Used Porsche Boxster 2012-2016 review

Category: Sports car

The Porsche Boxster is sensational to drive and beautifully built. It’s one of the best open-top sports cars

Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
  • Used Porsche Boxster 12-16
Used Porsche Boxster 2012-2016 review
Star rating

What's the used Porsche Boxster sports like?

Those after a prestige badge and a brilliant sports car should look no further than the Porsche Boxster. This third-generation model won almost universal acclaim, from those who drove it as well as from those who merely aspired to it.

The original Boxster was such a breath of fresh air it actually saved the company, and this version upped the ante in nearly every way, being lighter, stiffer and faster than its predecessors. It’s great to drive and civilised to own. The engines are wonderfully responsive and deliciously smooth naturally aspirated flat sixes, in either the standard 261bhp 2.7-litre or 311bhp 3.4-litre capacities, the latter known as the ‘S’.

Overview

The Porsche Boxster is sensational to drive and beautifully built. It’s one of the best open-top sports cars

  • Brilliant handling
  • Surprisingly comfortable ride
  • Classy interior
  • Not as well equipped as some
  • Fuel consumption heavy

But wait, there's more, because GTS models go a step further, getting 325bhp in addition to some other go-faster kit that would sometimes be mere optional extras on lesser guises. The cream of the crop is the Spyder, however. Its 3.8-litre engine produces a mighty 370bhp, and it's by far the most hardcore Boxster of this generation.

Performance is suitably rapid, and the accompanying steering, handling and braking all top drawer. Driving the open-top Boxster quickly is a rare thrill, with either the standard six-speed manual gearbox or the PDK automatic option.

With so much right with it, there must be something wrong, but apart from its heavy-ish fuel consumption and slight meanness over standard equipment we can’t think of one.

When new, this was a five-star car, and as a used buy, with suitably lower purchase prices and backed by Porsche’s legendary build quality and reasonable reputation for reliability, it if anything seems to make even more sense.

If you're interested in finding a used Porsche Boxster, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

Ownership cost

What used Porsche Boxster sports will I get for my budget?

Entry to the third-gen Boxster club starts at around £25,000, at the time of writing. This will buy you a good 2012 car with an average mileage for the year and a service history, bought privately or from a trader. Expect to pay somewhere between £26,000 and £30,000 for a 2013 car with all the same criteria but bought from an independent dealer, while upping the ante to between £30,000 and £35,000 should net you a clean 2013/14 car. Over £35,000 starts to see excellent examples of the uprated ‘S’ model, and cars for sale through Porsche dealers.

It's also worth mentioning that GTS cars are rather sparse and begin at around £40,000, while Spyder models are even more collectable and go for upwards of £65,0000.

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Used Porsche Boxster 12-16

How much does it cost to run a Porsche Boxster sports?

It won’t be cheap. The 2.7-litre version is good for only a claimed average fuel consumption of 34.4mpg, while the 3.4-litre S version claims 31.6mpg. All third-generation Boxsters will have been registered before April 2017’s tax band changes and will therefore attract a high annual charge due to their CO2 levels. Insurance is likewise high, with groupings of 44 and 46.

Regular servicing is vital, although intervals are reasonably long at 18,000 miles, and most will only trust a Porsche dealer to do it, although there are a number of recommended specialist firms who handle Boxsters and whose fees for such work will undercut the main dealers’.

Our recommendations

Which used Porsche Boxster sports should I buy?

There are only two variants: the 261bhp 2.7-litre standard car and the 311bhp 3.4-litre ‘S’ version. It’s a difficult decision whether to go for the standard car or spend the extra money on a used Boxster S, as both are exceptionally good. Normally we incline towards a less is more approach, but here we feel the S has just enough of an edge to justify any price differential you might have to pay. However, make no mistake, those who pick the standard car will still have a spectacular five-star sports car.

Our favourite Porsche Boxster: 3.4 S

Used Porsche Boxster 12-16

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Porsche Boxster sports?

The Audi TT is a cracker, whether as a coupe or a convertible roadster, with a smooth, eager range of engines, darty handling and a beautiful interior. It’s as fast, in some of its variants and in many of its ways, as the Boxster, but perhaps lacks the special sparkle of the Porsche.

The BMW M2 is not a drop-top but a coupe, the top rung of the 2 Series Coupe ladder, and once again is a car that’s if anything even faster than the Boxster. It sounds great, is well equipped and by virtue of its size is more practical. However, it’s not as agile or precise as the Boxster, and its gearbox is a bit notchy.

The Mercedes-Benz SLC is a fine drop-top car whose purpose is more boulevard cruiser than out-and-out sports car, and though it’s well equipped and good to sit in it’s not as much fun to drive as the purposeful Boxster.

If you're interested in finding a used Porsche Boxster, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Porsche Boxster 12-16