I used to have a 99 Boxster that I sold a few years ago, which I absolutely loved.

I am looking to buy a Boxster in the next few weeks. My budget is 35-40k. From what I have seen I can get a 2003 Boxster or a 2001/ 02 Boxster S in my price range.

I guess I am hung up on the improvements they have made on the 03 models vs the horsepower of the S. Additionally the longer warranty on the 03 seems appealing, but I am also thinking the S will hold it’s value better , which is also appealing.

One day I think S, the next day I think the newer standard Boxster.

Any thoughts or comments?

Thanks,

-Ryan

 

Have you driven an S? Good way to find out if the extra power really appeals to you is a test drive. With me, I drove an 00 Boxster one day and thought "yeah that was fun, but not what I was looking for". Went back the next day and drove on 01 S and bought one the same week.

I bought the S for the extra power, better brakes, 6-speed, etc... I've got an 01 S but I'd love to have a glass rear window - I think that's the only thing I'd change about the car (except to add a little more power). I don't think the S's are holding their value that well either - I've seen a couple of pretty decent deals float by since I bought my car. The used Porsche market seems to be favoring the buyer these days whether it's a 911, Boxster, Cayenne, etc.

I'd go with the S. Get a PPI done on any used Boxster though.

 

I drove an 03 S this weekend...

The speed was nice. I think the thrill of being back in the Boxster kind of clouded the S or not S issue. I am planning on driving several more cars before I buy, which should give me some more insight...

 

I love my 's' ...after driving the regular compared to the 's', I knew instantly I could not be happy with the regular...

...how about an 02 S if you can find one for under $40K!?

 

I am starting to lean towards an 02 S if I can find one under 40k.

Any thoughts from non S owners on the decision?

Thanks for all the input guys.

-Ryan

 

Would you still recommend getting a PPI if I am buying a car under factory warranty? I can certainally understand out of warranty cars. I guess previous collision damage would be the thing to look for, etc?

 

No S driver ever complains about having:

Bigger brakes
Red Calipers
Drilled Rotors
More power
Aluminum Guages
6 speeds
Upgraded suspension
Bigger wheels
A lot of options that come standard with the S like the alarm

Many standard Boxster owners end up putting these pieces (well, at least some of them) on afterwards. Hmmm. Wonder why? If you like to upgrade, you may want to start with an S and give yourself a rolling start.

The plastic back window is mostly personal taste - doesn't bother me a bit, never has. I have my roof down most of the time anyways, and so should everyone else.

Finally, all cars depreciate - at varying rates depending on the market conditions. Unless you keep it pristine and running well for 30 or so years, consider it a depreciating asset and drive it.

There is no substitute!

 

Personally, I would. I bought my 01 S from a guy with warranty remaining and I still had it checked out first. Cheap insurance - it was like $85 and the inspecting mechanic said it was in great shape. It's a peace of mind thing - even if it's still under warranty you want to look for issues like the rear main seal leak that has been an issue with these cars. May not stop you from buying the car, but you'll have a better idea of the shape it's in before you drop any money on it. And you get all the maintenance items taken care of before they become an issue or creep up on you after the warranty runs out.

Yeah, it's a pet peeve of mine. What can I say... Didn't stop me from buying the car though. That kinda shows you how good these cars are if that's my only major issue.

That's a better way of saying what I meant. Both base and S Boxsters are gonna depreciate (almost all high end cars depreciate at a quick rate for the first couple of years) so buy it cause you love it and want to drive it right now. Not because you think you'll get more money out of it 5 years down the road cause you won't. A car is only worth what someone else is willing to pay you for it so make sure you get your money's worth while its yours!

Cheers

 

Hi RyanM,

I've just traded my 91 C2 Coupe in for a 2000 "S" and am very happy with the decision. The reason I went for the "S" instead of the regular (2.7) was all the extra kit you get as standard on the "S" (which Craigg has kindly pointed out above) to retro-fit those options at a later stage would cost a fortune and realistically would never be done. The power of the 3.2 is also a mega selling point over the 2.7
As a negative I would have to say that plastic back window is a pain!! But the way I look at it is worst case you will have to replace the plastic window at some stage in your ownership and that will cost approx. £300 which is not bad.
But buy what you can afford (and maintain) they are both Fantastic cars.

 

I'll tip the scales a little bit and say the only thing I'd like to add to my '99 is a glass rear window. I'm quite happy with my base model....and it's a "lowly" 2.5.

 

If you don't mind me asking - how much did the glass rear window cost and where did you get it done?

 

I drove both and in the end chose a new 2.7 instead of a used S. For the 8-10k I saved I can spend in the next couple of years making it faster (250h.p is doable) and handle better and it will still be lighter and sound better than an S. My two cents.....

 

After driving both the 2.7 and the 3.2, I have to say that if your budget allows for it , go for the 3.2.

The 2.5 and 2.7 are great cars but the 3.2 is truly worth the extra $$$.

I ended up with a 2001 S with 11K miles, factory certified warranty until 2008. They even put new tires on her.

IMO, the car is as fast as my 97 Carrera S was. Really pulls well, and I have driven some really fast cars.

In my shopping I saw 2 2000 3.2's at dealers asking less than $30k. These cars had around 40k miles but were in nice condition but with no warranty.

Be patient and find the best one out there, its a buyers market

dr

 

Thanks for all the input. It's appreciated.

-Ryan

 

Where do you guys drive your cars? lol

I was wondering the same thing, to S or not to S, but the only difference is the faster engine, bigger brakes, slightly different front valance and on the newer models a double exhaust tip instead of the bigger single one.

For me, the slightly different cosmetic differences make no difference and the non S engine is more than enough power for me.

For me, at least, the S is not worth the many thousands of dollars more.

Just my opinion, but I could be wrong....lol