Wanted to say hello from California! lol

I am torn. First of all the wife wants a 911 Cab. I want a 911 S coupe. I have made good financial decisions because i didn't jump into things and when i hear that the Boxster/cayman, (981 I think) are a better value, I have to pause.

Does anyone feel claustrophobic since there isn't a back seat, however small?

Does anyone ever say, "Dern, I wish i could put the front seat down like I can in a larger car?

Does anyone have any complaints with the Cayman/Boxster interior after owning it for awhile?

Is the 911 base model more fun to drive than the 911 s since it doesn't have all those electrical nanies?

Signed, Unsure...lol

 

Are you talking about a NEW 911? the 991? If so the interior is basically the same as the new boxster/cayman 981. Cost will be more, especially for a 991S.

What do you want to use the car for? Weekend? Daily Driver? Long trips? Do you have kids/pets you need to put into the back seat?

If you can actually get by with 2 seats or 4...then you need to look at price vs. performance and how you like the handling. Drive both. I found older 997 GTS to be awesome fast in a straight line, but I really felt that back end power and weight. I preferred the mid engine handling for my style of driving and chose the 981 as it was a newer car, newer interior and mid engine. And in my price range.

Finally you gotta really think about convertible vs. coupe. One note with that, most people will say convertible looks better on the 911 when it is up than the boxster. The boxster with the top up that line breaks the design imho. I used to have a convertible, thought I really wanted it, got sick of noise, wife always wanted it up, too hot, too cold, too windy etc... ordered a Cayman S. Something to think about..how picky is the wife...really?

And yes...in an older 986 the 2 seater is small and will remind you of a fighter jet. The new Cayman/Boxster 991 is a LOT roomier feeling. But it is still a two seater. And if you do a convertible opening the top will help it feel more open...but again..sit in both, test drive both..ideally back to back.

 

You need to spend a lot of time driving both before you decide. You'll probably go with a Boxster when you do, if your experience is like mine was. I was all set to order a 911S but realized it was basically like buying a Boxster and making a $30K charitable contribution to a for-profit corporation. There is just not that much difference between the two cars in this generation, except in price. The 981s are fantastic highway cruisers now, not overgrown Miatas as their predecessors were. (For example, the 981's wheelbase is actually a bit longer than the 991's!)

The days when Boxster/Cayman owners felt a subtle, gnawing sensation of envy and regret when they saw a 911 are over. You might still lust after a GT3 or Turbo, but you will not miss out on anything important that the Carrera has to offer, besides its back seats and a couple more gauges.

 

Keep in mind that these are my opinions .

1) If this is a first Porsche I would get a 911S coupe . It is a multi decade automotive icon .

However --
There is no way I would buy a 911 Cab . I feel that a convertible in general detracts from performance over a coupe and the idea of plunking down what it costs for a Gt3 to have a vanilla 911S Cab would not appeal to me .

I also feel that a Boxster handles the absent roof better than a 911 because it has a smaller platform , is mid engined for balance , and the cabin space and door sill height is supreme for minimizing cabin wind . A 911 Cab in contrast is big and almost looks like a baby Panamera without a roof . The Boxster is the ideal mid engine roadster and the 911 is IMO the ideal sports coupe .

 

I just chose the 991S over the 981 cayman S and have been regretting it everyday. I would say go cayman S that is unless you want a really good deal on a 2013 C2S with aero kit.

 

I felt that too that there would be more noise and possibly rattles in the future.

HaHa--> Too hot huney, too cold honey...lol I can invision that... Your post was a big help.

That's the part that gets me as well. We are the select few that know that the 911 isn't worth the extra cash. Yes it is a great car but, we want value, not a veblen product.

I have felt that if I was going to spend the extra cash, a coupe would be better to do it on... Thnks for your input!

I'm sorry that you feel that you did. You have the car of cars for many people! What is it exactly that you are frustrated with on the 991 S ?

 

Just don't think I like the motor and I have never really liked the 911. The motor screams after second gear but it is a dog in second gear unless you are at 6,000 rpm. You just can't have much fun with it on the roads as you have to be hauling for it to start pulling. I had more fun on my cayman test drives. You can enjoy the cayman at low speeds where the 911 is fun at higher speeds.

 

911s is beautiful.

 

I traded a 2010 911 last year, October 2012. I bought one of the first 2013 Boxster S they had. I have 20" Carreras with a 6 speed manual. I now have 26000, miles on it. I drive it daily. I paid $73,000. I love the car. If you want a 911s because you have always wanted a 911. Get it, you will always wish you had. But, if your purpose is to get a great driving "Porshe" the Boxster S is the way to go. The average 2013 911s on autotrader is going for about $120,000+. I say save the $50,000, and get a late model Cayman as well, that way you satisfy having a coupe and a convertible.

 

yrralis,and mlcn
you both made very good points.


all my life the 911 was my dream car.
when i was younger i had a 914 bumble bee ,and a 924 turbo.
i recently retired and had around $60,000,to get myself a 911.
obviously that money will only put you in something around 5 years old.
no problem there,there are a number of well kept ,well maintained low mileage cars out there.

i did have some other problems,what concerned me most was most times no warranty.another concern was i wanted a cab,which not only adds to the cost factor,for a $60,000 budget,but i had concerns about so many i saw that had fading,discoloration or wear marks on the sides of the top. wrinkles i could accept,but the marks were an eyesore and not what i would expect from a late model porsche 911. i also want the pdk which reduces the selection even more.

also being 6-2 240 it was an effort getting in and out of the car and once in it feeling somewhat confined.the entry,exit and fit,might have been overcome in time.depite being large i am athletic and in good shape.still i recently turned 60 years old,and am not as agile or fast as i used to be.but hey thats expected.
life can be funny .when i was young i could easily fit in it but couldnt afford it,now being older i might not fit in it,but can afford it.

in the end i couldnt pull the trigger.i ended up going with a new bmw 535 m sport package.60 grand brand new 4 year bumper to bumper ,maintenace and peace of mind.i should say some pecae of mind. i find the bmw too big ,heavy,lacking agility and the excitement of driving it. the run flats also take away from the ride.whenever i see a 911 i have regrets about not going there.

so the car is now 2 years old i can bail now,or actually in the spring,or let it ride out the remaining 2 years of coverage and replace it 2 years from now.really doesnt matter much,other then depreciation.wait 2 more years il need to come up with more cash to make the deal.this time out i will go in the $75,000 range.

the current generation boxster is slightly larger,and more affordable which might work. the cloths tops on the boxster and 911 seem to be much improved i might go new, or maybe maybe a year or two old c.p.o. for a more equipped s.i have often read the boxster /cayman out handles the 911 because of the mid engine.

in spite of that ,having regretted not getting the 911 last time out,i have some concerns if i go boxster i might have similar regrets.so im just sitting back and giving it thought. worst case scenario i wait 2 more years and maybe be able to get into a used first year 991, at least a coupe. i will save money and see how the new cloth tops held up over a number of years.

 

At age. 60 and the 911 has always been your dream car. Get a 911. You will have regrets if you don't. It was my dream car as well. I got one at age 47, 2010 911. I traded a 350z roadster in for it. I was underwhelmed by the 911. It's out of my system. My 2013 Boxster S is a improvement over my base 911. I still want a GT3, but not a new one with the PDK. Get a 911, don't live with regrets.

 

I had a Boxster and loved it. Also had a couple 911 and loved those as well. You can't go wrong with either but since you always wanted a 911, get a 911.

 

I realize that you always wanted a 911 but if you 60 years old , retired , with a budget of 75K and want a truly enjoyable and worry free Porsche my vote goes to a new Boxster S . Each of these choices (below) have positives and negatives but the dealbreaker which led to my vote goes to having a full warranty on a fantastic new car . The new 991 will never be the greatest 911 of all time . The new Boxster S is the real deal !! The 991 is not the car worth going over budget for .

You have 4 Porsche choices at 75K
a) New Boxster S
b) used base 991
c) Used 997.1 Turbo
d) CPO 997S


Of the three used choices my secod choice up vote actually goes to a used 997.1 turbo because it least it was the best in its time and even in todays time its still an amazing car . It wont have wannty. It's older and even though its much faster it's not as fun to drive or practical or vesatile as a new Boxster S .

The Boxster S wins !!!

 

You should stop right there and follow this dream. I did not read anything past this because to me, it didn't matter. Follow your dreams!

 

I agree with that...the car that is the image in your Avatar is the car you should probably buy... lol.