your search, you should do well in this "buyer's" market.
vincesf

Problem Solved
 

Buy my car for $15k. If your budget is higher, spend the rest on your own personal mods.

Make sure you have tons of documented maintenance records. (I do)
Make sure it has been well taken care of. (Mine has)
Load up on options. (Mine is)
Tires are pricey, make sure it's got good tires. (Virtually new)
Most Boxsters look the same, get a head turner (Nailed it)
If you live in an area that gets cold, you may want a hard top. (So toasty)
Low mileage is ideal. (Less than 6k/year over here)
Owned/Cared for by fanatic. (Hello?!?)

Sure, it's not an S, but the 5 speeds is more fun!

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/962242486.html

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-gallery2.jpg

newer = better
lower miles = better
warranty = better
Better = $$$

like all things in life - you OFTEN get what you pay for.

only you know how much you are comfortable spending.

So true... just ask "the Jones."

It's your money, go for VALUE. Be a financial wizard and spend LESS than you are able.

(Seriously, I want a 911 -that will happen when you BUY MY CAR!)

Thats a pretty good price if the car didnt have any major accidents

OUCH!! That hurts .:cheers:

Ouch?
 

Does this count as a "major accident?"

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-ouchquote.jpg
(Thank God for Careflite.)

Jeph, I had almost the same accident, except that the bumper was broken beneath so that they were not really visible. I replaced it with the exact factory OEM one though and it was not exactly cheap through porsche dealer.

I'll add my 2 cents.

1) I don't think that it matters whether you get a Boxster or Boxster S. Two friends have had both and say that the fun factor is the same.

2) These cars cost money to maintain. Don't buy a car that doesn't have maintenance records.

3) I would not buy a used Porsche from a non-Porsche dealership unless it was being sold by the original owner.

4) There is a sizeable difference between the 986 and the 987 (the 987 is model year 2005 and newer in the US). Some people like the 987 and some like the 986. Decide which one you like and buy that model. If you are tall, you will find the 987 has more room which may be important.

5) Is this going to be your only car? If so then I would suggest skipping the purchase. A used Boxster is not the most reliable daily driver. Judging by your emphasis on price I would guess you are on a tight budget. This means that a major repair bill may sideline your car for a while or put you in debt. You do not want to scimp on repairs and maintenance on this car.

Thank you for the info guys - lots of good things to consider. I guess coming from the miata, where most parts are under $50 dollars (you can get a full jdm engine for 1k installed) to the porsche is pretty alarming. im going to take my time with this ans as people said its a buyers market so im hoping i can get something for a good price and have some money stuffed away for maintenance and repairs.

Jeph, Congrats as you havea beautiful boxster and it looks like its in exellent shape. i have a hardtop for the miata and i know how valuable one is in the winter months here in north jersey. unfortunately im lookin for a 2003 or 2005. Thank you for the info.

I had a Miata with lots of mods. Sold it in less than a day. Buyer flew up from Florida. Black, BBS RK's, Racing Beat aero ki, low profile headlights, KYB shocks and FM rear mounts. I miss that car!!!

Get the Boxster S. Don't even think about it. And get a 2000 or newer with as low a mileage as you can find (but make sure its been driven at least 3K miles a year).
Try and get one with Litronics (HID), a few interior upgrades like the nicer shifter and brake lever. Upgrades for this car are crazy expensive. better to get them on the car already.

thats funny i see that your in the nj area and we have the same upgrade plan (were you part of any miata clucbs or do any autox while you had it?)
im in bergen county.

did you buy yours at a nearby dealer or private seller?
can you add a generic HID kit to the lights?

thanks

I did Autocross that Miata with Porsche Club, BMW club, the former M Club and SCCA. I kinda stopped autocrossing because of the time committment for the limited running. But the Porsche Club was always the best in terms of low turn out (more runs).
I don't reall autocross with Boxster. I had Toyo RA-1's and some of the lots were so dang rough they just shreded the tires. I kinda wish I had held onto the Miata as an autocross only car but I don't have the space for that now.

As luck would have it i was in the market for a silver and red Boxster S with low miles and that's exactly what pop'd up on Ebay. I was watching Top Gear and they were doing a show on the Boxster and how it was the best sports car for the money just days before. The Ebay car was being sold as a trade in by an Acura dealer in Montclair with barely 10K. Car was mine a week later.
The HID or Litronics in Porsche speak, comes from the factory as one whole unit.
You just use a special tool found in the tool kit to loosen one bolt and out they come. Like changing tail lights. A few have experimented with replacing the bulbs with other High Intensity versions but it's not really the same. Also the Litronics units have no amber on them, completely clear. I picked up the Litronics in a group buy with Brandywine Porsche for $1,100, before the Euro took off. I don't think you can touch them for less than $2,000 now. pricey.

Outch! That must have hurt. But to answer the question....its looks cosmetical so no not major at all. Exelent price if not slow economy your car could have been sold within couple of days.

PS: Is that when you decided to go with Carrera front upgrade?

Yep, less than a month later the Boxster was Carrera-ized.

Another 2 cents...
 

I'm not as well known on this forum as some other guys. I'm more of a lurker but I know a thing or two about Boxsters and Miatas so I figured I would give my input. Owned 4 Miatas including a heavily modded 04' Mazdaspeed that was an awesome little car. The Boxster definilty feels like a more mature purchase. My girlfriend (now wife) hated riding in the Miatas. Felt unsafe. As I got older the small size of the car wore on me too. And no matter how you sliced it you can never shake the 'chick car' ness about the Mazda. My daily ride is a brand new Volvo of my choice every 6 months or 6,000 miles so I got a little spoiled by the creature comforts. I found out on this forum the Boxster seems to be a natural progression from a Miata. I buy used cars for a dealership so surfing and researching cars is what I call work. Over a year ago I settled on a 2003 Boxster with 25k. Very happy with the purchase but always looking forward to the next acquisition... I can now say I should have bought the S model. I've spent the last year tracking Porsche values of my next prospective car. I attend auto auctions and have seen some pretty amazing deals on some Porsches recently. These are wholesale values but with enough time and patience you can find a dealer to sell you are car for close to cost. Wholesale costs also give you a better idea what these cars true values are. For the same money I paid for my non S a year ago ($22,000) you can get a reletivly low mileage Boxster S. I've recently watched a twin to my car (year, mileage, color) but a heavily equipped S model bring $23,000. I guess my car would bring about $18,000 right now at an auction. That should be your starting point. I think the 2003 model has enough improvements over earlier models (mechanically and cosmetically) for that year to be considered "a good year" for the car. A 2004 will bring a few thousand more but for only a little bit more you can get yourself into a new body style 2005. 2005 Non S models are bringing $23,000 to $24,000 at the sale. I just watched a 2005 S model in gaurds red with Carrera S 19's, xenons, red belts, red console and 32k miles bring $28,000!!! Kicking myself for not buying it but the economy, Christmas time and my wife prevented me. If your budget is $30,000 shoot for a 2005 S model with some good options. If you can do without a convertible top there is a nice bargain to be had in the market right now. If you look around you will find some Porsche dealers stuffed with old stock inventory of brand new Caymans. Some dealers have brand new 2007 models still in stock. This has hurt the wholesale/resale value of the Cayman. Seen it with my own two eyes... less than a month ago a 2007 Cayman Non S model with mileage in the teens sold for $30,000 at Adesa Auto auction in New Jersey. These are becoming common sale prices. These are all nice cars I would own myself. Not cars with paintwork or accident history. You can get nice cars at the auction as well as crap. Sorry to be longwinded but I'll leave with this... my dream car. If your budget goes up another $5,000 to $35,000 you can get yourself into a nicely equipped 2003-2004 911 Carrera.