Ouch. Offerred $7,000 trade-in for my 2000 S

[Perfectlap]

How much did the dealer offer you on a trade in for the Corvette? I'm guessing there are more Chevy buyers in Arkansas than Porsche.

No sane person would trade in an enthusiast car. Trade ins are for lazy rich people, busy rich people or not very savvy car buyers. In the old days a private sale used to be a hassle since you had to do things in person or over the phone.
But now with the internet and middlemen who use the internet there really is no excuse. You can sell a car online as is, have it shipped and get the cash all without even leaving the house.

Also, as far as Boxster pricing if you check out the market values in the back of Excellence Magazine you will see that prices have GONE UP since the credit markets froze up in 2009 after the stock market crash. In other words if you bought a Boxster in 2009 you timed it perfectly. People are holding onto their enthusiast cars longer and putting off new toy purchases which is shrinking suppy. When you look closely the number of well maintained Boxsters is not as plentiful as you would think. You might score a Boxster chief only to find out it needs $2K for shocks; $2K clutch, RMS, IMS upgrade; $1K in tires, rotors, pad; and another $100 in random things like AOS, O2 sensors, catalytic converter, etc.

There is no such thing as a cheap Boxster.

[Overdrive]

I know you're about smack in the middle of the state or so, but prior to my seeing that I was gonna say go see what they offer you for it in Oklahoma. Even then, I'm with others in seeing what you can get for it privately from someone who actually desires the car and is willing to pay what it's still worth. Maybe list it online and see if anyone in AR or the surrounding states is willing to come and take it off your hands for what you're looking to get.

I have to agree with you that, after having driven an '09 Vette convertible in March, you kinda get back in the Boxster and wonder why nothing's happening when you stomp the accelerator...of course we're not talking about what happens when you turn the steering wheel on either one, that'd be a different story, lol.

If I had your stable (workin on it ), and your dillemma, I'd probably end up parting with the Boxster, and privately at that. This way you can go and knock out half the price on a focus, or just about the whole thing on the big-kid-go-kart (Fiat 500), which I'm sure you'd find fun in its own little ways and still be quite efficient. That's just my $.02...maybe more like $.25 based on length, but good luck with whatever you decide, though I'm sure you'll make the call that you're happiest with.

[Lil bastard]

Reality Check:

You need to think of the Boxster more in terms of the 944 and 928 so far as the used market is concerned.

The Market doesn't like your Boxster as well as you do. They are generally viewed as unreliable, expensive to maintain, and underpowered... then there's that Chick Car thing.

That's not to say they're right, but that's the general view.

Porsche also made waay too many of them, putting the car in a Buyer's Market, not a Seller's.

Add in the factor that you need to find the right individual buyer for your car. This won't be easy, and you'll endure lots of low-ballers and bottom-dwellers along the way which is discouraging. But, if you have the time, you will find the right guy - just don't be in a hurry to sell. That's the key.

Cheers!

[Perfectlap]

^ I don't think i've ever once read a Porsche article in either a U.S. or British magazine that would categorize a Boxster along the lines of a 944 or 928 on reliablity.
If the experts on Porsches feel this way then I'm not sure why a buyer would buy into that flawed notion. There's one thing I'm guaranteed to see in my Porsche specialists shop every time I visit: a 944 needing work. And unlike a few 928 owners I've known, I've yet to meet a Boxster owner who said they sold it because the mainteance was eating them alive.

Granted, Boxster as far as buyers do illicit caution from prospective buyers. But that's more to do with Porsche's checkered reputation than the Boxster itself.
As matter of fact, Consumer Reports ranked the 2000-2002 Boxster highly on reliablitiy when I was in the market for my Boxster back in 2005. Don't think much has changed since then on Boxster reliability. I think the average 1st time Boxster buyer these days is a lot more informed than the average 1st time Carrera buyer was 15-20 years ago. Serious buyers know these are as reliable as they come as far as Porsche goes. It's not like they think they're going to do better on repair costs with an old 911, 944 or 968.

The thing working against Boxsters isn't just the checkered Porsche history, it's also the fact that it is just a two seater. At least with a 911 you can sorta get two little kids in the rear so that wifey is somewhat appeased. The car is very impractical for anyone with a family. That's going to cut down the possible buyers and explains why so many middle-aged guys are allowed by wifey to splurge on a Carrera.

[Surfncpa]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

The thing working against Boxsters isn't just the checkered Porsche history, it's also the fact that it is just a two seater. At least with a 911 you can sorta get two little kids in the rear so that wifey is somewhat appeased. The car is very impractical for anyone with a family. That's going to cut down the possible buyers and explains why so many middle-aged guys are allowed by wifey to splurge on a Carrera.

Part of the reason I love my Boxster is because it is a two seater. The wife's Pilot can carry all the family for that stuff. My kids fight like crazy so having only one of them at a time is bliss. Or just having the wife in the passenger seat with the kids left at home is nice too. Lately my favorite passenger has been my surfboard, riding with the top down to the beach and back.

[landrovered]

Face it boys and girls the market for toys has gone down considerably since the global financial crisis.

Bass boats, ski boats, planes, sports cars, campers, 4 wheelers, riding lawnmowers, motorcycles, tractors, RVs, race cars, yachts and sailboats are all in great supply at historically low prices.

The only thing I would not try to buy now is a used hybrid or an electric car.

This can be perceived as good or bad. It all depends on which side of the transaction you are on.

I think that the possibility of picking up a used GT3 and a 35' sailboat for the price of a new 911 is not a bad thing. The key is that you have to USE what you buy and not trade three times to find what you thought you wanted the first time.

This is a market for buyers who keep stuff for the usable life of the item, not for traders or speculators.

This is the time to fill out your collection and build value for later.

[Johnny Danger]

Bass boats, ski boats, planes, sports cars, campers, 4 wheelers, riding lawnmowers, motorcycles, tractors, RVs, race cars, yachts and sailboats are all in great supply at historically low prices.

Phew, I didn't see whiskey and cheap women mentioned anywhere in there .

[Norminhouston]

"cheap women" is an oxymoron.

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by Norminhouston

"cheap women" is an oxymoron.

Don't let Jane hear you say that !