Porsche?
 

Ok... extremely torn now. On my quest to find an 8 I like, I came across a 2001 Porsche Boxter with 28k miles on it.

I need honest opinions... Porsche or 8? I'm not worried about space or snything. This WILL be my daily driver here in Boston, (where the Sox just swept the Angels).

HELP!

-B

i'd go with a new rx-8.

the boxter just had a face lift, and you'll look like you're driving an old car.

Boxster is a neat car, but they are a dime-a-dozen. Right now that can't be said so much for the 8 (at least from what I've seen) although that may change as well.

If you said 911, then I'd say no contest....Porsche. Take your time and drive both. If utility is not a consideration (the 8 has the advantge here) then judge on driving impressions. I would assume cost of maintenence would be more for the Boxster, and how much is left on the Boxster's warranty?

Also think of yourself driving on 93/128/Mass Pike in a snowstorm in the Boxster vs. the 8. I beleive that many people on this forum say that the 8 performs well in the crud with the right tires. (although my days of driving from Scituate into town during the winter are in the distant past :D )

Good Luck

Clueless...
 

Wouldn't teh Boxter be better in the "crud" due to the mid-rear engine mount?

I'm clueless... I know almost nothing about cars. Get in, fire it up and speed off.

the 8 outhandles the boxter, which is more than seven years old now (new model in 2005)
the boxter S is another story. still the best in its category, after all those years...

The Boxster is a more fun car than the RX-8 but are 2 seats enough? Trunk size is better on the RX-8 as well.

Do you like the idea of a convertible (+ for Porsche)

The 8 is more of a practical car. Ultimately it's a matter of the price.

-Peter

I never pushed the 8 on test drives but the salesman let me throw the porsche around a bit. Wow! HArd to believe the 8 does better than THAT! That's absolutely amazing...

Asking price on the Porsche is 28k. That's why im so confused. Great price for it. Actually, if you add in the space under the hood, the porsche has more "trunk" space than the 8. I'm not worried about space anyways... all I need is me and the girl I pick up on the way to wherever I'm going, if ya know what I mean. ;)

Or maybe I'm a loser and am looking at both these cars to spruce up my social life. (j/k)

Now if it was 2004 Boxster S, i'd say spend the $60 grand and be happy. For less than half that there is no comparison at all. I'VE DRIVEN THEM BOTH-rather be driving the RX-8. A 2001 has less H.P. 228 less room and handles about the same. Why spend $28k for a 4 year old car.

especially when you can get a 2004 rx8 with GT for around 24k, brand new.

Jason, where you buying? Show me! I can't find any for less than 30k here for GT and Nav...

911?...whole different story. The boxter is a "woman's" Porsche.

(I'm sure to get flack for that comment)

Hmm... is there such thing as a "woman's porsche"?

Totally agree with that. Boxster is no good on twisty road, while the S with sport sussy, brake and 3.2 is much better. Boxster is a second slower on track than my rx-8.

uh, I paid 30k 6 months ago for gt and nav. Right now you can get $3500 under invoice.

So invoice for 6MT with GT is $28,300.
$3500 off means you get that car for $24800. With nav that means $26,500.

I really wish someone would tell me how you can magically get so much off the car. When I start negotiating, they just laugh at me. I know I'm just a 20 year old kid but it seems nobody takes me seriously when I even ask for invoice. When is the right time in a sale to start negotiating?

you should contact the online sales person for the local dealerships. they will be upfront and no sales tactics because they know the internet shopper shops around.

in fact, just tell them straight up you want dealer invoice, with the $2500 incentive, and $1000 off on old 2004 stock. If you have a college degree coming up, I think you can get another $500 off.

Send that letter to all the dealerships in a 100 mile radius.

How do I send it to them all? Do I have to do them all individually or all at once somehow?

There's a 2500 incentive? Good to know... lying bastards.

i forget how i did it, you might want to try mazdausa and edmunds, they should let you mass mail dealerships in your area.

Re-check your reasons for buying a car:

1) If you wanna show you have $$$ bling bling ... go for the Porsche
2) If you drive in cold weather (BOSTON) and topdown? ... go RX8
3) If you drive more in summer and like topdowns? .. Porsche
4) If you want to have some functionality (trunk space, extra passengers) ... go RX8 (you never know when you need space)
5) If you are the type of person who has may regrets after buying something ... don't buy the RX8 and think you should have bought the Porsche.
I was choosing between a BMW Z4 and an RX8 ... now every time I see a Z4 ... wow, I say to myself, it's nice but how impractical is that 2-seater overpriced car. MY RX8 is loaded to the hilt with zenon, navigation system, 6 CD changer, and great handling. The Rx8 can hold its own against the more expensive lot.

That was very helpful. I think the 8 may be a better fit for me. Plus, I can pick up 3 girls instead of just 1! ;) And, I just sent out my inquiry to about 15 dealers around here asking for my packaging at invoice - 3500. Let's hope it works!

Coming from t a 911, I can honestly say I have had a great experience with my RX8. I just don't see a lot of value in the Porsche right now, even in the Boxster. I have driven both the 911 & Boxster (actually I have driven a Boxster S as well). I would get the RX8 vs. the used Boxster. The Boxster has a 5 speed that is not as good as the 6 speed in the 911 & Boxster S, and even that is not as good as the RX8's. The brakes were the lower end as well (not as good as a Boxster S or 911). Until the 05's come out the Boxster really is a compromise in many ways. Go for the RX8. I get more looks in my RX8, then I do in my 911. Strange.

Well, I think I may go for the 8 cause I want to know how the car was driven from day 1. Even though I look good in the porsche (who doesn't), the 8 is just too cool for words. Still kinda scared for the snow. I know the porsche is mid engine over the drive wheels, so I dunno.

Dont forget to buy GAP protection, an extended vehicle service contract, a maintenance program, lojack, and anything else when your doing the financing.

Ice, you work for THEM? GAP, yes... all that other crap, hell no! Maybe maintenance but the rest, ive heard, is not worth paying for. Especially if I may trade it in in like 3 or 4 years.

I had a 99 Boxster for a little over a year. Slightly different engine in the one you're looking at.

To my, My "8" completly reminds me of my Boxster. Handling to me is identical form memory of course. And yes, the Boxster has amazing trunk room with both front and rear. The shifting is nearly identical in that you are missing low end torque but one you get it up high, keep it there to keep going. For me, the extra seats and $20K+ price difference more than makes up for the rag top. If you seriously want to look at the Boxster, compare it to an "8" with similar miles or at least as close as you can get.

Okay, I've owned 2 Porsches, and my vote goes to the 8. My reason is that Porsches can be a real pain in the ass to own. They're reliablility is pretty good, but when something goes wrong it's a friggin' fortune to get it repaired. Plus, you have to find a really good "Porsche" mechanic to do the work, and they aint cheap. The last one I had was a 968, and as much as I loved to drive it, I just couldn't take the repair bills anymore. It gets kind of old when you have to replace a windshield wiper motor and it costs $600. My wife and I had a joke, everytime it went in the shop it cost at least $600. And a few times it was quite a bit more. It was my daily driver as well. Believe me, Porsches are great, but you need to know what you're getting into. If you do go the Porsche route, make sure and join the local PCA. It's a great club, but typically full of older members. Also, you may want to check into a warranty on the Boxster to cover the repair bills. It may cost you $1200 to $1800, but it would be well worth it. I had Warranty Gold on my FD, and it worked out well, plus the warranty is transferable if you sell it.

As far as the Boxster goes, if it's not an "S", it's not worth it, IMO. The non S Boxsters just don't have enough horsepower. The "S" is another story. Believe me, when I got my 8, I also considered a Boxster S, but the thought of the repair bills made my stomach turn. The 8 has great performance and should be pretty reliable, as most Japanese cars are. Plus, it won't take a house payment to get some work done on it.

Good luck with your decision, I know Porsches can be pretty hard to resist, but then again, so can the 8.

BTW, my RX-8 is my 14th sports car, and it's my favorite.

You're probably getting static on the deal because of your age. Start playing the dealers back and forth...even other manufacturers like say Nissan. Before you step into the showroom, decide on the price that you are going to pay and work it until you get the price. Too many people have such a hard-on to buy the car that they cave and pat too much. Also, just when the salesman thinks the deal is done, get up and tell him that you'd like to take a couple of days to think about it. That drives them nuts...they don't want to let you leave without signing the deal. That last move saved my $500.

rotten, very slick. Did you buy that day or did you actually take a couple days?

in your situation i would go with the 8. for a daily driver it has more room than the porsche, handles better to.

Ya, if the 8 handles as good as the porsche, it will kick ass. You guys are saying it is better... there is better? wow!

Important question: What about the phenomenon known as "Chick Magnetism"?

THat would have more to do with you than your car! Unless you're talking about Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Mercedes etc...

unless the car has ridiculously low miles I personally pick new over used any day, new=you know where it's been and how it's been treated (for the most part)
used=hard to tell and you will never really know how it's been treated (unless you know the owner personally etc.)

If you need a car to get chicks you've got a real problem. I've always hated that!

I don't NEED a car for that... just wondering which will impress the girl more. Which car would interest a girl more?

You get your "i have a porsche glory" with the porsche. You are also getting a USED car where parts are very expensive around the 50K range.

No offense here, but can you chill your ego for a NEW "fresh" car instead of the USED "outdated" one?

Space is always an issue when you have one car (if that is your case).

Also, check the insurance 1st with about 10 different companies. Porsche = expensive parts = higher insurance eventhough used. Use the VIN numbers for the most accurate rates.

Enjoy.

I just picked up my RX-8 on Saturday, and I feel I got a decent deal on it. Of course I use to sell cars and so I know most of the tricks and games. First of all don't ask the dealer for the invoice, you don't need to. Go to http://www.edmunds.com and get the invoice price there. Do be aware that the invoice at Edmunds won't contain any advertising fees as these can vary depending on where you are located, but they normally don't go over a few hundred dollars anyway. At Edmunds you can also find out what people are paying for the car in your area (on average) which is very helpful while you are negotiating. Edmunds also lists all incentives on the car, including dealer cash, so you can be aware of any room the dealer has to move on the price.

When you go in know EXACTLY how you want the car, all the options, color, everything. Explain to the sales person that you know what you want and if they will work with you so that you can buy it at a price YOU consider fair (it shouldn't matter to you if the dealer thinks it is fair) then you will buy the car. Also let them know in no uncertain terms that you will not allow them to waste your time.

The salesperson will probably ask what kind of payments you are looking for, tell them you aren't interested in discussing payments, you are interested in discussing the price of the car. They might then ask what you want to pay for the car, respond with something like "I know what I am willing to pay, but the dealership has to make the decision on what you are willing to sell the car for. So why don't you tell me the lowest price at which you are willing to sell the car". Remember, if you state a price first you will loose in the negotiations, be very firm on this. If they won't give you a price ask for one of the salesperson's cards, do not take it with you, instead write a number where they can reach you on it and hand it back to the sales person explaining that you are unwilling to play games, tell them that they can call you when they are ready to deal with you in a respectful and honest manner and in the meantime you will be shopping at other dealerships. Then leave, don't let them talk you into staying, be very firm and leave.

If they do give you a price compare it with the invoice price and the average price paid you got off the web, they might very well give you a fair price early on. If you think it is fair then tell them so. If you don't think it is fair tell them that as well and make them come up with another price, but you should not tell them a price.

Once you have agreed on a price the real fun begins. Leasing is too complicated for me to get into, but be aware that a dealer will sell you a car for less than they paid for it knowing that they can probably make up the difference by raping you on financing. Dealers can hold points on the interest rate you will pay, the bank may be willing to finance you at 6% but when you go to sign the paper work you see you are paying 9%. The dealer adds on these extra points and splits the difference with the bank, this can be a lot of money for the dealer. Go to credit unions and banks and see what they can do for you, also allow the dealer to make you an offer on financing, do not tell the dealer at any time that you may not finance through them until the very end of the process. If the dealer comes back with a higher interest rate than you have found on your own tell them that you have looked around and that their numbers are way out of line and that you don't appreciate being taken advantage of in this way. If you are talking to the dealer on a weekday while the banks are open give them an hour to come up with something better, if they don't go to another dealer. Be very firm, let them know you are angry, but do not be impolite, be very business like.

When I bought my car last week the second offer the dealer made was well below the average selling price in my area for the car, and somewhat below invoice. So we agreed on price quickly, They tried to rape me on financing, originally quoting me an interest rate of 10.9%, they actually came up with the best interest rate I could get by the time I signed the papers though, 6.94%, that is a huge savings for me.

Be polite, but be firm, go in prepared, and never give the sales person any information you don't have to give him/her. At your age you won't be taken as seriously, so I would recommend going in well dressed and be very serious and business like the entire time you are at the dealership, the salesperson will want you to think that they are your friend, don't fall for it.

And have fun, it is all a game in the end, and winning this game brings great financial and personal satisfaction :)