Used-car review - Porsche Boxster

If you've looked at the prices of used Porsche Boxsters lately, you might have come to the conclusion that they're some kind of bargain.

Either that or they're suspiciously cheap.

The reality is a bit of both.

A Boxster in good condition is one of life's great joys to drive.

Being conceived originally as a convertible, it isn't compromised by its folding top. And with all the handling, build quality and user-friendliness that the Porsche badge implies, it's also a great thing to live with.

But there are caveats.

The first is that the really cheap Boxsters will almost certainly be the very first model sold here between 1997 and 1999 with its 2.5-litre engine.

Frankly, these were a bit underdone with not a whole lot happening when you put your foot down.

They weren't slow in isolation, but they did lack the oomph for which Porsches have become known.

The next model, the 2.7-litre arrived in 1999 and added a few more kiloWatts (162 versus 150) and a little dash more torque. On paper, it wasn't much, but it made the 2.7 much nicer to drive as it didn't have to be wrung out in every gear.

Either could be had with Porsche's five-speed automatic which made the 2.5 seem even slower, and both cars were much better when fitted with the five-speed manual.

Things improved even more in 1999 when the S model arrived.

Suddenly, here was the car that delivered what the original had promised.

With 185kW, much more torque and a six-speed manual transmission, the S was the full nine yards. Of all those first-model Boxsters, it's the one to buy now if the budget will stretch that far.

It had the engine to make the most of the wonderful chassis and, when the thing eventually becomes collectible (as it surely will) it will be the S that is seen as the real deal.

Though it may seem inexpensive for what it is, a Boxster is one of those cars that really does warrant a pre-purchase inspection by a specialist before you sign on the dotted line.

It's not that it's a fragile car, rather that a high-performance car like a Boxster has probably been used pretty hard at some stage in its life.

That means it could have been crashed - so the condition of the bodywork is critical - but also that the mechanical systems might be showing wear in some important areas.

And speaking of overall reliability, the Boxster, despite having a Porsche badge on its nose, was not without its problems; problems that a specialist will be able to spot a mile away.

Meanwhile, for the process of narrowing down prospective buys in the first place (before shelling out for that independent inspection) there are some checks you can make on the road to sort the wheat from the chaff.

You might have heard stories about early Boxsters needing replacement engines at ridiculously low mileages, and it's true that enough examples did suffer major engine failure for this to be probably the most important check you can make.

The problem lay in two areas: The first was the cylinder liners which could crack or split for no apparent reason.

Oil in the water or water in the oil is, therefore, a bad sign and one that suggests you should walk away.

In other cases, the ends of the liners broke off, requiring engine replacement.

To be fair, any cars affected by this were all early examples and would probably have shown their hand by now.

But since many Boxsters are kept locked away for special occasions (and therefore cover very low annual mileages) it would still be wise to be very cautious.

Later examples of the Boxster used a cylinder liner from a different supplier and the problem went away.

The other big potential engine flaw is a failed intermediate shaft. This affects how the camshafts (and, therefore, pretty much every other engine function) work and a failed shaft means a new engine unless it's caught very early.

A trained ear will pick up the tell-tale rattle at idle, while any oil leaks from around the rear of the engine often point to imminent shaft failure.

Metal filings in the oil filter are another giveaway.

Other oil leaks around the engine are often down to broken external oil lines and a car that seems to lack power might be suffering a faulty MAF sensor.

A squeak from under the car when crossing speed humps is likely to be caused by worn bushes in the lower control arms, but check also for uneven tyre wear that could suggest either poor alignment or the result of a shunt.

The Boxster ? like most performance cars ? can be hard on brake pads and rotors, and a rattling when the engine is revved is often traced to loose heat shields on the exhaust system.

Make sure the convertible hood lowers and raises properly and that the electric windows both work. And be wary of a Boxster (or any convertible for that matter) that smells damp inside. This is often caused by a leaking top which can be a real battle to put right.

The factory-fitted alarm can also give grief and the test is to shut all doors and hatches and arm the alarm via the key. There should be no 'beep' as the car locks.

If there is, the alarm might be faulty and fixing it can be hugely expensive. The test is to leave the bonnet open and try to lock the car again. Now there should be a beep. This is worth checking as some owners disconnect the beeper to hide the fact that the alarm is on the blink.

Also, make sure the car comes with both keys and that they both work. They're hundreds of dollars to replace and have to be recoded to suit the car.

Finally, the other main gripe is that the mid-mounted engine can't be accessed from above.

There's a small port under the hatch for checking oil and coolant levels, but other than that, all work is done from underneath.

Which means that without a hoist, you can neither service a Boxster yourself nor even show the neighbours the engine in your now Porsche.

Nuts and bolts

Engine/s: 2.5/2.7/3.2-litre flat-six
Transmissions: 5-auto/5-man/6-man
Fuel economy (combined): 9.8 litres per 100km (2.7)/10.7 litres (S)
Safety rating (courtesy of www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au): Not listed
Our rating: 4 stars

Likes:

• Brilliant handling regardless of what engine you wind up with.
• One of the great steering cars of all time. Fantastically tactile.
• S with 3.2-litre engine is properly fast and they all have a great soundtrack.
• Looks like fun and is. Convertible roof even makes sense.

Dislikes:

• Five-speed automatic was popular but blunts the car's appeal for keener drivers.
• Some reliability issues early on hurt the model's reputation.
• Smallest engine at 2.5 litres lacks the urge to do the job convincingly.
• Some will have been driven mercilessly their whole lives.

Competitors:

• BMW Z3 ? Four-cylinder Z3 was a bit of a joke and the straight-six-powered one could be a handful. Hasn't aged as well as the Porsche, either. Looks dumpy now. 3 stars
• Nissan 350Z Convertible ? Lusty engine was okay till you revved it hard when it became very harsh and noisy. Ride pretty appalling in early examples, too. Fun otherwise. 3.5 stars
• Alfa Romeo Spider ? Wedge-shaped Alfa drop-top was front-wheel-drive so never appealed to the purists out there. Forget the four-cylinder and find a V6 which has loads of grunt and a six-speed manual. Buy carefully. 3 stars

What to pay (courtesy of Glass's Guide):

Model     Year     New     Now

2.5     1998     $109900     $14800
2.5     1999     $109900     $15100
2.7     1999     $109900     $15600
2.7     2000     $106900     $16700
2.7     2001     $106900     $17800
2.7     2002     $108900     $19100
2.7     2003     $108500     $22000
S       1999     $132600     $18800
S       2000     $128500     $19600
S       2001     $128500     $20300
S       2002     $133500     $25600
S       2003     $133100     $26300