New Boxster or Used 911?

[SoCal]

Before I pull the trigger on a new Boxster, I'd appreciate your input on the pros/cons of getting a pre-owned 911 instead.

I found Brucelee's website and saw two primo 911s in his inventory that turned my head, and so I got to thinking . . . .

First, take the "new car depreciation" component out of the mix. Assume that whatever car I buy, I'll keep it for many years and not be concerned about resale. Or, assume that I'll pay $10-15,000 less for the used 911 than I would for the new Boxster (or whatever the right amount would be to true up the depreciation difference in driving a new car off the lot).

What I'm thinking about is the difference in the relative joys of driving and pride of ownership, and also whether five years of technological improvement makes a new Boxster rival a five-year-old 911.

I'm not looking for any "right answer," as if there were one. But rather your opinions on what would be the deciding factors for you.

[Brucelee]

These are good questions. The first thing I would do if I were you is to drive both cars AT LEAST several times. The seat of the pants, real time experience MAY push you strongly one way or another.

I would listen to that little voice. Ignoring it can lead to very costly turnover.

If you want to chat, feel fee to call me.

Thanks for the post!

[speedyellow]

I was in the same predicament a few months ago, I test drove and asked others opinion. If you plan to take it to the race track a used 911 coupe is the way to go, but if you prefer open top motoring then boxster it is. When it comes to driving impression the boxster is better, it's more balance. So after much pondering I took delivery of an '05 Boxster. Good Luck.

[Ronzi]

Brucelee probably has as much comparative experience with late-model 911s and the Boxsters as anybody that posts regularly on this forum, so I would bow to whatever his opinion, thusfar unexpressed, was.
I did own an older ('81 911SC) 911 for a number of years, and in my opinion the "feel" of the two cars is totally different. The 911 had a carved-from-a-block-of-stone feel that is missing in the Box. My 911 also was a heavy-shifting, heavy steering, rough-riding, classic-feeling beast with haphazard ergonomics and neither adequate ventilation nor any air conditioning to speak of. When you drove it you knew you were in a 25-year old high performance SPORTS CAR that made relatively few compromises.
The Boxster on the other hand is a thoroughly modern car with pretty much all the normal bells and whistles. My personal opinion is that if you blindfolded a typical sports car enthusiast and took him for a ride in a Boxster, an S2000, a Mazda RX8, and say an M3 BMW, he wouldn't be able to tell one from the other. At least until you get to the outer edges of the performance envelope, by which time he would probably be screaming for mama anyway. This is not an indictment of the Porsche, it is simply an observation that all of those cars are pretty competent as sports cars.
I suppose the real question however is the difference between a new Boxster vs a relatively new 911, one of the 2000-up 996 models. As Brucelee suggested, drive both types and see which appeals to you. I don't know if the "block-of-stone" feel still exists in the new 996/997s, but that is what I would look for.
Amongst the Porsche crowd there is still a certain amount of sneering at the Boxster, although that is abating as 80's and 90's Carrera owners continue to get their butts hammered by Boxsters at DE events and autocrosses. There is also the realization that the Box, particularly the S, offers outstanding performance, and a functioning air conditioner, too.

[slogans7]

I also had a similar predicament, so I spoke with my mechanic who specializes in German vehicles. He said he worked on many 911s but said he rarely sees a Boxster S, other than routine maintenance. That info coupled with my love of convertibles helped me make my decision to buy a Boxter S. I haven't looked back and am quite glad with my choice. But I doubt you would go wrong with either choice!

[Brucelee]

I am not sure about the issue of Boxster vs 911 on relability. If you take the collective experience of my service shop (7 techs and counting) they would say it is a toss up.

Interestingly, both cars are getting better over the years since introduction. That is a good thing!

Re: which car, really, I DO love driving them both AND they are different cars. I still think the important issue is, which car floats your boat!

Face it, neither car is "practical" in the end, so I think the wow factor would rule.

To figure that out, drive them and then, check your pulse!

[KRZTACO]

(I Currently own a Boxster S)

I would lean towards the 911 "S" or an older Turbo model if its within the price range.

If you were comparing a 987 S and a regular 911, I would get the NEW 987 S.

KRZ