USED Porsche Boxster Open (96 - 04)

My car

Great on A and B roads. Very econonical for car of class/performance. Parts silly prices but Euro Car Parts useful.

My car

Fantasic driving, grips well around corners. Holds its value extremely well.

My car

The Boxster S is probably the world's best roadster and is at its best with the hood down on a summer's day, winding along A and B roads that make England so special.

The Bosxter S is a beautifully balanced car, superb levels of grip, excellent brakes and adequate levels of power. The six-speed gearbox is a joy to use, and encourages frequent upchanging with heel and toe downshifts that bring in the beautiful exhaust note - especially over 4,000rpm.

On a country lane, this combination enables good journey times, with particular ease of overtaking, should that be necessary.

On those occasions you want more speed, the track is the safest place to explore the Porsche performance. As the speed builds the roadholding is second to none - so accomplished are the chassis dynamics that you feel as if a monkey could drive the car. On turn-in there is a small amount of understeer, which dials out as your balance the throttle through the corner.

Too much throttle and you can provoke oversteer - always gentle and with warning. Like all mid-engined cars, the trick is not to lift off the throttle - just gentle corrections or hold your nerve and let the car sort itself out.

It's on these days that you realise how good the Boxster S is - there might be some 911s circulating the track but, apart from turbos and RS versions, the additional horsepower with their bigger engines cannot compensate for the Boxster's higher speed through the corner!

My car

I have owned my Porsche Boxster for three years now.

It is great fun to drive, sticks to the road well and has looks to die for.

However, I am uncertain as to its reliability. After two years, the Porsche service technicians discovered that the rear main oil seal had worn out and had to remove the gear box in order to replace the part. Including VAT, the total bill for this piece of work was over £800. Fortunately, I managed to get this money back through the warranty.

Just before three years of age, the car developed a problem with its electrical Control Box. This meant that it accelerated even when my foot wasn't on the accelerator pedal and the ABS & Brake Fluid signs lit up on the control panel. On discovering the fault, I got the AA to transport my car to the nearest Porsche dealership.

The dealership informed me that the Control Box would have to be replaced and the part cost over £1,500 to replace.

I appreciate that servicing costs will be high for an expensive car. However, I would not expect two significant mechanical/electrical faults in the first three years of the car's life. I wondered if this could explain why Porsche only offers a two-year warranty, compared to the standard three-year warranty offered by its competitors.

Has anyone else out there had similar experiences?