We own both. My spouse definitely prefers the Boxster, because she loves top-down driving and does it literally every day she can. Handling on the street is about equal, assuming equal wheels and tires and suspensions. She has a base Boxster with 18s, and it handles an awful lot like my Cayman S with 18s. I know there's a technical difference in chassis rigidity, but I can't feel it while driving, even on rough roads. Top up or down there's less road noise in a Boxster. Wind management is very good with the top down. Even though I'm a Cayman fan, I will say that when the weather is right and the road is right, the Boxster with the top down is a more engaging driving experience.

On the other hand, when the top is up the Boxster is claustrophobia-inducing. You could hide a Hummer in the blind spots. At speeds over 80mph, top up or down, the Boxster is noisy in a bad way. Finally - one major annoyance - there's a lot less space inside a Boxster. If I'm the passenger (almost always) I'm sitting with her purse between my legs.

Oh yeah, one more thing, engine compartment access on a Cayman is bad enough, on a Boxster it is the making of a temper tantrum.

 

Sorry I know this is a old thread, but I have the boxster and don't regret it. I like the look of the cayman but would miss having the top down.

As for the Boxster being claustrophobia-inducing, I disagree. I developed bad claustrophobia as an adult and I don't feel it in the boxster with top up but I've felt it in a Toyota Avalon in heavy traffic, amusement park rides, on planes, etc. I also don't think the boxster is noisy at all at any speed but of course it will be worse than any hard top vehicle.

 

I've owned two Boxster S's (2000 and 2006) and two 2006 Cayman S's (currently own a Cayman S). I've also tracked all 4 so have used them all on the street and the track.

For me, it really boils down to the following ...

Convertibles are a lot of fun, when the weather is "just right". That means in stop and go traffic even in 70F, it starts to cook you so either the top goes up or you put the AC in full blast mode. You also have to get used to wearing a hat because the sun will frequently be in your eyes, above your sunglasses.

Convertibles are also a lot noiser, even with the top up. Commuting in heavy and high speed traffic gets pretty tiring.

If you want to drive on the track, then you have to realize that there are quite a few organizations that do not allow convertibles.

I always felt like I "should" be driving with the top down since it was a convertible. A personal thing, but it always bugged me to drive it with the top up.

So, it depends on your usage of the car and how some of the above affect your ability to enjoy it.

After the last two years of the Boxster S, I got tired of the negatives associated with a convertible. So, I'm back in a Cayman. Also, I should note that my 2000 Boxster was essentially a homemade Cayman before the Cayman existed; it had the hardtop on it pretty much the entire time I owned it.

If I had the money and garage space, I'd get a Spyder in addition to the Cayman, leave the top off and only drive the Spyder when an open top suited me

 

Sleepless - my feelings exactly! I owned an '04 Boxster S and really struggled with all the issues you point out above. I'm just not a 'rag-top' guy. Now that I have the Cayman, it's much quieter, I don't leave a baseball cap in the car, and feel much safer on the track. I also like the shape of the Cayman better than the Boxster. It's got a better looking rear end and the roof line is much better.

If I lived in an area of the country with warm weather all year around, I can see the benefits of a convertible.

 

sometimes i regret it, b/c i'd really like to drive around w/ the top down. never owned a convertible and was cross-shopping an S2000 at the time. i actually test drove a Boxster S around for a bit and found driving around w/ the top down fun. I went for the Cayman b/c it was mechanically better (that Boxster S had issues w/ the top closing completely and retracting fully) and it had a full warranty intact. a month later they sold a limited edition Orange Boxster for a bit less than my car and i regret it. oh well, still happy w/ my CS!

 

I've only owned hard tops and when it came time to buying a new car, I picked the Boxster for the convertible. I didn't look at the Cayman since it would have been "just another hard top". Some would reason FL is a great place for convertibles, but they couldn't be more wrong. Consider S. FL temperature is in the mid 80's and mid 90's 8 months out of the year... you will have A/C on full blast regardless if you have a hardtop or a soft top. And when the weather is nice, push a button in the Boxster and you have open top driving in about 12 seconds. On a nice evening (basically any clear night), with moon and stars out,... cruising with two windows opened just isn't the same.

As for wind noise, blown/messed-up hair, sun in the face.... I say fill your senses and enjoy life.

 

no regrets, love my Spyder. Way different then my CS.

 

Before the Cayman 95% of my cars were convertibles or targas. I loved the Boxster I had from 2002-2005 but the Cayman is just better for me. I still love convertibles and will probably own more of them, maybe even another Boxster. Absolutely nothing I didn't like about the Boxster, the Cayman just ticks all the boxes for me right now.

 

I should have bought my 1st Boxster earlier - much earlier! I always said there was no point in a convertible in the north of England with the lousy weather but I was wrong. I have driven Boxsters for just over a year and nearly always with the top down except for on motorway journeys when the wind buffetting at "70" MPH is too uncomfortable. In winter fill the car with 25C air and it's great, even if you do look a little ecentric in the snow! With the roof up it's dry and warm so what if it does rain? The Cayman is a great car, it just needs a convertible roof, like a Boxster! One final comment, the S knocks spots off the base model.

 

both are great, if your not planning to do track days, you will never notice the lack 0f stiffness in the chassis. if your basing you convertible experiences in the past, they are 100% better than my old MGB that took what seem like 30 mintues to put the top up. Now a coupe is going to be quieter, more space interior and trunk, less up-keep, and more secure. I loved my Z4 vert, but in the DC metro area spring/fall was nice other than that to humid and hot so the top was up most the time with AC, so i went with the CS coupe....:dance:

 

Funny I thought the same thing. Looked at the Boxster S and loved it with the top down.
Then sat it with the top up, wow some big blind spots in the back and I didn't like the way the top looked like when it was up. Anthoer major drawback was the wife does not like the hair going every which way, so the choice was kind of easy. I do love my CS though. I ws thinking t-tops like the old vettes had kind of open air but not fully opened.

 

Regret? Yeah Regret not having both at the same time. Regret not having enough time to drive either!

 

I suppose this is what winning lottery tickets are for... :wall:

 

I owned a 2001 boxster, and boy do I miss that car.

Sure it was underpowered (217hp, 0-60 in 6.5secs), but it felt like a go kart. Nothing was electronic is it, it didn't even have traction control.... such a fun car.

And with the top down, chicks used to dig that back in the day

 

And with the top down, chicks used to dig that back in the day

Chicks do dig convertibles... i always have women who come up to the car and give their compliments... On the other hand, my friends (with Caymans, NSX'es, GT3RS, etc.) always draw compliments and conversations starters from guys. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

I only drive the Boxster when it's not raining - which in Provence is most of the time. There is nothing better than a convertible to enjoy the fresh air, great scenery and listen to the sounds of nature and the sport exhaust. You do need a hat though.
But I accept that the Cayman is the better looking car. If I were in a colder climate, I would get the Cayman.
My ideal garage (only room for two) would be a Boxster Spyder and a Ferrari Scuderia). Watch this space guys...

 

My first Pcar was a 2005 AS Boxster. Was my DD for a couple years. If it was an S model, might still have it but I wanted more umph, wanted GR, prefer the looks / lines of the Cayman, and have a motorcycle that better fulfills my wind in your face feeling. My wife really misses the convertible tho so maybe next time it will be another Boxster. I think the blind spot is almost as bad in a Cayman and isn't an issue in a Boxster with the top down (as it should be whenever possible). Both are great cars.

 

I briefly considered a Boxster and likely would have strongly considered a Cayman sun-roof if such a thing could be done in an Engineering sound way that does not detract from the lines of the car, or dramatically reduce head room. Wish I could have both, but of the two I prefer the look of the Cayman, the intimacy of the quieter cockpit, and can live without the sunroof.

I guess they've more or less solved the structural rigidity issues, and roll-over safety issues with convertibles these days.

The one thing they apparently haven't solved is an aesthetics matter. I have yet to see a soft top car that doesn't look raggedy after a year or so. The material color fades, becomes dirty, etc and as compared with well kept paint and trim, even a well cared for soft top car looks old to my eyes with the top up.

That said, maybe if lived in SoCal I'd have bought the Boxster.

 

Always wanted a Cayman and was ready to purchase one... then I drove the Spyder and fell in love with it. Don't regret not getting the Cayman.

 

absolutely no regrets. I LOVE driving my Box S every day, make me smile each time. I make up excuses to go anywhere just to drive the thing. My girlfriend really likes the top down driving too, which was the original (although not main) reason I considered it in the first place. one day i'll teach her to drive it . having never owned a convertible before, i had no idea I would like it so much. it's such an intimate experience: you , car, wind and road. the box and cay are great cars, can't go wrong with either.
and to the poster that dreams about having an f430, I'm with 'ya. I share the same dream, although now upgraded to the f458. as a kid I always dreamt of a having sports car. I am fortunate enough to have accomplished that dream. as for the f458... one day...one day....

 

It is all about the sound of the engine. When the top is down, it is like nothing else...nothing else... to experience on the open road. It totally connects you to the drive.

 

I only regret that I don't have a Boxster Spyder! I'm not a huge fan of the styling of the regular Boxster S.

So the Spyder is kind of the best of both worlds. It has the increased power/performance of the Cayman and its redesigned rear end looks great like the Cayman.

It really depends on whats around in a few years, when I'm looking for my next upgrade.

In 2-3 years, I will have a decision to make:

my options will probably be:
buy a year old+- Cayman S PDK
buy a year old+- Boxster Spyder PDK
or drop $15k-20k on TPC Turbo, LSD, exhaust on my '06 Cayman S and turn it in to a monster of a car

 

I wanted to avoid the whole regret thing so I got both :dance:

I work at a fairly button down place with a parking lot filled with Camry's and the like. When I got the CS after owning the Boxster for a few years, I was often asked by people here why I have two Porsches. I use to him and haw about how I dont have kids, didn't overspend on a big house, blah blah blah. Now I go with "cause I can't afford the third one quite yet" :hilarious:

 

Love top down driving and the only time the top is up is if it is raining, too cold or over 95. Would love to have a CS as a Track car but topless days outnumber track days 6 or 7 to one.

 

I too was deciding between a cayman and boxster. In my case, it was between my 08 Cayman and a pair of 2006 Boxsters (different shades of gray). They weren't exactly apples to apples comparisons but the deciding factor to me was that the seat belt on the boxster was rubbing against my neck and no way to adjust it. On the Cayman, the seat belt sits nicely on my shoulder. So, I ended up going with the Cayman. Plus, I really didn't want a convertible (just that it was cheaper). So, no regrets for me in choosing the Cayman. But, once in a while I regret the Speed Yellow color and wish I got a tamer gray color. But I noticed that the Speed Yellow gets way more attention from on lookers.

 

I too was deciding between a cayman and boxster. In my case, it was between my 08 Cayman and a pair of 2006 Boxsters (different shades of gray). They weren't exactly apples to apples comparisons but the deciding factor to me was that the seat belt on the boxster was rubbing against my neck and no way to adjust it. On the Cayman, the seat belt sits nicely on my shoulder. So, I ended up going with the Cayman. Plus, I really didn't want a convertible (just that it was cheaper). So, no regrets for me in choosing the Cayman. But, once in a while I regret the Speed Yellow color and wish I got a tamer gray color. But I noticed that the Speed Yellow gets way more attention from on lookers.

I really like silver/gray vehicles (obviously, since I got one), but sometimes I wish I would've gone with Speed Yellow. I like flashy colors on sports cars.

 

Well, I think everyone should own a convertible. I have owned a Miata M, C5 'vette, and and I am my 3rd S2000.

If you can only own and drive one car, then the Boxter would be the choice over the Cayman.

If you love your Cayman, then pick up 2nd car - a used convertible of some type. S2000 would be my obvious choice, but a used Boxter or even I Miata to enjoy on top down days (and there are a lot more than you think).

 

So many legitimate but subjective issues here . . .

The Cayman price is a bit more of a rip than the Boxster price. But does that make enough difference for you?

The Cayman has better storage and can therefore be used for extended road trips for 2 people. But is that an issue for you?

Also, the engine sound difference (favoring Boxster, top down) and road noise (favoring Cayman) means something to some folks--not others.

Where you live is a big one--to me Boxster is the only way to go in Southern California. In contrast, here in Puddletown (Portland OR), I think the Cayman wins the prize.

I few of the differences are so trivial as to not be worth counting (like the trivial difference in horsepower to somehow justify the padding of the Cayman price)

One isn't better or worse than the other. In my case, the BIG deal is that my wife always gave me sh*t when the top was down in previous cars--too hot, she needs AC on, her hair is blowing around, too much sun in her eyes, etc., etc., etc. It ruined it for me. So in our case the Cayman was clearly the right choice. My brother wishes he had a Cayman instead of his Boxster. Why? In his case, he has hearing issues that make the noise of the Boxster top up AND Boxster top down a drag for him. All this shows how the decision about "what's right" is all about what's right for you.

 

Boxster here with absolutely no regrets whatsoever.
My daily driver is an Acura TL with all wheel drive and some really nice HP and torque. In the northeast neither the Boxster nor the Cayman works well in the winter. Although some may disagree, a rear wheel drive car just does not wrk very well in the snow and ice.
I do not track the car (although I have opened it up to 115 on the turnpike) and was looking for a roadster. There is nothing like the open road on a sunny day with the top down. The ventilated seats are not the best but the A/C with the ventilated seats and the wind blowing is still extremely comfortable on a 95 degree day.

 

I have both. Boxster for top-down fun. Cayman for raw driving experience and looks. Expect to have both cars for a while.