seeker97, Good to have you on board, great comparison of the cars.
Levi

 

My vote goes to seeker97 as the next Jeremy Clarkson.

 

Wow, I didn't know Porsche's were so unreliable! That's insane. Welcome to s2ki friend, I hope you enjoy your stay and the s2k. =)

 

Welcome aboard. Nice observations and comparision. You and DDonovan should stop by the vintage forum and intoduce yourselves (if you haven't already). We usually have a couple of meets a year, with other (vintage) S2K folks

I had a'79 X-1/9. The handling was great, just not enough power (and that was even with the move to the 1.9 liter upgrade that year).

 

Welcome aboard, nice write up.

 

Nice write up indeed. I know about the rear main seal issue but didn't know they weren't honoring to repair it under warranty any longer. Welcome!

 

Great post and welcome to S2ki...

A boxster was in the running when I was looking at the S2000 and many of the things you mentioned led me to the S2000. Thanks for the write up and the many flaws that I would not have seen in the Boxster before buying it makes me 10 times happier that I did not buy it..

Amen

 

I ended up putting a fiat 2000 engine in mine after blowing up the original.

 

I wouldn't say the car is undependable, it is old and time for things to start to break. I just think that the way the dealership represented itself was terrible. They seem to think if you drive a Porsche you won't complain and you can afford whatever they do. The cars are exactly as seeker97 says, they used to have a product that was second to none, now they get buy on appearance.

The boxter was built for the person that always wanted to be a Porsche owner but couldn't afford to be. The Boxter S is more the car or even the Cayman S which is what I was looking at before purchasing my S2000.

 

As a previous 2002 Boxster 2.7 owner I have weighed in on this before. While some of the OP's points are valid let me offer a counterpoint.

First, did the OP experience the engine issue he spoke of? I don't think so as he did not say he did. He was speculating on what may happen over time. I had mine for 4 yrs and never had an issue with the RMS, and hadly anything else for that matter. He mentioned engine access. You actually can see the engine from the area behind the seats(small panel comes off, and in the tray where the top folds(another access door). Oil changes were $85 at the dealer if I brought my own oil. $230 is for the chumps who drop the car off for service and do no research. It isn't hard to do yourself either if you are so inclined. There is minimal maintenance other than oil changes either. He also mentioned the top and seats in his car having issues. Check this board to find the same number of complaints about the S2000 in those areas in addition to tranny/differential issues.

Second, I love my S2000, but it is no Boxster in many areas. One is the feel of solidity in the Boxster. For having an almost identical weight, the Boxster feels much more substantial. It is hard to explain without experiencing it. Next, the Boxster is much roomier in the drivers seat. You can actually relax your legs on a drive rather than being smashed into the tunnel(and no I am not a big guy- 5'10" and 170lbs). The handling of my 2.7(without the sport package) was more forgiving and stable on rough roads than the S2k is. Braking is superior in the Boxster as well(endless stopping power with my bottom end system). The engine, while no torque monster, was much more flexible than the S2000's and the sounds it makes.... One final area is highway comfort. I don't do much long distance driving, but the Boxster kills the S2K in this area. It has a supple ride without giving away handling prowess. Engine noise is subdued at highway speeds(unlike the angry beehive motor in the S2K).

Of course the Boxster better have advantages over the S2K considering it STARTS at $45,800(and this is without the nice wheels, stereo, HID's, big motor, etc). I love the idea the S2K has everything standard. Germans always nickel and dime you on options.

Is the Boxster worth $10K more than the S2K? It depends. Obviously not for me as I went with the S2K rather than another Boxster when my lease was up(this was more due the fact the Porsche wanted much more money for an 06 model than they had for the 02 and the S2K sales were tanking so I stole the car.) I will likely end up with another S2K next year if I don't stray to a coupe this time.