Manual or Tiptronic

[gdavison]

Having owned 4 Boxsters (a 1999 2.7, 2001 S, 2003 S, 2005S) all have been manuals ... The 6 speed in the new 2005S is amazing and as with all Boxsters was an improvement on the previous models gerabox... I have always stayed away from the Tiptronics, but had never driven one... I just spent 2 days in a Tiptronic Cayenne and have to say Porsche Tiptronics are truely fantastic and will seriously consider it in my next Boxster ..

As you need Tiptronic for your wife to share the fun, go for it, you (as a manual box driver) wont regret it ..

As to the car choice .. IMVHO focus on the 2.7 or the 3.2 .. you say you did not experiance much between the 3.2 and the 2.7, the 3.2 had a whole host of improvements/changes over the 2.7 more so than just a bigger engine .. such as ... as you say the Glass rear is a simple but I think a key change .. your thinking "its heated thats good" .. an existing Boxster owner thinks .. "I can get the lid down of a cold day and I dont have to get out of the car and do the "Boxster Chop" if I have the glass rear "

(Boxster Chop .. With a plastic rear window, half way down lowering the roof, you have to get out and "karate chop" the rear window to ensure it folds properly - search the forums you will see what its about)

Thing is have fun shopping around for a car []

 

[Rob Edwards]

Hi Gilbert

For a budget of £22k you should be able to source a decent car - personally, I would recommend the 3.2 S over the 2.7, but if you're not the type to extend the performance often, then maybe the 2.7 would be fine for you. You certainly notice the extra power of the S, especially at higher speeds, where the added grunt comes alive.

Tiptronic is a decent 'semi-auto' system, and is handy in stop-start conditions (i.e town traffic or urban conditions) but it does blunt the performance a little. Again, if you are a more 'relaxed' driver, then the Tiptronic could be ideal for you.

The glass rear window is a definite bonus over the plastic screen, both in terms of clearer vision and it negates the need for the 'Boxster Chop' where you stop the hood half way down and ensure that the plastic is folding correctly, smoothing it with your forearm where required. If the screen is plastic, carefully examine it for any cracking or damage - a new rear screen may mean a new entire hood!

Cruise control is an option on both manual and tiptronic, as the throttle is a 'fly by wire' electronic type. It is a handy feature for long motorway drives, and I used mine a fair bit on the way to the South of France etc.

If you are buying privately, I would recommend using a pre-purchase specialist (can be found in the back of Porsche Post or in any of the independent Porsche magazines) to check for a clean bill of health. Issues are the RMS (rear main seal) which can leak, and to ckeck for any accident damage - this should give you a good idea of any expenditure that may be needed, and therefore a bargaining point to reduce the price where required. Check discs and pads too, for wear, and the odd electrical gremlin (make sure it all the buttons work). Also check to see if all the tool kit is present and correct (behind the spare wheel in the front boot).

IMHO, heated seats are a must have - very useful when the hood is down, as is climate control and the wind deflector. The 'Sound Pack' is a nice upgrade if fitted, as is Full Leather, which gives an enhanced ambience to the cabin.

Colour can affect price, especially if it is in some of the more 'vibrant' colours like Speed Yellow, with metallic and black being very popular.

The hood should work smoothly without any issue, and don't owrry about leaks, as the hood itself is a very good design and very water-proof (it has a neoprene layer sandwiched in between the outer layers). If there are any leaks, this may mean a new hood has been fitted and may not be correctly adjusted.

At this time of the year, you should be able to negotiate a good discount, and I wish you well with your bargain-hunting - As well as private purchases, consider some of the decent independents, where a warranty should come with the car for added peace of mind. Porsche dealers will have the best, but their prices are certainly stiffer.

Good luck, and welcome to the most practical sports car on the planet![]
Rob

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: gwu

Hi,

Having driven and impressed by a Boxster S which I took out from a subscription based car club 4 years ago, I have now saved enough to buy my very first Porsche. Since my wife can only drive an automatic car, I've decided to look for a second hand tiptronic Boxster so that she can share the fun.

Your experience and knowledge would definitely help me to get a better Boxster with the budget I have.

Many thanks.

Gilbert

Gilbert I am on my 5th Boxster and they have all been manual as I just wouldn't have anything but. You on the other hand don't have that choice if your wife is to share the fun but I would strongly recommend going for the newest model the budget will buy. Each MY of development always brings small but often significant improvements as the cars, in typical Porsche style, slowly but surely evolve.

The latter 2.7's, especially in facelift form, inherited a lot of the "S" features therefore closing the drive gap between the 2 different models. Personally I have always gone for a more basic spec "S" rather than a higher spec 2.7 but again this is very much ones choice because as driving machines both are excellent and class leaders since day one way back in 1996.

Good luck with the hunt, there are now many examples out there to chose from, the prices have never been lower than now and look forward to seeing your first Porsche posted up here soon[]

Few examples:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/56507.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/54714.htm

 

[garyw]

I have had a manual and Tiptronic, whilst as a drivers/sports car the manual seems the preferred choice, but it has to be said that with experience the tiptronic is a blast. Yes as a daily drive it is easy and very relaxed, but being as you can simply click the button to downchange it can be responsive also. The car learns your driving style and takes a few minutes to adapt, but after that it really does seem to change to your style/mood.
If I was out on twisty lanes it would hold gears right up to the rev limiter, but when back into town it would change early and smoothly.
Most (magazine) reports I have read recently seem to be from manual drivers getting into a Tiptronic for a test drive, thats not long enough in my opinion to get a fair basis.

garyw

 

[Guest]

Hi All Posters,

Thank you very much for all your kind and informative replies. I think I will be more inclined to go for a facelift 2.7 tiptronic; a 3.2S facelift is beyond my budget. There are two 2.7 facelifts I found. One is on a 52 plate with 33Kmiles and the other one is via daro911's link with a 03 plate and 24Kmiles. The price difference is £3K. Both cars are from independent dealers with relationship to the main Porsche dealers. I wonder getting a car from them would still require me to go for a AA/RAC or Specialist pre-sale inspection(£250 - £290)? How good are these dealers' warranties and after sale service etc? Being a newbie to this fornum, I am not sure if I am allowed to name any dealers here. I would really like to hear any good/bad feedbacks about these dealers.

Although looking for a car is quite stressful; in fear of getting a lemon, it is also quite enjoyable. I will definitely keep you all informed of my progress.

Best Regards,

Gilbert

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: gwu

Hi All Posters,

Thank you very much for all your kind and informative replies. I think I will be more inclined to go for a facelift 2.7 tiptronic; a 3.2S facelift is beyond my budget.
Although looking for a car is quite stressful; in fear of getting a lemon, it is also quite enjoyable. I will definitely keep you all informed of my progress.

Best Regards,

Gilbert

Gilbert I don't know this company so can't say if they are good bad or ugly but there patter looks appealing as well as there cars

http://www.stirlings.co.uk/services.htm

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

Gilbert

Just as a point of interest, OBC and cruise control can be retro-fitted to eGas Boxsters. Also, there is a glass window hood that can be fitted to pre-facelift cars. Both of these seemed to be on your wishlist, so maybe it would give you a few more options when looking for a car.

Hoods: http://www.bas-international.com/
OBC & Cruise: http://www.wrightune.co.uk

 

[Guest]

GET TRACTION!

I prefer the Tip... But then have never driven the manual... Best advice above...

Are you using it daily or garaging during the week....?

You can retro fit the Cruise and Trip (OBC) for about £100.

Link here http://www.wrightune.co.uk/

 

[Deano]

Probably the worst place to drop this in,

But near the top of this thread someone mentioned plastic rear windows and the costs / new hood being required if one is damaged.

Well not the case, if you are not snobs a freind on mine Mike Satur, is a big MG specialist he has been replacing rear windows in F's Tf's and B's for years, they are done properly but unpicking and restitching the hood.

A quick name search will through up his website. (Goldthorpe, South Yorks)

I hope it helps someone.

 

[Guest]

Hi all posters,

I am very grateful to all your postings in this thread. The link to retrofit cruise control is particular useful.

An interesting observation I had during my car search was the salesmen's skill in creating virtual demand by saying thing like "this car is particular popular, there have been several enquires from interested parties... this car will be gone by next week... etc.". My reply was usually "I like the car but I need to see two other cars with the same spec first...". One saleman also said "I am not selling cars but dreams..." They also found it very hard to confirm the history and condition of the car in any written form (email or on paper). One dealer called me this morning and wanted to bring his customer's car all the way from Northholt to my office in St James London to show me the car despite the congestion charge and traffic. I wonder it is because he is very good or he is in need of a deal before Christmas? Could be both.

I am having next week off and will use the time to search harder for my dream car. However, I will take as long as it takes to find the car I like since the cash in my bank won't get cheaper, only the car will.
Will keep you posted of the progress.

Regards,

Gilbert

 

[Dapster]

A negotiating tip for you.... use the feature you're after as the item that most dissuades you from choosing the car.....

You "That's a lovely Boxster tiptronic you've got there for £x, but I really had my heart set on that exact spec, but a manual" blah blah
Sales person "Well, if I can do something about the price, would you be tempted?"
You "For an auto? Unlikely, unless it's at least a grand...." etc etc etc

 

[Guest]

Very good tip, Dapster. Many Thanks.

Just came back from a test drive of a 3.2S tiptronic 2000 with 41K, advertised in the Autotrader by Riche for £21K. A bit of wind noise on the driver side window at speed more than 50 mph. The saleman said it was only a £16 rubber window seal needed replacing. Is he telling the truth? Another thing I found was the back of the seat seemed to be narrower than the 2.7 facelift I drove on Saturday. Is this just my imagination or are there various seat sizes?

The dealer is selling the car on behalf of a lady customer in Central London because she wanted to buy another car from the same dealer. The car will still come with 3 months warranty from the dealer. Does this mean the demand for tiptronics is not that great since the dealer has not bought it from the lady in part exchange? The lady actually took the car to my office in Central London last week. Test driving a Porsche in the St James area in the middle of the day was not ideal hence tonight's second test drive in Pinner, North London where the dealer is. During the first test drive in London, the car pulled to the left when braking. It was OK in the second test drive. The dealer said it was a problem with the tracking.

Regards, Gilbert

 

[Mark_Bennett]

You are correct about the seats - there are two types generally available on a 986 model Boxster, "normal" and "sports".
The sports seats will hold you a little better, but are not normally regarded as suitable for those with broader backs.
The sports seats can be identified easily by the 2 protrusions (one per side ) at shoulder level, which also have a strap to retain the seat-belt in easy reach.

 

[Guest]

Thank you Mark for confirming the seat difference. Through the Club's link, I ordered Peter Morgan's Ultimate Buyers' Guide on Monday and it arrived today. I found it very informative indeed. I am looking forward to my three days Boxster Hunt next week. If  you come  across any good examples of post 2001 (I need that to have cruise retrofitted) Boxster tiptronics, please do kindly forward me the information.

I can see that this thread has evolved from "manual or tiptronic" to "the journey to become a proud Boxster owner". I wonder if it is possible to change the thread title?

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Regards,

Gilbert


Edit:
I've amended the title[] - Mark

 

[jw2015]

ORIGINAL: gwu

During the first test drive in London, the car pulled to the left when braking. It was OK in the second test drive. The dealer said it was a problem with the tracking.

Regards, Gilbert

Someone will correct me if wrong, but if the steering seemed to pull when braking on the odd occasion it might just be tram-lining, which I understand is where one wheel is following a minor rut on the road surface. I have had this on the very odd occasion and that's what I've assumed it is. Obviously if it was pulling constantly then there something wrong.

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Cars in England will tend to pull to the left when braking due to the camber on the roads.

 

[jw2015]

that's true, if you're driving around an area with prominently sloped road surfaces it'll pull to the left a lot.

 

[kitchens]

Hi Gilbert
I have had 2 Porsches both with Tip and would not buy a manual ,the Tip suits my style of driving and is as quick as the manual .I am at present looking to buy another Porsche and as the market stands there are loads of cars out there ,so do not be pressured by salesman there only aim is to sell a car.As the market stands I would wait till Jan as any car will be a year older as far as year change ie 06 and do not be afraid to walk away if you are in any doubt ,there is a car out there waiting for you.
Happy hunting
Brian

 

[Guest]

Thank You All,

I must say I've learnt quite a bit in the last two weeks about Boxster by visiting dealers and receiving advice from you guys. Brian's idea of waiting till January is a very good one. I will look at the cars next week but will not make the purchase yet. The only thing I bought so far is the Christmas present for my wife; something which is absolutely time critical!

Regards,

Gilbert

 

[jw2015]

My local OPC has at least 7 facelifted 986's, on his forecourt at the moment and I'm sure as more 987's and Caymens arrive (quite a few due in Jan according to my dealer), more 986's will become available. Don't rush into anything, a bit of patience will find you the perfectly spec'ed 986 at the price you can afford. Most dealers are generally part of a group and will be able to source the right car for you from eleswhere, so give them your ideal spec and make them do the work.
When I got mine 18months ago, there were very few 2.7's around and the OPC was pressuring me to take whatever he had, which was generally 3.2s, but I stuck to my required spec and price and after about 8 weeks they found an almost perfect car (I only had to compromise on the upgraded sound-system).