Porsche Boxster running costs

wolv76

Thinking of buying an old boxster (circa 99) since they've fallen within my price range. I'm stuck between that and an S2000.

Just wondering what kind of running costs I should expect re servicing etc.

It will be my main car and probably do about 20-25k km per year.

Cheers.

JimmyCrackCorn!

When things go wrong with a boxter it will hurt. Be very carefull what you buy as it can cost the price of the car if the engine or gearbox has serious issues.

One thing to note about the boxter is that its MR and access to the engine sucks so labour prices are going to be very high in comparison to the Honda.

I had a work mate who bought one and some of the bills he got were large but not excessive.


Go ask ring a garage foe each car for full service costs(the big service).

Ferris

wolv76 wrote: »

Thinking of buying an old boxster (circa 99) since they've fallen within my price range. I'm stuck between that and an S2000.

Just wondering what kind of running costs I should expect re servicing etc.

It will be my main car and probably do about 20-25k km per year.

Cheers.

You'll have to get a 2.7 or the 3.2 S as the 2.5 Boxsters had nikasil bore lining issues. Pre 2003 Boxsters and pre 2004 s2000's had plastic rear windows which are a bit of a pain. My mate has a '03 S and he gets 30mpg out of it with a mix of city/country driving. By all accounts the s2000 gets 28mpg max but then is 1k less to tax per annum. He drove a 2.7 boxster and it was nowhere as quick as either the s2000 or the S. He gets an indy porsche mechanic to dervice his car.

Oh and a new Boxster engine is 12kstg:eek:. They have a small rep for throwing timing chains, wrecking the engine. Otherwise they are reliable car.

galwaytt

Modern Porsche regular servicing is very reasonable - See Here. And, tbh, even a quick trip over/back on a w/end can be cheap. Get it done in Wales and it's even cheaper (GPB£35/hr labour instead of GBP£65/hr...)

The issue is non-service problems. Things like breaks/shocks/exhausts are plentiful, but that M96 has a (rightly or wrongly earned) reputation for going well.........pop.

When I was collecting my 968 from Hartech after the last service, he had no fewer than 3 Boxsters in there, with engines removed...........having said that, it's curable, and once done, will last a lifetime.

Put it this way - a blown M96 engine is 10k. That's the price of the entire car. Thay had a 99 C4S in there that was written off (!), for the exact same reason.

I'd buy a Boxster no prob - at the right price. The right price, to me, is the car, minus potential repair = what I'd give for it. Oh, I'd buy a Tiptronic over a manual, too. (at the least, no clutches to change -ever !)

Honda? Fine car, can't see that ever giving trouble, tbh.

Ferris

galwaytt wrote: »

Honda? Fine car, can't see that ever giving trouble, tbh.

The only problem with the Honda is that the early (most) had no traction control and all have a good kick when the vtec comes in meaning that a lot of them have been backwards up a tree. If you see one with tracking problems then walk away, its bent.

Only other problem is that they look a bit ordinary, im in the same dilemma but I can't warm to the look of them.

wolv76

Yeah, I'm in two minds between the s2000 and the Boxster. All my previous cars have been Japs and I was tempted to go German for a change. Although the Boxster isn't much faster than my current Celica VVTLI

Bandara

S2000 for me and it isn't even close.

ronnie3585

Given the choice I too would go for the S2000. The biggest downfall of the Boxter for me is the styling. I hate the look of the 986/996, those fried egg headlights are a real turn off. There are also well known reliability issues with the M96 engines letting go. Galwaytt - am I correct in saying that the M96 also suffers from the Rear Main Seal leak issue?

I've driven a 986 (2.7) and I thought it was a really sweet drive. I found the interior a wee bit cramped in comparison to a 911 (I'm 6'3) and of course it's a convertible, if you're into that sort of thing. I've never driven an S2000, but I've never heard a bad word said or written about it in terms of reliability and drivability.

Ferris

wolv76 wrote: »

Yeah, I'm in two minds between the s2000 and the Boxster. All my previous cars have been Japs and I was tempted to go German for a change. Although the Boxster isn't much faster than my current Celica VVTLI

Drive a 3.2 S, blow the absolute doors off your car.

Guys I know 3 people with '03 Boxster S's. None of them have given any trouble at all. 1 has had to have its coil packs changed because it was missing slightly but that is it and thats not bad in a 5yr old car. I wouldn't hesitate reliability wise.

Zube

ronnie3585 wrote: »

I've never driven an S2000, but I've never heard a bad word said or written about it in terms of reliability and drivability.

I have never driven either car, but I've certainly heard or read negatives about both:

S2000: Looks and sounds boring, only delivers above 6000 rpm, a bit twitchy and prone to hit the ditch backwards.

Boxster: You'll wish you bought a 911.

tdohee

I bought a 97 tiptronic 986 last year. Shocks were shot, tyres bald, so that plus a full service came in at almost 2.5K.

Since then only problem is a snapped cable driving the passenger elec window. Can fix that myself, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Never driven an S2000 but I have had the pleasure of driving a Boxster S and a 911. The 2.5 / 2.7 is plenty fast for Irish roads and sounds great, but the S is damn near 911 fast, only with better handling (IMHO).

S.I.R

tinted widnows for 200 quid...


so the 911 drivers dont see your face... :P

Ferris

tdohee wrote: »

The 2.5 / 2.7 is plenty fast for Irish roads and sounds great, but the S is damn near 911 fast, only with better handling (IMHO).

I've read it handles like a 911 but without the understeer, either way a boxster is steered with the throttle, i.e. the way it should be. You feel very close to the engineering that went into them when you drive one.

Drive it, you'll like it. Also 99% of the people who say you should have bought a 911 have never driven either and probably never will.

wolv76

Ferris wrote: »

Drive a 3.2 S, blow the absolute doors off your car.

No doubt it would, but it's the 25./2,7 that i can afford.

Appreciate all the advice, I'll try and test drive over the weekend! Although all the engine issues are slightly worrying since I'll be picking up an oldish model.

Ferris

wolv76 wrote: »

No doubt it would, but it's the 25./2,7 that i can afford.

Appreciate all the advice, I'll try and test drive over the weekend! Although all the engine issues are slightly worrying since I'll be picking up an oldish model.

2.5 suffers bore liner erosion, don't buy without a compression test. Irish supplied cars are a best bet at this engine size. Personally i'd go for a 2.7 as these don't wear the bore liners.

Drive a 3.2 S as they are the same price as the 2.7 and is only 400euro more to tax a year. They use the same petrol and I doubt that the insurance would be much cheaper. And they are a lot quicker too.

NedKelly

talk to people that have actually owned one dont listen to the know it alls here (that cant even spell the cars name properly)
i have had 3 boxsters and my first was a 98 that i drove every day and put up 40k on in 2 1/2 years they are a wonderful car that u can use every day with 2 boots , servicing costs can be high but its Porsche
i got 25mpg from my 2.5 in the city and 36-38 on a long run
the cilinder issue was resolved in 98 and it mainly affected 97 cars
anyway after 10 years any problems that were going to happen would have happened by now
get in touch with the guys in porsche club ireland for proper advice and give barry whealan a call to
or call ryan up in porsche belgard he has a low milage 00 S for 20k (porsche approved car) with warranty

PM me if u want any more proper advice