Buying Reccomendations?

[SteveNacc]

Hi All,

I'm looking to purchase a used Boxter S, and don't want to spent over 20K.

I have a broker friend that can hook me up wholesale, but are there suggestions for which year I should consider

(right now I'm thinking 02') based on reliability issues, etc?

Thanks for any help.

[Bill_SoCal]

I don't think you'll find a difference in reliability...I've never owned an 'S', however, I traded in my '02 for an '03 so I could get the glass window on the convertible top. ;) My '03 has been one awesome ride...it's a daily driver and I just hit 138,000 miles on it with no engine related issues. Just regular maintenance. :D

Good luck with your purchase...my Boxster is the best car I've ever owned.

Happy New Year!

Bill B)

[70Sixter]

The standard advice is to buy the best car you can afford. The 03s have several new features that 02s did not. I cannot remember what year the MOST bus was included (02 or 03). The optical interface makes it more difficult to install an aftermarket radio, if that is a major concern.

My advice is to make two lists. One is the features you cannot live without (like cruise, heated seats, Bose, Nav). Second is a list of things you do not HAVE to have, but would be willing to take even if they ran the cost up (like sport seats, full leather, litronics, etc).

Your broker would have a good idea how to shop for you.

[renzop]

Hi All,

I'm looking to purchase a used Boxter S, and don't want to spent over 20K.

I have a broker friend that can hook me up wholesale, but are there suggestions for which year I should consider

(right now I'm thinking 02') based on reliability issues, etc?

Thanks for any help.

I always caution people who are on a tight budget and buying a used Porsche that these cars are not Toyotas or Hondas when it comes to maintenance costs. Everything is expensive in these cars. OEM type tires are $250+ each, the oil for an oil change is going to cost $50+. Lots of normal maintenance parts are pricey or very pricey. And these things do break a little more frequently than one would wish.

If you can't afford to spend at least $1K per year on mantenance and repairs then think about buying something else. I don't mean to be negative and I love my Boxster but there is nothing worse than having a nice car that just sits in the garage because you can't afford the price of some simple repair parts.

I speak from experience. When I was fresh out of school and not earning a lot of money I purchased a 914 which really stretched my budget. I owned the car for 5 years but I bet it was only driveable for 3 of those years.

[JeTexas]

Hi All,

I'm looking to purchase a used Boxter S, and don't want to spent over 20K.

I have a broker friend that can hook me up wholesale, but are there suggestions for which year I should consider

(right now I'm thinking 02') based on reliability issues, etc?

Thanks for any help.

I always caution people who are on a tight budget and buying a used Porsche that these cars are not Toyotas or Hondas when it comes to maintenance costs. Everything is expensive in these cars. OEM type tires are $250+ each, the oil for an oil change is going to cost $50+. Lots of normal maintenance parts are pricey or very pricey. And these things do break a little more frequently than one would wish.

If you can't afford to spend at least $1K per year on mantenance and repairs then think about buying something else. I don't mean to be negative and I love my Boxster but there is nothing worse than having a nice car that just sits in the garage because you can't afford the price of some simple repair parts.

I speak from experience. When I was fresh out of school and not earning a lot of money I purchased a 914 which really stretched my budget. I owned the car for 5 years but I bet it was only driveable for 3 of those years.

Very good advice. I thought I'd done my homework, but I still wasn't expecting nearly $4,000 of maintenance my first year of owning my car. However, it just so happened that the MAF failed, I needed new tires, I needed new brakes, my oil filler tube broke, my coolant hoses were cracking, time for spark plugs, etc. Hopefully year 2 won't be so expensive.

[grover]

Hi All,

I'm looking to purchase a used Boxter S, and don't want to spent over 20K.

I have a broker friend that can hook me up wholesale, but are there suggestions for which year I should consider

(right now I'm thinking 02') based on reliability issues, etc?

Thanks for any help.

As noted, be careful! There are enough reasonably priced Porsches out there that the question is not so much "Can you afford to buy a Porsche?" as "Can you afford to own a Porsche?" If you're a DIY and you have access to a lift, the maintenance is really not all that bad. Be aware that parts cost typically about 3x what they would for a Honda or a Ford, dealers charge about $150/hr, and any engine repairs take extra long because it can be difficult to access it. Tires are expensive, and wear out quickly (sure, you COULD put 60,000 mile tires on, but that would completely defeat the purpose!). And, you'll be unable to drive anywhere without people complimenting your car and asking you questions :lol: Check out the maint checklists on this site for an idea of whether or not you're up to it- otherwise, it'll set you back somewhere around $600 every 15k miles for routine maintenance. And please do bear in mind that while a 2002 is 7 years old now, it'll be 12 years old before the loan is paid off, and a 12 year old car will require repairs.

You thus cannot upgrade the radio in any Porsche 2003 or newer due to the proprietary fiber-optic system ("MOST"), so you're stuck with the basic CD player with no way to integrate an mp3 player besides an FM transmitter. That said, I like the 03/04 WAY better than earlier cars, but that's just my personal preference.

FYI, "986" refers to the early Boxster/Boxster Ss, up to and including 2004. Starting in 2005, they changed to the "987" designation. So you'd probably be more interested in the 986 forums here on RennTech, although I must admit I drive an 04 Boxster S but frequently cross-read, too :)

Edited January 14, 2009 by grover