Are 986 ('97-'04) Boxster prices still dropping, or have the flattened ?
 

Are 986 ('97-'04) Boxster prices still dropping, or have the flattened over the last few years, or are they appreciating?

It seems a base Boxster is around $6k where an S is $12k.
I don't think 217hp vs 250hp is much of a big deal for my street driving.
Is the "S" model worth the premium?

I am aware of the IMS issue, and that it may be overhyped.
I am figuring it's $1500 to resolve.

What comes with the Sport package?
Deal breaker for a car without it ?

Is it worth paying more for a 2003+ ?
There seems to be a huge jump in price from $5k-$12k range for 97-02 and then it seems to jump to $20k for 2003+
What year range is the best bang for the buck?

What is a fair price for a Boxster S (2000-2002) with about 50k miles?

See this thread:

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/61608-boxster-prices.html

In California, 986 prices seem to be stable and closely related to mileage.

A lot of your questions are seeking opinions, but I'll address the fact-based part - what does "sport package" mean. To me, it seems it could refer to sport seat option, or sport suspension option. The sport suspension is also called "M030" option and basically means it has stiffer springs, swaybars, and shocks. The sport seat basically has broad wings that cradle the shoulders area.

There may be more than one option packages that has the word "sport" in it, like sport touring package for example, but you'll have to research the particulars of what the option package for the year you're looking at comes with, and don't be surprised if it doesn't include sport seats or sport suspension.

Happy 986 hunting!

$3 to 4K for IMS-B, RMS & clutch, not $1500.

My 01 "S" was 15k in 2013 with 55k miles. I figure its worth ~$12 now with 75k miles.

I think the prices will still drop a bit to say $8K with 80k miles over the next 5 years but after that they will likely hold and start to rise as the supply starts to dry up a bit.

A roller with blown engine still goes for about 3-$4K as a parts car and racer platform. Adding a used 80K miles engine to it is about 3-$4K so I don't see the price dropping much below the 6-$8k point.

Typically the "S" is selling for 2k more than the base but it seems like the gap is growing lately due to demand.

As far as the HP/torque difference you will notice this forum stuffed with mods to get 5 hp here and 10 hp there and people spending well in excess of $2k to get more power. Why do you think that is?
Never heard anyone say a Boxster is overpowered!
Watch the racing videos of Boxsters coming out of a turn onto a straight.
I rest my case.

I may be biased but I test drove both a 2.7 and the 3.2 Boxster and the difference was huge to me. Its truly the torque and not the HP that you will notice most in street driving anyway so compare the Torque numbers for a better idea of what to expect.

Your post rambles in a few different directions from your title, so I hope nobody minds if mine does. I'm not really going to answer your questions too well.

What do you want a Boxster for? Are you going to drive it every day and rack up the miles? Keep it pristine and drive it on sunny holidays only? Track it and drive it hard? Take it downtown and try to be a hero from stoplight to stoplight? What you want the car for makes a big difference in which one is best for you or whether you should even get one.

Prices change regionally and seasonally. Find lower miles, but harder season in the winter regions. Is a stored Boxster better than a driven one? --Debatable. Many people will fly over 1000 miles to pick up the right one, then drive it home. I bought my 5th one in Atlanta and had it delivered 800 miles- no time for the trip, but I would have enjoyed the drive.
I watch the Dallas Craigslist and eBay for general price trends. Dallas has plenty on the market at a given time and eBay has SOLD prices.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1464791446.jpg

I see prices up a bit right now. I see prices on salvage/wrecked 986 & 996 up as well.
The best 986? 2004 550 Spyder 50th Anniversary Edition.
The best value? 1998. Prices seem to dip a bit here without a good reason.
Worth buying an S over a Base? Personal. Nobody can answer that for you.
The IMS issue is overhyped. Until you see metal in your oil filter. Lots of discussion on this forum. *Search* Some of the best reads are the threads where someone replaced their own and made a mistake. Tragedy and triumph....
I did one of mine with the bearing from Pelican Parts for about $500 counting tools and parts. Some people gladly pay 10x that for a better bearing professionally installed.

Go buy a clean, low mile, cared for 2000 S from California for $12,500 - 13,500 and drive it home. 2000 Boxster S
or a bit higher mile for near 1/2 that. 2000 Porsche Boxster S /Clean CarFax/Clean Title/One Owner, 2001,2002,
But don't get either of those.... Buy from the classified section of this forum.

/end of ramble. thx.

There are many attractively priced Boxsters. But how many of them are mechanically sound?
Without a PPI we'll never know. This issue is much more important for the M96 engined cars. why? Because of the higher cost and incidence of expensive engine repairs than alternative vehicles.
So whatever you do, get a PPI by a competent Indie before you buy a beautiful money pit. And meanwhile ,read the Threads that include the word "Roller" for a different perspective on prices :-)

What's a fair price for a 2002 S model in great shape and under 50k miles?
Torn CV boots, slight tear in rear window, and no IMS done.

That black one looked like a crazy deal until I noticed its an automatic.

Price can greatly depend on location and time of yr. Prices in SoCal are cheaper b/c there are more available than in Fargo, ND. But that Box for sale in Fargo in Oct may be cheaper than ones in SoCal because of the looming weather change. You don't list where you're located and if you're willing to travel for the right car.

You just have to do the research yourself and you'll be able to tell what's a good price and what's not. Coming back here and P-9 with every ad you see will get old for the members. How do you learn prices? Become friends with the various pricing guides - KBB, NADA, etc. I use NADA and use a rule of thumb of a fair price is half way between Clean Trade-In and Retail. The 2nd thing I do is look at various city's Craigslists. San Fran, LA, Dallas, Houston, Miami are good ones for lots of Boxsters and Caymans. You'll get a feel for what a particular yr and model go for.

Then you have to deduct for work that needs to be done. And it depends if you can do the work or have to hire it done. Just some off the cuff estimates for the one above:

torn boots - $500
replace window - $1000
replace IMS - $2000 (clutch + IMS)

Once again, these est done with no searching (other than the IMS which is a std est), but these est would need to be deducted from the value of a good car. You can search here for those items and see plenty of threads on these topics. Price is usually included in them.

Once you know the value for a particular yr and model and any work it needs, then you can determine a price for that car and compare it to the value the seller thinks it's worth.

Regardless, more reviews like this for the 718, and any NA flat 6 will appreciate!

Porsche 718 Boxster 2-litre PDK review - prices, specs and 0-60 time | Evo

"Disappointing. Underwhelming. Soul destroying. All words and phrases I never thought I’d write about a Porsche sports car..."

Not sure I'd go so far as to say "any NA flat 6". The immediate impact will be with 981s. Any left in dealer stock will go for close to full price. There might be a stabilization or slight bump on used 981s and maybe Cayman Rs, but that bump's not going to roll clear down to the 986. A $5K 986 won't suddenly be worth $6-7K. It took 20 yrs for air cooled Porsches to take off in price. So pack your 986 away and cash in in 2036. Or drive it.

Any reason this only got a top bid of $7500 ?
Porsche Boxster S | eBay

Air cooled cars took off, partly due to the fact that there is a very limited supply of them.
I wonder if the production numbers of 986/987 are closer to something like the BMW E30 ?

One always reads that, yet there were over 24,000 993's imported to the US, and over 60,000 worldwide. I just don't get the hype/inflated prices. There's a reason they're in the same autocross class as a 986 S (even the 4S)...not that quick, or good handling.

^^ isn't that low? Aren't there like 300,000 Boxsters made? That's like more than a factor of 10.

1 bid and bidder doesn't work for an auction. It takes 2 to tango. The seller doesn't help the situation by minimally describing his car. Pretty much a cat in the sack. Not going to garner a lot of interest (and bids) without telling more about it. It could be great, it could be a POS. How do we know? Why should we bid?

Plus there are lots of Boxsters avail in other places than ebay. People may not be looking there, so consequently not bidding. Why buy via ebay when you can go look at a local car? Esp with a garden variety car.

Do your research on what the proper value is on an 02S w/ 84K mi and then contact the owner. He may be disappointed w/ his auction result and want to move it. Don't forget to quiz him on what's been done and what needs to be done and deduct accordingly.

Uh, 300/60= 5X worldwide. Over 20 years of production.

But if you're looking at only 986's: 160,000 total, 35,000 2000-2002 986 "S" (the ORIGINAL BEST Boxster :cheers:), and 50,000 total 2000-2004 986 "S".

I listed my Boxster S for sale and sold it to the first person that came and looked at it. I had 6 interested parties with 2 out of state and four local with appointments to see the car. Ad placed in multiple places with two dozen photos, a complete description of the car including all service done helps. Having a LN IMS upgrade was also huge plus and I'd say based on my sale price I got most of the money back on the investment. Being a 6-speed S is definitely the most desirable of the breed and the somewhat small production numbers helps to create a decent demand. I have found that a well maintained Porsche priced right is always easy to sell in my experience (sold 4).

Here are the production numbers by year and model from Hemmings

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1464972754.jpg

What have prices done in the last 2.5 years?

Dropped like a rock

Not true. If anything, stable and heading a bit upward. My 2002 S books for over 14k as it sits, that's nearly 2k over when I bought it.

Granted, there are the oddballs out there, but a very good condition, well maintained car is going to come at a premium. These model years are the last of the "inexpensive classics" and plenty of people are canning them as they die rather than fixing them. The market will thin. Will they ever become top dollar? Who knows? But then, who would have EVER thought a 924 of any sort would have value? An 11k example just sold for 53k. Or a better example is look at the 914 market... it's crazy right now. And, now that Porsche is doing the classics reboot, that just brings the 986 back into the headlights. Look at the above post, the high majority is all in on the release.

Boxter prices mimic any used car of similar age and condition. A $50K new Boxster from back in the day now worth $7.5K represent depreciation of 85%. One can find decent Boxsters al day at $7.5K +/- a grand.

Well, I just bought an '04 with 44K miles, for $14.9K recently. Why so much, well, hardly a scratch on it, the original (1 owner) had sheepskin covers on the seats so they are perfect, original top, Bose, S wheels, all records, one owner car, etc., etc.

Here is the 5-year value chart...

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1541047311.jpg

I wonder if the upswing for 2004 is because of the SE? The SE is already becoming a collector's car.

What's the latest update in 2020?

pretty much the same as it was in 2018.

with few exceptions, these cars aren't worth much

Got a very good 2002 S for 10,500 with 80k miles 6 months ago... California car and great service record. IMS and clutch were done at 70k and it runs like a top. Just minor interior wear... I thought it was a great deal.

My .02
 

If you want a driver and not a weekend toy, buy a 2003 or 2004.

Glass window.

Glove box.

Improved engine compartment cooling.

Improved styling.

Lots of improvements to interior fit and finish.

And the youngest of the 986 series, so rubber and hose deterioration is the lowest.

Good luck.

Prices have been going up lately, don't be fooled by comparing 10 year old cars to 20 year old cars. The 986's that have been well maintained inside & out including engine are very much in demand, even the non loaded with options that people like me prefer over "loaded" with non performance, weight adding options & nannys. That's why I bought a 2000"S" to avoid PSM.

Plastic window = lighter weight & better access to engine

No glovebox = less crap in the car to make noise, console is big enough for my needs

Styling change is personal preference. For me lighter is better.

How so? Can you elaborate please. Thanks

Interesting opening statement to say the least! I thought "Driver car" meant performance, but your list says driver comfort as in weekend toy? And to stir up the masses the only car in the chart going up is the '98' :)

I know you're just stirring the masses.... :) but

the chart is actually pretty useless. it doesn't specify N of each year, separate base vs S, factor in mileage, options, or even where the supposed numbers are taken from - IE asking price? sales price? source of prices? etc

Ahmen the original shape is the best so I went 2000 S as well. And all there is, is wheel spin control which you can turn off. Thought about rear glass but more weight put me off as well as the change in roof line. It's more about plastic window and Spyder for me

Your experience may differ. I did these repairs myself for:

torn boots - cost of the boots, nuts, bolts, circlips and grease $50
replace window - hand sewed in a new one - $70 could have done it for less... a learning experience.
verified IMS and replaced clutch plate - $350-$400

The total for getting the maintenance up to date - $1400 (including above items)
Paid less than $4000 ($5000 CDN) for the car, a 2000 base 5-speed with 115,000 miles.