Best Box for me: 986 or 987?

[BoxsterSbob]

Hi, I have an '04 986S and find it to be all I need. I love the look of both the exterior and interior, but that's a personal preference. I agree that the glass rear window is critical. It seems like a minor issue, but it's not.

The 987 has improvements over the 986. From what I understand there's more light-weight components in the suspension. The seats have the anti-whiplash head rests. The engine has a bit more power, and I'm sure there are other things too.

Will you notice the difference between them? Possibly. But, I think you'll be very happy with a well maintained 986S. If you go for a 986 look into the 2004 550 edition.

Good luck

[fatmike]

I was going to buy a new Cayman -- then decided to buy a used Boxster as a "test". I wasn't sure that I could live with a 2 seat mid-engined Porsche as a DD. After a year or two, I figured I'd just go out and buy a new Cayman S (or Box S) if my test worked out.

I bought an '02 S with 11K miles in flawless condition for under 25K. That was 2 years ago, and a lot has happened since then. I think you can find a comparable car today in the high teens. My car has the Xenon headlights (litronic), glass rear window (aftermarket), PSM and windstops. I think all of those features are mandatory in a 986.

Also, since my car is a DD, I have also invested in a set of winter tires and a hardtop (might not be needed in the south).

Turns out that I absolutely love my Boxster. I really have no interest at all to go buy a new one. I've since put 20K+ miles on it.

If I were doing it again, I'd pay up a little and get an '07 or even '08 987 with a bit of warranty remaining. Shop around, there are deals to be had. The Boxster is a great car -- one that your likely to want to keep for a long time.

Good luck.