Alternatives

If you'd like to swap open-air motoring for a slightly sharper drive, consider this Boxster's fixed-roof sibling, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayman/coupe/used-review/n559">2005-2013 Porsche Cayman</a>. If you'd prefer to keep the open skies, consider a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/z4/sports/used-review/n272">2003-2009 BMW Z4</a> M.&nbsp;

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Interested in buying a used&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/boxster/sports/review/n27">Porsche Boxster</a>? Visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Cars For Sale</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Ownership cost

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What is it like?

Reliability

Sports

Porsche is best known as the quintessential sports car maker, but its line-up is increasingly diverse, interesting and successful, from its SUV family to the Panamera hatchback and shooting brake and, in time, a planned family of electric vehicles.

Whatever your choice, What Car?’s testers rate the cars highly; Porsche has an unusually high percentage of five and four-star cars.

Without exception, its sports cars are class leaders or among the class leaders, standing out for combining driving thrills with surprising luxury and comfort. Likewise, its SUVs are among the sharpest handling, as well as offering high levels of practicality and quality. Meanwhile, the Panamera is a true rival to the very best large executive saloons.

Porsche also sees itself as an electric car pioneer and has already enjoyed sales success with its plug-in hybrid range. Its first all-electric sports car is imminent, signalling the firm’s intent to stay relevant for many years to come.

PORSCHE

BOXSTER

The Porsche Boxster drives beautifully and is easy to use every day

Used Porsche Boxster 2004-2012

It's a Porsche, so if you're going to do things properly you'll have to dig deep.

Servicing is vital and, with newer cars, it's best to stick with a Porsche dealer - especially if you're still in the original warranty period. Specialist independent maintenance is acceptable, as long as they use original Porsche parts. The good news is that the schedule calls for work only every 18,000 miles.

All models sit in insurance group 43-48, so premiums are going to be sizeable.

Fuel economy is acceptable, however, with 30.4mpg from the 2.7 and 26.6mpg from the 3.2.

The Boxster's running costs will be higher that its rivals', but it's the best driver's car of the bunch and has great resale values, so it's worth the extra.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

The Porsche Boxster drives beautifully and is easy to use every day. 

You can pick up a Porsche Boxster (of this generation) for around £8000, as long as you're happy with an early car with around 60,000 miles to its name. For an S, up that to at least £9000.&nbsp;

For a later model, say, from 2011, you'll need a budget upwards of £14,000 in most cases.&nbsp;

Check the value of a used Boxster with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

Find&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/porsche?">used Porsche&nbsp;cars for sale</a>

The 2.7-litre engine feels fast enough for most people but, if you want more, the 3.2 S model will fit the bill.

In mid 2006, the 2.7-litre was increased to 245bhp, before being replaced by a 252bhp 2.9-litre. The 3.2-litre was replaced with a 291bhp 3.4-litre in mid-2006, and this was given a 15bhp power increase itself in 2009, to 306bhp.

A new six-speed manual gearbox had a positive action and a slick change. As before, however, the Tiptronic automatic 'box blunted the performance and satisfaction of the drive. With this in mind, the 3.2 S with the manual gearbox is considered to be the ultimate version.

In late 2008, Porsche introduced its smooth twin-clutch PDK automatic gearbox, which is both efficient and enjoyable to use.

The active suspension option does improve the handling, but does nothing for the ride quietly, so we'd avoid it.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Ride comfort shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of handling sharpness</li> <li>Plenty of power from a melodic engine</li> <li>Handling that doesn’t come at the expense of a back-breaking ride​​​​​</li> <li> Practicality is not essential but nice to have </li></ul>

Driving fun is right at the top of any sports car buyer's priority list, and every one of our award candidates has backroad entertainment coded into its DNA.

Be wary of a car that looks like it hasn't been loved and cherished. Some owners might be tempted to save money by skipping services or using non-specialist garages, so a full dealer service history is essential on newer cars.

Build quality is first class, so look out for anything that's less than perfect - it usually means there are bigger issues afoot. Also look for poor-quality paintwork or general imperfections in the body - a sure sign of repairs.

Make sure all the controls and switches work properly, including the operation and condition of the hood. If you're buying from a dealer, make sure that any issues are sorted before you take delivery. If the wheel alignment isn't spot-on, the tyres wear rapidly and unevenly, so make sure you check before you buy.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Just when the competition was starting to catch the original <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/boxster/sports/review/n27">Porsche Boxster</a>, this harder, faster&nbsp;and stronger version was released.

Next to that first car,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/porsche">Porsche</a> said that 80% of this one car was all-new – and it does indeed feel like a much more modern machine.&nbsp;

Engines &amp; Performance:&nbsp;Starting things off, you have a&nbsp;2.7-litre six-cylinder engine with 237bhp, while the&nbsp;3.2-litre S model produces&nbsp;276bhp. Those figures fall short of astounding by today's standards, but those engines still deliver enough performance – and noise – to put a smile on your face.&nbsp;

In mid 2006, the 2.7-litre was increased to 245bhp, before being replaced by a 252bhp 2.9-litre. The 3.2-litre was replaced with a 291bhp 3.4-litre in mid-2006, and this was given a 15bhp power increase itself in 2009, to 306bhp.

A new six-speed manual gearbox had a positive action and a slick change. As before, however, the Tiptronic automatic 'box blunted the performance and satisfaction of the drive. With this in mind, the 3.2 S with the manual gearbox is considered to be the ultimate version.

In late 2008, Porsche introduced its smooth twin-clutch PDK automatic gearbox, which is both efficient and enjoyable to use.

Ride &amp; Handling:&nbsp;The Boxster's trademark&nbsp;has always been its composed, balanced, engaging handling and this generation of Boxster is no different.&nbsp;It's a joy in the bends.&nbsp;Over its predecessor, Porsche&nbsp;also worked to improve the car's comfort and it is actually rather smooth riding&nbsp;for a sports car.

Interior &amp; Practicality:&nbsp;The fabric roof underwent a redesign for this generation&nbsp;and it included extra insulation to make the interior&nbsp;quieter at higher speeds, and there's even reasonable luggage space, with two storage compartments. The interior itself is dated by today's standards, but the quality of materials holds up – it still feels like a premium product.&nbsp;

Trims &amp; Equipment:&nbsp;There are no trims per se, just the different engines. There was little offered in the way of standard equipment when new, so you best make sure the Boxster you're looking at didn't belong to a stingy original owner – that's unlikely with Porsches, anyway.&nbsp;

Interested in buying a used&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/boxster/sports/review/n27">Porsche Boxster</a>? Visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Cars For Sale</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Used Porsche Boxster 2004-2012 reliability

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https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90474827/16ebb403e3a6&rdt=2

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Used Porsche Boxster 2004-2012 review

Be wary of a car that looks like it hasn't been loved and cherished. Some owners might be tempted to save money by skipping services or using non-specialist garages, so a full dealer service history is essential on newer cars.,Build quality is first class, so look out for anything that's less than perfect - it usually means there are bigger issues afoot. Also look for poor-quality paintwork or general imperfections in the body - a sure sign of repairs.,Make sure all the controls and switches work properly, including the operation and condition of the hood. If you're buying from a dealer, make sure that any issues are sorted before you take delivery. If the wheel alignment isn't spot-on, the tyres wear rapidly and unevenly, so make sure you check before you buy. 

What to look for when buying a Porsche Boxster 2004 - 2012, covering common problems to check for and overall vehicle reliability.

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