Carrera vs Boxter

[PeterC4]

I had the misfortune of being rear ended by another driver while fully stopped. My C4 fared quite well, but still needed a new bumper. While it was in the shop, I had a 2003 Boxter (tip) as a loaner. A nice enough car, but it is very difficult to get used to the Boxter after having driven my 2000 C4 for a couple of years. While many have complimented the Boxter on its handling attributes I didn't feel that it gave me anything like the driving experience of the Carrera. No doubt the increased horse power and a 6 sp in the Carrera has a big impact, but I felt quite cramped in the Boxter and there are some annoying blind spots with the top up. My wife shared my perspective after driving it. All in all it was quite subdued and I wasn't expecting that. It reinforced my decision to buy my wife the new BMW 328xi

For those in Toronto that need a good body shop, Pfaff Autoworks in Markham did a great job. Its nice when replaced body parts are repainted and they match the colour of the car.

[nick49]

I agree, we have a Boxster and Carrera Cab. The Boxster is all Porsche and a great car but I much perfer the Carrera. Easy to go from the Boxster to the Carrera, but I would have a hard time going the other way. I would even perfer a high mileage '99 996 to a new '07 Boxster.

[geoff]

We have an '01 Boxster and an '05 Carrera (997). The Boxster is mine and the Carrera is my wife's, but whenever we take the Carrera, I'm the one who drives. The more I drive the Carrera, the more different the two cars feel. At first, the driving differences are much harder to notice (other than than the obvious physical characteristics like interior room, power, etc.) Also, the more I drive the Carrera, the more I prefer the Boxster. My wife won't even drive my car, and she likes the Carrera more because of the room, comfort, etc. Handling and steering on the two cars is quite different. Both are terrific. It boils down to a matter of personal preferences. There is no right or wrong answer; they're both Porsches.

My wife was originally looking at either a BMW 5- or 7-series when we bought the Carrera. She does not regret her choice of the Carrera whatsoever. She originally said we need a 4 door car for when we take more than the two of us. In the 18+ months since we've had the Carrera, we've only put about 1000 miles on her old Lexus GS300 (which we still have). One of these days we'll sell the Lexus and get a Cayenne.

[PeterC4]

We have an '01 Boxster and an '05 Carrera (997). The Boxster is mine and the Carrera is my wife's, but whenever we take the Carrera, I'm the one who drives. The more I drive the Carrera, the more different the two cars feel. At first, the driving differences are much harder to notice (other than than the obvious physical characteristics like interior room, power, etc.) Also, the more I drive the Carrera, the more I prefer the Boxster. My wife won't even drive my car, and she likes the Carrera more because of the room, comfort, etc. Handling and steering on the two cars is quite different. Both are terrific. It boils down to a matter of personal preferences. There is no right or wrong answer; they're both Porsches.

My wife was originally looking at either a BMW 5- or 7-series when we bought the Carrera. She does not regret her choice of the Carrera whatsoever. She originally said we need a 4 door car for when we take more than the two of us. In the 18+ months since we've had the Carrera, we've only put about 1000 miles on her old Lexus GS300 (which we still have). One of these days we'll sell the Lexus and get a Cayenne.

Funny, my wife also would prefer the Carrera over the Boxter. Driving the Carrera 4 tonight in wet weather with leaves over the roads... the C4 was great. Can't imagine driving the Boxter.

[tmc]

Depends on what you want.

I own both a 2005 Boxster S (987S) and a 996.

The two cars are completely different beasts. Both cars has its advantages. The Boxster S is planted around turns like almost no other car I've ever driven. Road and Track confirms this in their data on the car: 1.0g skid pad, up there with f-cars. The Carrera is balanced so that you can steer with the accelerator around turns, and the pluses (and minuses) of that are well documented.

When you press pedal to the metal however, the Carrera wins. It feels like it stands back on its hind legs, rears up, and launches, whereas the Boxster S doesn't give anywhere near that kind of feel. At the same time, the Carrera often feels closer to the limit-- like you can do some serious mischief in the car-- whereas the Boxster S feels fast but almost boring because it is so safe.

I like them both. The Boxster is an excellent roadster. I drove a Z4, S2000, SLK, etc., before deciding on it. It was an easy decision. The Boxster is the best out there in that class.

The Carrera is an excellent coupe. It is a hoot to drive, but you have to know what you're doing or this car can get you in some serious trouble fast.

I guess my bottom line is it's apples and oranges, and I like the taste of both of them.

tmc