2004 boxster S vs 2004 s2000
07-09-2007, 03:14 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
2004 boxster S vs 2004 s2000
My good friend just spent $37,000 large for a one owner locally owned cpo boxster S with extended warranty, sort of a new 2004 car with warranty to 2011 and serviced to boot. he got the clear plastic skin on the front as well. his car has 35,000 miles on it. the s is the only boxster i would recommend to him.
naturally i have to compare it to my 2004 32,000 honda S2000 with 29,000 miles on it. i am the original owner.
His is a stock car with bose stereo, no stability management system, 6 sp, 3.2 lt engine, about 258 hp, stock micheleins front and rear, and power everything.
stereo, sure not imporant...but it rocks compared to the honda. 6 speed, cable linkage...it does work well though, nods to the s for certain. ride...it is comfortable in the porsche...no rattles or shakes, you feel little of the road and it handles with no drama...i like the honda better but the porsche is the better long distance cruiser...more interior room, more amenities and power this and that, nice noises when you get on it and it has a vetc of sorts around 5500rpm all the way to 7000rpm.
bottom line the boxster S is a wonderful car, fine lines and lots of little high performance cues like painted calipers and drilled rotors, fuctional side air vents intake and heat exausting, an electric spoiler, a trick power top, one touch everything, power this and that auto climate control, and the badge. headlights like ours. glass rear window.
performance wise the cars are about even, a great driver can coax alot out of each car and make a real different on the track, both are street and track cars. the honda is nimble and dramatic and satisfies, the porsche is smooth and loaded with features and pampers while giving performance noteworthly. in the boxster you can instantly feel like a great driver on a curvey road. in the honda you can instantly see where you need improvement to master this ride. the boxster has a super smooth torque laiden engine, you can be a lazy driver and always be in the right gear...the honda has this high strung 4 cyl, very high tech and you need to be in the right gear to get all she has to offer, paying full attention all the time, more attention than in the boxster.
me...i don't think the boxster is worth the extra $$$?????.thousands. money is a funny way to guage roadster value...it does have value superior to the honda but not worth that much more ...the performance of each car brings the equation back to 0...the honda is the better buy and imho a better car to own.
If the money were dead even i would have a harder time with the choice, but it is a consideration that ways heavy on anyone who cross shops these cars.
perhaps one way to understand the boxster is to custom make a honda s2000 with one touch windows, auto climate control, a few more hp, more sound insulation, more interior room, 6 cyl, better sound system, cooler traditional dash, 15,000 mile service intervals, two trunks with almost twice the room for stuff, no secret compartment, an electric speed sensative spoiler, fog lights, larger tires in the rear, a more finished top down boot deal, and that little badge that means so much in the automotive world.
the porsche becons as i get older, craving the smoother ride my wife always yearns for, a more quiet cabin....perhaps it will be my next car..when i tire of the fun and value the honda has seeping out of every seam in it's fantastic sheetmetal. with the honda you get reliability and the porsche you get an investment in upkeep.
The honda is the car i chose then and would buy now....i still have the money i saved, this boxster would be 60k new! the boxster does not have a higher fun factor either.
naturally i have to compare it to my 2004 32,000 honda S2000 with 29,000 miles on it. i am the original owner.
His is a stock car with bose stereo, no stability management system, 6 sp, 3.2 lt engine, about 258 hp, stock micheleins front and rear, and power everything.
stereo, sure not imporant...but it rocks compared to the honda. 6 speed, cable linkage...it does work well though, nods to the s for certain. ride...it is comfortable in the porsche...no rattles or shakes, you feel little of the road and it handles with no drama...i like the honda better but the porsche is the better long distance cruiser...more interior room, more amenities and power this and that, nice noises when you get on it and it has a vetc of sorts around 5500rpm all the way to 7000rpm.
bottom line the boxster S is a wonderful car, fine lines and lots of little high performance cues like painted calipers and drilled rotors, fuctional side air vents intake and heat exausting, an electric spoiler, a trick power top, one touch everything, power this and that auto climate control, and the badge. headlights like ours. glass rear window.
performance wise the cars are about even, a great driver can coax alot out of each car and make a real different on the track, both are street and track cars. the honda is nimble and dramatic and satisfies, the porsche is smooth and loaded with features and pampers while giving performance noteworthly. in the boxster you can instantly feel like a great driver on a curvey road. in the honda you can instantly see where you need improvement to master this ride. the boxster has a super smooth torque laiden engine, you can be a lazy driver and always be in the right gear...the honda has this high strung 4 cyl, very high tech and you need to be in the right gear to get all she has to offer, paying full attention all the time, more attention than in the boxster.
me...i don't think the boxster is worth the extra $$$?????.thousands. money is a funny way to guage roadster value...it does have value superior to the honda but not worth that much more ...the performance of each car brings the equation back to 0...the honda is the better buy and imho a better car to own.
If the money were dead even i would have a harder time with the choice, but it is a consideration that ways heavy on anyone who cross shops these cars.
perhaps one way to understand the boxster is to custom make a honda s2000 with one touch windows, auto climate control, a few more hp, more sound insulation, more interior room, 6 cyl, better sound system, cooler traditional dash, 15,000 mile service intervals, two trunks with almost twice the room for stuff, no secret compartment, an electric speed sensative spoiler, fog lights, larger tires in the rear, a more finished top down boot deal, and that little badge that means so much in the automotive world.
the porsche becons as i get older, craving the smoother ride my wife always yearns for, a more quiet cabin....perhaps it will be my next car..when i tire of the fun and value the honda has seeping out of every seam in it's fantastic sheetmetal. with the honda you get reliability and the porsche you get an investment in upkeep.
The honda is the car i chose then and would buy now....i still have the money i saved, this boxster would be 60k new! the boxster does not have a higher fun factor either.
07-09-2007, 08:29 PM
#4
Registered User
I also think highly of the BS. turn in felt great and nimble. it felt like a s2k that was, like u said, more insulated. but while that sounds nice, it took away from the feel of everything. i didn't feel as connected to the car and road, therefore it was less fun and satisfying. but still a great car.
07-10-2007, 07:52 AM
#5
Registered User
Originally Posted by hirev,Jul 9 2007, 07:14 PM
perhaps one way to understand the boxster is to custom make a honda s2000 with one touch windows, auto climate control, a few more hp, more sound insulation, more interior room, 6 cyl, better sound system, cooler traditional dash, 15,000 mile service intervals, two trunks with almost twice the room for stuff, no secret compartment, an electric speed sensative spoiler, fog lights, larger tires in the rear, a more finished top down boot deal, and that little badge that means so much in the automotive world.
The only thing I would add to your list (and it is an important one) is BS having rear weight bias that attributes to the difference in handling charateristic that you mentioned earlier.
Oh, and the brakes too, which would be a very expensive item to upgrade in the S.
On the other hand, the S has such a great gearbox that makes it so fun to drive. And I am one of the very few that love the digital gauges in the S.
07-10-2007, 09:35 AM
#6
Registered User
People need to make a distinction between ride quality and "feel". The (base suspension) Boxster's ride is more compliant than the S2000's, but it has much more steering feel.
Not to say that the S2000's ride is overly stiff, but whenever someone says the car has more "feel" than the Boxster, it reminds me of the Top Gear episode where Jeremy Clarkson makes fun of people who think the Z4's stiff ride automatically makes it better...
Not to say that the S2000's ride is overly stiff, but whenever someone says the car has more "feel" than the Boxster, it reminds me of the Top Gear episode where Jeremy Clarkson makes fun of people who think the Z4's stiff ride automatically makes it better...
07-10-2007, 09:50 AM
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
I can't say that the boxster S brakes were any better than my car, then again i did not drive the car very hard as it was my friend's new ride. i am very satisfied with the honda's brakes, even if they don't look as cool as the painted and drilled boxster ones.
i was pleased the boxster S was such a good ride in general and would not consider the base car at all, i have driven them and my sister has one with automatic, i think they are geared for the blvd cruiser and automatic transmission.
i am yet to drive a car with a better gearbox than the honda has and wonder what honda will do with such a superb drivetrain when they stop producing the S? i think the gearbox ranks in the top 5 of all cars out there. the boxster S gearbox lacks for nothing...i found each gear with no drama, it was where it was supposed to be... the cable shifter will never be as good as any direct linkage like we have.
again, it is nice we have these choices. And the Boxster s makes a very fine used purchase.
i was pleased the boxster S was such a good ride in general and would not consider the base car at all, i have driven them and my sister has one with automatic, i think they are geared for the blvd cruiser and automatic transmission.
i am yet to drive a car with a better gearbox than the honda has and wonder what honda will do with such a superb drivetrain when they stop producing the S? i think the gearbox ranks in the top 5 of all cars out there. the boxster S gearbox lacks for nothing...i found each gear with no drama, it was where it was supposed to be... the cable shifter will never be as good as any direct linkage like we have.
again, it is nice we have these choices. And the Boxster s makes a very fine used purchase.
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07-11-2007, 10:01 AM
#8
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Check the Ray S guy's post on Rennlist - he owns a Boxster and he's such a die hard cheerleader of it he doesn't know the brake pedal from the go pedal LOL
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/show...t=363562&page=2
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/show...t=363562&page=2
07-11-2007, 12:21 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by WRS2K,Jul 11 2007, 11:01 AM
Check the Ray S guy's post on Rennlist - he owns a Boxster and he's such a die hard cheerleader of it he doesn't know the brake pedal from the go pedal LOL
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/show...t=363562&page=2
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/show...t=363562&page=2
at your avatar over there!
07-11-2007, 02:18 PM
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Originally Posted by PedalFaster,Jul 10 2007, 09:35 AM
People need to make a distinction between ride quality and "feel". The (base suspension) Boxster's ride is more compliant than the S2000's, but it has much more steering feel.
Not to say that the S2000's ride is overly stiff, but whenever someone says the car has more "feel" than the Boxster, it reminds me of the Top Gear episode where Jeremy Clarkson makes fun of people who think the Z4's stiff ride automatically makes it better...
Not to say that the S2000's ride is overly stiff, but whenever someone says the car has more "feel" than the Boxster, it reminds me of the Top Gear episode where Jeremy Clarkson makes fun of people who think the Z4's stiff ride automatically makes it better...
In fact the shifting feel in the S2K is the equivalent of the steering feel in the Boxster S: superb.
The steering feel in the S2K is the equivalent of the shifter feel in the Boxster S: crappy.
Where the S2000's steering is numb and gives no feedback the Boxster S' shifter feels rubbery and isn't nearly as slick or intuitive as our Honda's.
I guess if you want the best of both worlds it comes down to 1997+ NSX!