le3

My dad is looking at purchasing a Porsche Boxster. My question is:

What would you rather own, a 2000 or 01 s with 30k to 40k ish miles or a 2004 or 05 s with 90k ish mile (serviced regularly). And why.

I appreciate any help or suggestions

98Boxster

A 2005, S would be a 987, not a 986, so that would be my first choice, even with 90k on the clock for similar money. The 04 will have a glass rear window and slightly more power over the 00-01's. I'd probably pick the 00-01 over an 04 with 90k, but really car is differnent. Some have better records than other and have been better maintained over others, hard to really say. I think as long as he checks out the car, either would be fine. Make sure the "60k" service was done on the 90k cars though. Boxsters are just great cars.

Macster

A rather low miles 01/02 986 vs. a rather high(er) miles 04/05 (987) is not an apples to apples comparison.

My advice would be for your dad to learn what he can about the differences between the earlier 986 models and the newer 987 models and decide which model he wants or prefers.

A place to start is the Excellence mag Boxster buyers guide.

Whichever one he decides upon, then he looks for and finds some examples and because they are basically the same car he can focus on price and condition and buy the best example he can afford.

Sincerely,

Macster.

le3

I forwarded him the Boxster buyers guide. Thank you for the suggestion.

I was also interested in opinions as well about pros and cons with a 986 vs 987...Mileage concerns, etc...

racer

I prefer the style of the 986.. seems softer. 987 can looks a bit chunky to me at times depending on color and wheel choices.

986 - 1997-2004
987 - 2005-2012?

An 00-01 S is 250hp. An 05 S is 280hp iirc.

Some say, buy the "newest" porsche you can afford, but given the issue (to me) of the model change from 986 yo 987, its worth test driving both to see if one "fits" better than the other.

user 8830374

[QUOTE=racer;9155711]I prefer the style of the 986.. seems softer. 987 can looks a bit chunky to me at times depending on color and wheel choices.

Agreed...Looked at an '05 boxster.....

Sold the <5000 mile '07 GT3 and bought a very nice '01 Boxster with 70K on it from the dealer. The performance difference (for me) between the Boxster and the S is academic especially given the price..

Stephen Tinker

Lou, a couple of extra's to confuse you more:
If your Dad is a larger than average person, the 987 has more interior room than the 986......
It also has more cubby holes to store things but that doesn't matter to some people.
The HP gain in the later cars is offset by a weight penalty, so performance can be marginal.
987's have a glass rear window - better than the 986 plastic, but it is smaller.....
The S engined cars are really nice if you prefer torque in the midrange over non S engine which has its HP in the upper rev range.
The higher the mileage, the more wear & tear takes place especially on things like suspension struts, steering arms and gearchange linkages - this happens even even if the car has been well cared for.
The IMS bearing cannot be changed out easily on (late) 2005 engined cars - the cases have to be split.

le3

I think he is leaning towards the earlier year 986 with less mileage.

Any years to stay away from? I have heard 1998 and 1999 can be challenging, is this true? What should he really look for...

Thanks for all the replies to date....please keep them coming

racer

A few years back I looked for a Boxster. This was after the big scare of 98-99 cars with slipped sleves, porous blocks and some other issues. I have to hope that 10 years on, if they were going to fail, they already did.

That said, I wanted a 2000. Why? TC/PSM was optional (and to me avoidable). Also.. small HP bump with the 2.7l motor (217hp vs 201 of early 2.5 cars). Also, there were some nice interior trim upgrades. My 2000 looked like an "S" to most people (18" wheels, sport seats etc).

2003+ cars are also nice.. they have some style tweaks of the bumpers, another HP bump to 228 hp, and a GLASS rear window and lined top (quieter).

Do a search for the M96 motor for its plusses and minusses.

Dave H.

if i had known ahead of time how crappy the plastic rear windows are, i'd have held out for an 03-04 with glass.

and for northern winters, the optional hard top is a plus...

mikefocke

How will he drive the car? Is this a regular transportation car or a weekend toy?

Regularly maintained? What has been done besides the scheduled maintenance? Records available?

I'd rather have a well maintained '05 with new good tires that passed a rigorous PPI than a low mileage unknown maintenance earlier car just because parts fail from age as well as use. OTOH, the guy who bought my '01S with 59k this last summer got a great car that was treated right in perfect condition with new PS2s at a great price.

There are so many things that contribute to value.

98Boxster

I think the slipped sleeves were only on cars made from like Oct. 98- Apr. 99 so mainly if not all were 99 cars. My 98 is made before Oct. 98 and has 60k and is the most reliable car I've ever owned. 8.5 yrs thus far.

abbithedog

Lurker here -

I picked up a 98 boxster with 82k miles in July '09, been using it as my DD (now has around 115k miles) in rainy Oregon without any major problems. Mechanic says it's in fantastic shape.