Nearly new buying guide: Porsche 718 Boxster

The 718 Boxster T is worth a mention. It’s similar to the base car – engine and power output are the same – but you get extra performance-enhancing goodies, such as lower suspension, a mechanical limited-slip diff with torque vectoring and the Sport Chrono Pack.

The interior is comfortable, pleasant and well put together, with a great driving position that’s easy to get accustomed to. All the switchgear has a solid, high-quality feel, with nicely damped buttons.

It’s pretty practical for a car of this type and has plenty of room for two. Storage space is limited, but you get two relatively usable boots: one in the nose, the other behind the engine.

Around £35,000 should get you into a 2016 Porsche 718 Boxster with a high to average mileage. An S version of a similar description rises to around £43,000, while a GTS increases further to around £50,000.

Buyer beware

Reliability concerns: The 718 Boxster and its coupé counterpart, the 718 Cayman, didn’t perform well in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, coming last out of eight cars in the coupé, convertible and sports car category. Porsche as a brand came 25th out of 30 manufacturers in the same survey, which is disappointing.

While engines and gearboxes are generally reliable, earlier cars had problems with their dual-clutch automatic transmissions, and owners complained about the quality of the paintwork.

Recalls:  A total of 1810 examples were affected by a recall involving a possible fault within the airbag control unit. A software update and replacement solves the problem and this can be done free of charge by your local Porsche dealer.

One of the cylinder banks’ high-pressure fuel lines may not be tight. Only 156 vehicles are said to have been affected by this, and it can be resolved via a free-of charge replacement. Connecting rods may not have been installed to the correct specification. Fortunately, only 74 vehicles are said to be affected by this. The fix is pretty involved – it means a replacement engine – but this will be done free of charge.

Overall conditionThis is a performance car and is therefore likely to have been used enthusiastically from time to time. Check the bodywork carefully for any signs of damage. Look at the alloy wheels closely for kerb damage, as repairs will be costly.

Also, check the operation and condition of the folding hood, because this will be pricey to fix. 

Need to know

The 2.0-litre’s official WLTP combined economy is 32.5mpg; the GTS 4.0’s is 28.0mpg.

Prices for GTS 4.0s start at around £80,000, which is more than the starting price from new. Same for Spyders – you’ll need at least £92k for one of those. 

Insurance is high and, with all 718 Boxsters costing over £40,000 when new, owners will have to pay an extra £335 per year in car tax for years two to five, in addition to the standard £155 per year for cars registered after April 2017. Those registered before then have their VED determined by CO2 emissions. 

Our pick: 2.0T

We love the flat sixes, but the 2.0-litre four-pots are so much cheaper that it’s hard to recommend the 4.0. The 2.0T gives good economy with punchy performance to complement the sweet chassis.