Used 2006 Porsche Boxster

"S Model is the Best Roadster!"

"We tested the 911s, Cayman, Z4, and Elise and came away with a Boxster S black on black. The jump in hp with the S is noticable and needed. If we could, we would drop in the 911 S engine. With that engine mounted mid-engine in the Boxster the car would be awesome. As it is, the car handles very well in its design envelope and can be driven comfortably as a daily driver. The 911 is rear biased, but has good power - no. The Cayman is closed up - no. The Z4 is front engined - no. The Elise handles well at the track but is not well sorted with a huge blind spot - no. The Boxster could handle a bigger engine but Porsche will never put as powerful of an engine as any 911 engine into this car. 911 owners would cry foul! Overall the Boxster S has everything we were looking for - a droptop, decent power, very good handling, and a classic design. The Bose stereo is very nice at full volume but you will want to turn it off when you get on the throttle as the boxster engine makes a very nice growl wide open. Mileage is ok at 19 combined. Oh, and get the short shift kit on the 6 speed manual for sweet snappy shifts in the power band. At the track you will definitely want more power, but most times you will be driving on city streets so for that, the S has power a plenty. If you really want and need therapy, this car for what it is, will no doubt make you one very, very happy patient... ;-)"

"A Practical Porsche...The Perfect Porsche"

"Pros: Supercar Worthy Handling, Supercar Worthy Brakes, Porsche Flat Six Exhaust Note, Very Solid Gearbox and Clutch, Two Usable Trunks, Good Mileage for the Performance, Porsche Build Quality, Top Down Motoring, Nearly Flawless Ergonomics, A traction control system that when defeated, doesn't ruin the party. It will step in at the last moment however, and keep your ham-fisted self from spinning completely. Cons: No factory I-Pod connection ($500 aftermarket). Even with more sedate driving, tires don't last very long (15,000 miles on Continental Sport Contact 2's). Unless you've owned a Porsche before, feeling like a chump for the first few days of ownership when you automatically try to insert the key into the right side of the steering column (It's to the left of the steering column, on the dash, in classic Porsche racing tradition). The low ground clearance coupled with a longish front overhang, requires slow negotiation at entrances to driveways. Suck it up! It's all totally worth it! General Comments: I wanted the best, daily driver roadster that $40,000 or so could buy and for me, this is it. The two trunks provide enough space for a couple to pack not all that lightly for a week long road trip. 30 mpg on the highway(at legal speeds) is easily attainable. Xenon headlights are far superior to the ones on my BMW X3 (and they were great). The wind deflector that mounts between the front seats is invaluable if you intend to keep your hat above 90 mph. (I can personally attest that this works up to 140, for research's sake of course.) Basically, I recommend buying the newest, lowest mile Boxster you can afford and prepare to smile every time you get behind the wheel."

"Hands down best buy for the money if a 2010-11!"

"I love my Boxster, the way it handles, sits, feels, and looks. The 6 speed manual is a blast to drive, and I don't have to worry about that expensive repair on the auto trans. Because its a 2010, there is no risk with an IMS bearing failure, which can run $20K to repair. The steering is not digital like the newer ones so the road feel is awesome. The radio volume is speed sensitive and my iphone connects with no problem. I love all of the storage in the fronk and trunk, and I love the side door pockets. The tires are wide in the rear for traction and more narrow up front, which saves fuel. The roof goes up quick and while moving at slower speeds. My gages and seat belt color match my exterior paint from the factory, and the wheel rim edge match also. The Nav works great as does the PCM system. I like the way the dash gives me warnings and updates, especially the low air pressure warning, which saved my life when I picked up a screw driver in a tire on the interstate! Mine is speed yellow with custom black Porsche wheels trimmed in yellow, and its easy to clean. Get the Clear hood and bumper film protection, its worth it! The oil and filter is easy to change from underneath if you watch a Youtube video. Its pretty easy accessing the engine bay from the front (behind the seats) and top, if you are mechanically inclined (you have to flip up the top or remove it). There are a few negatives. It draws way too much attention. It has 2 cup holders that fold out of the dash above the glove box, but I wish one was in the center console. It has no spare, and don't use the auto fix leak stop, it will ruin your TPS sensor. If you've had BMWs, this Porsche is way more dependable, Ive had a few of both. My 128i was ultra dependable up till I crashed it at 160,000 miles, but the other BMWs had issues (An M and Z4). I highly recommend any manual Base Boxster late 2009-2011. The early ones up to 2008 had bad IMS issues and problems with the rear main seal. But 2010-11 is THE Sweet spot, and thats why they are so hard to find! Who would sell one? Newer ones have the weird shaped angular headlights, older ones had the egg yoke headlights, but the 2010-11 has the 911 look without the bad IMS - a perfect world. Don't get a S model and risk the cylinder walls scoring! Get the base. Don't rev past 2000 RPMs until the engine is at normal operating temp, then redline it! I traded the M, the S2000, the MR2 Spyder, the Miata (after a few months), the 944 (years ago) wrecked the Z4, and traded others, but the Boxster is a keeper. (The S2000 should have been also). The S2000 was as fun, and cheaper to maintain, but it didn't look as good as the Boxster from the nose, both look good from the rear and side. An NSX would be better, but who can find one for Boxster money in good shape? No one. The Boxster Base in 2010-11 is the King of the Road. Don't waste your cash on a used Vette, Camaro, Challenger, Mustang, FRS, WRX, or Miata, find a clean 2010-11 Base Boxster and thank me 10,000 miles later! (Unless you can find a 500+ hp Shelby for low $20s with good miles) PS Run all season tires in the winter on cheaper wheels, and run your better looking wheels with slicker tread in the dry season. The 987 loves slick rubber in the curves when it is dry, but stay off of the water on them. The 987 will put you in the ditch on slicks in the rain!!! READ THE ENTIRE OWNER's Manual!!!! Germans think differently, and you need to know how to work everything early on. If the battery dies, you open the door with the manual key and jump it off by pulling a special post out of the fuse box, and use it and the door for the cables!!!! It hibernates when not cranked for a while and you have to pull the door handle up to wake it up again!!!! There is a tool kit, tire inflation kit, wheel lock socket and other things hidden in the front trunk, behind the rear wall. The battery is in front of the dash under the wiper blades in the frunk. There are 2 small drain holes in the bottom of the convertible top storage area that drains water. Pine needles and leaves can clog them, but you can buy a cheap screen to protect them. If they clog and water gets under your seats, you are in BIG TROUBLE as the electronics down there are water sensitive and cost a fortune to replace!! Don't stand in the frunk, it will warp. Don't use just any company to replace a windsheild, get someone used to Porsche's speed sensing washer sensors. Its ok to wash the top with soap and water if you rinse it well. Road debris tends to scratch the paint in front of the rear tires behind the vent, place clear paint film on that section ASAP, as well as the front bumper and leading 6 inches of the hood. Un hook your battery if you aren't driving it for a week or more. Unhook the negative lead first!!!! Read the manual. There are a ton of oddities in there. I love this car, but it is a totally different ownership experience than many others, and thats part of the beauty of it. You enter into a new world. This Boxster or a Cayman of this year, is like a 911 30 years ago, but way more dependable and reliable. Its the same size and feel as those. Newer 911s are too large, too expensive to maintain, and frankly, except for the turbos or GTSs, aren't worth it. But a used 2010 Boxster Base with lower miles is a great buy."