Awww nuts...

If any of you have been reading my threads, unfortunately I have decided not to get the RX-8. But, due to the enormous about of nice, knowledgable people on here, I still stick around for advice. I also wanna keep tabs on the RX-8 but thats another topic all together! :p

I thought I had settled on finding a nice used Boxster as a weekend driver instead of the RX-8. There are some 1998-1999 Boxsters going for around $24K in various places.

Well today, my friend dragged me to the local Honda dealership on our lunch break. He is interested in an S2000. Needless to say, I am interested in an S2000 now. Good lord this car is amazing. I can even fit in it! Glove-like describes the feeling, but regardless. So I went off to do some research and it has come down to this (I think... :p )

1998-99 Boxster vs. 2000-01 S2000

What do you people think? Thoughts? I greatly appreciate and welcome them.

Oh and Elara, you wouldnt happen to be able to drive a S2000 through work would you? :D :D :D

Thanks guys

Maintenence would be cheaper with the S2000

Try this site

http://www.s2ki.com/

Yeah I have been surfing www.s2ki.com for a while now and have been looking on various Boxster forums.

But I want you all's (raised in VA) opinion. :cool:

I would totally go for the S2000 if you want a roadster. I would have bought one if I was a convertible guy. Very nimble, quick and visceral = fun!!!

Check out the Honda dealer up on Rt. 23 (I think its in Pequannack - sp??). They seemed really decent. I would avoid Paramus Honda as their service is pretty bad (I walked out after they left me waiting for over a half hour). If you are going the used route I saw a nice one in the area (PM me and I'll give you the details). I also hear the Honda dealer in Nanuet is pretty decent.

Definitely the S2000 (or perhaps a new Miata which you can turbo yourself later) - not the Boxster. The Porsche is nowhere near the reliability of the Honda, and maintenance costs are insane as you have to drop the engine to do almost anything (plus Porsche charges a LOT more than Honda per hour).

When I test drove both these cars last year not only did I think the Stook was vastly more fun (and faster) but I also asked about the 15k and 30k service costs and I think the Boxster was 3-4 times the cost of the S. Deciding which one to get used should be a no-brainer unless you can do all the maintenance yourself. I was also unimpressed that the Porsche salesguy kept harping on about the badge and the snob status instead of letting the product talk for itself. Finally the dealership had their 'top' driver take me out onto their mini-track behind the showroom to show me what the Boxster could do - I was yawning through it (perhaps because he didn't want to hammer a brand new unsold car).

To this day I still yearn for the S2000 but I need a 4-seat vehicle - I am getting the RX-8 because I am hoping it will drive like a more practical S2000.

Originally posted by tallguylehigh

I thought I had settled on finding a nice used Boxster as a weekend driver instead of the RX-8. There are some 1998-1999 Boxsters going for around $24K in various places.

Well today, my friend dragged me to the local Honda dealership on our lunch break. He is interested in an S2000. Needless to say, I am interested in an S2000 now. Good lord this car is amazing. I can even fit in it! Glove-like describes the feeling, but regardless.

Thanks guys

If it isn't the Boxter S (performance), hands down the S2000. You see boxters everywhere and expensive to maintain.

revhappy-

I would like to know more about the car. I just need to enable Private Messaging, which it isnt letting me do in the Edit Options menu.

Will try to get it fixed ASAP.

A friend had an S2000, but I've never driven one- however, and this is ONLY my opinion, I'd take the Boxster.

1) I find the S2000 ugly. 2)I see S2000's all the time- when I picked up the Boxster for the week, we had 4 S2000s on the lot and one Boxster.

But that is just me, and I'm currently driving the Boxster and loving it, so take what I say however you want.

Boxter has the looks & the name.

S2000 has the reliability & the better resale value.

My choice -- come back to the fold & get the RX-8



Between the two - the S2000

Elara - once you've finished your week in the Boxster borrow your friend's S2000 for 15 minutes and tell us which you prefer to drive for sheer fun and excitement. And as far as being common goes: fewer S2000's are sold every year than Boxsters+Boxster S, and the Porsche has been on sale for twice as many years. In Houston I see about 5 Boxsters to every rare S2000 sighting on the roads (and I am always looking out for the S2000).

Boxster: Expensive to maintain
JD powers ratings for 98 (99 about the same)

Initial Quality Ratings (0-90 days) definition
Mechanical Quality 3 / 5
Body & Interior Quality 3 / 5
Feature and Accessory Quality 3 / 5
Performance 5 / 5
Creature Comforts 3 / 5
Style 5 / 5

Midterm Reliability Ratings (1-3 years) definition
Mechanical Reliability 3 / 5
Body & Interior Reliability 2 / 5
Feature and Accessory Reliability 2 / 5

KEY:
5 Among the best
4 Better than most
3 Does not really stand out
2 The rest

Drove the S2000 a few times and wanted one bad...but too small and uncomfortable. This will be my main car. A few other minor things like the sound system sucks and the interior is subpar for a 30K+ car.
I still dig it but I'm digging the RX-8 more. I'm counting on that after I ink the deal and drive it away my opinion won't change.

Go with the brand new zero miles new styling first on your block great rotary etc etc..... RX-8.

Originally posted by pelucidor
Elara - once you've finished your week in the Boxster borrow your friend's S2000 for 15 minutes and tell us which you prefer to drive for sheer fun and excitement. And as far as being common goes: fewer S2000's are sold every year than Boxsters+Boxster S, and the Porsche has been on sale for twice as many years. In Houston I see about 5 Boxsters to every rare S2000 sighting on the roads (and I am always looking out for the S2000).

I can run out to the store and test drive one there. HOWEVER, perhaps the concentration of the cars depends on the area you're in. For example, we've got quite a few S2000's in the parking lot at work, but the one I'm driving is the only Boxster I've ever seen there. I haven't seen another Boxster since I've been driving the one I've got, but I've seen tons of S2000s. Who knows. I still like the Boxster, if for nothing other than emotional reasons.

You have to take the S2000 over the standard Boxster. The S2000 is equivalent to the Boxster S which costs about double. I see many more Boxsters than S2000's. There's not much love between the two user groups (reading s2ki). If you want a value-for-money performance car get the S. If you want the badge and can afford the cash get a Boxster S. Avoid the standard Boxster.

The distribution of the S2000's and Boxsters does depend on where you are in the country. Where I live, I see on average of about 5 Boxsters a day.

Needless to say, the S2000 is relatively rare. I just need to take one for a test drive to find out whether I can comfortable fit in it and drive the thing. All I know is that it supposedly has the sweetest shifter in automobildom, which is a plus since with that engine I will probably be shifting a lot :D

Bad thing about the S2000's are that they may have been thrashed in their previous owners hands. You know a Porsche is going to be taken care of, or is this just a careless assumption on my part?

Thanks for the input everybody.

I have heard that the S2000 is EXTREMELY sensitive to proper break-in procedure (no VTEC for first 600 miles, i.e. keep it below 5750rpm). If you can find a seller who is passionate enough about the car to have followed the break-in and kept up with the TSBs then the car should be OK whether thrashed or not.

And yes the clutch/gearchange are the best I've ever experienced - made me want a manual again after 150,000 miles exlusively driving autos. I am sure JSG and others who have actually owned an S can sing it's praises better than I can. On a personal note I would have bought the $32k S2000 over the Boxster I drove even if the Boxster had been $30k and not $47k (I only checked it out as Porsche were offering a $499 lease on '02 models).

If you are seriousy considering the S then buy the Honda S2000 book by Daniel Carney first (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076030906X/qid%3D1052926988/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-3101801-5047169) - I read it twice in a week. The level of engineering and passion that went into Honda's 50th anniversery vehicle is breath-taking (much like the RX-8).

Bad thing about the S2000's are that they may have been thrashed in their previous owners hands. You know a Porsche is going to be taken care of, or is this just a careless assumption on my part

The S2000 has shown to have an impeccable reliability record.

The Boxster has had a good (not impeccable) reliability record.

If the Boxter's out there have been babied more than the S2000, all the more reason to go with the S2000.