2004 vs 2005 boxster S - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

I just sold a 1998 Boxster and am looking to upgrade. Was looking looking to get a 2005 or newer Boxster S but came across a decent 2004 Boxster S. Few questions: how does the 2004 compare to my 1998? Would it feel like an upgrade or like I’m sitting in my old car with just a bit more power? How does the ‘04 compare to the ‘05? Any other information would be helpful. Thanks.

the 04' is still a 986 so it will feel very similar interior wise. Depending on options the 04 may have some nicer materials on the dash and seats, 3 spoke wheel, no yellow lights on the outside and yes feel faster. on the 05' it still has the 3.2L motor just like the 04. Newer styling, if i were going to jump up to a 987 i would look for 07+ models with the 3.4L motor to really feel the difference but that is just me. When i bought my 97' i drove several 986 S's to see what i wanted. Ultimately the base car was most of the fun of the S and for the deal i got on my car a similar S model would have been double the price and it wasn't double the fun. With that said you need to drive both the 986 and 987 cars and decide for yourself if it's worth the extra money. Surprisingly i see some really good deals on 987 S with low mileage so the price delta may not actually be all that much. Not sure i really helped with your question but hopefully there is some good info for you here.

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Thanks for the response. It did help. So do the 04 and 05 have the same power? Besides styling would there be a difference in ride?

The 05 Has a slight power improvement. New air box. Larger MAF. Early 2005 engines still have a single row removeable IMS the later season one do not. Secondary air pump moved to the scavenge pump drivers side head. Transmission final drive is slightly higher. there are many other changes. Lights, Bumpers, body panels, wheel sensors, exhaust, windows, roll bars, and so on.

987 models 2005 Base (almost totally new model) 2.7Litre 240 HP 5 speed manual transmission, Tiptronic optional Variable ratio power steering Stiffer chassis, wider wheel alignment Bigger brakes Head airbags PSM standard 17” wheels standard (18”, 19” optional) Improved headlights More cockpit room Better positioned roll bars 2005 S model 3.2Litre 280 HP New 6 speed manual transmission, Tiptronic 5 speed optional Bigger brakes even than prior S models (Ceramic brakes CBBS/PCCB option) PSM Standard (PASM active suspension optional) 18” wheels standard, 19” optional Sports chrono package option --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Base and S Optional TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Optional 19” Carrera Sport wheel design Optional improved navigation system Electronic logbook function has been integrated with the optional communication management system.

Also, 2004 has an oil dipstick and a spare tire. 2005 has neither.