The Boxster vs. F-Type Argument

"Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna" (lukielauxd)
02/01/2014 at 13:57 • Filed to: None

Excuse me guys, I was eating breakfast this morning when I came across the thought. The Boxster S and the F-Type are technically in the same price segment so what are the arguments for an against the other car?

For me I'd get a Porsche if they were the same price because I'm terribly biased for Porsche and I think the Porsche badge puts it on a different level compared to Jaguar.

What are your guys' opinions on it?

DISCUSSION (48)

Bytemite > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:02

The F-Type is a fat pig. It looks amazing, sounds amazing, probably drives amazing. But it is over 4000 lbs.

Brian Silvestro > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:03

I don't know.....the F-Type is so beautiful...but I know the Porsche is the better performer/has a manual. This is a tough one.

A3R0 > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:03

F-type because... Well... It's because... I JUST WANT IT, OK?

To be serious I would take a Porsche over a Jaagggggg anyday, I love Porsches. I'm not sure why, but I would pick the Jagggggggg in a heart beat, anyway.

Ravey Mayvey Slurpee Surprise > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:04

I'd take the F-Type. I don't doubt that the Porsche handles better than the Jaguar. Cutting corners with scalpel-like precision is fine, but sometimes, you just want to swing Excalibur.

marshknute > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:08

If the F-Type came with a manual, this wouldn't even be worth asking. Since it doesn't, Boxster for me.

Honestly, the Jaguar is a sledgehammer of a car, and a manual transmission would be all too perfect for its character. It deserves a manual.

Victorious Secret > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:08

The Boxster is not the best Boxster it can be because Porsche dials it back so it doesn't rustle the jimmies of the 911. On those grounds alone, why would I want a cut rate Porsche that doesn't live up to its true potential?

The F-Type doesn't hold back. Its everything Jaguar knows how and it doesn't give a damn which cars it steps on to make it happen because Jaguar, unlike Porsche, doesn't have this amazing sense of hubris.

puddler > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:08

boxter with 3 pedals. ignore previous ignorance, i was misunderstanding the porsche site.

Pedro Rafael > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:12

The problem with the Porsche is that it will cost you a lot more than it's base price, because of all the options. But I would get it anyway.

Scott Keelan > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:15

My initial response is the Boxster but I would have to drive them both before I made my decision. I like that Porsche has done a good job of slowly maturing the Boxster line. It would give me peace of mind that it won't look outdated after a new model comes out. Kicker: the Boxster comes in a manual. They have also had a very long time to gradually improve the car. That being said, the F-Type looks and sounds amazing. After one drive I might be smitten.

dogisbadob > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 14:18

I was going to say the same thing!

dogisbadob > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:19

Is the Jag available with the cute cat on the hood? haha

Victorious Secret > Ravey Mayvey Slurpee Surprise
02/01/2014 at 14:28

You call yours Excalibur as well?

Biapilotaceman > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 14:30

Yeah, but the new Boxster is really really good. Even the base model is fantastic (according to Chris Harris), and that's saying something. Even if it's dialed back from a 911, Porsche has been consistently raising the bar on all of the models and the 991/Cayman/Boxster are all super.

Textured Soy Protein > Bytemite
02/01/2014 at 14:33

The F-Type weighs from 3521 - 3671 lbs depending on trim.

Still not exactly light weight for a sports car but also far from "over 4000 lbs."

Victorious Secret > Biapilotaceman
02/01/2014 at 14:35

I know its amazing, if I had to go Porsche I'd only do a Boxster. The 911 tries too hard to be a GT when there are better GT cars on the market.

But as a DD, the F-Type has far more spunk. Its more fun when you aren't on a track.

The Boxster might beat it on the track, but the F-Type beats the Boxster at everything else.

Ravey Mayvey Slurpee Surprise > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 14:37

I do now.

BJ > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:37

Same price segment, really? Hmm, so is it a case of "I can't believe a Boxster costs as much as an F-Type!" or is it "I can't believe you can get an F-Type for only Boxster money!"

efme > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:38

I think the f-type looks better but that might be in part that it isn't so common at the moment....

King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:38

I would say that now with its face lift in place, the Boxster is exceptionally handsome. The F-Type is a different type of good looking, but I would probably go with the Boxster (for the dynamics as well). Preferably an S if possible

Then again, I wouldn't argue with having the keys to either...

JR1 > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:40

I would gravitate more towards the Boxster. The main reasons are it is midengined and has a dual cultch transmission. I personally think it looks better too. The F-type just doesn't stir my emotions. The Porsche is more sport oriented as well.

Bytemite > Textured Soy Protein
02/01/2014 at 14:42

And then it adds 400 lbs of lard for American versions.

Textured Soy Protein > Pedro Rafael
02/01/2014 at 14:42

Yes Porsche has a huge options list but so many of the options are so overpriced and pointless that they're pretty easy to avoid. Like spending several thousand dollars on things like painting almost any surface of the car to match the exterior, colored seat belts, carbon fiber interior trim packages, leather wrapped random parts of the interior, and other bullshit. You can even spend $295 to have the headlight washer nozzles painted body color instead of being left as plain black plastic.

Porsche builds a lot of cars at the factory with these stupid options for the same reason shady car dealers put worthless pinstripes on every car on the lot: because even if you don't want them, they're already on the car which pushes the price up.

But, if you do a good job of finding a car without all these ridiculous add-ons (because really, who cares about yellow seatbelts), or just straight up order one, you can stay at least in the general ballpark of the base price.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > BJ
02/01/2014 at 14:44

I was hearing the news about the Turbo-4 F-Type rumors and my friend was like, so about how much would that cost, and I was like, it'd be under the V6 F-Type, so it's.. $65,000 and I was like, damn that might be Boxster range, which made me think of this. Like is it a Boxster competitor or a 911 Cabriolet competitor?

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
02/01/2014 at 14:45

Boxster S starts right under the V6 F-Type I think. So if you choose the options for losing the back seats and losing the engine, they Porsche might charge you enough so that it's the same price as the F-Type.

BJ > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:49

65000 dollars, you say? If you ask me, sounds like good money for the Jaguar and kind-of a lot for a Boxster. But I know nothing of the Jaguar, except that's it's beautiful and I would love to have it parked in front of my house.

Textured Soy Protein > Bytemite
02/01/2014 at 14:50

I got those numbers from MSN Autos, i.e. a site that has specs on US-market cars. But go ahead, believe whatever you like. I'm sure they're quoting the weight as 400 lbs lower than it actually is. You're right. I bow down to your superior automotive knowledge.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 14:51

I call mine Mjölnir

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:53

The Boxster is a very sharp driving tool, whereas the F-Type is a bit less precise but a lot more dramatic.

If each were opening presents, the Boxster would cut open the packaging very precisely with a scalpel. The F-Type would hack at it with a machete :)

RMudkips > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:54

The F-Type appeals to me much more than the Boxster. Maybe it's the styling or the sheer character of the car, but the Boxster doesn't feel as special as the F-Type does.

Also the F-Type has a meaty V8, and I think there's an NA variant for personal preference.

Victorious Secret > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
02/01/2014 at 14:55

Hehehe.

The hammer of the gods.

Hah.

For Sweden > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 14:59

One drives well, the other is just a romanticized homage to the brutal centuries of British imperialism.

Textured Soy Protein > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 14:59

I've driven a Boxster S. Haven't driven an F-Type. The Boxster's handling is like telepathic. It's almost too easy.

Handling like that isn't limited to just providing faster lap times. It's fun as hell to be able to drive along a nice twisty road and feel all connected to the car and stuff. Or being able to see a light at the bottom of a highway off ramp has been green for a while already but know you can fly down the ramp, brake late, get to that left turn and sail through it before the light changes.

Now, the F-Type looks way nicer and has more exciting motors, but that doesn't mean the Boxster isn't also fun in its own way.

You know why I wouldn't get an F-Type? Because I don't really care about brand cachet, and I would choose either the Boxster S for handling, or the Corvette for raw power.

Victorious Secret > Bytemite
02/01/2014 at 15:03

The American car is sub 4k...

You know, instead of just guessing you can use this little thing called Google and actually get the number. It isn't that hard.

Textured Soy Protein > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 15:10

I know a lot of people here luuuurve the F-Type, but really it does nothing for me.

Sure it's good looking, in the same modern generically British sort of way that we've seen on two generations of Jaguar XK, and every single Aston Martin since the DB7.

Since I really don't care about brands, and if anything I prefer not to have a snobby brand of car (I honestly hate telling people I drive a BMW), the main appeal to me of the F-Type over the Boxster is more power.

But the F-Type is also significantly heavier than the Boxster. If I decided to skip the Boxster and instead go for something with a more traditional front engine layout and a lot more power, I would much sooner get the Corvette Z51 before the F-Type.

Mikeado > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 15:19

They're just barely comparable. You'd be talking about the base V6 Jag and the best Boxster with a few options on it. Out of the two I'd buy...... a Cayman S. Compared to the Jag it's lighter, sharper and more practical, making more of the same power (give or take 10bhp) while being a better all-round car. Having the choice of a manual gearbox is nice in a sports car as well, even if I don't swear by them.

I love the F-Type, though. I'd want a friend of mine to get one.

I love you but I've chosen hooning! > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 15:30

Word on the street is that once the Boxster and Cayman GTS are coming, dialing back is over. Porsche has understood that they're facing some serious competition in that segment and need to improve their game. Will it take away 911 customers? I would say not in any significant way. Rich people who want a Porsche will go for the 911 badge because it has more prestige. Enthusiasts with the necessary pocket change will go for the 911 Turbo or GT3. Enthusiasts who aren't as affluent may however be directed away from what Nissan or Chevrolet have to offer.

Bytemite > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 15:37

I know the number is around 3600, I'm just so used to American versions of cars being 400 lbs heavier and, as a result, being ruined. I'd be glad if the F-type didn't add on the cheeseburgers as it came across the Atlantic, but you can't really trust those stats. Unless someone weighs an F-type on a scale, I won't believe the US version of the car weighs the same as Euro spec.

Look at the Fiat 500 weights. Euro = 2100 lbs US = 2500 lbs

Just absolutely disgusting, how Americans think having a heavy car is "tough" and "built tough".

Victorious Secret > Bytemite
02/01/2014 at 15:41

Blame the safety regs. Do you think anyone that cares wants a heavier car? They don't. And don't pretend that most Europeans actually notice or care that their cars are getting heavier either.

And the F-Type is 3521 pounds here, with the V6. So the range presented by the other commenter here is valid as well...

Bytemite > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 15:44

Wait, Europeans don't care that their cars are getting heavier?

And for your first question I don't understand if you meant people don't care about weight, or people don't want their cars heavier.

Victorious Secret > Bytemite
02/01/2014 at 15:58

The only people that get upset over heavier cars are enthusiasts. Globally. Enthusiasts don't just exist in Europe...

Common people, people who just buy cars and don't care about the rest, do you think they give a shit about higher weights? Do you? Be honest. Do you think Mr. Bob in America or England or Germany cares?

I highly doubt it.

TheOnelectronic > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 16:18

I hope we're still talking about cars...

Bytemite > Victorious Secret
02/01/2014 at 16:36

But don't they know weight is the single most important specification in a car?

Weight should have priority over any other single number on a car's spec sheet. And I think regular people know that weight plays massive roles in every aspect of the car's performance. Even performance that soccer moms care about like fuel economy is mostly affected by weight.

Dr Emilio Lizardo > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/01/2014 at 20:33

Or...

Kinja'd!!!

I get a back seat for the dog to ride in and Quattro so i can drive it all year round.
But it does take me 1.2 seconds longer to get to 60mph.

d16y8 > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
02/06/2014 at 22:26

F-type because it is a new model and thus less people have it; plus, its badass 8)

Also, for some reason, which i do not agree to, the Boxster is deemed a chick's car :/

If you must have a boxer engine (cuz they're badass), just grab a cayman ;)

ryskt > Dr Emilio Lizardo
03/04/2014 at 16:19

I've had a 2010 S5 Cabrio for 3 years now, and recently bought a 2013 Boxster S as a replacement. I haven't sold the S5 yet, so I've been able to drive the cars back-to-back numerous times. The two are about as different as sport(y) convertibles can be. The S5 was certainly more practical, and I suppose it technically delivers more power. And Quattro was nice the two or three times a year when it snows... But it feels gigantic, flimsy, loosely heeled, and clumsy compared to the Boxster S. Never once has the S5 put the kind of smile on my face that the Boxster S does nearly every time I drive it on the twisties in the area around my house. And you can't ding the Porsche on interior quality or appointments any longer. It's just that good. I'm sorry my dog won't fit in the back, but he drools too much anyway.

ryskt > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
03/04/2014 at 16:47

I recently bought a Boxster S, and I heavily considered the F-Type V6-S, but the Boxster just seemed like a less exhausting car. Don't get me wrong, the F-Type is gorgeous and sounds like Zeus yelling at his favorite sports team, but it always sounds like that. It's loud, and you can't make it less loud. And you don't always want it to be loud. All the time. Always.

And it's a great looking car right now. But just like the new 'Vette, I have a feeling it'll grow old fast. Oh, and the interior is covered in little bits of clear plastic that will probably scratch quickly. And they don't offer it with a manual. And the trunk is hilariously small. Despite the actual size, the car feels big from the drivers' seat. There were a couple of times I got a little stressed in a local downtown parking garage.

The Boxster S is also loud, but not nearly on the same scale. The interior has come a long way from the last model, leap years ahead in terms of materials quality. It's not a complicated car. There are a lot of buttons, but they all only do one thing and you learn the layout quickly. The driving experience is incredible. Where it felt like you had to heave the F-Type around; the Boxster is almost telepathic. Nimble, precise, and eager to change direction quickly.

I drove an F-Type for almost a full day on an extended test drive, and afterward I felt like I was tired and needed a break. It was a lot of work, and nearly everybody stared as I drove by, or wanted to talk about it. You're always aware of the car's sound and presence.

I also drove a Boxster S for a day and didn't want to bring it back to the dealer when I was done. That's the kind of impression that made me decide it was the right car to drive every day. You can enjoy it's comforts and ease-of-use on the drive to the office, or thrash it on a twisty back-road, yet never feel like you need a nap afterward.

I've had a lot of "performance" cars over the years. Z4 M-Roadster, S5 Cabrio, S4 Sedan, E63 AMG. The Boxster is my favorite, by far.

Dr Emilio Lizardo > ryskt
03/04/2014 at 16:48

Point taken. But I live in Chicago, so the Quattro has been used two or three times a day for the last few months. I didn't get stuck once and my wife got stuck in the driveway in her X3. The S5 replaced a CLK320 cab that I would have driven about twice a week this winter and was not even as quick as the X3, so this seems like a lot of power when compared to the Mercedes.

I thought about a Boxster or some other two seater, but in a Northern climate, the S5 is much more practical and it is the most fun car I have ever owned despite being so practical.

Civic DX hatchback

Cavalier Z24

Sebring DX convertible

CLK320 Cab

S5 Cab

Obviously not a lot of competition for "most fun." Everybody thought the CLK was a sports car. It was not. It was a small touring car. Also, it had different sized tires front and rear and almost all the tires that were sold in those sizes were not bi-directionally rotatable. Buying new tires every 20,000 miles got old. I liked that car a lot. I owned it for 9 years and 109k miles, but I like the Audi a lot more.

ryskt > Dr Emilio Lizardo
03/04/2014 at 16:57

Oh, no doubt. I grew up in Minneapolis and I never would have considered the Boxster there if I didn't have a second snow-driver. Also, the S5 is a HUGE step up from the other cars you listed, and it a great car in its own class. Better than the 335i, and CLK in my opinion. It just doesn't compare to the Boxster when it comes to driving prowess.

Everyone has to make a decision based on their circumstances. In my case, snow traction and interior space isn't high on my list of requirements.