High mileage Boxter S as daily car
Discussion
Casting around for alternatives to new lease cars, my local indy dealer has an '02 Boxter S 3.2 with 98k on the clock. I know nothing about them and didn't realise you can get them for under 10k. My question is, could i use it daily and put 20k a year on it and expect it to be reliable? I'm assuming Porsche build quality will be good for high miles.
I realise it wouldn't be particularly economical, but if it drives as well as it looks then it would be worth it.
I realise it wouldn't be particularly economical, but if it drives as well as it looks then it would be worth it.
I've been looking at them, foud a 150k mile S for £6k. Big miles but, c'mon, that's just silly cheap.
I can't really see an issue to be honest. Reading up the 2.7 seems the most reliable by the sounds of things but none of them appear to be a perticular problem child.
I used to always think of them as some how a bit of a lesser car (poor man's Porsche, etc) but a lap round the ring shut me up big time. Poor man's Porsche maybe but a proper car in the way that virtually everything else isn't
I can't really see an issue to be honest. Reading up the 2.7 seems the most reliable by the sounds of things but none of them appear to be a perticular problem child.
I used to always think of them as some how a bit of a lesser car (poor man's Porsche, etc) but a lap round the ring shut me up big time. Poor man's Porsche maybe but a proper car in the way that virtually everything else isn't
I have an 02 plate 986 Boxster S, 87K on the clock when I bought it a year ago, now shows 96.5k.
It's not my only car but it is my daily driver. I've only managed 9.5k miles in it so far, not the 20k your looking at but it's not missed a beat once.
That said Porsche always find something that needs doing when it goes in to be serviced, it's been in twice since I got it.
Mind you it is 9years old so things are going to need replacing so although the servicing is fairly cheap the extra's soon mount up.
I'd say with the new set of Michelin Pilot Sports that were fitted just over a month ago I've probably spent in all £3.5k on servicing and maintenance since purchase.
It's not my only car but it is my daily driver. I've only managed 9.5k miles in it so far, not the 20k your looking at but it's not missed a beat once.
That said Porsche always find something that needs doing when it goes in to be serviced, it's been in twice since I got it.
Mind you it is 9years old so things are going to need replacing so although the servicing is fairly cheap the extra's soon mount up.
I'd say with the new set of Michelin Pilot Sports that were fitted just over a month ago I've probably spent in all £3.5k on servicing and maintenance since purchase.
Daston said:
Things like a set of disks and pads will set you back a silly amount from what I have heard, so you might want to check things like that as well as service items that are due as I can't imagine them being cheap either.
Porsche Identified that I need a new set of Rear disks and pads at my last service, £750 fitted!£200 from Design911 and a couple of hours to fit them yourself.
Although I do get Porsche to do a fair bit of the work things like this are always going to be cheaper to do yourself, like with any car!
Roberty said:
I'd say with the new set of Michelin Pilot Sports that were fitted just over a month ago I've probably spent in all £3.5k on servicing and maintenance since purchase.
That's the sort of figures that i want to know, was the servicing done at a Porsche dealer? I'm thinking going to an indy for service.I'm taking the view that putting 40k miles on a car over a couple of years means that i shouldn't look at it as an investment just something to enjoy - as long as it doesn't become a moneypit.
Ozone said:
That's the sort of figures that i want to know, was the servicing done at a Porsche dealer? I'm thinking going to an indy for service.
I'm taking the view that putting 40k miles on a car over a couple of years means that i shouldn't look at it as an investment just something to enjoy - as long as it doesn't become a moneypit.
Yes that was all at Porsche Dealerships, as you say Indy's will be cheaper if there's a reputable one near you.I'm taking the view that putting 40k miles on a car over a couple of years means that i shouldn't look at it as an investment just something to enjoy - as long as it doesn't become a moneypit.
A Boxster isn't an investment but it's not a money pit either, just be sure of what your buying.
At this type of mileage a Full service history from a Dealer or an Indy is an absolute must, if anything on it doesn't work check out how much it is to fix before buying as even some of the small stuff can be big bucks to fix!
Mine had a fault with the PSM when I bought it, I foulishly thought that's fine and bought it anyway, Porsche told me it was one of two things! A £8 switch or a £2k pump! Thankfully it was the £8 switch but I was starting to think it had been cheap for a very good reason.
And I'd suggest walking away from anything that drips oil.
Parts are cheap enough from Indy's and the web or even cheaper from Breakers like Porsch-a-part.
Good luck
Nothing much to add to Roberty's helpful posts.
I ran my 2.5 for 4 years from 50ishk to 115ishk and only sold in January.
If you can accept £2k+ a year on running and maintenance costs them go for it. If you are hoping to get away with a sub£500 service a couple of times a year look elsewhere.
As is said time and again if you are running a car which was £40k+ you will have the bills to match and whilst Boxsters wear their miles vry well you do have to keep on top of things and Prosche are not known for their cheap parts.
An example was when the driver's side door interior release had a small plastic part fail which cost nearly £100 in parts to fix.
I ran my 2.5 for 4 years from 50ishk to 115ishk and only sold in January.
If you can accept £2k+ a year on running and maintenance costs them go for it. If you are hoping to get away with a sub£500 service a couple of times a year look elsewhere.
As is said time and again if you are running a car which was £40k+ you will have the bills to match and whilst Boxsters wear their miles vry well you do have to keep on top of things and Prosche are not known for their cheap parts.
An example was when the driver's side door interior release had a small plastic part fail which cost nearly £100 in parts to fix.
Cheers for that Roberty, i have had a look in the Porsche section on PH but there seems to be jargon that i'm not familiar with such as PSM so it'll be a bit of a learning cliff before i rush in to any purchase. I daren't take one for a test drive because i know i will make a rash decision without any knowledge of what i'm getting in to. 
Rude-boy said:
I ran my 2.5 for 4 years from 50ishk to 115ishk and only sold in January.
If you can accept £2k+ a year on running and maintenance costs them go for it. If you are hoping to get away with a sub£500 service a couple of times a year look elsewhere.
As is said time and again if you are running a car which was £40k+ you will have the bills to match and whilst Boxsters wear their miles vry well you do have to keep on top of things and Prosche are not known for their cheap parts.
An example was when the driver's side door interior release had a small plastic part fail which cost nearly £100 in parts to fix.
Thanks for that, it definately help to know these costs.If you can accept £2k+ a year on running and maintenance costs them go for it. If you are hoping to get away with a sub£500 service a couple of times a year look elsewhere.
As is said time and again if you are running a car which was £40k+ you will have the bills to match and whilst Boxsters wear their miles vry well you do have to keep on top of things and Prosche are not known for their cheap parts.
An example was when the driver's side door interior release had a small plastic part fail which cost nearly £100 in parts to fix.
Edited by Ozone on Monday 15th August 13:38
Lots of indies have fixed price servicing that will give you a good guide as to Boxster running costs. For example: http://www.rpmtechnik.co.uk/servicing/fixed-price/...
BillyB said:
Lots of indies have fixed price servicing that will give you a good guide as to Boxster running costs. For example: http://www.rpmtechnik.co.uk/servicing/fixed-price/...
That is very useful. Looks like i should be considering a manual 'box with regards to running costs.Thank God for PH
Ozone said:
Cheers for that Roberty, i have had a look in the Porsche section on PH but there seems to be jargon that i'm not familiar with such as PSM so it'll be a bit of a learning cliff before i rush in to any purchase. I daren't take one for a test drive because i know i will make a rash decision without any knowledge of what i'm getting in to.
No problem.PSM is Porsche Stability Management, an optional extra on the Boxster so it's not on all of them.
RMS Rear Main Seal, you'll hear alot about this and the IMS Intermediate Shaft. This is why you should avoid cars that drip oil as it could be a sign that the RMS is on the way out.
The RMS is cheap but expensive to get to so is usually done in conjuction with a clutch change.
Don't let the horror stories of 996 and 986 RMS and IMS failures put you off, it was never as common as some suggest on the 986 and most were upgraded long ago.
If you like the clear front and rear indicator lenses of the later 986 then look for a car that has them already as they are very expensive, £1k plus for the Headlights, the amber versions are only a fraction of this on eBay.
BillyB said:
Lots of indies have fixed price servicing that will give you a good guide as to Boxster running costs. For example: http://www.rpmtechnik.co.uk/servicing/fixed-price/...
Porsche have fixed price servicing too and the 986 prices aren't too bad.Scheduled service pricing Boxster and Boxster S
Minor service £360
Major service £540
Annual check (Without oil change) £125
Change brake fluid £100
Edited by Roberty on Monday 15th August 14:26
Roberty said:
RMS Rear Main Seal, you'll hear alot about this and the IMS Intermediate Shaft. This is why you should avoid cars that drip oil as it could be a sign that the RMS is on the way out.
The RMS is cheap but expensive to get to so is usually done in conjuction with a clutch change.
Don't let the horror stories of 996 and 986 RMS and IMS failures put you off, it was never as common as some suggest on the 986 and most were upgraded long ago.
This is interesting.The RMS is cheap but expensive to get to so is usually done in conjuction with a clutch change.
Don't let the horror stories of 996 and 986 RMS and IMS failures put you off, it was never as common as some suggest on the 986 and most were upgraded long ago.
The main reason I ruled out a Boxster S as a weekend car was over IMS/RMS issues, based on what I'd read all over the place.
C
Lots more good stuff from Roberty there.
Personally if I were in the market I would be looking for a facelift with the glass rear screen - I was always living in fear of bursting the plastic one on mine when defrosting in the winter mornings. Another one to look out for if it will be used all year round is that you will need to run a credit card around the window seal to break the superglue like hold of ice on the window which will stop you opening the door. Even if yo do open it without it dropping as it should closing it again is not for the faint hearted.
Opinion is divided on options to look for. Some say they want all the toys and heated seats and everything. Personally I would look for a car with BOSE and the Lux pack and anything else is a bonus.
2.5's had a habit of snapping front springs when a few years old so be wary of any that look lowered. Infact short of an aftermarket exhaust and (if you like that sort of thing) spoiler I wouldn't touch a Boxster that was non standard. Trim, fine, mecanicals? No way.
Clutches can last 15k-40k+ miles depending on driving conditions and always have the RMS replaced when you get the clutch done for the extra £50 it'll set you back.
If the car you are looking at has N rated tyres that is, IMO, a very good indication that the owner has not stinted on the upkeep.
Personally if I were in the market I would be looking for a facelift with the glass rear screen - I was always living in fear of bursting the plastic one on mine when defrosting in the winter mornings. Another one to look out for if it will be used all year round is that you will need to run a credit card around the window seal to break the superglue like hold of ice on the window which will stop you opening the door. Even if yo do open it without it dropping as it should closing it again is not for the faint hearted.
Opinion is divided on options to look for. Some say they want all the toys and heated seats and everything. Personally I would look for a car with BOSE and the Lux pack and anything else is a bonus.
2.5's had a habit of snapping front springs when a few years old so be wary of any that look lowered. Infact short of an aftermarket exhaust and (if you like that sort of thing) spoiler I wouldn't touch a Boxster that was non standard. Trim, fine, mecanicals? No way.
Clutches can last 15k-40k+ miles depending on driving conditions and always have the RMS replaced when you get the clutch done for the extra £50 it'll set you back.
If the car you are looking at has N rated tyres that is, IMO, a very good indication that the owner has not stinted on the upkeep.
CraigyMc said:
This is interesting.
The main reason I ruled out a Boxster S as a weekend car was over IMS/RMS issues, based on what I'd read all over the place.
C
As usual everyone moans when something goes wrong, very few post how everything is working as it should.The main reason I ruled out a Boxster S as a weekend car was over IMS/RMS issues, based on what I'd read all over the place.
C
It is an issue that affects both the 996 911s and the 986 Boxsters and due to being discussed in such detail and so often on Forums like PH there is a 'vibe' that every car is a potential time bomb.
Reality it is a problem that affects some cars, and if it happens in a big way can cost a fortune to repair/replace, but then I would say that it isn't anything like the HGF problem with K series engines where it isn't a case of if, but when.
Rude-boy said:
CraigyMc said:
This is interesting.
The main reason I ruled out a Boxster S as a weekend car was over IMS/RMS issues, based on what I'd read all over the place.
C
As usual everyone moans when something goes wrong, very few post how everything is working as it should.The main reason I ruled out a Boxster S as a weekend car was over IMS/RMS issues, based on what I'd read all over the place.
C
It is an issue that affects both the 996 911s and the 986 Boxsters and due to being discussed in such detail and so often on Forums like PH there is a 'vibe' that every car is a potential time bomb.
Reality it is a problem that affects some cars, and if it happens in a big way can cost a fortune to repair/replace, but then I would say that it isn't anything like the HGF problem with K series engines where it isn't a case of if, but when.
C
CraigyMc said:
Haha, recognise this? This was on my old elise... perhaps that's why I'm oversensitive to engine related problems?
Don't blame you!It worried me until I started to rationalise it and others did the same.
I have yet to meet anyone in person who has had theis problem and the Indy's I have spoken too have one or two stories of them but they really are not common.
There does seem to be a little merit in the suggestion that flat engines are more likely to need a a rebuild than, say, an inline 6. But then i could link you to stories that would have you running as far away from E36 and E46 M3's.
I also put it down to the fact that Porsche owners are more likely to be the sort who have time and resources to type on internet Forums without fear of joblessness...
I used my Boxster S as a daily for 18 months with no issues. Genuinely made the commute a lot more entertaining. Servicing at an Indy isn't massively expensive - tyres were £200 per corner and brakes no more expensive than an equivalent "performance" 2 door.
Will be selling soon for a quick sale (~70k miles 03 plate at around £10k) so if interested in spec let me know.
Will be selling soon for a quick sale (~70k miles 03 plate at around £10k) so if interested in spec let me know.
Thanks Markoc, i must hold my hand up and say i'm not in a hurry at the moment, i'm not even sure what spec i want myself after a bit of digging, i liked the idea of the 'tip box but can see it adds a bit to the service costs. My local garage has one up for 7.5k but i haven't had a good look yet as they were closed when i saw it. It made me stop and think maybe i could push it in to the realms of affordability for a daily, i'm not even sure how much the insurance would be with business use added on - lots more digging to do i think.
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