Boxster S 02 vs. 04 deciding which to buy
 

I have been searching for the right Boxster to fit my budget. I have narrowed my search to a 2002 and a 2004 Boxster S. Could you please gives me your thoughts on which you would recommend given a $2,400 price difference?
Both have low miles (33k on the 02 and 39k on the 04). Both are manual, are similarly equipped, both have passed a PPI with only minor cosmetic flaws noted. The 02 has had 3 owners and has been driven only 1,000 miles in the last 3 years. The 04 has had 2 owners and been driven only 6,000 miles in the past 3 years.

The price for the 02 is $17k and the 04 is $19.4k. I realize that I haven't provided complete information, but would be very interested in your thoughts on whether the additional price is worth paying for a two year newer model.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Which color do you like best? :)

Ok, more seriously, standard logic is to buy the newest model you can afford so I'd say start with the 04 and negotiate hard to get the best deal you can. If the owner won't move on the price, see what you can make happen with the 02.

And good job on getting a PPI on both cars! A round of 986Forum cheers for this fellow! :cheers:

I would try getting the 04 at a lower price and buying it. As mentioned it is always better money wise to get the newest model you can buy.

CR

get the 04 S, don't mess around get the IMSB done now, then go out and drive it like you stole it!

you jest, but that is big deal to me. I passed on several cars because of the color. I even had a list of acceptable colors in order of preference. Got really lucky and found the color I wanted, great condition and great price (thanks to my frugal Asian wife).
In my younger years I had often settled on a car that I didn't like the color. always regretted it.

IMHO, I would go with the 04 and try to get a better price (although that is not a bad price). The interior changed a little in 03 and among other things, it has a real glove box. I think the glass rear window also came in starting in 03 (I could be wrong on the start year) Both have very few miles in the last 3 years, which is not as good as moderate driving.

Are there service records for either one? You can sometimes get some idea form a CarFax. Also if they are local cars, check with the local Porsche dealers and see what service was done.

Expect with little driving in the last 3 years you will need to replace all or most of the fluids (oil, coolant, brake). Unless you have proof they were changed you will need to do it. Also the tires may be dried out and possibly flat spotted, check the date codes and look at them carefully for cracks in the rubber.

For my money, I would buy the newest one.

04S gives you glass rear window and 6 speed - not sure if the 02S is 6 or 5, but I know it has plastic window. I would go 4 the 04S unless you really like the colors on the 02S better.

Both cars sound high on price, but the S is easily worth the price difference, also it is actually better that the S has been driven more in the past 3 years.

Go with the 04 since it has been driven more lately and has the glass rear window, glove-box, but only if you like the color.

The price is too high on both by about 2-3K so you need to do some haggling.

You don't lose anything by trying if your nice about it and can always pay asking price if all else fails and you can't bring yourself to walk.

Another vote for the '04. The money you save if you go for the '02 will quickly be gone when the plastic rear window cracks and you have to replace the top...

You can setup a free account at mycarfax.com, and while it won't give you the same thing as a regular carfax, it may show some service records. My boxster had 2. A used Tacoma I bought had tons of records, including showing an engine replacement 60k ago.

Steve

I'd consider both those cars as very low mileage and the price seems like a good starting point. Most sellers expect to take a 10% hit. So go for it and make an offer on the 2004. You will be glad you bought the newer model.

Got luck on your quest.

'02 S manual is a 6 speed.

all manual S have 6 speed

Update: PPI results
 

The PPI results are in. Here is a summary of the inspection report on both vehicles.

'02- this Boxster S is rated overall as Excellent. No engine codes, one small scratch noted on the front bumper, it has Pirelli S tires which have 40% remaining, foam is blowing out of the AC vent, and the roll bar wind deflectors are missing. Driving, shifting, and braking all rated excellent. Some of the lug nuts have rust. Clean inside and out and well taken care of.
'04- this Boxster S is rated overall as Good. The scanner returned one engine code-P0332 - knock sensor 2 circuit low input Bank 2. There are three minor scratches noted on the paint- one on the front right fender and one on each of the doors. The drivers door storage arm rest does not stay up. The headlights are sun faded. Tires are new, 85%, Sumitomo tires. Driving, shifting, and braking all rated excellent. The oil appears new and there are no leaks.

So there appear to be some pros and cons to both vehicles. Any further thoughts?
Thanks again for your counsel on this big decision. I will keep you posted on the remainder of the story and appreciate your further advice.

Oh, and by the way the 02 has a blue exterior and gray interior. The 04 is black on black.

Update: PPI results
 

Sorry, duplicate post.

I believe we all misunderstood and thought the 02 was a base model. Since both are an S it is a closer battle, dont worry about the wind deflectors i have been searching for a replacement car myself and their literately is not a single car with them for sale. I usually stay away from cars where the lights are particularly sun faded, not because it can not be fixed or it looks bad, but i use this a judge on how well it was cared for, under a car cover and what not. Especially if a newer car has fadded lights, it is inevitable on a 97 but and 03 is a bit worse.

The foam is normal for these cars as it breaks down from age. As Jake mentioned, missing wind deflectors is common. I bought mine off of eBay. Yellowed lenses mean the car has spent a lot of time sitting outside. Something to think about. Hopefully others will chime in on the engine code. The interior/glove box and the glass window on the 2004 are very nice to have. I upgraded my plastic window top to glass to the tune of $1100.

03 , 04 cars are much better . the motors are much smoother and they have the newer version of vario cam which makes the power in the upper revs much better. way more car than just a glass window and glove box !

04 will have different front and rear bumpers and side vents also.

The purchase
 

Well I thought I would write the rest of the story as a way of showing my appreciation to those of you who have read this and offered your advice. Based on the comments I read here I asked the dealer to run down the error code. They found a loose wire to the knock sensor, reattached it, and reran the scan. No error code showed up after multiple attempts. I ended up selecting the 2004 Boxster S, black on black. Although the 2002 was well cared for and cosmetically very nice, it was missing several options that the 2004 had. Mainly, heated seats and the trip computer along with the enhancements to the 2004 model year.
I purchased the vehicle in Houston, and after spending all day at the dealer finally got on the road at 6 o'clock yesterday driving home to Cincinnati. I am now passing through Nashville Tennessee. The car is running flawlessly and I've taken a couple scenic detours along the way. Several times I have involuntarily smiled as the car navigated through twists and turns or effortlessly responded to the need to accelerate.
The only negative has been the fact that the key remote does not work, maybe because of a dead battery. As a result I have somehow engaged the alarm system and must race to put the key in the ignition before the horn goes off after unlocking the door. And it's embarrassing to be at a gas station trying to figure out how to open the gas fill door and not sure exactly what I'm doing to lock or unlock it.
Thank you again for your counsel. All of the suggestions help me to research the right decision, assisted me in asking the right questions, and helped me negotiate a better price then I would have without the information.

how do you like Nashville? my stomping grounds.

Nashville is very nice. Lots of good culture, great food and beautiful countryside. The longest part of the trip seemed to be the stretch from Memphis to Nashville, so I was really glad to see it in my rear view mirror.

yeah, not a whole lot on that stretch of road. at the least Nashville to Cincinnati has sights. we have a site in Fairfield so I make the drive to there from Nashville pretty often.

good choice on the 04,the variocam+ is a performance upgrade, also if you were to consider an engine upgrade it would open up a lot of options. I am also considering upgrading to an 04 996. a friend has made me an offer I cannot refuse on my 00 boxy and a 3.6 will probably put a little more smile on my face than the present 2.7.

Really enjoying my new daily driver
 

I am very happy that I selected the 04 S The acceleration and power in each gear is really amazing. The handling on twisting roads is also what makes this is really fun ride. Now I'm trying to figure out the best solution for Bluetooth connectivity to my iPhone for hands-free calling and streaming music.

you of course can replace the head unit

If you just want to add Bluetooth, look at the iSimple solution. Its around $100 and connects at the antenna.

iSimple iSFM2351 Bluetooth Hands-Free and Audio Streaming for all FM Radios :: iPod Adapters & Interfaces

I was about to get one, but have decided to replace the CDR23 with a Parrot Asteroid Smart and it has all the bell and whistles