General Chat
Q:
FYI in today's Wall Street Journal:
Q: I am looking to buy a sports car. My preference is for Porsche Boxster roadster (not an S model) or a Nissan 350Z . What is your opinion about those two cars? It appears that a low mileage 2005 Nissan 350 costs about $33,000 and Porsche Boxster about $38000. Also a new 2006 was available with a sticker price of about $42000. What would you recommend?
-- Ramesh Parekh
Clearwater, Fla.
A: Although we have enjoyed driving the Nissan 350Z, the Porsche Boxster easily wins this contest. We find it to be a better engineered, better crafted car that was designed with enthusiastic drivers in mind. It has less horsepower than the Nissan but is also lighter and feels more balanced and nimble on the road. You'll probably agree after test-driving both. It may sound corny, but the Boxster is one of those rare cars that makes taking the longest possible route seems utterly sensible. It also has a surprising amount of cargo space. And if the extra cost isn't a huge concern, we'd pick the new Porsche over the used one.
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 Quad Cab
1986 300ZX 2+2 NA 5spd
It's funny until someone gets hurt. Then, it's hilarious!
A:
lol i'd still go with the Z
'90 300zx 2+2 w/ Unorthodox underdrive pulley, Imitation Nismo valve stem caps. nyx 1 piece drive shaft.
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Hmmmmmm
A Z car or a Porsche....
Duh....Porsche
Thats not even a Homer Simpson decision there...
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Depends on which Z and which Porsche.
I'm pretty sure I'd take a 1stgen Z or Z32TT in very good shape over a Porsche 914, 924 and 944.
God must love stupid people, he made SOOOOO many of them!
A:
Unfortunately the author never viewed this DVD:
The Boxster comes in dead last!
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I want to see that DVD!
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77 280Z - TEC3 Engine Management, Coil Packs, 3.1 Stroker, 550CC injectors, tripple throttle body FI intake, MSA Stage II Cam, etc...etc...
79 Fairlady - Rusty
81 280ZX - DD
A:
How long is that DVD...cause it is $20 at Options Auto. IS that a good price, is my question?
Previously owned: 2005 Z Enthusiast, Super Black, 6 spd.
Currently lease: 2006 Pathfinder S, Silver, Auto
"She is (and always will be) my little deuce coupe, you don't know what I got!"
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u can download that video, PORSCHE SUCKS! ill never be seen in that yuppy POS, but then again girls dig it, ill only drive it for the ladies :)
73' 240z: F54 4.2L, OS Giken LY DOHC Crossflow head, 17:3comp.ratio, N33, Tripple SU's, T10 Hybrid Draw-Through TT @ 47pds, Roots&Centrifugal Type supercharger, 3-2-1 headers, Centerforce 4 clutch, 6oz flywheel, R300 differential, Super-Hicas
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wouldnt maintenance costs be alot higher on a porsche?
insurance too?
'76 280z 4 spd - fixing
'79 280zx 2+2 auto (daily driver)
'85 300zx NA - RIP
Salt Lake City, UT
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What do you expect, it was in the wall street journal. They'll tell you what car makes you look like a hotshot, not what car is best.
'60 Chevrolet Apache 10 235cid Stovebolt 6
'79 N/A MT (My Dad's but I drive it)
'81 Turbo (Mine)
FSM: $60
Shop Manual: $20
Reading the manual: Priceless
A:
Datto240z wrote "but then again girls dig it, ill only drive it for the ladies'
Yeah,
But the 350z also gets the girls!!--Also most any Z car brings the girls around!
88 NA White/Red Some mods more to come..
Dual Friction centerforce, Tokico suspension kit, Air Intake filter Kit, Energy suspension kit..
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The Wall Street Journal editor didn’t take into consideration the higher ownership costs associated with a Porsche such as parts and insurance. Why would anyone thinking of buying an expensive new sports car write to the WSJ to ask which car is better? Maybe he’s some novel instantly rich investor and doesn’t know anything about cars.
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Wall Street Journal has about as much credibility commenting about car capabilities as the Pope would about dispensing advice about stimulating sexual techniques!!
Later,Norm
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12.804 @ 107.26 mph on crappy street tires with Dual SU Powered 2.9L Stroker!
ZCAR.COM member since Aug 1998
A:
I wouldn't own a Porsche again. Have you seen the price in parts for those? I do all my own maintenance but, when I owned my Porsche things were breaking all the time. My buddy had the same experience with his Boxster. It was always breaking or leaking.
Room? Your kidding the Z even as limitted as it is has more room inside the cabin and trunk space to boot.
I wouldn't trade my Z for a Boxster unless it was to turn a profit and buy another Z. JMHO however.
I suppose if you haven't owned a Porsche ever ..... you have to do it.
It draws attention ...... even from the haters. That was the other draw back. It was always getting dinged, scratched or dented. People almost seemed to be drawn into it. Never had this problem with any other car.
People just are weird and hate what they can't have I guess.
Test drive them and you'll know too. If it was a Boxster S you might do it but, the regular Boxster ..... It is just about as fast as the RX-8. Not bad, however, it doesn't have the quickness you would expect from a Porsche.
my .02
"Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting"
Quote - Steve McQueen
'04 350Z Silverstone 6spd
Previous owner of 240, 280, and 300 Z's
Post Edited (Dec 28, 12:49pm)
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No offense to anyone, but I barely consider a boxter a real porsche, the S version gets closer. If you did a cost analysis on these cars, I would bet 1,000$ that you could by 2 barely used 350z's [including all maint/ins. except tires ha ha ha ha] for the maint/ins. on a single new boxter including the price in less than 10 years.
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
A:
A Porsche is a Porsche with associated perks and pitfalls of Porsche ownership. I think it's appeal comes more from being a Boxster than being a Porsche. A better comparison might have been a topless 350 and a Boxster but hey, lets face it, if this guy doesn't know how to spend $42K on a sports car, do you want him driving a Z?
Heavily medicated for your protection.
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My old co worker has a boxter. its a POS and is in the shop more than on the road.
Post Edited (Dec 29, 3:07am)
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The ONLY reason you buy a Boxster is because you cannot afford a 911. It's as simple as that.
Yes, the Boxster is a better car than a 350Z. But I think it's a matter of looking like a man in his midlife crisis or a teenager at the peak of puberty. Hmmm . . .
1971 240Z
"Fear is exciting for me." -Ayrton Senna
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I'd like to know what they were running to beat 911's in the early 70's. Buy a Z, then mod it to tear a Boxster up ala 240's and 911's 35 years ago.
Heavily medicated for your protection.
A:
a boxster is this generation version of a 944 n/a, sort of but more girlier i guess , now if it had the optiopn of turbo..... id be a mid engine turbo , sort of like a carrera gt's little brother , those 3.2's can pump out 300 hp easily with a turbo, and thats in a 930 stock can be pushed to 400hp easily putting the boost up and thats with the old cis injection technology, imagine with the new fuel injection ,possibilities are endless.