Here are some really good tips for the best way to shop for a used Porsche Boxster.

1.    Determine what your budget is for your Porsche Boxster. A casual search on the Internet revealed the following prices for some used Porsche Boxsters:

• 1999 Porsche Boxster – 67,150 miles        $12,700
• 2001 Porsche Boxster – 66,605 miles        $18,990
• 2002 Porsche Boxster – 49,500 miles        $17,900
• 2003 Porsche Boxster – 37,360 miles        $19,950
• 2004 Porsche Boxster – 11,600 miles        $27,800

The average price for these five cars is $19,648, which can give you an idea as to what you’re facing when applying your budget to the purchase.

2.    Since you know for a fact that you want to purchase a Porsche Boxster, you already know what the overall size of the interior is and how you might fit into it with your passenger. But, you may want a particular size engine and drive train combination. Porsche Boxster upgraded their engine sizes practically every year, especially for the Porsche Boxster S models. If the dealer you want to deal with does not have the power combination you are looking for, wait until he does, or go shopping elsewhere. Prepare a list of notes for each Boxster you see. Buying a Porsche Boxster is a big decision, so take your time, and remember to leave your emotions back home. You are looking for the Boxster that fits your wish list entirely.

3.    When you spot a contender for the top of your shopping list, take it for a test drive. Check for unusual noises, bumps, and rattles that are indicators of a potential ‘no’ decision. Add all pertinent data to your list of notes for each Boxster you test drive. Don’t commit to any car or salesman just yet. It is your hard-earned money you are about to spend, and regardless of appearance, if the machine is a finely polished piece of junk, you do not want it.

4.    As you test several Porsche Boxsters, possibly from various dealers, set up a ranking list according to your priorities and the data that you have collected on each car tested. After you have a good priority list ranking for each vehicle, rank them according to price. At this point you should be able to trim your list down to one or two cars. If it is hard to choose between the finalists, test drive them again, adding more specific data to your ranking list.

5.    Once you have made your decision, tell the salesman of your choice and begin the negotiations for the purchase.

These are simple, but effective ways to shop for any used car. Remember, this, though, shopping and testing is only a small part of the fun you will have after you have purchased your used Porsche Boxster.

When you first see the 2009 model of Porsche’s answer to those who would really like to know what it is like to drive a high performance Sebring type racecar you begin to understand why Porsche still has good sales figures for this fine road machine. The basic design of the 2009 model hearkens back to the first Boxsters that appeared in 1997. It still has a harsh drive, no real glove box to speak of, which makes for overflowing map pockets in the door.

The rest of the new interior, though, is a delight to discover. The 2009 model has a Bose stereo system that has been upgraded from previous models. The fade is factory set for heavy front, but can be adjusted more to the back speakers to give a theater studio quality sound that is rich and full. The down side of the system is that there are some uncertain sounds that occur when traveling at higher speeds, which is not too different from many other convertibles. Also there are way too many buttons to deal with when trying to negotiate the curves on Mulholland Drive north of Bel Air.

Other features of the new interior are a new navigation system with a touchscreen display. Excellently designed primary gauges appear on the dashboard with neatly arranged controls that focus on the large center-mounted tachometer. All the buttons and knobs can be ordered with leather wrappings that add to the Porsche appeal to pricey elegance. Temperature control and fan adjustment are handled with rocker switches in the new automatic climate control system.

The Porsche Boxster convertible’s two trunks are still a bit tiny as far as hauling extra cargo is concerned, but after all, we are talking rallye driving here, not pickup truck yeoman’s work. If you only plan on doing a couple of days away from the office and home there is enough room in the front cargo area for that much luggage. The rear trunk space is not as deep as the front but it can handle your briefcase with a complementary computer bag. You will find that this year’s model has race-car-firm seating as standard, but there is an option available for bolstered sports seats.

As you walk around the outside of this fine vehicle you can take in some beautiful car design work. The power operated convertible top is greatly appreciated especially when rainy weather threatens your jaunt through the mountains. The long front hood camouflages the deep storage area. And as you look at the car you begin to realize that the original design is definitely there, but the car has an altogether new skin. The front air intakes take on the look of the flared nostrils of a highbred Arabian stallion. The diagonally arranged headlamps within the now familiar transparent ‘eyelids’ that appear on many newer cars remind you of those headlamps on a 1970’s model 917 fitted out for Le Mans. The car also appears to be a little wider brought on by fender ridges that push out just a bit. The new LED taillights create an all new aura to the rear of the car not to mention brighter lights for safety sake.

The platform of the car continues the mid-engine mount that features two choices of direct injected engines – the standard 2.9 Liter, 255 horsepower, DOHC 24-valve flat-6 or the optional ‘S’ 3.4 Liter, 310 horsepower, DOHC 24-valve flat-6. The exhaust is finely tuned to produce just enough roar right by the driver’s left ear, but for that grab-your-hat and run sound you will have to dish out an additional $2500 for the special sport exhaust system.

The majority of Porsche Boxsters (75%) sold in the U.S. come with standard stick shift transmissions. The new seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) dual-clutch automated standard shift transmission is quite the pleasing option to consider. It works great on those winding roads above Bel Air or in the Virginia hills near Lynchburg. It is a great substitute for an automatic. Most reviews show this new PDK transmission as a high performing option for any driver of the Boxster.

This whole package with the ‘S’ option 310 hp engine will surge down the street from zero to 60 in less than 5.2 seconds. The PDK offers steering wheel-mounted shift paddles that some reviewer found to be awkward yet satisfying smooth shifting. There are four options for transmissions to be considered:

• Drive mode – purely automatic
• Sport-automatic mode – lags in the low end shifts
• Sport-manual mode – fast shifts yet silky smooth
• Sport-plus (optional with the Sport Chrono Package) that feature very fast shifts, but real harsh in its response

All in all, the Porsche Boxster Convertible for 2009 offers the feel of great handling, especially on curvy roads through the management of the stability control system in the Sport Plus option. The economy of a sportscar is rarely mentioned but tests on the 2009 Porsche Boxster S with PDK reported 20 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the interstate. To appreciate driving the way it was meant to be, consider the Porsche Boxster Convertible.

One of the first things that brought you to looking for a used Porsche Boxster for sale is the price of a new Porsche Boxster. The base price for a new standard Porsche Boxster is $47,600 and once you add just a modicum of options it quickly can jump to over $63,200. You and the Mrs. quickly decided that you should go with a used Porsche Boxster, and the hunt is on.

There are three good areas to look for good used Porsche Boxsters for sale: The Internet, Major auto magazines, and your local import auto dealer pre-owned car lot. Let’s look at each of these areas individually.

The Internet has become one of the best marketing tools ever. Where else can you get worldwide coverage of something you have for sale? Depending upon your budget, let’s look at a standard 2003 Porsche Boxster. The price range for that year and model runs $18,350 to $21,765 according to the Kelley Blue Book. A few good places to do your Internet shopping are:

• autotrader.com — one of the best places to do used car research and to locate just the used car you want whether locally or anywhere in the world
• carmax.com — another excellent place to look for either used or new cars of your choice.
• automallusa.net — Auto Mall has been a popular used car franchise program throughout the country for many years especially in larger cities. Shopping with them online is as good as the previous location mentioned above
• motors.shop.ebay.com — If you know exactly what you want, eBay is a good place to shop and to do some market research especially for pricing

Major auto magazines have carried classified ads for years for good, clean used cars. Some examples of these are:

• Motor Trend Magazine – One of the U.S.’s oldest automobile magazines. It also has an interactive website which is another good place to shop for a used Porsche Boxster for sale
• Car and Driver Magazine – This magazine doesn’t list used cars for sale, per se, but it is an excellent source for good, reliable information for used cars by checking issues from the year of the car you wish to buy. The magazine has an in-depth, comprehensive buyer’s guide as well as good reviews from first drives to road tests to comparison tests between makes of cars. This magazine also has a good interactive website
• Auto Trader Magazine – Even though we have already mentioned Auto Trader for its website, it has a great weekly magazine of used vehicles principally within your local area for sale

Again, using the Internet, or checking the Yellow Pages, look for import automobile dealers within your local area. There you may find a dealer that exclusively handles new and used Porsches, which would be an excellent place for you to test drive and even purchase a good, used Porsche Boxster for sale.