Most reliable Porsche long term?

[johnsimion]

Originally Posted by rondocap

So I greatly enjoy my Boxster, and it is fairly low mileage - 2001 with 54k miles.

Obviously like everyone here, I always have certain issues in the back of my mind - such as the infamous IMS failure. Generally normal wear and tear and maintenance is fine, but to have the threat of a complete engine failure looming is a bit much.

So what's the next step up? Obviously a 2009+ Boxster is more reliable, but what about cars between 2001-2009? Are the 996 911 models reliable and free from these troubles?

How about the early Cayman cars? Same deal? Or is there a particular engine that is more robust?

I would say your own car is very reliable except for the IMS, and there are a lot of people who swear even the IMS isn't much of an issue. My big concern if I were you would not be the risk of the IMS breaking but the cost of replacing the engine if it does. If I were you and really liked my car, I would invest in a new clutch and the LN Engineering fix for the IMS (you'll probably need a new clutch soon anyway, and the same labor is involved). That would be a heckuva lot cheaper than trading and probably just as reliable or more so.

I hear the 06's through 08's have a Porsche-improved IMS and don't have much problem with it (I hope, because I have an 08). However, as a practical matter you can't upgrade it. If you have the money, anything 09 and newer should be very reliable ... but very expensive, too.