Boxster S or Exige S2
Discussion
Have a dilemma. Torn between a 987 Boxster S and an Exige S2.
My budget is 17-18k, so both will be approx. 4 to 5 years old. I'll use the car daily to get to and from work (10 mile round trip) and occasionally for work, but also looking for weekend hooning fun as well as the odd trip to the Nürburgring (although trackdays are NOT a priority).
What do I go for?
Is the Exige too compromised as an everyday drive?
Would also appreciate any advice on running costs, servicing etc. of both cars as well as any alternative suggestions.
Thanks in anticipation.
My budget is 17-18k, so both will be approx. 4 to 5 years old. I'll use the car daily to get to and from work (10 mile round trip) and occasionally for work, but also looking for weekend hooning fun as well as the odd trip to the Nürburgring (although trackdays are NOT a priority).
What do I go for?
Is the Exige too compromised as an everyday drive?
Would also appreciate any advice on running costs, servicing etc. of both cars as well as any alternative suggestions.
Thanks in anticipation.
The Exige is usable every day but of course it is a compromise to some extent.
The Boxster has much more luggage space and considerably more shoulder room if you regularly carry a passenger. As the GT the Boxster is an order of magnitude better than the Exige, as a sports car the Exige is an order of magnitude better than the Boxster.
An Exige would be great for a ten mile commute if it's on run roads. If it's on the motorway or dual carriageways I'd probably go for a Boxster.
I run an Elise as my daily driver and have very rarely regretted my decision.
The Boxster has much more luggage space and considerably more shoulder room if you regularly carry a passenger. As the GT the Boxster is an order of magnitude better than the Exige, as a sports car the Exige is an order of magnitude better than the Boxster.
An Exige would be great for a ten mile commute if it's on run roads. If it's on the motorway or dual carriageways I'd probably go for a Boxster.
I run an Elise as my daily driver and have very rarely regretted my decision.
Edited by kambites on Thursday 8th April 12:16
No idea on running costs on the Boxster, but I would suggest that an Exige would probably be a little too much as a daily driver. It would be a pain in the arse (literally) getting in and out and your ears would probably end up bleeding on the communte! But it would be f
kING good fun!!
Have you thought about something like an M3 instead? Not quite as quick for the weekends, but you could get a decent convertible for your budget, wouldn't rip your legs off on your daily drive, would be a lot more economical, probably cheaper to insure (???) etc etc etc.
kING good fun!!Have you thought about something like an M3 instead? Not quite as quick for the weekends, but you could get a decent convertible for your budget, wouldn't rip your legs off on your daily drive, would be a lot more economical, probably cheaper to insure (???) etc etc etc.
Both are excellent cars - Exige ultimately quicker, but IMHO unless you're a VERY quick road driver the Boxster will elicit 99% of the fun on british roads as the exige.
Exige is compromised - comfort, practicality - how tall are you? do you fit?
Boxster is a great continental hoon car with a fortnights luggage as well as being a great a/b road blast. Also can put the top down.
With no track days and a bit of a commute I'd go straight for the Boxster.
Exige residuals will probably be better - but I reckon you'd put a lot more miles on the boxster.
Exige is compromised - comfort, practicality - how tall are you? do you fit?
Boxster is a great continental hoon car with a fortnights luggage as well as being a great a/b road blast. Also can put the top down.
With no track days and a bit of a commute I'd go straight for the Boxster.
Exige residuals will probably be better - but I reckon you'd put a lot more miles on the boxster.
Purely personal choice but I would take the Boxster if it had to be my only car, you can use a boxster as a Daily driver and it is a surprisingly practical motor, Boxster grips really well and is a very good way to destroy roads while never being exciting in the way that things with less grip are.
I have not driven an Exige but I would imagine it is a bit less practical than a Boxster while being an even more effective way of going quickly, the Exige probably has the edge on excitement due to lightness and the fact it may be easier to provoke beyond its limits.
I have not driven an Exige but I would imagine it is a bit less practical than a Boxster while being an even more effective way of going quickly, the Exige probably has the edge on excitement due to lightness and the fact it may be easier to provoke beyond its limits.
An Elise (a supercharged one may be in budget?) might be a better compromise. Mainly because they come with regular tyres, as opposed to cut slicks.
Also, you can take the roof off on sunny days (ok, you can take the roof off an Exige, but it's a bit more fuss).
I had my Elise for 2 years and did 18,000 miles in it - never had any problems
Also, you can take the roof off on sunny days (ok, you can take the roof off an Exige, but it's a bit more fuss).
I had my Elise for 2 years and did 18,000 miles in it - never had any problems
Another 987 vote here. The Exige isn't particularly uncomfortable or noisy but it is compared to a 987. Also, if you stick to the Exige's A048Rs, you'll be haemmoraging money through your anus on tyres (and if you don't, then you're not using it properly, which makes ownership moot).
For what you've described, go 987.
For what you've described, go 987.
I think the Boxster in this case too
I have never driven either so am fairly unqualified
But for me the Exige would be a driving car and nothing more, I would never want to take a passenger and would probably want to track it most of the time, the Boxster would be a car for all occasions
If I could get an Exige and another Daily Driver then Exige all day long
I have never driven either so am fairly unqualified
But for me the Exige would be a driving car and nothing more, I would never want to take a passenger and would probably want to track it most of the time, the Boxster would be a car for all occasions
If I could get an Exige and another Daily Driver then Exige all day long
5 miles each way in stop and go?
Get a pedal bike! You'll get fitter, good for health & you'll get in faster & save money.
WTF is the point of an exige/boxster in noise to tail traffic. Neither cars will warm the oil.
Get a bike, a diesel stter for work when it's raining, and get something fun to play with on the weekends, catherham/westy IMO.
SO yes, I've not answered your question at all, but I think your question is stupid
(I lived with an elise for 18 months, you'll want AC if nothing else when stuck in traffic. Car was rubbish in city (rather be in an AC'd X5 or something), was a b-road blaster)
Get a pedal bike! You'll get fitter, good for health & you'll get in faster & save money.
WTF is the point of an exige/boxster in noise to tail traffic. Neither cars will warm the oil.
Get a bike, a diesel s
tter for work when it's raining, and get something fun to play with on the weekends, catherham/westy IMO.SO yes, I've not answered your question at all, but I think your question is stupid
(I lived with an elise for 18 months, you'll want AC if nothing else when stuck in traffic. Car was rubbish in city (rather be in an AC'd X5 or something), was a b-road blaster)
Edited by stuthemong on Thursday 8th April 12:29
Edited by stuthemong on Thursday 8th April 12:30
I think an Elise/Exige is completely wasted for a stop/start commute. I was using mine for 2 hrs a day in town and on motorway and just became frustrated by it. For such journeys the visibility is poor, the mapping means the throttle response is mega-sharp, the clutch judders after a 30 mins of stop/start work and you generally spend the whole time feeling guilty for wasting it. I bought a 15 year old Clio for such things and kept the Elise for weekend work. Of which there is a lot. Only you can decide what you feel is appropriate, but worth considering the Elise as it is (slightly) less compromised as an everyday proposition than the Exige.
sconzo said:
Have a dilemma. Torn between a 987 Boxster S and an Exige S2.
My budget is 17-18k, so both will be approx. 4 to 5 years old. I'll use the car daily to get to and from work (10 mile round trip) and occasionally for work, but also looking for weekend hooning fun as well as the odd trip to the Nürburgring (although trackdays are NOT a priority).
What do I go for?
Is the Exige too compromised as an everyday drive?
Would also appreciate any advice on running costs, servicing etc. of both cars as well as any alternative suggestions.
Thanks in anticipation.
It's only a compromise if you can't cope with it. The Porsche will be easier to get in and out of, quieter, more comfy, more refined, easy to maintain stable temps and so on.My budget is 17-18k, so both will be approx. 4 to 5 years old. I'll use the car daily to get to and from work (10 mile round trip) and occasionally for work, but also looking for weekend hooning fun as well as the odd trip to the Nürburgring (although trackdays are NOT a priority).
What do I go for?
Is the Exige too compromised as an everyday drive?
Would also appreciate any advice on running costs, servicing etc. of both cars as well as any alternative suggestions.
Thanks in anticipation.
But many will and do use things like an Exige daily, you've just got to know what you are letting yourself in for and accept any compromises.
Or how about a more middle ground with something like this:
kambites said:
You could get a 996 for that money too.
You could get a pick from a lot of 996s for that money but unless you buy one with a good warranty the RMS worry would dilute the ownership experience for me. A 987S or a 2.7 would be my pick at that budget. Edited by Chris_w666 on Thursday 8th April 12:34
Rawwr said:
You could get a 996 C2 yes, but a 987S will be a better car 
Guess it depends what you want it for. The 996 is another step towards GTishness, it wont drive as well as a Boxster on back roads but it'll be better for covering long distances and is considerably more practicable. I'd take a 987 over a 996 but then I would (and did) take an Elise over a 987. Edited by kambites on Thursday 8th April 12:36
I ran an S2 Exige for 2 years and have had a Cayman S for the last 2.5 years.
For your needs I would go with the Porsche. The Exige is a great weekend / summer / track car but not that great to live with day to day (especially in the winter when its dark and wet).
Boxster will cost more in fuel but for other running costs will probably be cheaper than the Exige (if you keep the Yokohama AO48's on the Exige or the Toyo R888 equivalents you will be lucky to get 4000 miles out of a set of rears).
My Cayman is a brilliant all rounder and the boxter will be similar.
For your needs I would go with the Porsche. The Exige is a great weekend / summer / track car but not that great to live with day to day (especially in the winter when its dark and wet).
Boxster will cost more in fuel but for other running costs will probably be cheaper than the Exige (if you keep the Yokohama AO48's on the Exige or the Toyo R888 equivalents you will be lucky to get 4000 miles out of a set of rears).
My Cayman is a brilliant all rounder and the boxter will be similar.
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff