Cost of owning a 2013 Porsche Boxster (URGENT HELP)
 

Hello, I was initially planning to buy an used BMW 4 series until I did some research and found out I could buy my dream car (Porsche) for about similar price.

I saw a 2013 Porsche Boxster base (16,000 miles) for around $40,000 and a 2014 Porsche Boxster base (26,000 miles) for around $42,000.

However, only thing stopping me from buying the used Porsche Boxster is all the horror stories you hear about how expensive it is to maintain a Porsche. Hopefully, since the models I inquired about had very low mileage, I was hoping it would last at least 3-4 years until it broke down. I also plan to change the oil more frequently (I heard this makes a big difference).

How has your experience been with maintaining your Porsche Boxster? Was the cost of ownership so high that it made you regret your choice? How much do you put towards your car yearly and for what?

I did some research online, but I wanted to hear first hand experience from the Boxster owners. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you!

If you are worrying about the cost of repairs this may not be the car for you.
If you are handy with a wrench you can keep the cost down but P-parts are not cheap.

A 2013 should have some warranty with it and you could always get a longer duration if you are that worried about repair cost. No one can tell you if a car will go 4 years and not break however P-cars from my experience are very reliable.

Make sure you get a PPI and do your homework before purchase. Based on the two you mentioned I would think they are lease cars so there should be access to service records just check car fax and call the closest dealer to where the cars were registered. Porsche does not have a shared record base.

I'm a newer guy here, so more experienced members I'm sure will chime in. I would say get the Porsche if you really want one, you're buying a newer one so it's probably still under warranty or buy an extended warranty. I would probably buy the 2013 with the lower mileage and it's $2,000 cheaper. I bought a 99 Boxster with a 111,000 mile on it, so my experience will be totally different than yours. I think you'll be fine if it's under warranty and you have a pre-purchase inspection done. I think if you buy the BMW you'll regret not buying your dream car. For that kind of money you could buy a nice 911 too!

They are as reliable and expensive to fix as a BMW.

Owning a BMW once out of warranty can be expensive too....

Buy the newest porsche you can afford. One word:warranty. However if you want a car that is cheap to maintain buy a Honda Accord. German cars require maintenance. Plan for 1-2k a year. Sometimes less sometimes more depending on how long you will own this car. If you aren't afraid to turn a wrench a lot of the out of warranty work will be much less expensive.

The bmw will be the same although I've heard they are worse to own out of warranty than the Porsches.

DD, weekend getaway or track car? How you use the car will effect your maintenance costs. As others said, if you're good with hand tools you can reduce costs. Don't forget to factor in the sound of that flat 6 right behind you!

Interesting thread. Being an ex Boxster owner having owned a 2001 Boxster base for three years, sold it last year please allow me to express my opinion.

Above questions are so relevant. What are you going to use it for? Tracking, daily driver year round? I drove my Boxster year round for 3 years including driving in -20F. Can it be done? Yes but it is likely harder on the engine due to driving in extreme cold. Net result was green crud in the oil filter and was possibly due to chain guide rails breaking up.

Would I do it again? Possibly but not being my own mechanic meant that I am at the mercy of a P mechanic. My next move is an older Miata which I had before the Boxster as it is cheaper to fix.

Make sure there is warranty left on the one you choose as you seem apprehensive.
Make sure you get a PPI done before you commit. A lot depends on your financial situation which is none of my business. Once off warranty all bets are off. The amount of $$$ you are putting out is substantial so I hoping that once off warranty you will be comfortable if something goes wrong.

As for myself I likely will come back to a Porsche(Cayman?) because once you have owned one it is in your blood. And you will enjoy the ride.

Min,
You need to distiguish between :
1.Maintenance
2.Routine repairs
3.Surprise repairs
The M96/7 engine is the main source of #3. The warranty advice is correct.And it needs to be a warranty that actually pays.There are plenty of warranties that do not pay !

But a 2013 will have the 9a1 engine, so no IMS issues.

To the OP. I bought my 2008 Limited Edition S brand new and it has been one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. Water pumps are a weak pt (even on yours) - mine went out w/ 26K mi but was covered under warranty. The only part that failed was a temp sensor and it was $30 and took me 1/2 an afternoon to fix myself. However, now that she's getting some age on her (almost 8 yrs & 46K mi), she'll need some maintenance - plugs, coil packs, etc. Plus the clutch is getting weak but I'm hoping to nurse it another month and then change it in the spring. That will be around $1700 at the dealer. I have done most of the maintenance myself. My 08 Cayman S Sport has also been very reliable, but I use it for DEs so it can be expected to have a few more things go wrong with it.

As others have said, owning a German car is expensive. If you can do some of the routine maintenance yourself you'll save quite a bit. These cars are not hard to work on.

You might want to look closely at the tires on ea of the cars you're looking at. Mileage varies, but both will be in the range for new ones. That's a $1000 + or - depending on what brand you go with.

Another source for 981 chat is Planet-9. They cater to more newer Porsches.

Repairs:

First 70K Miles: $350.


70K - 100K miles (currently): $20K



The basic rule is "buy the newest Porsche you can afford" is not quiet correct in my book. It should be buy the lowest mileage Porsche you can afford. It may cost you a bit more up front but it's well worth it.

As far as maintenance (oil, tires, brakes, consumables, etc.) it will be the same as a BMW... but you get a Porsche. No-brainer...

p.s.
Try to negotiate with a local dealer on extending the factory warranty when the time comes if you are the type to worry/lose sleep over your car's repairs. These extended warranties are good business for the dealers. Don't bother with after market warranties, the fine print gives them every out to deny a huge claim.

I think i have been looking at the very same 2 porsche boxsters. both look awesome, I agree. the 16kmile one is very appealing. lots of time left on the warranty and a great price. Good luck. I feel your dilemma!

I plan to have it as my daily driver. My work commute is only about 7 miles away, so I'll be driving anywhere from 12,000 - 15,000 miles per year. In addition, I plan to some track in the future (couple years down the road).

Also, I'm just starting to learn about cars and I want to get to the point where I can do most simple maintenance myself. How hard is that for Porsche? Is it something I can teach myself using youtube videos and forum helps or do I need a technician to teach me?

Changing oil is the maintenance item you'll need to do the most, and it's a very easy DIY job. You'll save at least 33% ea time by doing it yourself and this is at least an annual job (based on your mileage est, 2-3X a yr). The #2 item is flushing brake fluid and with a Motive ($150) it's a very inexpensive DIY. Porsche requires brake fluid flushes every 2 yrs, but if you DE, you'll need to do it annually. Brake pads are very easy to change - it takes longer to jack the car up and take the tires off than it takes to change the pads. Air filters on Boxsters are a bit of a PITA to get to, but once again a reasonable DIY.

Depending on your current state of tool ownership, you'll need to invest in a few inexpensive items but they'll easily pay for themselves in the long run. There are plenty of articles and videos on maintenance procedures.

Buy the one with the low miles and have fun - Great cars - BMW vs. PCar for expenses - About the same at the end of the day. Neither are inexpensive to repair. Found the DIY work on the PCar simpler and easier to do.

Have worked on both over the years.

BMW are nice but they will never be a Porsche.

I owned 3 Porsches, 2 of them Boxsters. My experience with the later versions were that they were as reliable and as cheap to maintain as a Honda of the same era.

But as with everything, your experience may differ. A lot of the maintenance can be done yourself with online instructions and a few special tools. Even oil changes can be done at a fast lube place if you supply the right parts and even the right oil.

The significant expense will come if there is a major accident or engine/transmission repair needed. But the cars are rated reliable, so no more probability than any other car.

You are looking at 981 series cars, very different than 986 or 987 in terms of build quality. Do the common sense things like warming the engine up gently for the first few miles. 7 miles is about where the engine will be warm so oil changes at least twice as often as Porsche requires would be a must for me.

Is there a independent mechanic who works only on Porsches around you? Look on Independent Porsche Repair | Repair Shops Specializing in Porsche | PCarShops.com.

A 2013 Porsche will be far more reliable than a BMW or Mercedes and less expensive to maintain. It's not as cheap to maintain as my Toyota truck but the Porsche is a lot more fun to drive. Pick your poison.

Bought my 2006 987 new and paid... maybe $35 in repairs (new bulb for tail light). Granted, I purchased a set of wheels and snow tires, and had annual service at the dealership. In my new 2009 997.2S, I had several check engine lights (first model with pdk), but I don't think I paid more anything other than snow tires and annual service. During my ownership, I also had a battery failure, but the dealer provided me a new one at no cost (out of warranty). Both of those cars were DDs. I had the 987 for 3+ years, the 997.2S for 4+ years. Bought a new Box in 2k13, had one service issue (iPod charger interface fell and need minor adjustment). No cost, other than annual service, and a tire repair.

While there are "horror stories", I'm sure, I don't know that you can compare them with the "newer" cars. I don't have, nor have I ever felt I needed, a "fund" for repairs. But, I've bought new and often traded in just after warranty expires. Also, I really don't know how a daily 14 mile "work commute" (round trip?) equates to 12-15k miles... that doesn't make sense.

In all, I pay a few hundred dollars a year. Likely less than the cost of spending a few days at the track (per year) and wear/tear on tires, etc.

I don't think any vehicle is inexpensive to own today. They all have issues that humans must accept and deal with.

I haven't owned a 981 but bought a new 986 in 02. Unexpected car maintenance only cost me about $1000 out of pocket for an alternator change but was trouble free for 10 years and 50k miles. All I did was change the oil tires and brakes. After 10 years I spent some cash on it for preventative maintenance, but even then I probably could have delayed that service for another 2-5 years as I drove the car infrequently at that point. These cars are very reliable when new. When old well that's another story. I bout a 996 turbo and sold the boxster after 12 years of ownership, but I have some tolerance for maintenance although less and less as time goes by.