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Porsche is best known as the quintessential sports car maker, but its line-up is increasingly diverse, interesting and successful, from its SUV family to the Panamera hatchback and shooting brake and, in time, a planned family of electric vehicles.

Whatever your choice, What Car?’s testers rate the cars highly; Porsche has an unusually high percentage of five and four-star cars.

Without exception, its sports cars are class leaders or among the class leaders, standing out for combining driving thrills with surprising luxury and comfort. Likewise, its SUVs are among the sharpest handling, as well as offering high levels of practicality and quality. Meanwhile, the Panamera is a true rival to the very best large executive saloons.

Porsche also sees itself as an electric car pioneer and has already enjoyed sales success with its plug-in hybrid range. Its first all-electric sports car is imminent, signalling the firm’s intent to stay relevant for many years to come.

PORSCHE

BOXSTER

The original&nbsp;Porsche Boxster is still sublime to drive, with a sonorous six-cylinder sound and balanced handling

Used Porsche Boxster 1996-2004 review

It's a Porsche, so compared to a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/review/n37">Ford Focus</a>, it's going to be expensive. However, choose well, keep it properly maintained and it shouldn't be a massive problem. The Boxster has legendary residual values, and although it will cost a lot to start with, you should see the benefit when it's time to sell.

Regular servicing is vital on a Porsche, not only to maintain its value but also to prevent expensive problems later. A Boxster needs attention every 12,000 miles, but if you use an independent specialist on the older cars the work should still be carried out correctly and you'll save money without damaging its resale value.

The 2.5 gives 35mpg, while the 2.7 and 3.2 deliver 29mpg and 27mpg respectively.

Used Porsche Boxster 1996-2004

The Porsche Boxster will excite on every trip

You can buy a used Porsche Boxster for as little as £5000 and, for that, expect one with around 60,000 miles on the clock. It can vary in model years and variants – generally, Boxster&nbsp;prices are determined by condition/mileage above all else.

The best of the best go for around £20,000, but you can easily find a very good one for £12,000.&nbsp;

Check the value of a used Boxster with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

Find&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/porsche?">used Porsche&nbsp;cars for sale</a>

Originally, there was just a 2.5-litre engine with 204bhp, but this was later enlarged to 2.7 litres and 217bhp. Later, a 3.2-litre with 252bhp was introduced. It was called the S and came with a six-speed gearbox and better brakes, as well a host of goodies for the £4000 over the standard model.

The S is the car people look for, as it has almost 911-style performance for a lot less cash. The optional traction control system is also worth looking out for.

However, the optional Tiptronic gearbox was not as satisfying to use as the manual and slowed the car down. An improved manual gearbox was introduced with the 2.7-litre engine.

Air-con was standard on some models and leather was a £2500 option - both of which are desirable on second-hand cars, and prices are higher as a result.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter <a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a>

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Ride comfort shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of handling sharpness</li> <li>Plenty of power from a melodic engine</li> <li>Handling that doesn’t come at the expense of a back-breaking ride​​​​​</li> <li> Practicality is not essential but nice to have </li></ul>

Driving fun is right at the top of any sports car buyer's priority list, and every one of our award candidates has backroad entertainment coded into its DNA.

When viewing a used car, always follow our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/used-car-buying-checklist/n1126">used car buying checklist</a>.

There's no such thing as a cheap Boxster. Cared-for cars wear their miles well, and if you're being offered an untidy car with some niggly faults, it's likely that it's a car with serious problems and you should walk away.

Crash damage is the biggest problem on cars, so leaky or poor fitting hoods, and less than perfect paintwork and panels should make you suspicious. Also, in rare cases, water can get past the window seals and short-circuit the electrics.

Scrimping on servicing to save money is a false economy. A full service history is a sign of a cared-for car. The engine doesn't use much oil, so if it's very low or very dirty, there could be problems.

Some owners take their Boxster to the track. Look for badly worn brakes and scored pads, while rapid and uneven tyre wear is a sure sign the tyre alignment isn't spot on.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

It may be hard to imagine, but there was just one other car in the Porsche range when the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/boxster/sports/review/n27">Porsche Boxster</a>&nbsp;was first launched back in 1996 – and that was the staple <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/911/coupe/review/n98">Porsche 911</a>.&nbsp;

Essentially, the Boxster revived the brand. How? Well, although lots of people wanted a 911, only a&nbsp;precious few could afford one. Sure, the Boxster wasn't cheap, but it was next to its larger sibling. And, arguably, you could say that used Boxsters nowadays really are cheap, full stop.&nbsp;

Engines &amp; Performance:&nbsp;Every Boxster of this first generation came with a six-cylinder petrol engine: the entry-level model bears a 228bhp 2.7-litre unit, while the S variant ups that to a 252bhp 3.2-litre one. Mind you, for a short while (1996-'99), the entry-level car had a 205bhp 2.5-litre engine, plus the standard and S eventually rose in power to 240bhp and 280bhp, respectively.&nbsp;

Nowadays, even that high-powered S will struggle to keep up with a lot of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/hot-hatches/n17005">hot hatches</a>, but you'd still be hard pressed&nbsp;to call it slow. Plus, these Boxster engines aren't about rampant, animalistic&nbsp;acceleration, but rather silky smooth, lovely sounding, beautifully linear acceleration.&nbsp;

Ride &amp; Handling:&nbsp;Some cars – like the rear-engined 911, actually – have to work around being disadvantaged from a physics point of view, but not the Boxster. Its engine is positioned right behind the driver, making it mid-engined, and this helps create&nbsp;even weight distribution.

Its six-cylinder engines are flat ones, too:&nbsp;in other words, they&nbsp;aren't very tall, keeping their weight (and subsequently that of the car's) down low for a low centre of gravity, naturally reducing body lean and aiding overall handling. It also lessens the need for stiff suspension.&nbsp;

All of this is brought together and further enhanced by Porsche's excellent engineering expertise to create a wonderful driving experience. The Boxster flows down a country road with great fluidity and corners are met with impressive poise, composure and balance. You really have the confidence to drive the car spiritedly and it's very engaging and satisfying to do so.&nbsp;

Interior &amp; Practicality:&nbsp;The interior may show its age – design-wise, but also in regards to its&nbsp;lack of&nbsp;tech&nbsp;–&nbsp;but build quality is good and most of the materials still feel relatively plush and expensive.&nbsp;

The Boxster is strictly a two-seater, but there's enough room for a couple of six-footers, as well as a front and rear boot for their belongings – another benefit of putting the engine in the middle.&nbsp;

Interested in buying a used&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/boxster/sports/review/n27">Porsche Boxster</a>? Visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Cars For Sale</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Used Porsche Boxster 1996-2004 reliability

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When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.,There's no such thing as a cheap Boxster. Cared-for cars wear their miles well, and if you're being offered an untidy car with some niggly faults, it's likely that it's a car with serious problems and you should walk away.,Crash damage is the biggest problem on cars, so leaky or poor fitting hoods, and less than perfect paintwork and panels should make you suspicious. Also, in rare cases, water can get past the window seals and short-circuit the electrics.Scrimping on servicing to save money is a false economy. A full service history is a sign of a cared-for car. The engine doesn't use much oil, so if it's very low or very dirty, there could be problems.Some owners take their Boxster to the track. Look for badly worn brakes and scored pads, while rapid and uneven tyre wear is a sure sign the tyre alignment isn't spot on. 

What to look for when buying a Porsche Boxster 1996 - 2004, covering common problems to check for and overall vehicle reliability.

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Used Porsche Boxster 1996-2004 reliability

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