Reply With QuoteI had one for a couple of years and loved it. Very useable and simply one of the best soft tops around. Roof was fantastic. Buy a good example with care and hard to go wrong.
Hi all
Toying with the idea of getting a Porsche Boxster, and wondered if there are any current or past owners here who can share their experiences.
I've found a very tidy 2011 manual with around 25k mileage, but don't know a huge amount about them. Not too worried about mpg or servicing costs, but it will be kept on a drive overnight so are there any known issues with the roof?
Thanks in advance.
I had one for a couple of years and loved it. Very useable and simply one of the best soft tops around. Roof was fantastic. Buy a good example with care and hard to go wrong.
I was lucky enough to have one as an anniversary present and I love it; it is a facelift model with a total engine rebuild. Great car for those summer Months with the wind in you hair.
Great drivers car; I've had a couple of 3.2S and a Z4M and to be honest not a lot between them. Only advice would be to buy from a reputable source with a warranty for drive train or if private, splash out on a proper inspection. There are some expensive pitfalls which can be avoided if bought wisely. It's not the shiny bits that yo can see that will cost, but the hidden stuff you don't see. Make sure ALL gadgets work correctly and that the roof is smooth and consistent.
I've had two
One caught fire after a service and was a write off...(and had quite a few minor niggles)
The other had lots of little niggles (mass air flow sensors etc) that seemed quite annoying.
To be honest, given i'd bought them from a specialist in one case and from Porshce in another, I wasn't at all impressed with their reliability. The 944 I had as a young man was far better.
They are, when working, great cars though. Oddly practical with the two "boots" and comfortable enough over long distances.
But I'd not buy another.
My wife got a card and a bunch of flowers for our last anniversary!!Originally Posted by Dontblowsmoke
I had an older Boxster (2002) model and loved it. Great car that I used every day in all weather with no issues at all
Amazing cars
Cheap to run
Exciting
No issues
Done
Even that is pushing the boat out.My wife got a card and a bunch of flowers for our last anniversary!!
I wish....I will stick with the 5 series...BORING! I would love a porsche but where would I put the kids...don't answer that!!
I've had a 2009 3.4S PDK for the last couple of years in answer to the roof question, no not that I know of. Mine was parked undercover but I then moved to somewhere with only outside parking and have never had any leaks etc and the roof (other than needing a bit more cleaning) looks pretty much the same as before. Can always get a car cover to help with reducing cleaning etc.
Its a great car, not a huge fan of the manual unless you rarely drive in traffic, the clutch isn't very heavy but fairly so compared to most modern cars and the PDK has better performance and economy. I perfer it with the Sportdesign steering wheel with paddle shifters and you need sport chrono on the 987 to get a sport button which overrides the economy features when desired. Sport Plus is a bit too much IMO
Lots of debate over the 2.9 vs 3.4, test drove both and basically 2.9 is almost as quick but requires more effort/revs to achieve the same performance whereas 3.4 will accelerate in most gears/conditions with little effort. On the downside, don't get to experience the interesting part of the rev range legally so easily whereas you can in the 2.9. Best handling car that I have driven (although that isn't a massive range!)
Can get 35mpg (actual not computer) on a motorway run which isn't bad for 3.4L, 2.9 is a bit better I believe.
I'm 6'2" and found mine very uncomfortable and ended up trading it with some shortarse. I also found it dull to drive and much prefer my MX-5 which is a lot slower but a lot more fun. I kept the Boxster outside and had no issues with it.
I have a 987 3.2 Boxster S and I have to say it's been an awesome car, reasonable servicing costs and great performance with a lovely soundtrack. I could never afford a "proper" Porsche unless I sold all my toys, but I'd rather have a couple of very different toys that do different things rather than one toy that only does one thing. May be looking to move mine on at some point soon, but only to buy a newer one
No problems with roof and mine is left outside on drive, biggest risk is bird crap, takes bloody ages to clean that crap off the roof, do your homework and buy wisely with OPC service history and warranty if possible, it's stood me in good stead.
can't comment on the car but i have a cabriolet from another prestigious marque.
For the roof i treat it twice a year - beginning spring and end of summer - with the following technique and treatment:
1. Full bucket of warm/hot water with 5 tablets of Milton Sterilising mixed in.
2. Scrub all over the roof quite hard - especially if you have the green stuff showing, even slightly.
(2A. If green stuff is quite bad, use a hand steamer cleaner machine with brush attachment)
3. Rinse away the Milton with fabric shampoo until clear water
4. Let the roof dry
5. Apply coat 1 of Fabsil (Go Outdoors or amazon for best prices) with good 2-3" brush brushing one way only.
6. Let it dry
7. Apply coat 2 of Fabsil but brush the other way
8. Put kettle on and watch your handiwork do its stuff when it rains. Like a highly polished car it'll bead the water.
There are other treatments e.g. Renovo or Autoglym product and I've tried them all over the years but the above list is the cheapest and most effective in my view.
I take no responsibility for operator error!!
jim
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use tonic water on bird crap asap and it'll lift any staining!I have a 987 3.2 Boxster S and I have to say it's been an awesome car, reasonable servicing costs and great performance with a lovely soundtrack. I could never afford a "proper" Porsche unless I sold all my toys, but I'd rather have a couple of very different toys that do different things rather than one toy that only does one thing. May be looking to move mine on at some point soon, but only to buy a newer one
No problems with roof and mine is left outside on drive, biggest risk is bird crap, takes bloody ages to clean that crap off the roof, do your homework and buy wisely with OPC service history and warranty if possible, it's stood me in good stead.
I'm with sweepinghand on this - amazing cars.
I had an old (W reg) 3.2S for about a year and loved every minute. It was just about as quick as my 993 and I found it far nicer to drive and as a complete numpty driver I found it gave me far more confidence than the 993, which to be honest I only felt able to push when pointing in a straight line down a straight road.
Mine was a manual, and all of the controls were light and a joy after those in the 993.
Oh, and 30mpg seemed pretty good to me in a car that went so quick.
Best wishes,
Martyn.
I had 2 boxster 3.2s and really enjoyed them. One thing to remember is occasionally when starting the boxer engine it can shoot smoke out but its just oil running into the cylinders and nothing to worry about.
Great daily drive soft top with a fantastic chassis, noise and feel.
Thanks for all the comments guys. I've moved from 'toying with the idea of' to actively wanting it. Life's too short not to try these things.
I'm going to sort out a proper test drive - very excited!
I had a 3.2S and one of the cam shafts 'picked up' and trashed one side of the engine, was out of warrenty and cost me about 8K to fix so my experience was not great to say the least! Was a nice enough car though but it was never really for me. Lotus Exige suited me much better, depreciates less and is less complicated but each to their own and I hope you find a decent one.
The Boxster's a fine package, the prices are reasonably sensible and the depreciation's low. The only thing I`d question, and this applies to any performance car, is whether you can really enjoy the car to the full on today's roads. Being able to enjoy a car with lesser performance to it's full potential can be far more enjoyable; today's fast cars are fast, but todays road conditions aren't! Driving a performance car can become an exercise in frustration, and I never felt like that in the old days when the cars were slower but the road conditions were better.
Go into Porsche ownership with open eyes and be realistic about the running costs. The big D is on your side, and that's a major plus; so easy to overlook depreciation and that's usually the biggest cost of all.
As with all motoring decisions involving anything other than basic transport, if you can`t think of enough good reasons to NOT do it........do it!
Paul
Totally agree. Always had things like Scoobs etc but this time came down to a choice between a Cooper S and a Boxster. Had to go with the Mini as after test driving both, it seemed more fun and makes you think you are going fast even when you aren't.
I agree too. I had both Boxster S and MX-5 and kept the Mazda. I could enjoy 95% of the Mazda's performance most of the time, with the Boxster S you have to be going very fast indeed (never below 60, often easily above 100) on a good single carriageway A-road to get the car moving around underneath you and actually feeling like you're driving it. The Boxster is a fast car but also has a lot of grip and has been designed not to kill even the biggest of idiot sat in the driving seat. If you like your motoring fast but safe and conservative it's a great car (and providing you have shorter legs than mine!).Totally agree. Always had things like Scoobs etc but this time came down to a choice between a Cooper S and a Boxster. Had to go with the Mini as after test driving both, it seemed more fun and makes you think you are going fast even when you aren't.
Very valid points about using the performance of the car. My current car is an Astra VXR and the previous was a Focus RS, so I'm no stranger to decent performance. However, I'm under no illusion that I am a good enough driver to drive either near their limits and frankly I wouldn't (and shouldn't) even try.
For me, performance cars are about feedback, roadholding and (when conditions permit) the ability to overtake without drama, not about screaming about everywhere at the red line. And of course, looking sporty. Also, my OCD means I get a kick out spending all day cleaning and polishing them. Sad, I know...
As for the Boxster, I may have to consider something different. I had a sit in one last night at the local Porsche dealer but am concerned that my knee will hit the steering wheel when I'm driving it and need to brake. I have a test drive booked, but if it's not comfortable (or I feel it's unsafe) I'll be looking for something else.
S2000? :)
I suspect I'll have the same legroom issue as the Boxster. I've already ruled out an MX-5 for the same reason.
I'm 6'2" and the S2000 fits perfectly.
I stand (or rather, sit) corrected! In that case, I'll check one out.
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