Z4 or Boxster £5k

[ShadowsB]

I have been for a test drive in both a 2.7 Boxster (2000) and a Z4 (03) and I am still not quite sure.

I want a Boxster, I just think I probably want a £15k Boxster. Your help is needed!

I want the car for 3 years, I am based in London most of the time, it will not be driven every day but I will take it to Oxford once a week. It will live outside.

Car price up to £5k. I've budgeted £1k a year for maintenance, I don't really want any nasty surprises as I could not get a car and wait a year or two and spend more.

Pro's and Cons time

_Boxster_

Pros;

• It's a Porsche
• Looks great
• Good Image (not a hairdresser!)
• The Drive

Cons

• Older Car
• Expensive to maintain
• Risk of nasty surprise
• Interior is dated at this price

_Z4_

Pros;

• Decent look
• Newer Car
• Drives well
• More up to date interior (though cheap)
• Less expensive to maintain/less risk

Cons:

• Not a Boxster
• Image
• Less fun

[ShadowsB]

The advantage of a Z4 is it's newer, a Z3 would partly negate that.

I hadn't considered a S2000, I sort of put them in with the mx5 (great car but for 5k I'd rather something else), perhaps unfairly?

The way I look at used cars is, I'll have it for 3 years so I spread the cost over time and including maintenance I don't want to spend more than £3k a year.

The age of the Boxsters available worries me slightly (won't get newer than 2002 for a decent example).

I've done quite a bit of searching, I feel it would be easier to pick up a Z4 (less to check/worry, ims, new clutch etc) and maintenance will almost certainly be lower on average.

But then I start to drift back to a Mx5, just not a fan of the image (I know..)

[ShadowsB]

I'm starting to lean towards the Z4! Watched Top Gears (old) review, for me it was a hairdressers car far more than the boxster!

I can afford a few £k more or increasing the maintenance budget, I just don't want to have to.

To put it in perspective, a really good condition Boxster at this pricing is around a 1999. The z4 is at least going to be 4 years younger, that's quite a bit.

Any good examples?

I'm not in a rush but definitely starting to lean towards the BMW. I like the front end..

[ShadowsB]

All in all I'd rather have a Boxster S but not a 99/00, at 15 years old and the pricetag of repairs it seems much of a risk than a 10 year old z4.

I've been in both, I like them both, straight choice Boxster wins but for £5k I'm really not sure that's the case.

I could get lucky and have no problems, but the interior is quite dated in the Boxster.

I've seen some Boxsters for sale and they (so far) have all needed stuff doing to them, that's £1k on top of the £5k already.

Porsche as a drivers car is clearly in a separate category to the BMW but how can you argue with Clarkson!?

[ShadowsB]

Piersman2 said:

I bought a 2001 3.2S last November as a toy. Didn't get round to doing much with it until spring this year. Now I will admit I didn't get it checked over, but it seemed to drive very nicely and looked in lovely condition and I've never bought a duffer in my life. The 8 previous owners should have rung the alarm bells a bit louder. To get it sorted it had:

New airbag ECU (garage had to sort that before I took the car) £800'ish
New key fob £10
New bulbs £10
New hood with glass cover (the old plastic window had a split) £400
2 New AOSs £200
New cylinder head and gearbox oil change £2500 fitted
two new rear tyres £400
New ignition switch £25
New front discs and pad £150
Replacement front hub £50
Aircon condensors, 2 new pipes and several re-charges £600

All labour done by myself with exception of cylinder head work.

Basically the engine work was down to a cracked cylinder head allowing oil into the coolant. This had obviously been going on for a few years and not one of the previous owners would pay to get it fixed, they just PX'd it on until it got to muggins here.

So the car owes me about £10K all in, probably not far off double the value of the car as it stands. Could have bought a nice 987 for that money!

Forgot Air con!! Doh

Edited by Piersman2 on Monday 22 September 21:51

This is what I'm afraid of! I wouldn't be able to do all the labour so would end up with a more hefty bill...

I switch between the two on a daily basis at the moment!

I'm not too interested in a S2000 or Mr2, if I wanted to go that way I'd probably buy an mx5 and pocket some cash.

[ShadowsB]

£5k purchase price
£1-2k a year in maintenance.

Seems most are suggesting S2000 or the Z4, not many votes for the Boxster at this price range..

I'm not really a fan of the S2000's styling and I'd probably rather save some cash and get an MX5 in that case.

For £5k, the Z4 does appear the best choice (£10k and up, Boxster.)

[ShadowsB]

Asterix said:

Why not have a drive of a S2000 anyway. Just give it a go - you have nothing to lose.

Also, it's a very different car to the MX5. I'd never think of putting them in the same grouping.

If I can find a good one near me, I will check it out, wouldn't want to unfairly discriminate.

furtive said:

With Boxsters someone in the know told me to avoid a 3.2 that's <2009 and a 2.7 that's <2007, which probably rules out any of the cheap ones

It definitely rules out any of the cheap ones!

[ShadowsB]

Thank you chaps for your very helpful advice.

I've ruled the Boxster out (will wait till I can spend £15k).

The Z4 is sitll an optioA few other options, some a bit out of left field;

Alfa GT

Audi TT

BMW 3 series

Thoughts?

[ShadowsB]

edc said:

I've forgotten whether you want a drivers car and sports car or an everyday style cruiser.

As per OP I wanted a Boxster but I've resigned myself to that not being a good option at this price point.

So I am open to suggestions, my usage isn't that heavy (6k miles a year) so I am open to different options.

[ShadowsB]

2802th said:

Buy the Boxster

I've owned many older 911's up to the 996 and then I bought my first Boxster. Why I hadn't considered it earlier I will never know. The 2.7 is quick enough and chasing my brother in a 3.2 there is very little in it the 2.7 just needs keeping on the boil.
I found a 2.7 which I bought privately for a little over 4k with a full Porsche/Parr Motorsport service history. I've owned it for 15 months and 12,000 miles and it's cost me a battery! The best bit is a Major service from an Official Porsche Centre costs£385.00 inc VAT! For vehicles over 10 years old they halve the labour rate and discount the parts 15%.
I am realistic and the previous owner had lavished money on my car including the RMS/IMS bearings/seals. The advisories after my recent service were drive shaft gaiters and a rusty exhaust bolt.

However the driving experience/handling is better than the Z4 (having driven both) also the Boxster will always return 33-35 mpg.

I also agree with everything EDC has said about the Boxster. One final word of warning, there are hundreds for sale mainly with dealers a lot are shiny to look at but sadly lacking in the up to date service history. Buy privately from an enthusiast and you should find yourself a fantastic car.

This was my intention and I did find a few good examples around 4-6k with FSH but none had the IMS done and I'd worry I might drive it a little bit in fear..

II think they have aged well except for the interior.

I am going to see a few more Z4s, I think in 18-24 months I will have 15k to get a Boxster.

No one liked my GT suggestion!?