Looking For Mr. GoodBoxster

[craig2148]

Hi Everyone,

I am currently in the market for a Boxster. I have owned and driven a 1992 Miata daily since 1996. It's got 188,000 miles on the clock and is close to retirement. Good sense and experience (and Consumer Reports) are telling me to replace it with another Miata but raw lust is telling me to replace it with a Boxster. I'm going with lust. I am, however, unsure of a specific year that I should be in search of, years that I should avoid and an answer to a peculiar thing that I read once regarding wheels/ tires.

Given my budget I figure I can go as new as maybe a 2001 standard issue Boxster with around 50K on the clock. Consumer Reports says that 1999 is the year to buy based on reliability data and 2001 is a year to avoid. Any experience out there to rejoin or rebut this claim?

A second issue involves which wheels to get. The wild-eyed teenager in me wants 18" Turbo Twist wheels but the practical adult in me (the one that has to live with ride quality and pay for tire replacement) is inclined to go with 17" wheels. I read some strange thing in a buyer's guide that the 18" wheels cause chassis stress and resultant windshield cracking in the 996's. Has anyone experienced this problem with a Boxster? Any other advice regarding 18" vs. 17" wheels?

Thank you for your help and advice.

[AFJuvat]

Welcome to the group.

1998 is really the year to be careful with. There were casting problems with the engine cases that resulted in engine failure. 2000+ gives you the 2.7 liter engine on the standard boxster.

All boxsters seem to have a few common problems listed below. Ones with a "*" next to them are preventable with regular maintenance and inspection

Coolant reservoir ($500 - $800 to repair)
Waterpump ($500 - $800)
Immobilizer malfunctions due to water intrusion * $500 - thousands)
convertable top damage from broken cables * ($ 500 - thousands)
Rear window cracking * $500 - never open the top when it is cold outside
Rear main seal\intermediate shaft seal leaks (some cars)
Ignition switch (electrical portion) (common, yet inexpensive) - $30

I've never seen any windshield cracking on cars (boxster and 996\997) with up to 19" wheels. 17" wheels are about your safest bet - they look better than the 16" wheels and they won't break the bank when you need to replace tires. Depending on how you drive, boxsters can go through tires pretty quickly.

AFJ