new buyer

Hi I have been admiring the 911 ever since the debut of the 997, and then eventually getting interested in all of their other models. I recently test drove a 2005 boxster 5 speed and instantly fell in love with it. I have some specific questions regarding what to purchase. I drive a 2003 subaru wrx and had this car for a long time. it now has 175k miles but other than the usual maintenance stuff (timing belt, clutch, alternator) it has been extremely reliable. however, ever since falling in love with the 997 and eventually driving the boxster, I have not been able to get my mind off of one. my budget would be just south of $30,000 and have been tinkering if it really makes sense to purchase a porsche. i`m mainly interested in reliability and maintenance cost in the 996 vs the 05+ boxster. I'm thinking I should probably try to find a boxster in mid 20k and then spend the rest on a warranty? I dont know what the best option would be. But if I can get the 996 instead for a similar price and if it is not that much more than a boxster to maintain, why not?

I would say they are virtually the same if you can land a CPO car or get a warranty I would do that. Get the one that rings your bell...you might post potential cars on here for opinions, and make sure to get a PPI from a shop that YOU CHOOSE before buying - know what you are buying...money well spent! welcome and best of luck

thanks ivangene... i`m really sold on the idea of getting a 996 and adding the aero parts from the gt3. owning a german car without a warranty really scares me so i will most likely get it with warranty (would hate to find out the price on a new engine/tranny/RMS/IMS) and it's not like a subaru where i can things on my own and save on labor cost.

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Generally speaking a similar MY 996 will cost more to maintain (or repair should it come to that) than a similar MY Boxster, base or even an S. The reason is the 996 is a more expensive car to begin with and well, it just costs more to keep up. This applies to the base vs. the S Boxster as well. The S will cost more to keep on the road. But unless one is on a very tight budget probably not enough of a difference to really worry about. Thus the question becomes which model of car do you really like, and want to drive and therefore own? The Boxster (base and S) and the 996 are fine cars and all 3 share many good traits/characteristics but the two models: Boxster and 996; do have their differences. Roadster vs. coupe. Mid-engine vs. rear engine. 2 seats vs. '4' seats. Luggage space is in favor of the Boxster. 5-speed (base Boxster) vs. 6 speed in either the S Boxster or the 996. The 996 based on my experience with my 03 example has a bit better visibility out of it than does my 02 Boxster. One sits a bit higher in the 996 and down the road vision is improved some, too. Both are well made solid cars and both are very nice cars to drive. You just have to make up your mind. Sincerely, Macster.

$17-22k for motor - if you want to find out the hard way and YES its easier to work on than a SUbi..many things are completely simple for a guy with some mechanical skill - even if only limited..they are quite easy to do MANY things!! (once you figure out its not made of glass and actually how the heck you jack it up )

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thanks for the thorough response. I think I am leaning towards the base boxster because i love the way it drives and the way it looks. with the 996, you are driving 'the 911', but for me, i`m 100% satisified with the way the boxster is. It's just that I have always been a fan of the way the gt3 looks and i think turning a regular carrera 2 into a gt3 look-a-like wouldnt be too difficult, along with having 4 seats being the biggest advantage of all (i`m 6"1' and although i never felt constrained in the boxster, it's just nice to have some space behind you).

@ivangene: i`m glad to hear that its not too difficult to work on them!

keep in mind changing those GT3 parts with "good" (read factory) parts isnt cheap...could easily cost $10k+ to do correctly with new parts.... the cars are designed to make changing certain parts easily and quickly... brake pads for example is a 5 minute job just to swap pads....super simple...Boxsters are great cars, very balanced and fun....just not for everyone - drive one of each

yea.. i guess i`m mainly interested in the aerokit from the gt3. i think the carrera the way it is should deliver plenty of excitement for a while.

Get a 40th Anniversary Edition 911 - it comes with side skirts already

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You have to be sure you'll fit in the car and be comfortable, of course. I'm not quite at tall as you and I have the seat in my 02 Boxster back about as far as it will go. I generally like to sit closer to the wheel but with the Boxster clutch, an otherwise fine clutch (and in my car's case long-lived clutch), I find my quality of clutch work is much improved if I'm sitting well back. Ditto in my 996. For both of these cars, I have found I need to sit a bit further back than I have in other cars equipped with a manual transmission. The back seats in my 996 have never carried people, at least while I have owned the car. (I bought it used with 10K miles in 09.) The rear seat area is used to hold a soft clothes suitcase and other stuff when I travel, but only because the 996's luggage space (the front trunk) is so small and it carries other items I travel with, a laptop among other things. (I prefer to avoid leaving anything of value visible in the car simply because a car with out of state plates is a target the thieves thinking that even if they're caught the victim will not be able to arrange time to testify against them.) Now I have a 996 Turbo which with its front diff has IIRC a smaller trunk than the NA 996 models. So if you elect to go with a 996 with just 2 rear wheel drive the front trunk may be larger, larger enough for your needs. Using rear seats for stowing anything other than little stuff, hat, gloves, heavy coat, water bottle and a few odds and ends is awkward. In one case I was not careful removing the clothes suitcase and knocked off the passenger side shoulder belt cover. Luckily the cover just snapped off and was not damaged and an accomodating tech put it back on when I had the car in for some other work. The real plus with my 996 compared to my Boxster is on long trips when I get tired and have to pull over and rest I can move the 996 driver's seat all the way back --- there's quite a bit more adjustment room in the 996 compared to the Boxster -- and then recline the seat back to where I can stretch out and catch 40 winks. Sometimes on a really long leg of a trip I will stop and do this 2 sometimes 3 times to avoid stopping so close to home for another night in a motel or hotel. Since the Boxster's seat is already almost if not all the way back already I can't move it back any further, of course, and I can't recline the seat back. While I can still nap in the Boxster (as tired as I get on the road sometimes I could sleep on a bed of nails) but napping in the Boxster is rather uncomfortable and simply not as a refreshing an experience as it is in the 996. Sincerely, Macster.

mokinbird87, Sent you a privage message (PM). Thanks.

If you like the GT3 look, then you might want to look for an Aero model. Converting a normal 996 to Aero/GT3 look will cost you more than you think (kit, paint, labor, etc). If you like the Boxster and are on a budget, you may want to stick with that? My sister has one and she loves it! She traded in her Miata for it. (Two and a Half Men reference here)... Good luck!

Make sure you post your WRX if you sell it. I may be interested.

[QUOTE i`m mainly interested in reliability and maintenance cost in the 996 vs the 05+ boxster. I'm thinking I should probably try to find a boxster in mid 20k and then spend the rest on a warranty? I dont know what the best option would be. But if I can get the 996 instead for a similar price and if it is not that much more than a boxster to maintain, why not?[/QUOTE] Instead of betting against yourself with a warranty I would make the hour drive from Atlanta to Flat6innovations.com to put your money to work & proactively allow Flat6 to do their preventitive maintenance on your Porsche. They know these engines much better than most Porsche trained techs. Check out the website & don't be alarmed by any of the worst case senario info.

mokinbird87, Another PM sent to you. Thx.