newbie question

Guest · May 13, 2003

Whoops posted in wrong section
I currrently drive a Audi TT 180bhp coupe which is only one year old. Since I bought it I suppose I have never been greatly thrilled by it I previuosly have the new MR2 roadster and have missed the open top .I have the car bug again and am thinking of changing to a Boxster 2.5 or possibly 2.7 if finances will stretch. I have been looking at a couple of 4 year old cars 99 T' s on the Porchse approved car site with low mileage 16K from £25K- £27K I suppose what is holding me back is I have always had no more than 3 year cars and the costs of maintanance if anything goes wrong I presume I would be looking at big bucks. Also are service costs steep ? I only have test drove a 2.7 for a short time will there still be enough noticable performance differance going from my TT to a 2.5 ?
If I go for a private sale I may be able to get a slightly younger car but then I would also have to sell my TT private which would probably be a slime chance of
Any advice would be appreciated.

Helen Goff · May 13, 2003

claire have a ring around the porsche dealers your find a huge diffrence on whats on offer, you should be able to get a nice 3 year old 2.7 with in your budget.
if it' s got full porsche service history then you can' t go far wrong.
for servicing again shop around as prices vary.

Guest · May 13, 2003

Hi Claire

I moved up from a 180 TT Coupe to a 2.5 Boxster and there is a definite power increase, so I' m sure a 2.7 will be better still. The main difference I find is the feeling of driving a ' proper' sports car rather than a hatchback chassis clothed in nice panelwork - don' t get me wrong I liked my TT, it' s just that driving the Boxster feels special. The servicing costs are marginally more expensive but not really noticable, plus a 3 year old car that has been looked after should give you no trouble.

Cheers

NicD · May 15, 2003

Claire,

Ipersonally would take out the Porsche warranty, but first check that it covers main seal failures This seems the only engine problem area to note.

mikecolquhoun · May 15, 2003

I moved from a 3.0 Z3, I bought this and its predecessor from new. [

]The depreciation I suffered was annoying to say the least. Plus it just wasn' t, well, a Porsche. Having bought my Boxster privately, after going through the same thought processes that I guess you are, I am absolutely delighted. I would have bought a later model, but I didn' t like losing the loot for a marginal gain (my view of course!).

The question is what is the risk and what sort of cost would you be exposed to, but given an FPSH (do check the service sheets as they do try to spell out defects) you should be pretty well placed. Servicing is ' menu' based and isn' t eactly big bucks ... given the enjoyment of having the car it is a small price to pay. Buying privately makes it possible to use the wide variety of excellent specialists about.

So, just buy one and get it over with! Whatever your decision you will be glad you did! [

]

Guest · May 20, 2003

Mike,
Thank you - presently there is plenty of heated debates over whether a new little baby joins the family. Our other car is the pratical family Passat 1.8T (2001) which Mike usually drives and I usually have the TT everyday - Mike wants to update the
Passat to a Beemer or Merc C class seen as its the oldest car and the one he drives and of course I want to get a boxster. Having had a look at what you can get privately I would only change if I can sell my TT privately, as for the samebucks I can get a two year younger car most probably a 2.7 2001 Usually we would of had the car exchanged by now by impulse in a couple of days but then again thats probably why I am wanting to exchange my TT after only a year as I do rush into things. Each time I think right this is the car for me for a least 3 years I get bored so quickly - will I be the same after a year with a boxster ??? I need to have a lenghly test ride so I can feel how much difference there is in performance and ride- in my area there is only 1 porshe dealership within 30K I posted my TT on the TT forum and 1 person has rang twice enquiring however he did speak to Mike on both occassions so he' s probably sabotaged my sale !!!
With regard to the Poshe warranty I think the salesman said £800 per year -really don' t want to be forking this out every year just to cover if something goes wrong.

Claire..

mikecolquhoun · May 20, 2003

Sounds just like me Claire.
A test drive is ideal of course, a must in fact, but be warned you will be sold even more so. I wouldn' t think you' d be bored as you would have super car hood up or not ... that matters. It is such a great drive, well it is simply a Porsche. If you do go for a BM then do get one with M suspension, we also have a 323i Coupe and that drives brilliantly BUT up against a Boxster ... no way.
I have sold and bought all my cars via the web, Autotrader, apart from the 2 new ones from main dealers (I would never do that again). You don' t tend to get timewasters. I have heard the Sundays can be good, but tend to be London based.
You are of course going to get the full wedge of depreciation selling now ... I simply accepted it and I am so pleased I did.

Helen Goff · May 21, 2003

Claire
I like you get bored with cars and the longest i have ever kept a car is two years.untill i got my boxster which is now coming up to three years old and i' m still not bored with it.
i have to admit that for me some of the attraction is also being a member of this club which has got me out and about meeting people and visiting bits of the country that i wouldn' t have ever got round to visiting.
the Boxster is a much more comftable,usuable car than i ever hoped for and i have no plans to change it for a while.

Alex Foster · May 25, 2003

Claire
There are quite a few ex-TT owners on www.boxa.net ask them

Bill Stewart · May 27, 2003

Claire, I' ve just replaced my 225 TT Coupe with a Boxster S and have to say the difference is astonishing. The TT was reasonably quick and the 4wd was a comfort inn the snow (30th January down here in the SE) but it sounded like a hoover and handled like a lump of dead wood. Go for the Boxster and you will have a car which handles and sounds like a sports car should.....
Regards
Bill

Guest · May 27, 2003

Bill,
Thanks but finances don' t stretch to the S I' m afraid - Not having much luck at the moment can' t even get to test drive one, tried all weekend but none of my local dealers have any 2.7' s in at the moment rang for details on 3 and all had been sold -even the Porsche dealer said he hasn' t got any in and that it will be a while ! can' t believe that unless he just didn' t want to let me have one for a few hours.
Claire..

Helen Goff · May 27, 2003

Claire i find that very hard to believe as i have a 2.7 which i took round to two diffrent dealers approx 4 months ago and they weren' t interested in even trying to sell it for me on a sale or return.

what area/dealers did you ask? we seem to have quite a few boxsters for sale in the midlands.

Guest · May 27, 2003

Have a word with Henry Firmin, www.911virgin.com
He may be able to point you in right direction.

Ken

Guest · May 27, 2003

Er Judging by the comments in Porsche World a few months ago I don' t this out Henry is all that keen on Boxter owners. Slightly right of Atilla the Hun perhaps!

Diver944 · May 28, 2003

Claire can I offer a slightly different angle (but still trying to persuade you into a Porsche [

] ) from someone who drives older Porsches - 13 and 14 years old.

You say you are worried about the maintenance costs of a 4 year old car that has done 16k miles and this is why you always part-ex your car after 2-3 years.

I on the other hand am not prepared to take the hit in depreciation that constantly changing newer cars entails. However I am more than happy to pay a thousand a year (for example) to service and maintain an older car whilst I clock up 20k miles a year in it.

Porsches are built to last, as well as being the best sports car available for the real world, so this is one choice where your head and your heart are both in agreement.

So unless there is something seriously wrong [

] with the 4 year old models you are looking at (and an OPC maintained one should have had it sorted by now) I am prepared to stick my neck out and say you will probably get away with just regular servicing bills for a few years yet.

Go on you know you want to [

][

]

Guest · May 28, 2003

ORIGINAL: Ian Cairns

Er Judging by the comments in Porsche World a few months ago I don' t this out Henry is all that keen on Boxter owners. Slightly right of Atilla the Hun perhaps!

But there is no harm in asking. Henry knows the Porsche business well, and a great man to be with on Track Days, if that means anything to you.

Ken

Helen Goff · May 28, 2003

claire i agree with Diver,my 2000,2.7 Boxster which i' ve done 25.000 miles in seems to be getting better,

unless it' s me thats improving!!

Guest · May 29, 2003

Helen,
We are in the North East - County Durham our local Porsche dealer is Newcastle - which he says he' s got absolutley nothing in as soon as they come in they are sold prior and straight back out. We only have this one near - its then Edinburgh, Kendal or Leeds ! I' ve left my details with thre other dealers that do get Boxsters in but all currently have no 2.7' s I could test drive a 3.2 but no really want to fall in love with something which would be stretching my finances too much and don' t want to advertise my TT till I go for a test drive.
Paul, yes I think its just making that jump from always owning a car no older than 3 years- I did see a private 996 1988 advertised for £37K which looks really attractive as styling is still absolutely cool as **** a 911 would be my ultimate car, but don' t think I could keep up with running costs and insurance.
I' ve now got a couple of days hol so I' ll try again.
Claire..

Helen Goff · May 29, 2003

shame you don' t live abit closer as i' d let you have a play with my boxster. i' ve got a holiday home at slaley hall nr hexham but won' t be returning there untill November.
come down to sheffild for region 8 concours,stay a few days and look around the dealers here,they keep telling me they have too many boxsters.