Offered as a cheaper alternative to the brawnier 911, the Porsche Boxster hit the assembly lines in 1996.
Even though it lowered the price of entry into Porsche ownership considerably, the Boxster was still anything but affordable. Two decades later, those first-gen models can now be bought from as low as €5,000-€6,000 ($5,300-$6,350), on the used car market.
Low-mileage examples are quite rare and tend to sell from €10,000 upwards, and it’s not uncommon to see models in pristine condition change hands for €30,000 or even €40,000, depending on their engine, options and service history. But would it wise to spend those hard-earned savings on one, from a maintenance point of view?
This is a tricky question to answer, and the outcome is based on countless variables; however, after acquiring a 986 Boxster S two years ago, this owner talks about how much it really costs to own and run it.
From oil changes to suspension work, and from spark plugs to tires, he has spent exactly £2,934.36 (€3,581) on his Boxster ever since he purchased it, excluding insurance and road tax, and he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to save some money. This doesn’t sound unreasonable, but could it be too good to be true?