what shall I buy? - 996 or Boxster

Hi there, just about to defy the credit cruch and buy a Porsche. Can't decide what to get - Budget is around GBP22,000 I'd like a convertible tip So the options seem to be a Boxster (987), 3.2s, on an 05 plate with low miles Or a 996 maybe a 51 plate with say 60k on the clock Questions: 1) Which will depreciate less if I sell the car in 3 or 4 years' time? 2) Is the 996 going to cost significantly more to run? 3) Is the (older ) 996 going to have reliability problems? I'm no mechanic and it's my only car, and it's going to have a hard life living on the street, so I don't want anything that's going to need much maintenace. What do you think? Cheers

996 difinitely much further down the depreciation curve, and considerably rarer than a Boxster so you will lose much much less if you put your money into one. Both cars should give good reliability if well serviced, although you could get unlucky with either. The 996 in your budget will have more miles and therefore be likely to start to need suspension, radiators, etc. just through wear and tear, but I would think the slower depreciation would more than make up for this. Boxsters are great cars, but for me there would be no competition - 911 every time.

Hi Whatever you decide to buy, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT TESTED! Peter Morgan is the man, his details appear in PP and 911 and Porsche World. 01672514038 WWW.porscheinspections.com Have fun Paul Kelley

what answer would you expect on a 996 forum?[ ] either would be fine and prob not much in it in terms of upkeep /depreciation imo. the newer car should be berrer bet if its going to get a hard life but you pay your money and...... good luck!

I considered purchasing a 996 cab when i sold my 2003 (986) facelift model Boxster S. I test drove a few and compared them against the 987. In the end I bought a 2006 (987) Boxster S which I am very pleased with. The convertible 996 is hunchbacked and, therefore, less pleasing to the eye. The interior of the 996 is identical to the 986 and that is no good thing - the driving position is poor when compared to the 997 and 987 Boxster, and the build quality is also relatively poor. If you do not need the 2 extra seats, I would recommend going for a 987 Boxster S. I have not been following 996 prices, but it's worth checking whether you can buy a late model with the 2 year service cycle within your budget. I've found that my 987 is cheaper to run than my 986. I hope this helps.

I think the decision should be heavily influenced by the need for the two tiny seats on the 911 which are suitable for very little people.

996 Coupe everytime, mate. It's a proper car [ ] and you should leave yourself a little loose change for the POCGB subscription! [8|] Regards, Clive

The difference between the 911 and the Boxster does not amount to two tiny rear seats.They are two very different cars. You cannot make a decision like this based on biased opinions on a forum.Many people will buy a 911 because of the image and dismiss the Boxster out of hand. Some will love the 911 because of it's defining characteristic, the engine slung out the back. Some people will prefer the sweet handling of the Boxster with it's excellent mid-engined balance. I've had both and loved both, but you have to try them both and make the decision for yourself. As has been mentioned before, I agree that the 987 will depreciate more, but that may be balanced out by the higher running costs of the 996 (in terms of costlier disks/pads/tyres) and due to it being higher mileage and thus perhaps needing things replacing. It depends how long you intend to hold the car. In the short term the Boxster will cost you more in depreciation, but as that curve flattens, they will end up costing about the same to run. The Boxster and 996 both have very similar issues - rad leaks/rms leak/expansion tank cracking/disks rusting/coil packs cracking/suspension creaks and or clonks. None of these things are expensive to fix when compared to the original purchase price. None may go wrong, or all, it's just a matter of luck. But you have to budget for I'd say £1.5k a year at least in tyres/servicing/repairs/disks/pads etc so don't run them on a tight budget.

having had both, i would go for the 996. I am quite a large guy and i looked silly in the boxster (the car looked to small for me), apart from that i find the balance and the road presence of the 996 far better.

Might be a nice one for sale here when Julian makes up his mind! http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=447444&mpage=1&key=&#447444 Manual though........

I bought a 60k mile '99 996 as I have 2 young kids and need the space. The fact it was older it cost me less and I had more in the pot for if something went wrong. If you look through the forums, even younger ones can go spectacularly wrong like any other car but the bad press makes a purchase seem daunting. Some of the bad press is probably secondary to Porsche's response to faults if you don't have the official warranty. I love mine and don't regret it one minute in the last 18 months. I was tempted to change to an early 997 but I've knocked that in the head as I still enjoy mine so much. Getting 18' Sport Design wheels instead [ ]. If I didn't have kids, the Boxter or Cayman would have been a great buy too.

[ ]996 !

Well if you want an unbiased opinion then i'd say unless the rear seats or boot space is important to you and if you want a convertible then go for the Boxster. They are a very much underrated car and the days of Porsche = 911 only, are long gone. The advantage a Boxster has is that it was conceived and designed from day 1 as a convertible therefore the dynamics of the car will be better than a 911 cab, which is compromised as it is a 911 coupe with the roof cut off. Granted, if all you want is something to cruise around in and are not that bothered about performance and dynamics then this argument is irrelevant!