03 S vs. 05 base ? (helping out a potential Boxster owner :-) )

[944boy]

I was at the same decision. I found an 05 base and once I drove it that was it. Mine has the PASM and the 6speed. The six-gear was one of the main things I was after. I have not regretted one of the 24,000 miles I've put on it.

-Greg

[Adam]

Hello Northern986, welcome to the board! I'd recommend driving both models because depending on the person and your tastes it could really go either way. This has been a heavily debated topic in the past so search the archives as well and you'll find numerous opinions, but like I said buy the one that you like and you can't be wrong.

[BeachBum]

I have an 03 S and love it. I have driven the base 05 and in my humble opinion the engine doesnt have as nice of a growl. I am also a fan of the 6 speed of the 03 S vs the 5 speed. I like the interior better in the 987. So I guess I am adding nothing to the conversation as it is up to personal preference.

Greg

[Dave S.]

I bought an 03 S about a year ago. I'm a cheap SOB and live in Colorado where they charge personal property tax on your yearly license plates. One of the reasons I went with the 03 S was it had the features, like glass back window and glove box, was the first year for those important updates, and was way cheaper to insure and register each year. The 03 and 04 are essentially the same, but all things considered, I'd rather have an older one as every year gets you a reduced cost to own.
It's a 5th car for me and I only use it for pleasure driving on nice summer days. I figure I'll have the car for 20 years or so and only considered very low mileage cars to start with. My 03 S had just over 14k miles on it so it was practically new and it was less than 1/2 the price of a new one at the time. For me, think I made the right decision.

Dave S.

[mikefocke]

but if I were buying today, I'd buy the '05 base.

I had a '99 (201HP) and swear I had more fun in it than the ~250HP S because I could keep my foot into it longer and still stay legal. So to me the base versus S isn't important. Heck my 85HP 914 had enough to get me in trouble. Mine doesn't have to be bigger than yours.

I'd invite you to go to a magazine review of the '05 that cites all the changes between the '03-'04 models and the '05-08 ones.

The major differences I remember were:

Variable ratio power steering

Stiffer chassis, wider wheel alignment

Bigger brakes

Head airbags

PSM standard

Improved headlights

More cockpit room

Better positioned roll bars

So you could see better, steer better, stop better, keep the tires on the road surface better, not tip over better and be safer in a crash. But to me the difference was comfort. I could position the seat the way I want it without worrying if a rear end collision would drive my head back into the roll bar.

Plus there were ergonomic changes I liked.

Having said all that...the '03 is a terrific car. We are talking degrees of excellence here.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=6&article_id=1657

[jmatta]

I must be one of the few that that like the interior of the 986 over the 987 (other than my friend). I also like the dimensions of the 986 over the 987; but as mentioned, there is no right or wrong.

Newer isn't always better...

[crios]

I would stay away from the 05. That was the first year of the 987, so like the 99, it had a lot of bugs that needed tweaking. Consumer reports gave it an okay on reliability compared to the 03 which is excellent. If you like the 987 model, shop for an 06. I own a 03, and love it, but I also love the 987.