Introduction
What Car? says...
If you want a convertible there are so many to choose from that you're spoilt for choice. But what if you want a two-seater convertible that goes like a sports car – you know, one that's not just for posing, it's also spry and will make smile like it's summer all year round? Then you should look at the Porsche 718 Boxster.
It really is the default choice, assuming your budget doesn't run into McLaren 570S Spyder territory – and let's face it, most people's doesn't. It’s basically the Porsche 718 Cayman – one of the best sports cars on sale – with the roof removed but very little, if anything, left on the table dynamically.
FAQs
Not particularly. The Porsche 718 Boxster was bottom of the coupés, convertibles and sports cars class for reliability in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey with a score of 73.5%. Owners told us that the problems they had cost a lot to put right and most also took a long time to resolve. As a brand, Porsche didn’t fare much better, coming 25th out of 30 car makers in the 2021 survey, behind Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Read more here
No version of the Porsche 718 Boxster will take longer than 5.1sec to rocket you to 62mph while the quickest Boxster can do the job in just 4.4sec. That’s faster than most versions of the rival Alpine A110 or Audi TT Roadster sports cars. If going fast is at the top of your agenda, we recommend going for the 395bhp Boxster GTS, which is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Read more here
We think the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS is the best version because it has one of the most impressive engines around right now – a 4.0-litre six-cylinder petrol unit that gives it plenty of pace and sounds glorious. The Boxster’s standard kit includes air conditioning and Xenon headlights, and the GTS gets 20in alloy wheels, lowered adaptive suspension and a sports exhaust. There’s an extensive options list so you can add more luxury. Read more here
The Porsche 718 Boxster hasn’t been tested for crash safety by the experts at Euro NCAP. However, no matter which version you choose, you get six airbags as standard, plus the option of automatic emergency braking (AEB) and other features to reduce the effects of any accident – or prevent one in the first place. You can also pay extra to add Isofix child-seat mounting points to the passenger seat. Read more here
Every Porsche 718 Boxster gets a 7.0in infotainment touchscreen, DAB radio, sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity. If you have an iPhone, you can use its apps on the screen with the standard Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. We’ve found that the screen reacts quickly when you touch it and the menus have handy shortcuts to functions you’re likely to use a lot. That said, the rotary controller in the rival BMW Z4 is more user-friendly. Read more here
You get two boots in the Porsche 718 Boxster: a small space at the front with space for your shopping or a soft bag, and a larger boot at the back. The rear boot gives you enough space for a couple of carry-on suitcases but is smaller than the luggage space in the rival BMW Z4. Read more here
| RRP price range | £51,175 - £75,073 |
|---|---|
| Number of trims (see all) | 4 |
| Number of engines (see all) | 3 |
| Available fuel types (which is best for you?) | petrol |
| MPG range across all versions | 25.9 - 31.7 |
| Available doors options | 2 |
| Warranty | 3 years / No mileage cap |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £3,678 / £5,402 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £7,356 / £10,804 |
| Available colours |
