Hi All, First post to the forum. I’ve owned Hondas all my life (Accords and Civics), and have the worlds best independent Honda mechanic to work on them. But I’ve always had a love for Porsche, and have been thinking seriously of getting 2001-04 Boxster S. I’ve read up on all the good (superb handling, comfortable ride, Porsche logo!) and the bad (IMS goes bad and engine implodes costing $15k to fix)

So while my heart draws me to the Boxster, my practical side says get the S2000. I guy at work has a S2000, and he told me his wife refuses to ride in the car due to the harsh ride.

I’ve been reading all the Boxster forums, and they all told me why I should buy a boxster. Now it’s time for the rebuttal. Please tell me why getting an S2000 is better for me. It will not be my daily driver, but a weekend fun car. I live on the Pacific Coast North of Los Angeles, and have the Pacific Coast Highway at my doorstep for fun drives.
Let me have it guys (and girls), why should I buy I S2000?

 

One word: reliability

 

IMHO, buying a boxster is like saying "I couldn't afford a 911." I love Porsche too, but I can't afford one (one that I would actually spend the money on if I had it), so I bought the S instead. The S is and always will be my "affordable dream car." Anything less than a 911 though just doesn't feel like a real Porsche. Let me put it this way...you're sacrificing one of the best Honda's ever made, arguably the best handling Honda every produced in mass for what...a bottom of the line pseudo-Porsche. If you're going to really weigh the two, look at the AP2s, and the really refined years are 06-09. You know with the S you're buying the top of the line for the given brand, and not the bottom. They might be the same reasons you've been driving Accords and not C-class Mercedes or 3 series BMWs.

 

nailed it on the head right there

 

you don't need a lot of money to buy a Porsche but you do need a lot of money to own one. If you have the money buy what you really want, a $15K repair expense shouldn't bother a lot of Porsche owners, the Germans have a funny way of making that part of the mystique of ownning their cars.

Definitely try to test drive both cars, it's hard to say whether you will like either car unless you drive them and get a feel for them.

Early year Boxsters didn't perform all that well, the more recent year's got a bump in performance, I'd rather have an S2000 over the earlier year Boxters, the newer models seem to be better though. I've owned German cars in the past and I've had my fill of them, they can keep their overpriced maintenance and parts costs, I'll leave them for people that don't mind throwing money out the window.

 

I chose a 2007 S2000 over a Boxster or Z4 as I would have had to buy a 2002-3 model Porsche. They, and all the German marques, had reliability problems back then.

The S is even more money - I would have had to buy a 2000-1 to get to the same price. Of course, the base Boxster is a "chick" car to quote my car guy friends.

And in the end, you're still maintaining a less reliable $60,000 car (with parts to match) vs a reliable $35,000 car.

Go with the S - the purest driver's car I ever been in.

 

Are we talking about the status granted by owning a car, or are talking about the driving enjoyment granted by owning the car? Sure, rich snobs are going to turn up their noses at anyone driving a boxter - especially the ones in a 911 Turbo or S class Mercedes. Then again those same people are going to turn their noses up at you in your cheap little S2000 too.

The Boxter S is a very capable sports car that I would be proud to own. Unfortunately I don't have the money to buy it or maintain it. IMO, the strikes against this car have far more to do with practical matters (money) than with brand panache. If you are looking for all out fun for a reasonable amount of money, an S2000 can't be beat by anything short of a motorcycle.

 

Same thought process I used when making my purchase. I've owned my S for almost a year now, and looking back it was a great decision.

 

i was making the same choices and drove the Z3M, Z4, Boxster, Boxster S (both older and newer) ... the older boxsters were not very performance orientd and had very little feel. the bimmers jsut did not strike my fancy. the newer boxster, especially the S, have a LOT of performance, but, they cost twice as much as an S. and in the end, the above statement is very true. i have driven a LOT of sports cars ... a LOT. and many out perform the S2k in many categories, but, you don't buy this car for the numbers, you drive it and buy it because it IS the last, best pure roadster that will ever be. period. NO other car i have driven gives that Immediacy, connection, pure feeling of being one with the car like the honda. in the end, for me, it was a no brainer. S2k all the way.

 

The guy I bought my S2k from bought it to replace his Morgan +8. His new lady complained the +8s ride was too rough.

My lady loves weekends away in my very highly tuned, & quite stiff TR8, but thinks the Honda is harsh.

My son can't believe how compliant the Honda's suspension is considering it's handling.

I can't understand how the Honda can be so firm, but hit bumps much more softly than the Triumph.

As people are different, so are cars. Try to spend some time in each, as they are so different, one will suit you much better than the other.