Which Boxster is best? Three choices for everyone to ponder!
 

Hello All!

This is my first post (of hopefully many). I've been checking out all of the threads and trying to do my homework but basically I am down to 3 Boxsters that I like and I need your help. Here are the links to each car, my take on them, and then please feel free to give me your two cents! It would mean so much to me to have everyone's help, guidance, and experience behind my purchase.

Please help guide me in terms of what price I should bargain for, feelings about this model year/particular car, and any general advice I might have missed.

I will say in advance that whatever car I choose I am taking to a local specialist for a ppi.

Thank you all in advance.

Car #1
http://tiny.cc/5aqn1

One owner. 2 minor accidents reported on carfax (both parking lot fender benders). I have some reservations about 2002 models, they weren't consumer reports favorite year and I seem to have come across a few of them on engine failure theads. Interior of car is immaculate.

Car #2
http://tiny.cc/1ejga

Clean carfax. 3 owners. Haven't test driven yet but from pictures looks to be in great shape. 2000s seem to be good years and the mileage is good but 3 owners and such relatively low mileage is a touch concerning. Current owner used this as a second vehicle and said the previous owner had an extended warranty on it.

Car #3
http://tiny.cc/0d306

This one looks great from the outside. Has a bit of tire wobble that seemed to diminish during the test drive. Steering wheel and the place where your hand would rest when shifting gears are both worn which makes me worry a bit. Otherwise I think the year is good in terms of reliability from my research and I love the appearance.

So what is everyone's opinion? School me! :)

Test drive #2 or keep looking. It's not at all unusual for Boxsters to be passed around every few years. People buy them on a whim, then fall out of love when it gets cold.

I'd rule out #1 due to multiple accidents. Minor or not, Boxsters can be pretty fragile.

I'd also rule out #3. Wobbles could be no big deal (tire balance?) but could easily be something else. Worn out steering wheel and shifter? Odd. It's basically the same miles as the other cars.

The most desireable things for me:
- PROOF of service. The car should have documented oil changes, brake fluid changes (every two), filters, etc. No documentation? Move on.
- Windscreen
- Proper tires with some life left
- A top and rear window in good shape (or better yet replaced with glass)
- I would prefer a car with Xenon Headlights and PASM (stability control).

Either way, make sure you pay to get the car checked out before you buy it with a pre-purchase inspection. Boxsters have known weak spots, you may as well inspect them so you know what your buying. Check out Mike Focke's web site (google it), lots of good info about buying a used Boxster. Good luck.

Mike,

Thank you very much for you insights. I am checking out the site as I write this.

-Chris

I was owner #3 before the car had reached 9K miles. The car was showroom mint with a BIG discount. SCORE.

Cars that sit a long time with low miles are indeed a concern if the owners have not regularly changed the oil. The IMS bearing being the biggest concern there.
A car like that should have that part upgraded as a first order of business.
If you are buying from a private owner maybe ask for an oil change as part of the test, cut open the oil filter and see if you spot any metal fragments bigger than freshly cracked pepper. A dealer lot would most likely have changed the oil when the car first arrived so this test my lose its value. On the other hand maybe the dealer doesn't bother to put the money into. If you do spot the fragments that's a sign that maybe the IMS bearing is well into its self-implosion and the engine is sitting on a grenade. But you should also understand that this can be the case with a high mileage one owner car where the oil was also not changed regularly.
I guess mileage isn't really the issue so much as how much routine maintenance, six month oil changes, the car has received. My car had only had one or two oil changes in its first four years but once I took ownership I changed that right away.
When the bearing was extracted (dual row) at 69K miles they found it to be in perfect condition.

No Choice ?
 

I'm afraid to even touch one of those choices you have seen...
Talking through experience, after seeing and test driving a few Boxsters you will develop a feel for the right one and then and only then would you consider having a PPI done on it...
Do not listen to whatever the private seller or dealer tells you about history, parking lot fender bender, carfax all of these things mean nothing.. Carfax only captures accidents that are reported, self inflicted accidents especially done privately can go undetected...
The only thing that matters is the visual and actual checks that a PPI can do..
With the slow economy and the influx of these Boxsters there can be plenty up for sale in the market place ! do not discount looking outside your area, a different state where most owners put away their Boxsters for the Winter would be an good opportunity to search for the right one !
and lastly and more important is save your money and buy an "S" in the 2003 and up models.. you'll be glad you did !
thanks and good luck in your search...
t2

t2-bxtrs-I have tried to drive as many as I possibly could. Think I'm up to about 10 now. I agree with what you said about just driving them and seeing which is best. I checked the 2000 one today and it felt okay. Well maintained but I couldn't fit in it (is there something with 2000s where they are smaller on the interior?). Afterwords I drove the 2002 and there was a big difference. The 2002 felt roomier, smoother, sounded much better, and appeared to be better kept. Driving them almost back to back really made one stand out over the other.

Perfectlap-I'm going to get the car checked out and I will be checking the fluids as much as possible myself. I will also alert the shop about looking for metal flakes in the filter. Thanks for the tip!

Been there and done that twice
 

I've been the third owner twice. Never knew the circumstances of the first owner in either case. Both purchases from private second owners who were selling for lifestyle reasons. Both dead on reliable cars.

Parking lot accidents can be meaningless. I had a slow speed rear-ender that creased my back bumper...nothing more. Repaired right would that affect the car's value? No. Even had a rear-ender on the highway that took out the bumper, bumperettes, and bumper supports. No sheet metal damage or electrical damage and all was repaired right. No real affect on the value of the car. The trick is to know what happened and how fixed.

And by all means drive many, select one, pay for the pre-purchase-inspection by the most knowledgeable Porsche mechanic around.

I know of no big difference in reliability between 2000-2004 model years despite what consumer reports says...too small a self selecting sample.

What I know about buying one is in these 10 articles https://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/mikesporscheboxsterwebpages

Just bought almost identical car with your option 1 (02 blue with blue interior). I was in you situation few months ago. I don't know still what Porsche changed but 02 feel a little smoother than 2.7L from 2000. I first thought that it was only my imagination (I remembered that the 00 boxster has louder exhaust drone under 3K RPM). I did not look for 1999 and older because I don't want the 2.5L engine and the only boxster available in my area are either 00 or 02-03.
If it is me, I would pick one with lower mileage because it is no way to check whether the IMS bearing is on the way out or not. Don't worry about consumer report on engine failure, all those M96 engines are prone to IMS and RMS failure.
I suggest that after you buy one, get the IMS replaces as soon as you can.
Keep looking for one with lower mileage, more options and no accident record. Took me couple months to find one.
Looking at those 3 options, you might want to negotiate the price. They seem to be way overpriced (I think). I bought mine for $12.5K and it came with navigation, litronic headlamp, PSM and Bose sound system.
This is a good time to buy convertible. Nobody buys convertible (at least here in MI) in the winter. So if seller want to sell it, make them take a hit on price or wait until next summer. You also might want to look for 03 with glass rear window.

Buy this one.
It has had everything done and more and the owner is very meticulus about his cars. This is a steel IMHO for all that is inculded!
Good Luck

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