Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with porsche

Boxster in the Winter?

geoff. — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:51:48 -0800

How well does the Porsche Boxster fare in the winter? A real, "wake up and everything is ice" Midwestern winter? Engine over the RWD and stability control should make it drivable? There's a couple of articles from Canadian reviews but they seemed sort of ga-ga over the car itself or expressing their disappointment at getting the car dirty in the winter slush. I have been avoiding RWD vehicles because of how they perform in the icy and snowy conditions, but with engine right above the rear wheels it seems like it should drive better than something like the Prius. I would think your biggest limiting factor would be ground clearance in heavy snows. I'm more concerned with traction in hilly conditions than I am with heavy snow. Snow melts quickly but you can easily hit a slick spot in the shaded part of the street weeks after a snow storm.

DealorNoDealFilter: 1985 Porsche 944 for $6.5k?

vanoakenfold — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 11:47:39 -0800

Without knowing any drivetrain/mechanical details other than what you could see from the exterior (details within) and that it last passed inspection in April 2006, would you buy a bright red 1985 Porsche 944 for $6500? I am debating about buying this sucker, just for the resale value, possibly even parting it out. Even if I could make back exactly $6500 through various means, I'd consider it worth the hassle even for bragging rights of having owned a Porsche at one time and the pictures to prove it.

I don't know anything about the drivetrain or mechanical aspects, but as I said it passed inspection this past April. The body is in excellent condition with 2 or 3 tiny hail dings on the hood, a 1/4" poked-in hole on the barely noticeable running-board thing along the passenger side, decent enough interior with no dash cracks that I can tell, nice window seals, original wheels and nice tires, nothing particularly unusual when checking out underneath.

Based solely on the above information, and that the owner (private seller) is moving soon and doesn't want to tow it, would you plop down $6500 for it outright (I've got the cash)? I don't even know how to drive a standard, but my brother will teach me, and my father has agreed to test drive it for me. Barring that future information, what do you say? What would be the max you'd put down for it, with the purposes of getting your money back by turning around to sell it again for profit?

Need help picking an under $30K roadster/convertible.

SeizeTheDay — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 10:13:23 -0800

What's the best new/used convertible roadster under $30K? Hello. I've been doing a lot of research on this topic but I'm very much looking for advice based on experience. The cars I'm looking at are:

Mercedes SLK230
BMW Z4
Chrysler Crossfire
Audi TT

But I'm open to suggestion if people think that there are others in this category that surpass the above cars. I am not interested in the Saturn Sky/Pontiac Solstice, Mazda Miata, or Honda S2000 unless you have a great sales pitch that doesn't involve price.

I'm genuinely torn between the SLK and Z4 (but I keep coming back to the SLK because of the retractable hardtop). They stopped making the Crossfire, so I'm afraid to take the leap, but I think that they're gorgeous and obviously one of a kind. The TT is okay, but uses an ancient body style and I don't want to get stuck driving a car that obviously looks old.

I prefer smooth ride to tight suspension, but just barely. If there is an elegant combination, I would rather take that. I want rear wheel drive, but the TT is cool because it can be AWD. Manual or automatic doesn't matter to me. I prefer an elegant interior, but if one car has a ridiculously awesome engine and minimal interior, I could be swayed. Really, I'm just looking for great stories to help my decision. Thanks.

Help me buy an overpriced European sports car.

geoff. — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 07:24:17 -0800

Self-indulgence! Here's the low-down, I drove a Porsche Boxster and found my calling in life. I'll be either out of this country or Manhattan in 1.5 years so if I get a car now I'll definitely be selling it in under two years. Help figure out the best way to pay for this... I guess what I want is somewhat comparable to a lease (which incidently, I don't want to do). I'm in college right now and due to extenuating circumstances am living at home so I now have rent, food and student loan money for my own pleasure. I realize that financially, this is the least prudent thing I can do (though Porsche's keep their value pretty well).

So with all this in mind (deferred student loans used for a terrible purpose) what's the best way to go about this where I can get the lowest payments possible and come out more or less even at the end of next year?

At least in my area it looks like one with 30,000 years can be had for around $25,000. It also looks like Porsche's depcreciate moreso on their mileage than years alone -- and I plan on using this as my second weekend car. This would put a ~$3000 difference between buying it and selling it (could I be too optimistic?). So I think you guys get what I'm trying to do, help me cleverly finance this so that I may not sulk at home.

Honda or Porsche, Private or Dealer.

forallmankind — Thu, 26 May 2005 21:35:08 -0800

I'm about to throw away my hard earned cash into that nest of vipers, used car sales. Help me make the right choice. I live in LA and it's time to upgrade my convertible: I've got 20-25K to spend and I'm looking at a used Honda S2000 or a Porsche Boxster. Because I'm going to be using it for commuting as well as fun, I kinda want the Porsche with the automatic gearbox, but my sense glands tell me I'm going to have much less hassle with the Honda. I've only ever owned Japanese cars so I'm dubious about the Porsche (and someone told me an oil change is $150 - is that right?).
Also, I'd prefer to buy privately as I don't really see the need to fund a lot and a bunch of salespeople - but will I still have to pay state taxes?
Bonus question: if I buy a used car that's still under warranty, am I entitled to that warranty, or does the sale/ transfer void it?

Buying a fun car

lbergstr — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 22:52:33 -0800

I would like to buy a car. Fun to drive (think handling, not necessarily pickup) is paramount, everything else is negotiable: 2-seaters are fine, I'm willing to shift for myself. My price tops out at $16k and I live in Los Angeles. Recommendations? I'm leaning towards a Porsche Boxster, which Consumer Reports says is surprisingly reliable. (more inside) I thought my criteria sufficiently different from reynoj's to warrant a new post. Basically I'm hoping that allowing 2-seaters opens up new possibilities for fun. (I've thought this through - for as often as I need more than 2 seats, I can rent a car.)

Yes, I realize manual transmissions are dumb in LA, especially since 75% of my driving is to and from work. Tiptronic would be ideal, I guess.

Thanks in advance.