About to buy 1st Boxster -- need opinions

[eslai]

The 987 does NOT come with a valet key--which is a BIG disappointment for me. I would like to be able to lock the glove box when I leave my car with a stranger! This was my biggest complaint when I picked up the car--I was almost positive that it was impossible for the car to not have a valet key but they insisted that it did not. All I got was some stupid "wallet key" spare which is too fat for any wallet that I've ever owned.

As for which options I wished I picked up now, well I really wish I got the full leather interior--the stock dashboard is just a LITTLE bit cheaper feeling. If you never saw the full leather interior you wouldn't care though. So, my advice there is to not sit in a full-leather interior 987.

I also wish I picked up the nav system now, but that's not really that important.

The options I did get are:

- PASM (get it. I enjoy it more and more as time goes on)
- Bose stereo system (not that great, but I suppose it must be better than the basic or premium system)
- Xenon headlights
- Seat warmers
- Sport Chrono (I hate the stupid chrono, but the Sport button is essential)

The only options I really wish I purchased are:

- Chrome exhaust tip ($400 at the dealership, only $350 if you buy it on the car. I had NO idea how dingy the standard tailpipe would get. Very annoying. )
- Sport steering wheel (It's only $250! Just get it! I didn't even know it was available because it's in the "Interior Leather" section on the website! )

If I hadn't been trying to keep the price under $60,000, I'd have thrown on the following:

- Full-leather
- Leather-wrapped sport steering wheel
- Center console in leather
- Nav system
- CD changer

Of course, throw all of that in and you might as well start looking at 911s, if you're so inclined.

Just decide what's important to you, what would be nice-to-have, and then stretch your budget a little to include at least some of those nice-to-haves. It's better to do it now than later, and you don't want any regrets!

[SoCal]

is that this is one great forum. There's nowhere else you can get this much benefit from the experience of others.

I've looked at other Porsche forums on line, and they seem to be just a lot of griping about whatever little mechanical glitch just happened. Nothing like this place.

Cheers to all of you here that came before me.

[RandallNeighbour]

Originally Posted by SoCal

I've looked at other Porsche forums on line, and they seem to be just a lot of griping about whatever little mechanical glitch just happened. Nothing like this place.

Obviously, you have not seen or have overlooked a bunch of my posts!

My 97 boxster was trashed before I bought it and I've had an endless parade of "little mechanical glitches" that can easily be translated into $$$$ spent. My bad though—now I know how to buy a Boxster and unlike so many of you who are in the market and have this forum available to you, I didn't know about it back then!

[Brucelee]

You are both very kind. We are very proud of our members here. I agree that the attitude and aptitude of our members is second to none!