John Y

No, it is incorrect; there was no mid-model year change in engine. The 2005 and 2006 model year cars have the 3.2 with 280hp, and the 2007 and 2008 have the 3.4 with 295hp, so it's easy to know which one you're looking at. Also, don't underrate the 05/06 cars, they do have the Variocam cylinder head, contrary to what a poster said on the first page - it just doesn't have VarioCam Plus, like the 07-on Boxsters (base and S.) The difference being that the Variocam cars only have variable valve timing, and the VC Plus head adds variable valve lift - it has two different lift maps, I think. I do think that having standard TPMS on the 07-forward cars is a plus, especially since the Porsche systems allows you to actually see pressure at all 4 corners more or less in real time, unlike some systems that are just a warning light. Having the closed recessed panel for oil and coolant access in the 07-forward cars also cleans up the trunk a bit.

I would go for (had them on my 07, and will look for it in my next Boxster) Xenons, heated seats, and windstop. Sport steering wheel and seats are nice, but not necessary, IMO. I kind of have a less is more philosophy when it comes to optioning up a car like the Boxster. I like auto climate control in a closed car, but I find it unnecessary in a convertible. 3 seasons, the top will mostly be down, either with just heat on, or switched off. I'm not one who runs the a/c with top down. If the top is up, I can live with manual heat or a/c.

Good luck, enjoy the car!

Sandiegan

Along the same lines of things the OP might be wondering about, how is reliability on first year 987S Cabs vs. 06? Also, is it fairly easy to DIY most routine maintenance?

tinman

John Y.
I stand corrected. Thank you.

H.

John Y

All good, Tinman; I would also really like to read some input on Sandiegan's question too, am looking at 05 Boxster S' or 06 and 07 base cars for myself...

tango131

I just bought a 2010 boxster s off the floor (didn't spec to my liking), and here is my take. absolute must have's: xenons, self-dimming mirrors and auto wipers, bose, windstop. that's it. mine also came with bluetooth and auto climate control. the former is kind a useless with my iphone because it won't load up my contacts (to my knowledge, still trying to figre this out) but your mileage may vary, and the latter I don't really use -- I find myself always adjusting the temp and fan speed manually. I don't need navigation or better seats. I would, however, be intrigued by the pasm suspension even with my 18 inch wheels.

MAPC

There have been a lot of good suggestions here but I thought I would weigh in as well. I would also add that a lot of this can be very personal, so talk everyone's comments (including mine) with a grain of salt.

I was in the market back in November for an 05 or 06 Boxster S. I had narrowed my search down to 2 specific cars and in comparing/contrasting the two, it really made you think carefully about which options I really wanted (most of which I got) and which options I didn't need (some of which I ended up with anyway.

My personal analysis:

MUST HAVES:
1. heated seats
2. PCM (as I have moved to a new part of the country and really wanted to have GPS in my cars)
3. Xenon headlamps
4. CPO warranty. These cars are expensive to repair so I really believe in buying a car that has some warranty left. This was the what pushed me to the 06 with 32K miles vs. the 05 with 20K miles--the 05 had no warranty

NICE TO HAVES:
1. Full leather (I didn't get this on the car that I chose but I REALLY like it and think that it adds a very 'bespoke' look to the passenger compartment)
2. Short shifter: didn't think I needed this but I love it and wouldn't want it any other way
3. Wind deflector
4. Bose sound system

NOT CRITICAL:
1. Power seats. They are nice but not necessary. No one else drives my car anyway so I rarely need to adjust the seat.
2. Sport Chrono. I have this, it looks cool on the dash (some disagree) but I can't think of a time when I'd be using it as I don't track the car. If you do, I would imagine that this would move to the 'must have's.

AVOID:
1. 19" wheels. They look great (IMHO) but ride VERY hard.

I hope that this was helpful! Good luck with your search. I LOVE mine even more than I expected I would.