porsha

Hi everyone

I KNOW this topic comes up A LOT.. and I am sure everyone is tired of seeing these threads...so I'd like to apologize in advance for posting...but I really do not know much about Porsche's and would like to purchase a Boxster.

This is what I have found:

2001 Porsche Boxster
62,000 miles on it
one owner, carfax certified
immaculate condition (havent seen it, just going by what the ad says)
also, a free 3 month warranty is included, but extended can be purchased for extra (not sure how much)

the asking price is $16,500, and through a simple email with some questions, he said he will knock off $500 without me even talking about price. By the way, this is a dealer, not a private seller, but claims to have been a 1 owner car.

Price is right, I can't spend more than that, so I am fine with the price. $16k is pretty tops much for me.

Just wondering if the 01s are reliable enough, and if 62k miles is enough for all the annoying stuff to have already been taken care of. Obviously I will go see the car in person, and maybe I can find a SoCal buddy here that knows about these cars that can come along with me.

As far as maintenance...oil changes should be around $150, which is fine since its once every 15k miles.. but what other things are needed routinely? I'm also looking for atleast 25mpg with 90% freeway driving.

I really like the Boxster. I am keeping my eye on these cars, as well as Corvettes.

I cant seem to keep a car for over a year, since 2004 I have had 1) 1994 Mitsubishi 3000gt, 2) 2005 Nissan Altima, 3) 2006 Infiniti FX35, 4) 2007 Chrysler 300 (v6), and 5) 2005 VW Jetta GLI turbo... Also I have had a 2005 RX-8, but I gave it to my brother since that car was a POS.

I feel excited about getting a Porsche or Vette, although it is a step down in the model year and going to non-warranty cars. But Im sure the enthusiasm and joy the car brings outweighs that. I just don't want something that will constantly be going in and out of the mechanic shop.

So any advice, or help, or info would greatly be appreciated!

I attached 4 pictures that were listed in the ad.

Thanks in advance,
Dave

Richgreenster

From a dealer that drives alot of different cars.
Corvettes are fun when you are drag racing and the noise from the V8 is awsome, BUT for daily driving they are boring. I have had Boxsters and still miss them. They dont have as much power as the Corvette, but there is something special about the Boxster. They are just fun to drive everyday. The engine sound is awsome in the higher rpm range as well.
If it were me, I would get the warranty as well. Not just because I am a dealer, but Boxsters have been know to have rear main seals leak. (Corvettes have their problems as well) Get the warranty out to 100k and complain at any sign of a leak.

Sputter

I don't want to offend or rain on your parade. If you need to be concerned about the frequency/cost of an oil change (a lot of folks do oil changes at half that mileage) i'd have to say it's not for you. (since you're asking) Boxsters and Vetts have their own issues that crop up from time to time. Stuff happens right?
Then again, if you can do your own maintenance etc then it's not really much more than any other car imho.

It's a tricky question really.
Good luck whichever way you decide.

schwank

You can do the oil yourself. Learn to do some basic maintenance and save major money. That's how I roll.

I absolutely love our 01S. It's worth the couple hundred for a PPI.

R2R

I have a '00 S with 69k that I drive every day and love it. Does the seller have all of the maintenance records? As a 1 owner car they should. Also, get the extended warranty and find out if it is transferable or refundable incase you sell within a year. It's worth having for anything big. Good luck.

stuttgart46

Becareful with the extended warranty. Read the fine print. My brother works for Porsche and 90% of the time the extended warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Cassandra

Someone above touched on the point, but I'm going to stress it again - the car may be in your price range now, but make sure to evaluate how much you are willing to spend in maintenance down the road. Parts are expensive for the car, so even minor maintenance and/or repairs can add up! Just be aware

nkgosselin

I hate buying a used car from a dealer. There is no upside if you do your own work. You pay a premium over what you can negotiate from a private seller. Also, you have to pay the full sales tax. And paying full sales tax on a seven year old car gets me all crazy about the gov't taking my money.

porsha

Im not concerned about the price of oil changes. I said the price is fine. I used to do maintenance myself on my previous cars, but I do not have access to a life anymore.

I truly believe (this is my mentality) that just because you can afford to buy a car, does not mean you can afford to keep it.

I will keep looking, but thanks for all the input!

Cassandra

You and me both!

But I'm fairly certain you meant to say lift

Jetpilot

You all don't yell at me for answering like this, BUT

If you like something...buy it - If your track record is like mine...buying and selling cars...just be sure you get it checked out before you buy it, have a good shop look it over - get to know them, or learn to do it yourself. Most likely your going to want something new in 6 months anyways, so my point is... make sure someone has the same desire to buy as you did when you bought it....hope this makes sense.

mborkow

+1
if oil changes are a problem what are you going to do if you have a RMS problem? Porsches aren't cheap. The boxster is reliable, but in case something goes wrong, these aren't Honda priced parts...and good labor isn't Honda priced either

dennisafrompa

if he has an RMS issue...let it leak, my son's '99 had a leak for 6 years and never really had to add oil nor did it pose any other problem. People get too nervous about oil stains.

VTCMart

Agreed. The RMS is possibly the most dreaded and overhyped of all Boxster issues. Mine leaks, other places too like camshaft seals. Last time it was at the dealer (for an alignment) they took me around back and pitched the "YOU NEED TO FIX THIS ASAP!" and I'm sure some people pull the checkbook right out, but at $3000 combined quote to fix it, I'll let it leak a little.

...and a little is not even a quart after 15,000 miles. The vintage 911 guys WISH they could say that.

(no pun intended....WISH I had a '69 911)

Marc Gelefsky

Ya have to love oil to own a Porsche , especially an aircooled one