Four real seats?
 

I've been shopping for a convertible and fallen in love with the Boxster. The steering feel is brilliant, I love the cozy cabin, and the handling is outstanding. The long summer afternoon I spent wandering through the Wisconsin hills in a Boxster is easily the most fun I've ever had driving in my life.

However, my family situation might make a roadster impractical, and so I have to consider 4-seated substitutes.

I have two questions:

1) how close are 911s to Boxter in feel? I don't need tons of power, I care more about handling and road feel.

2) What's the closest thing to a Boxster with 4 real seats? I know nothing will be close, but what's the best option if I have to go that route?

The 911 has pretty much the same front suspension-steering as the Boxster S so if you like the steering in the Boxster you'll like the steering in the 911.

But the 911 backseats are pretty useless...

Closest thing to a Boxster with 4 real seats?

That's a tough one... light weight, RWD, great steering feel,...hmmmm...

Well there's the Mazda RX-8 but the power is nothing like a Boxster S. Maybe comparable to a 986 base model, but still, the lack of power below 6000RPMs will be a shocker to you.

Aside from that...Perhaps an E36 M3, it has great steering feel but the suspension is very soft.

Try out an RX-8 and see if the engine doesn't bother you too much.

those 4 seats are real enough when needed .. I've driven a 3000gt which is also a 2+2 seater .. and I've fit 4 adults in the car seats. The 2 in the back just gotta twist and squeeze a bit .. and biggest person go to the front. =]

panamera :)

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/upload/...anameraRad.jpg


http://www.pmwltd.co.uk/wp-content/u...e-panamera.jpg

OP requested a convertable? As far as I know the Panamera will never have a convertible top ?

Off topic:

Is anyone on this board actually `in love` with the Panamera ?

IMHO, seems like Porsche mated the Cayenne and 911 cab, and had an child which is the Panamera. Like all product of incestuous relations, its not quite right. Certainly has all the facial feature of the family line, but the package as a whole seems wrong ?

Anyone else ?

I know how you feel about the Boxster, but there is probably no 4 seater which will give you the same driving experience as a Boxster. Why do think that we all drive them and not something else. Sorry. Ed

The Lotus looks great, much better then the Panamera. To the OP, I think you'd be hard pressed to fine a mid engined convertable that drives like the Boxster with 4 seats. So...buy a Boxster, and a Honda Accord.




To nefarious986's question, no I do not care for the Panamera. If I was in the market for a 4 door sedan it wouldn't be on my list.

Panamera for sure will not take any trophies home. M5 has been around for some time and has been the class leader in performance sedan category.

The M5 would be a great choice, as well as several offerings from Acura and Lexus.

Agreed. If you need a four door sedan, get a good looking sedan instead of a sporty four door. They look like wannabes to me. Its just not right. :)

Both of those brands have nothing that comes close to the M5. IS-F is just a poorly engineered car.

I think it depends on what your in the market for, BMW, Honda, and Toyota all have a long history of producing quality cars. I'd look to any of those before the Panamera.

I'd like Porsche to build me small sports cars, and roadsters, not SUV's or sedans. As FTD stated, "it's just not right."

Thank you for the replies.

I think I would love an RX-8, but I really am looking for a convertible. I know nothing with four seats can really replicate the Boxster's mid-engine dynamics. _But_, I figure many of the posters here have driven a wide array of cars, and was hoping someone would suggest the best option out of the unavoidable compromises of four seats.

OP wrote "I care more about handling and road feel.", there's no 4-door from Acura or Lexus that has handling and road feel. :cheers: Reliability is another topic.

It's not right, but it's people like OP that Porsche is marketing the Panamera towards.

It's the "I got kids" or "My wife won't let me" car.

1) The 911 is a nice handling car but is certainly different than the Boxster. Also the rear seats are really tiny. No adult would want to be back there even for a short drive. If you have infants and toddlers they would be ok (although its a real pain to strap kids in the back of a two door car)

2) The closest thing to a Boxster with 4 real seats is 2 Boxsters. any convertible with large enough rear seats to be called "real" will have tons of issues with buffeting and handling because of the big hole in the middle of the car.

Personally I would not even try searching for a car that's like a Boxster with 4 seats. Instead I would buy a Boxster and a 4 door sedan, wagon or minivan.

Drive a BMW 3 series. It is no Boxster but it is a World Class drop top with 4 useable seats. A 911 is only an option if your rear passengers have no legs. ;)

VW EOS convertible hardtop
Audi S4 Cabriolet (if you like to go fast in syle)
Audi A4 Cabriolet (lots in the pre-owned market)
While I am a German car fanatic all the way, considering the sorry state of car sales at Volvo, maybe a look at their convertible hardtop...

In retrospect, the Cayenne probably didn't get a red carpet welcome from the Porsche community either. But it turned out to be a good thing.

Even the Boxsters were poorly regarded first when it was announced. Being considered "the poor man's Porsche" is not exactly flattering.

Lets hope the Panamera is going to be freakin brilliant.

IMO, if you want a convertible sports car, and you need room for four, the BMW M3 is the only car to get. The E36(older) , E46(newer), and E92(newest) bodystyles have all been fantastic sports cars with room for four. The M3 will not handle the same as a boxster, thats a given due to different dynamics, i.e. engine location, size, and weight. But, the M3 is similar in that you get a lot of performance in a stock package. Their power to weight ratios always seem ideal as well. I believe an M3 would put a smile on your face everytime you drive it, like a boxster would, just probably not quite as big. :D

Another vote for the M3
I have a 3 Series BMW and it is hands down the best Sedan I have ever owned.

Thanks for the M3 suggestion -- I thought it would be the leading contender but it's good to have people with far more experience than I confirm that. I have a friend who has a 335i hardtop and he took me out in it, it was a lot of fun.

Ironically, my wife _loves_ the Boxster and wants me to get one. But I'm trying to balance the tradeoff: I get the Boxster and enjoy it mostly alone, or I get something like a 911 or maybe an M3 and enjoy it together with my wife and young son.

http://goodstuffauto.com/inventory/9751/9751.htm

This might work for you.

I test drove an E46 M3 a couple months ago-I loved it. I seriously considered trading the Box for it as it would be a much more "practical" every day driver. Alas, they couldn't offer enough on my trade to make it worthwhile. It doesn't handle like a Box, but few cars do...but it's a rocket. If I drove an M3 and had never driven a Box, I would be perfectly happy with the Beemer. But nothing feels like the Box when you're railing through the twisties.

I also would say M3 or RX8, but if you have some more money to spend, there's always that car, which - I believe - outperforms the Boxster, the Carrera AND the M3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_612_Scaglietti :)

The Infiniti G37 convertible should hit showrooms soon. Check it out if you're unfamiliar with the G series -- to be completely honest, I find them more fun to drive than the 3 series.

I had a 3 series convertible and the amount of buffeting with the top down was unbearable at speeds over 40. The only way to reduce it was a big, ugly windstop that made the rear seats unusable. I stick by my earlier statement that there are no 4 seat drop tops that work as sports cars.

not "in love" but I certainly like it a lot.
If I had the money I'd get one

Sure. At highway speeds all four seaters are a "Wind Tunnel" in the back seats. When driving at speed the top goes up or the rear passengers can simply don those cool looking leather aviator helmets and goggles. :cheers:

I've been looking for a 2+2 coupe, but not a convertible. Here's my input based on cars I've driven and sat in:

Audi TT - useless back seat unless you're a quadruple amputee

Mitsubishi 3000GT - better back seat, but still uncomfortable for anyone over 5' 4"

Porsche 911 - Back seat is a total joke

Infiniti sports coupe - same joke

Jaguar XK8 - still the same joke

G35/G37 - very usable back seat, new drop top is coming soon, this one may be a great option

BMW M6 - rear seat's very uncomfortable, useless for adults

Mazda RX8 - very disappointed, completely anemic engine, did not wear well used

Maserati Coupe/GranSport/GranTurismo - Back seat is a little piece of heaven, fits grown adults very nicely and very luxuriously, no drop top option with 4 seats though.

Based on my personal experience I'd say you're looking at either the upcoming G37 drop top or a BMW 3 series/M3 with drop top. The Audi A4/S4 may be an option too, but I personally don't care for them much for the money. For sportiness you'd probably be better off with the G37 or BMW over the Audis.

There are other options if you want to go to FWD, the ones I listed are all RWD or AWD and sportier.

Kirk

Don't laugh till you have driven one, but a Volvo C-70 is not a bad car and is a bit of a hoot to drive. No it is not a Boxster, but then again nothing else is. My wife drives a C-70 and it really is a nice car. Ed

Panamera doesn't do a thing for me. Something Taurus-esque about the looks that turns me off.

I ended up getting a CPO'ed base 911. Not quite as involving for me as a Boxster, but still pretty impressive; I've been quite happy. I wanted to thank everybody again for the feedback.

Glad that you made a good choice. I would have voted for a 3 series convertible too though. I currently have a 335XI as well. I think that or the M3 in a convertible would be an excellent compromise.

It's really difficult to have a mid engine and 4 usable seats all in one car, in fact I'm not sure if it's ever been done, the closest in the 911 but thats rear engined.

I think depending on your price range, the BMW M3 (new or used) cabrio or the Audi RS4 Cabrio is the way to go. They don't have nearly the sportiness of a Boxster, but if you must have 4 seats this is the way to go.

Now if you can manage without a convertible top, there are a few more choices, the RX8 or the completely crazy Mitsubishi Evo are really good handlers as far as sports cars go.