Should I buy 2003 S or 2005 (986 or 987)?

[racer_d]

Originally Posted by rahlstrom

They both were great in the turns and very fast. With the '05 going up to 240 HP there is only an 18HP difference and both are plenty quick for me. I'm thinking mnore about long-term value and reliability. The '03 got some knocks from Consumer Reports but I don't trust a ton of what they write about cars.

Value? Yikes. These are Boxsters. Not much drops in depreciation faster than a Boxster. My guess is that in 3 years, these cars will be worth 1/2 of what you pay for them now. Sad, but likely.

Reliability? again, you only "hear" from those with problems and hardly ever do people post/brag about how trouble free their cars are. I am quite confident that either model will have some "issue" if you own the car long enough.

[Bob O]

I haven't driven either model, or obviously neither specific car, but there's an old adage about buying a Porsche.. buy the newest model you can afford. The warranty on the 05 is worth a LOT in my opinion. To get the same coverage in the 03 you'd have to spend an additional ohhhhhhh 3K or so for an aftermarket warranty. (I assume an aftermarket warranty is available after the original factory warranty runs out??? I bought mine before the warranty expired, so I really don't know)

I personally don't like the newer interior at all. I prefer the curves and overall appearance of the 986 interior, but there are "millions" of fans of the 987 interior, so take my opinion for what its worth! If the two are in comparable shape and have had equally adequate attention paid to maintenance, (and that fact can be proven) I'd have to go with the '05, just because its newer, has the warranty and two years' worth of improvements from the factory. Just MHO. (On the other hand.. you probably can't go wrong with either choice!!!) Good luck and have fun.

Bob

[BOXZING]

Exterior wise, the 987 is ugly compared to the 986. The huge wheel well gaps adds immensly to the ugliness. Interior wise, the 987 is much nicer. The bigger motor of the 03 S is a major plus, can't beat the dispacement with add ons. I'd get the 03 S. Good luck

[super66]

Originally Posted by BOXZING

Exterior wise, the 987 is ugly compared to the 986. The huge wheel well gaps adds immensly to the ugliness

my ugly 987 below

*rubs eyes...clears glasses.....still wondering hos its ugly compared to a 986 *

rahl, if you're worried about warranty, note the 3K you don't spend in the exteded warranty for the 03 can be applied to wheels.....I think less than 1500 got me the wheels and tires...

I say go newer if you can......but drive them both...my 987 is a daily and I can't stand driving ANY other car...its that good....and go with he painted cayman vents....either way, best of luck

[E Kaplan]

I honestly don't think anyone can really help you with this decision. Beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. Anyway, I also agree in that the warranty has a lot of value. Essentially, you have no worries with the warranty. Just enjoy the car and if anything happens, you won't have to pay alot of money to repair your car. It's easy to install an aftermarket radio and speakers, so that is not much of a problem. I have a base 2000 and love it. The S is quicker, no question, but for 95% of the time I drive, it does not really matter. I would choose the newer model with the warranty.

Good Luck!

[2000SoCalBoxsterS]

Originally Posted by BOXZING

Exterior wise, the 987 is ugly compared to the 986. The huge wheel well gaps adds immensly to the ugliness. Interior wise, the 987 is much nicer. The bigger motor of the 03 S is a major plus, can't beat the dispacement with add ons. I'd get the 03 S. Good luck

I agree. I like the look and side air scoops much better on the 986. I would definitely go with the 2003 S for the looks, the power and the better handling.

[Sloan]

I don't have the link to 'my' thread handy, but I posted the same question long ago, got a ton of thoughtful responses, and ultimately purchased a low miles 2003 S.

I saw the exact same Consumer Reports, however, if you'll look at the 2007 cars edition, you'll see they said don't buy a 2004, and 2003 was great, and they don't explain the total reversal, so I lost faith in that measure.

I found a comprehensive aftermarket warranty for 5 years for under $2k (not a ton of mileage allowance, but that's fine for me).

I prefer the looks of the 986, and felt I got more for my money.

It is ultimately a personal choice, but I have no regrets having gone for the "S".

Good luck in your search, and please keep us informed.

[rahlstrom]

Originally Posted by Sloan

...I found a comprehensive aftermarket warranty for 5 years for under $2k (not a ton of mileage allowance, but that's fine for me)...

So another option I just found is a 2004 S that is Porsche Certified and under warranty for the next 2 years/50K with new brakes/rotors/tires but the car has 56K miles on it versus the 2003 S with 20K miles. Besides lower miles the 2003 S also has 18 inch rims with the 265/35ZR18s on the rear and PSM. Both are about $29K. So, more features/lower miles/no warranty or higher miles/warranty?

I am going mad trying to decide but really do appreciate all the thoughts and opinions of those that have posted!

[Sloan]

You saw that I was pretty quick to vote for the older "S" over the base 2005, but the new choice you pose is not as easy.

The only option that I really, really wanted that I did not get was PSM. I did get the 18" rims (flawless) and the BOSE system. I consider the PSM to be very desirable, but that's all from what I've read - in the time I've had my car and tried some mildly spirited driving, (including some typical South Florida heavy downpours)I have yet to experience any event that would have passed the PSM threshold, and I've even tried to test the limits - but the car just insists on sticking! So, so far I'm not so sorry for having 'compromised' and purchased w/o PSM, but from what I hear, all it takes is that ONE time, and you wish you had it.

I think you will hear from others on this board (or may have already read) that mileage is not such a big deal. They have more experience with these cars than I do for sure, but I could never fully grasp or buy in to the 'mileage is not important' argument, and that's why I purchased a low-mileage car. While I plan to keep the car for a long time, and resale value was not a consideration in my purchase, those 'outside' the Porsche world typically still think lower mileage is better.

The Porsche CPO is big - as I understand it, that's not just an aftermarket warranty that buys you the right to fight with them over claim denials - that's actual security - and quite valuable. That may be hard to pass up, and you may hear that it makes up for the mileage difference (I would not dare to say).

So, like I said, your second question is harder than the first. Let me ask you this - which one looks better to you - inside and out? Both will be excellent cars, so sometimes you need to be less analytical and more instinct driven ....

Final factors - you can upgrade rims, but can't add PSM to the '04. You can buy a warranty for the '03, but it will not be Porsche CPO.

Any other differences you can tell us about to help you choose? Links to ads / photos?

[Bob O]

LOL.. you're going to confuse yourself to the point of going mad! Have you made a decision about WHAT you want.. in other words, among other things, which is more important to you: the mileage or the warranty?

When I searched for mine I went through much the same hair pulling as you. It helped a lot when I prioritized what I was looking for. Set a top price you're willing to pay, set a maximum amount of mileage you'll accept, what color do you want???, what options MUST it have and which are, well, optional. THEN go looking for the newest one you can find with your stated criteria. I don't know if it will work for you but it certainly did for me.

Bob

ps.. do you really want 18's? I know a lot (most?) people think they look better, and I do too, but....have you compared the ride with 18 vs 17's? Have you priced new tires 18 vs 17's? If you live in an area with a lot of potholes you should consider the greater possibility of wheel damage since you've got less sidewall height to protect the wheel when you hit one. Just something else to consider. Just mho.

Bob