Please tell me if I am crazy or not ....

[Silverstreak]

Before I bought my Boxster S, I extensively put time into checking out the Honda S2000. It is like a motorcycle on 4 wheels and a great car, however after deciding on and purchasing the Boxster S, the Porsche clearly is a superior car.

The Boxster easily out handles the Honda, but the FAT torque curve right where you need it is the main thing that makes the car a winner..... not to mention the looks and overall vibe of the car.

The problem is, after I bought it (mine is a 2000) I found out about the RMS problems, but worse yet, found out about the motors self destructing. This is like a bad dream for me as I can't afford to replace a motor in this thing ..... I could barely afford the car and insurance as is. I don't think ANYONE should be expected to have to replace a low mile motor in a high end car because of an Engineering screw up that Porsche won't take responsiblity for.

That said, I have another chance at a mint 05 S2000 with 1K miles. It would take $5,000 and my Boxter to buy it. It's not really a good deal in any way, but at least with the Honda I would have some piece of mind.

It comes down to, will my 27K Porsche S be one that will stay together and give years of enjoyment, or will it be the worst automotive investment I've ever made? I really would like to keep it.

It's like a big gamble.

Sorry for the rant .......maybe I worry too much ?

do you really honestly think that it's not possible that the s2000 could possibly have an engine failure. it is a high revving engine, like the m3 engines. you probably think that the m3 is a very reliable car, well guess what it has probably had just as many rms leaks to engine failures. the s2000 is not safe by any means.

[Silverstreak]

Originally Posted by KronixSpeed

do you really honestly think that it's not possible that the s2000 could possibly have an engine failure. it is a high revving engine, like the m3 engines. you probably think that the m3 is a very reliable car, well guess what it has probably had just as many rms leaks to engine failures. the s2000 is not safe by any means.

I haven't heard of them coming apart at stoplights like the Porsche.

[unklekraker]

i think you pretty much answer your own question. Your heart is already set for S2000 w/c is there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not here to convince you to stay on Boxster or get the S2K, I think both cars are great esp. if you put Miata on the selection, IMHO. But the "WOW" factor is one of the reason i bought it

I got 99' Boxster and not worrying about it coz' I bought a 4yr/100k Extended Warranty.
You, my friend has 2k Boxster S. i envy you
*Oh yah, BTW..everytime i met up w/ my friends (they got S2k, M3, Acura RSX) other friends will always compliment my car, the first impression when i pull in of the driveway with the top down are...deng, foo! you drive a Porsche?
*expressing this in a humble way*

[Sammy]

Personally I think you're freakin' nuts!!! JK

Enjoy the car and stop worrying! Losing $5k would be nuts IMHO, and if you are that worried use $1500 and buy an extended warranty. Not to mention, if you buy the S2000 and lose the $5k you will also lose the looks and performance of the Boxster. Frankly, it's worth the small chance of a major engine failure to save $5k and drive the Boxster.

[z12358]

Keep the $5k (that you planned to spend for the switch) as a starter for a "comfort cushion" and save into it as much as you can (saving is good anyway). Your S has already had 27k (trouble free? records?) miles, and most major issues (if any) would have popped up by now. I see your situation like this: You like the Box S more but are now afraid that you may have overstretched and may not be able to handle the uncertainity of potential repair. Remedy the situation by saving up for the cushion.

Paying MORE for what you perceive to be a less costly car to repair is not a solution. EVERY car breaks, and a cushion is a must.

Z.

[Silverstreak]

Originally Posted by z12358

Keep the $5k (that you planned to spend for the switch) as a starter for a "comfort cushion" and save into it as much as you can (saving is good anyway). Your S has already had 27k (trouble free? records?) miles, and most major issues (if any) would have popped up by now. I see your situation like this: You like the Box S more but are now afraid that you may have overstretched and may not be able to handle the uncertainity of potential repair. Remedy the situation by saving up for the cushion.

Paying MORE for what you perceive to be a less costly car to repair is not a solution. EVERY car breaks, and a cushion is a must.

Z.

Thanks guys for the feedback .....


I bought the car off a private owner. I wonder if a Porsche dealership would sell me an extended warranty after an inspection? I guess I could go down there and ask.

The other idea was to drive it and sell it in the spring, then find a Carrera that (hopefully) didn't suffer from the intermediate shaft failure prob.... or the RMS prob. I will have to research the Carreras a bit more closely before I make another move.

[RandallNeighbour]

Your list of rides in your signature are void of anything German except your boxster. You obviously like Jap cars...which are far more reliable and they are fun, but they're not a Porsche. I've owned a parade of japanese sports cars and they're all the same to me... knock offs of the real thing. Of course, this is my not so humble opinion and I will stand by it regardless of what others might post to argue with me.

I say go ahead and sell it and get into that S2000 and be done with it.

There are those who always wanted a Porsche and the joys of owning one of the world's best German sports cars far outweight the potential risks involved in ownership. It's really a passion for me and always has been. A faster, nearly maintenance free and bullet proof Japanese car would still be a cheap imitation and leave me wanting.

You don't appear to be of the same mind as me if you are debating this. Sell your Porsche and get back into a japanese car and sleep at night and enjoy your ride. Life is too short to drive something you second-guess.

[unklekraker]

If you are looking to buy an extended warranty, your best place is warrantydirect.com. you could get a bumper to bumper w/ $100 deductible for $3500

Also, if money is not an issue, yah get a Carrera but make sure that's the car that you really want coz' if not...you're digging your financial hole deeper. Like what randall was saying..you are second guessing it now, be done with it...sell it and buy the S2K that you really wanted. plus investing in a car is not really a good one, car is meant for transporting and having fun with it not an investment

Originally Posted by Silverstreak

Thanks guys for the feedback .....


I bought the car off a private owner. I wonder if a Porsche dealership would sell me an extended warranty after an inspection? I guess I could go down there and ask.

The other idea was to drive it and sell it in the spring, then find a Carrera that (hopefully) didn't suffer from the intermediate shaft failure prob.... or the RMS prob. I will have to research the Carreras a bit more closely before I make another move.

[z12358]

Originally Posted by Silverstreak

Thanks guys for the feedback .....


I bought the car off a private owner. I wonder if a Porsche dealership would sell me an extended warranty after an inspection? I guess I could go down there and ask.

The other idea was to drive it and sell it in the spring, then find a Carrera that (hopefully) didn't suffer from the intermediate shaft failure prob.... or the RMS prob. I will have to research the Carreras a bit more closely before I make another move.

A dealer is not going to give you a warranty. But go and ask anyway. People here have written about third-party warranties.

Carrera is not going to make you sleep better, as the "issues" are the same there.

Z.

some porsche dealers now offer third party warranties in house. mine does. it's actually really good...........this is how it works.....

i pay $3500 for 4 or 5 years. in that time, if anything happens it's covered in warranty. if nothing happens in 4 to 5 years, they give me back my $3500. is
that not an insane warranty. don't quote me on the price or years, buts that approx up or down a year or a dollar.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Silverstreak

Thanks guys for the feedback .....


I bought the car off a private owner. I wonder if a Porsche dealership would sell me an extended warranty after an inspection? I guess I could go down there and ask.

The other idea was to drive it and sell it in the spring, then find a Carrera that (hopefully) didn't suffer from the intermediate shaft failure prob.... or the RMS prob. I will have to research the Carreras a bit more closely before I make another move.

I'll save you the time. 996 carreras suffer from the exact same engine problems as boxsters except for maybe the slipped sleeve thing that afffected a few 99's.

[super66]

I heard the xbox 360 catches on fire and burns houses down but I bought one.....this frickin board made me lose some sleep when purchasing my 05......don't let it get to you.....if you want an ugly s2000 get it....then again I would never want to drive in something that looks like a shoe

[Perfectlap]

I would not buy a new S2000. Its pointless.
You will get the same reliability, performance and looksn from a second hand
S2000. And what a sports car bargain it will be.

I don't believe the Boxster S is superior to the S2000 in any way that is quantifiable. They are in the same league. In terms of styling a well styled Boxster is in my opinion a nicer looking car but that's purely subjective.

If I were you I would either get a warranty for that BoxsterS or look for a second hand S2000. It sounds like you are at the limit on disposable income so a new car really is not a good move, you'll lose money you should be saving/investing on the depreciation of a new car. Also you will get more of your money back buying a second hand S2000 which you can later use to buy CPO in warranty Boxster a few years down the line.

[Silverstreak]

Originally Posted by Adam

I'll save you the time. 996 carreras suffer from the exact same engine problems as boxsters except for maybe the slipped sleeve thing that afffected a few 99's.

Wow, that's a bummer. What year Carreras are safe, if any ?

[Silverstreak]

Thanks for everyone's feedback.

I am hoping since my car has 27K on it and no probs other than the RMS @19K miles, maybe I am worrying over nothing. If I remember right, all the intemediate shaft probs happened at rather low mileage.

I've decided against the S2000 for now. I may buy one at some time in the future just to get it out of my system, but for now I'll put a few miles on the Porsche and hope for the best.

[z12358]

Originally Posted by Silverstreak

Thanks for everyone's feedback.

I am hoping since my car has 27K on it and no probs other than the RMS @19K miles, maybe I am worrying over nothing. If I remember right, all the intemediate shaft probs happened at rather low mileage.

I've decided against the S2000 for now. I may buy one at some time in the future just to get it out of my system, but for now I'll put a few miles on the Porsche and hope for the best.

Always glad to help a fellow driver steer back on the right path. Few k miles and couple of years there will get you hooked for good.

Z.

[Wonko The Sane]

One thing that I've found, echoing the sediment of previous posters, is that people only report on the things that are wrong with their cars... how boring would the forum be if it were just filled with "I just went to pick up milk, and had no problems" posts? Obviously, people hanging out on a car forum are going to be discussing car problems more than any other place... It's also a lot easier to come across as being extremely mean-spirited towards car manufacturers when there's a problem anything, whether it's their fault or not..

If you ever want to have piece of mind about any cars, never read a forum before you buy... or after.. actually, avoid them all together..

So get back out onto the road, and put the smile back on your face

[S_PILOT]

there's no question in my mind of which car would be more reliable, just looking at the track record of both cars-the S2k by a long way. I have owned Hondas for years and only Toyota can compete with them in terms of hundreds of thousands of trouble-free miles.

that being said.......You buy a Box because you are passionate about performance and breed heritage in my opinion. It's rarely a rational decision when you buy a roadster. Plus, a true roadster(again in my opinion) can't have a front engine, rear drive set up.....that's a convertible

My biggest issue with the S2k is the i-VTEC. I have driven two of them on the track, as well as our Box S. Mid-Ohio to be exact.

You just have to stay too high in the revs all the time to get any real enjoyment out of the car-you are shifting constantly. Even sprinting through traffic, the S2k needs to be in 3rd and sometimes 2nd gear a lot. it just has no torque whatsoever to speak of. that's the downside of the otherwise fantastic i-VTEC technology.

The Box S reminds me of my Z06 from a torque standpoint. it just has so much grunt on the low end. It's hard to imagine they can get that much pull out of 3.2 liters. No, it does not redline in the 9's like the S2k, but you don't need high revs in this car to get it to the limit in a hurry.

And the mid-engine: don't get me started. if you ever get a chance to get these two cars in their born-for environments, the track, it would become very clear which of the two embodies the sports car spirit. throttle steering the Box S is something that has to be experienced-you can push the rear to your heart's content(with PSM disengaged of course!), knowing you will get plenty of notice when it's had enough. The S2K just has no middle ground. pushing it through off-camber turns at Mid-Ohio is a little harrowing(at least in my amateur hands). The rear end just comes around with very little provocation.

A long post, but I just wanted to let you in on my experience with both cars.

good luck!

[Adam]

S_pilot. That was a great look into each cars abilities. I'ts good to get real feedback.