Feedback wanted on test drive impressions

[jimdturner]

So I've been patiently looking for the right boxster now for a few months, and have decided to get a base 987. I test drove one the other day, with the base 17" wheels, and good pilot sports. I waited to evaluate the cornering behavior until about 20 mins in when the tires had warmed. What I noticed was that on freeway cloverleafs (particularly uphill ones) the cornering grip felt surprisingly low. Lower even than base 986's I remember driving with with their optional 17" wheels. At about 45 mph I could feel and hear tire slip developing, with a hint of understeer. I didn't push any harder or try to put in a touch of oversteer, as it was a test drive. I'd like your reaction to this, and weather you think this is what should be expected with the narrow tires on the base 17" wheels, or if you think something unusual was happening. I would normally guess tire pressure too high, but the car seemed to wallow a bit and not quite take a set as quick as I'd like after mid corner bumps and joints. Is this just the 205/55 and 235/50 giving all they've got?

Thanks in advance.

Jim