Alright, so I've been wanting/shopping for a P car for about a year now. Right now I'm daily driving a stock 2002 BMW M3 coupe, 6 speed, 333 hp. I really like my M3, but I think I would like to sell it, pick up a cheaper 325i coupe for my DD and buy a Porsche.

My budget will buy a 2002 or newer 996 C2 or a 987 Boxster/Cayman S.

I've driven a 987 base Boxster and a Cayman S at the dealer, and I drove a friend's 2001 996TT once . I'm also moving to SoCal in the next few months, so I want a convertible. If I go with the Boxster, it has to be the S. I'm inclined to shoot for a 996 cab though, because the Cayman S that I drove still seemed underpowered compared to the M3.

I looked at an 06 Cayman S today at my local dealer with 13k miles. They were asking $37k. That just seems like a really good deal. So, the upside to going with a 987 Boxster S instead of a 996 cab may be much lower mileage for the same money.

I've heard some say that the Boxster is a better convertible platform than the 911 since its designed from the ground up to be a convertible. How does the handling of a 987 Boxster compare to a 996 cab?

so 6speedonline, whats your convertible Porsche pick and how many miles does it have on it?

 

ebay, and a lot of places have 996 for like 35k with abut 45,000 miles on it..

here are two with about 50-60,000 miles on them, and unlike ferrari and lambos, you could pt a lot of miles on these cars....good luck, this search took me 2 minutes, so i know you could find a lot out there if you look


.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/996-2...item439c5a9954

.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2002-...0#ht_500wt_792

 

Oh, I know. I've done the price research and looked at lots of ads. I was looking more for comments on 996 cab vs 987 Boxster S, and opinions on what sort of mileage to shoot for. Older 996, more hp, more mileage, or newer 987, lower hp, lower mileage? Is 45k miles a reasonable place to buy?

 

Taildragger -

Are you male or female?

The 911 is a classic. You will never wish you bought the Boxster instead. However, if you go the other direction, you will always wonder what it would have been like to own the real Porsche......

 

Taildragger, I agree with Leftlane's comment to go for the 911. I went through the same looking process two years ago and decided the 911 was the best bet. It took me several months to find the right one, however.
I focused on 03 and 04, as they were later in the 996 cycle and had overcome some of the earlier problems.
I bought from a Porsche dealer where I could get some warranty protection. While P cars with care can go many mile, an engine replacement or other major work is expensive. If you go back through this forum, you'll read plenty of buying horror stories.
If you are moving soon, you might want to wait till your settled and buy locally.
Good Luck

 

Spend little more go with CPO 911.

 

To quote Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear the opinion of the guy who bought the boxter is "I guess things just didn't work out as well as he hoped."

 

Save up some than get a 996tt. You'll thank me later but you already know that.

 

For $37k you could definately get a 996 C4S and with 2 or 3k more you can get turbos.
I've driven the 911s, Boxters, and Caymans on the track & autocross. While the Boxter/Cayman is easier and a little more forgiving to errors, it just doen't measure up to the driving feel of a 911. Don't get me wrong, they're increadibly fun cars to drive, it's just ... well ... the 911 is more fun.
Mileage isn't as much of an issue. Just make sure to check the Clutch & Tranny when you test drive it, because repairs can be expensive.

 

i have owned an m3 and a boxster, the boxster is a great handling car but i always wanted the 996 in the back of my mind, i test drove a c4s before i bought my tt and it felt about as fast as the m3 but its so much more than just speed, its an awesome car, the 996 just feels amazing

i miss my m3 a lot, i dont miss my boxster at all

go for a 996

 

With a Boxster, you may no longer have Porsche-envy, but you'll have a 911-envy. Skip the Boxster and go straight to a 911.

 

I have owned both a 04 BoxsterS and now a 04 C4S Cab. I am about Six ft 2 inch and about 230lbs and the Boxster was really too small for me. The seat did not go back far enough due to the rear firewall. After a long trip, I felt like I had been cramped into that car. My C4S is really comfortable and much more solid. The Boxster seems to roll around more and feel a little jumpy on the So Cal Frwys. This is my opinion only, but the Carrera, to me, is the ultimate Porsche, (sans the Carrera GT) and is my dream car and the whole time I owned the Boxster, I would see Carreras and never was satisfied with my BoxsterS. NOw, I see Turbos and GT2/3s and that will be my next car, but still a Carrera type car. But I still love my C4S.

 

Thanks for all of the input. I just needed some confirmation on what I was already thinking. 996 it is!