Anyone driven a Boxster 3.2S?

eidolon

eidolon

eidolon

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This sort of thing.

As some of you know I'm probably going to be replacing the MR2 soon and I'm 99% set on the idea of a VX220 turbo however Gibbo's thread got me thinking about the possibility of getting a Porsche.

I wouldn't even consider the 2.5 or 2.7 but the 3.2 sounds interesting enough. Sure it's no 911 but it appears to be a damn good road car by all accounts. (I know I could get a 911 for a few grand more but I can't give up my clippers quite yet so I fancy the soft top Boxster for now)

At this point in time I know very little about Boxsters so I'm just looking for info and advice, preferably from anyone that has owned one or anyone that knows a lot about them. What are they like to drive/running costs/reliability etc. (save me trawling though loads of websites please!)
 
I have driven one on a few occasions.

I can only comment of the power, the sound, handling and fuel consumption however.

Best thing for you to do is go and drive one, I can almost guarantee that you'll fall in love with it!

Absolutely gorgeous car to drive, very heavy and solid on the road but goes round corners exactly the way to tell it to!

Back end is quite predictable - so not a suprise if you lose it.

The sound the engine makes is something else, very raspy and load when you plant the pedal - VERY ADDICTIVE.

Fuel consumption - I averaged 20mpg for the 3-4 hours I used one.

As with any Porsche - make sure it's got a decent spec.
 
I think I will go test drive one as there's load of them for sale in my area. I've never really taken that much notice of them before however they do seem to get very good reviews.

I still like the idea of a lightweight, chuckable VX but if the Porsche handles as well as the reviews say I could be swayed.
 
Steve,

The guy I bought my car off, bought a Boxster S ( I think it was the S) a while after...

I met up with him again on a recent tunnel run. He said it wasn't anywhere near as much fun as the VX, the only positive thing he said about it was that it was comfy just like one of fleet of Mercedes Chauffeur cars. He said they were worlds apart.

He didn't seem at all enthused about it to be honest. I'll be driving the new Boxster at vmax soon, that is if the owner hasn't swapped it for a WRX by then.

There is no denying the Boxster is a fantastic car, but it just isn't as fun.
 
I test drove a Boxster S back in January and was very impressed. Luggage space is a world apart from the VX/Elise and the interior is excellent. Steering feedback is good, not a patch on my S1 but enough to keep your attention and let you know what is going on. The engine is lovely though I think I'd have to get a sports exhaust fitted, performance from low speeds is fast but doesn't feel it (IMO) but it just keeps on pulling to some very illegal speeds (on a track of course). This was my main problem with the Boxster, it is easy to have a lot of fun in the Elise at only slightly illegal speeds, in the Boxster you would have to be going dangerously fast to get anywhere near the same amount of enjoyment.

The Boxster is an excellent proposition if you were using the car everyday but at it will be more of a weekend toy the VX220 is by far the better car.

You should definitely drive the Boxster before you buy the VX but I bet 5p that you'll be the proud owner of a VX220 Turbo in the not too distant future.
 
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I'd have a Boxster in an instant if i could afford one and was looking for a 2 seater open top. Lovely cars and probably underated as the silly will call them a poormans 911.
 
I've driven both the 2.7 and 3.2 many times so I think I can shed some light (both 05 reg but shouldn't be too far off from the 01 model you've shown).

If you've never driven a Porsche before, what you'll notice is that it sounds great when revved but is rather peaceful at low revs. Stick the roof down and the growl from low revs with a roar at high revs will never bore you. Both the 2.7 and 3.2 pulls off well at low revs if you want to drive economically (mind you, they aren't very economical but if you can afford these cars, you shouldn't be concerned), I personally can't comment on economy as I'll be comparing it to my 1.2 SXi :p

Plenty of grip with engine planted in the middle giving good balance. I've taken some tight corners at speed and traction control didn't even need to kick in with the amount of grip still available. Couldn't comment on what happen when my friend crashed his 2.7 Boxster on a tight corner which took out most of the front.

The gearbox is very good with short changes (both Boxsters I've driven are manual, so I can't comment on Tiptronic, which I heard is very good). Clutch is a bit high for my liking and I've stalled it a few times as a result.

The Boxster is very comfy and can be used for short and long trips. It is let down by what IMO is a rather annoying speedo, which I still haven't got use to (digital readout in the middle, which gives actual speed but since I'm use to analog dials, I tend to look at the analog speedo on the side which goes from 0, 25, 50, etc... nearly got caught out by speed cameras as I couldn't find 30 and 40 on the speedo before looking in the middle :D).

Luggace space is generous for a sports car with space in front and rear of the car. Also, do look out for Boxsters with the upgraded Bose sound system. The sound quality is fantastic.

Only thing that annoys my friend is that he regrets not getting a 911. There seems to be a Boxster around every corner (in London anyway). His 2.7 Boxster alone costs just under £45k fully spec'd to his liking.
 
Ok . . . . . heres my 0.02

I bought my boxster 2wks ago, and so far its been fantastic - havent had any problems, but obviously its early days yet.

If you are going to buy one, check out the boxa.net forums - the guys on there have loads of fantastic advice, and are very fast to reply.

Boxsters these days aren't too expensive to buy initially, but the bits and pieces to keep them going/upgrade them are VERY expensive.

So look for things like, having had the big 48k mile service done, new tyres ( 160 a corner for 18's ), having a tracker, having had 18" alloys fitted/clear light upgrade etc etc. Things like recent brake pads, discs etc etc can also make £500-£1000 difference.

In the price bracket that you are looking at there are plenty of nice examples around. So take your time and find a good one. The other thing is that porsche boxsters are very colour sensitive, and some colours really area pig to sell on. Black, silver, dark blue, and seal grey, are the colours to go for - avoid the greens, yellows, reds, and light blues.

Make sure you check hood, accident damage, HPI etc etc - all the usuals, and you cant go far wrong . Oh , and the sound is just sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo addictive . Heres a pic of mine :

porsche.jpg


Any other questions, just ask

M
 
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