pbkirby

Thoughts ? Considering both as a third car/weekend driver.

stumpjumper

when I bought my box s, it came down to that (at the time 2 1/2 years old) and a new S2000

the S2000 is a smaller car, that is more noticeable inside, also it feels cheaper inside (but it is, it should) it has very little low-end torque relative to the boxster and driving around town that is very apparent, it has no useful storage space

it is a great car, redlining it is very fun, and being a honda it will be relatively trouble-free

I like the boxster's suspension more, I like it's mid-engine layout, and I like it's useful trunks, it's the most practical (if you can call it that) of the roadsters in it's range and consistently rated the best all-around

the s2000 will usually beat it on an autocross course but while the ride and engine are great for that, they become tiring on longer trips or back road cruising (imho)

in the end, it will come down to personal preference, and I don't think you can go wrong with either, for me the boxster was the better choice

Turboflyer

Drove them both before I purchased the 01 S. The honda is nice but better suited for the driver who likes to shift alot. I did not like the power ban and unless you got her near red line just no grunt at all. Beside class,finish, and long term design appeal were high on my list. The honda to me was more like the settle for car and I did not want to settle for a car I planed on keeping. Best car and decision I have made car wise. Good luck on you decision process.

flatspin

I owned a 2006 S2000 that I bought new. It was my daily driver when I had the 964. What stumpjumper said was accurate. I'd add that the car had the cheapest sounding radio I've ever seen in a $35k car. Other than that the major drawback is that the Honda is geared way too high. At 65-70 mph, the engine is running almost 3700 rpm. Its VERY loud. Combined with the wind noise from the top, and the road noise from the 245/17 tires, and it can get very tiring very quickly. My 2004 2.7 bopxster is much more livable with more storage space, better ride, better sound system, and quieter highway ride (2400-2500rpm at 65ish). As stated it has better low-end torque (And a much better sounding engine), and more predictable handling (I might be biased here, I've owned 5 mid engined cars and like the way they handle). The Honda does have a much better transmission feel, but then its a direct linkage. Actual performance between the two cars (0-60, 1/4 mile, etc) from a standing start is pretty close according to the numbers, but the Porsche FEELS faster. And the Boxster would dust the S2000 on a roll. Anyway, reliability and service costs definetly favor the Honda for obvious reasons. But I'd never go back to one. I've never had a car that I liked this much since my 1990 MR2 Turbo. If you decide on an S2000, get a 2004 or later. They had the 2.2 liter engine (very noticable) and redesigned rear suspension, so they are more tractable at the limit. Just my opinion, take it for what its worth .

RoadWarrior19

I also used to own a 2006 S2000. I only traded it for a larger car due to a change in my circumstances. The car is a blast to drive. Since I am in the market for a second car again, I took an S2000 for a test drive this week and plan on doing the same with a Boxster. Also thinking about a 996 or 993.

The previous comments are all accurate. You must enjoy driving at high RPM's to get the most out of it. At 80 mph, it's cruising at 4400 rpm's in 6th gear (at 80, my 911 is at 3400 in 5th). It was great for the first 3 hours of a trip but after that it started wearing me down. After about 5 hours, I was ready for the trip to be over with. That's not something you'll know from a test drive. The interior is a tight fit. The steering wheel is fixed so ingress and egress were a PITA for me. They can also suffer from premature top wear due to a design flaw so watch for that. The one I had picked up paint chips if I looked at it wrong so that was a weakness.

The biggest selling point over the Boxster is that it's a Honda, although I see many Boxster owners report good reliability experiences. Since my 911 is my primary driver, I thought I could live with some of the negatives in exchange for having a Honda with a warranty. My recent test drive was fun but convinced me to stick with Porsche for a second car.

If you go with the S2000, I'd suggest a 2006 or later due to the traction control which is not available on earlier models. Also, buy seat locks. The seats get stolen quite often because they are very expensive.

Overall, Honda did a great job with the S2000 but I think the Boxster is the better car and my favorite roadster. The only reason I didn't buy one the first time was being a little apprehensive about owning 2 Porsches without warranties and nothing else - apparently I'm not so apprehensive any more.

Another thing to consider is that although there is a good fan base for the S2000, in my experience there is no comparison with Porsche when it comes to the ownership experience of enjoying the car with other enthusiasts.

Take both for good long test drives. You'll know which one is right for you.


Michael

flatspin

"Another thing to consider is that although there is a good fan base for the S2000, in my experience there is no comparison with Porsche when it comes to the ownership experience of enjoying the car with other enthusiasts."




Interesting, your remark about the paint chips, Michael. I only kept my S2000 for about 18 months and 10k miles. But it aquired more chips in the paint during that time than my MR2 had in 7 years and 70k miles. I tend to stay waaaay back in traffic and never follow trucks for just this reason. People always comment on how "New" my vehicles look when I go to sell them; so I was very surprised at the number of chips on the S2000. I noticed the paint seemed very thinnly applied, compared to other cars I've owned.

designman

This happened to a colleague of mine who has an S2000. I think the tab was ~$11K, insurance paid of course. Other hardware was stolen in addition to the seats.

Good comments on the comparison in this thread so far. I'll add the following. The S2000 is all sports car while the Boxster is sport plus touring. Remember the Porsche philosophy... excellence on road and track. They mean it. The Boxster/Cayman design is impeccable - pure genius. And you must appreciate it to pay the premium over the S2000. If you can't, save your money and get the Honda, it's still a great car.

merplastic

I test drove the BMW Z4 and liked it alot, then drove the S2000 and it did little for me, the power band is unusable unless you get on it and the interior is lacking, but for the money it was still in consideration. I then drove a Boxster S and went through a couple of twisities and practically begged the salesman to let me buy it. Buying a Porsche has less to do about what it cost and more to do about what it does for you in my view. Think I'm going to the garage to have a beer with my Boxster. cheers....

JimG

Anyone drive the new S2000CR? Looks like a great track car.

pbkirby

I took both cars out last weekend and while the S2000 was fun to "toss around", the Boxster S was the hands down winner. Besides this will be a long term keeper as a weekend car to compliment my Audi S8 daily driver. So now begins the search for an '03 silver with black interior S, might also consider the 550 limited edition.

CSbox03s

I too was considering an S2000, Z4, TT, and a Boxster. I test drove all and the Boxster was the only one that I felt created that all encompasing feeling of what driving is all about. It was the best choice I could of made. Such a great choice I may have even cured my car disease.

My only only advise is to hold out until you find one with all or most of the available options you want on the car, test drive 3-6 cars (I drove 6 until I found the ONE), and get a "previous to purchase inspection" (PPI). Enjoy your search! It took me about 8 months to find mine.

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2003 Boxster S
2006 Mazda 3
1970 Camaro Z28/RS

mts

I owned a 2005 S2000 before purchasing my 550 edition Boxster S. I really can't say enough nice things about the S2000. I thought it was a really fun car to drive. It was different than the Boxster S, but not in a bad way, just different strokes. Very solid mechanically and very reliable.

However, I had wanted a 550 edition for a while and when a came across a good price on one I couldn't resist and sold the S2000 shortly thereafter. I don't regret the Boxster S purchase at all, but if the Boxster S wasn't an alternative I'd probably still have the S2000 over all other makes.