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      05-10-2019, 10:20 AM   #1
supra93
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BMW Z4 vs Porsche 718 Boxster Reviews




Last edited by supra93; 05-10-2019 at 10:41 AM..
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      05-10-2019, 04:41 PM   #2
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This was a really tough one for me. I had been on the fence between a red boxster with the black 20" wheels and the m40i. The porshe was, without question a visually beautiful car and quite fun to drive. The whole precision thing is legit. That said, dollar for dollar, it was a pretty significant mismatch.

The boxster was a base (non s) and all it had was the PDK, heated seats and black sport tailpipes as options. Like, you still had to insert the key into the dash to turn it on. Manual seats, no nav, no sport chrono.

In the end, i couldnt justify spending an extra $100/mo to give up 100 hp and all the tech thats in these m40i's for something that was visually better. The porsche might move more precisely, but the missing 100 hp is something that is plainly obvious when driving it (in the US anyway).

I beleive that the problem (from a leasing standpoint) is that the porsche residual numbers are pretty low and theyre not competitive with even such a new car as the z4. Plus, the interior was visually identical to my brother's old 2013 boxster s.

The value prop just wasnt there and the z is definitely more fun. Maybe it would have been closer if it was the boxster s with sport chrono and a few gizmos like nav & power seats, but then your le talking about a VERY large price gap. Just not seeing it.

Obviously its not terribly fair to compare a base boxster with an m40i from a performance standpoint, but porsche is the one that set that comparison up via pricing.
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      05-10-2019, 04:47 PM   #3
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Thanks for posting those.
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      05-10-2019, 04:49 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SgtGigglebox View Post
This was a really tough one for me. I had been on the fence between a red boxster with the black 20" wheels and the m40i. The porshe was, without question a visually beautiful car and quite fun to drive. The whole precision thing is legit. That said, dollar for dollar, it was a pretty significant mismatch.

The boxster was a base (non s) and all it had was the PDK, heated seats and black sport tailpipes as options. Like, you still had to insert the key into the dash to turn it on. Manual seats, no nav, no sport chrono.

In the end, i couldnt justify spending an extra $100/mo to give up 100 hp and all the tech thats in these m40i's for something that was visually better. The porsche might move more precisely, but the missing 100 hp is something that is plainly obvious when driving it (in the US anyway).

I beleive that the problem (from a leasing standpoint) is that the porsche residual numbers are pretty low and theyre not competitive with even such a new car as the z4. Plus, the interior was visually identical to my brother's old 2013 boxster s.

The value prop just wasnt there and the z is definitely more fun. Maybe it would have been closer if it was the boxster s with sport chrono and a few gizmos like nav & power seats, but then your le talking about a VERY large price gap. Just not seeing it.

Obviously its not terribly fair to compare a base boxster with an m40i from a performance standpoint, but porsche is the one that set that comparison up via pricing.
Totally agree on leasing. I lease through my business and not only are the lease terms egregious for the Boxster the MRM is a deal breaker. For me to option a Boxster to where I would like and still not going overboard I get above the maximum residualized value.
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      05-10-2019, 05:02 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gblansten View Post
Totally agree on leasing. I lease through my business and not only are the lease terms egregious for the Boxster the MRM is a deal breaker. For me to option a Boxster to where I would like and still not going overboard I get above the maximum residualized value.
No doubt, the numbers get pretty dumb pretty quick. That 2013 round of cars was the first time we started pushing them through the company books and that boxster (optioned the way he wanted it) ended up costing 2.5x the monthly on the z4 35is that i went with. Just dumb. I was tempted, and willing to have less "stuff" in it, the divide was just too great. Granted, that debate started at a point where the boxster was gonna be cheaper than the m40i, but BMW brought the numbers WAY down from their initial offer.
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      05-14-2019, 10:31 AM   #6
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The only way to get a decent lease deal on a Porsche is to get the highest trim you can afford with a minimum amount of options. That way you'd be under the MRM. Otherwise it's just better to buy/finance.
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      05-21-2019, 08:12 PM   #7
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      05-22-2019, 10:12 AM   #8
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Thanks for posting. Used autotranslate for the Youtube video into English. Mostly works but at one point he got what he said translated into "racist" and "auto ham suit" and "responds quickly to the pinball machine".
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      05-22-2019, 04:41 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gblansten View Post
Thanks for posting. Used autotranslate for the Youtube video into English. Mostly works but at one point he got what he said translated into "racist" and "auto ham suit" and "responds quickly to the pinball machine".
The auto ham suit is only relevant to the F-Type, if i recall. There is a small pinball machine under the floor of the trunk of the z4, but it certainly doesn't respond quickly. That reviewer doesnt know what he's talking about.
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      05-28-2019, 10:26 AM   #10
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I was shopping for a new car to replace my F type and my wife's SLK350 and the Boxster was the front runner until I saw the new Z4 at the local dealer; after a test drive, we ordered the Z4 M40i; it isn't as fast as my F type but it was closer than expected....it isn't as good a handling car as a 718 Boxster S either but it was also closer than expected. The biggest difference between the Boxster and the Z4 was price; even with less options the Porsche was a whopping 50% more $$$ and while it was a very nice car, I wasn't sold on the 4 cyl either.

2 cents,
Dave
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      05-28-2019, 03:34 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DPelletier View Post
I was shopping for a new car to replace my F type and my wife's SLK350 and the Boxster was the front runner until I saw the new Z4 at the local dealer; after a test drive, we ordered the Z4 M40i; it isn't as fast as my F type but it was closer than expected....it isn't as good a handling car as a 718 Boxster S either but it was also closer than expected. The biggest difference between the Boxster and the Z4 was price; even with less options the Porsche was a whopping 50% more $$$ and while it was a very nice car, I wasn't sold on the 4 cyl either.

2 cents,
Dave
My wife and I performed a nearly identical shopping and comparison session between the F-Type Convertible P430, a 718 Boxster S, and the Z4 M40i. However, I started at the Z4 after consuming a significant amount of online reviews and comparisons between all three cars. I only considered the Jag and Porsche after my wife expressed a desire to experience the differences for herself. I am very happy that we did!

After an entire day of bouncing between the three cars, she ended up agreeing that for the money, the Z4 provides an incredible experience. She had a hard time rationalizing the additional cost to step into F-Type or Boxster, other than "But, Jaguar (or Porsche)." The price gap between the Z4 and Boxster felt even more glaring when you considered that for the cost, you had this sense of diminishing returns (performance wise) for each additional dollar spent on the Porsche. Not to mention the lack of options and features on the 718, that either came standard on the M40i, or for considerably less money.

We placed an order that evening, for a Misano Blue over Cognac M40i with all Packages, 19" 800M wheels, Active Cruise Control, and the Moonlight Black soft top. It went into Production on May 23rd, with an estimated completion date of June 7th. By my estimates, the car should arrive around mid-July.
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      05-28-2019, 04:02 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SgtGigglebox View Post
No doubt, the numbers get pretty dumb pretty quick. That 2013 round of cars was the first time we started pushing them through the company books and that boxster (optioned the way he wanted it) ended up costing 2.5x the monthly on the z4 35is that i went with. Just dumb. I was tempted, and willing to have less "stuff" in it, the divide was just too great. Granted, that debate started at a point where the boxster was gonna be cheaper than the m40i, but BMW brought the numbers WAY down from their initial offer.
Hey Sgt, I am curious how the numbers worked out pushing the leases through the company vs personal. Every time we looked at having the company lease the cars, the insurance was triple vs personal, as it was then considered a business car, and thus made the move not practical.
Maybe just insurance costs on the east coast?
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      05-28-2019, 04:23 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PrionFawkes View Post
My wife and I performed a nearly identical shopping and comparison session between the F-Type Convertible P430, a 718 Boxster S, and the Z4 M40i. However, I started at the Z4 after consuming a significant amount of online reviews and comparisons between all three cars. I only considered the Jag and Porsche after my wife expressed a desire to experience the differences for herself. I am very happy that we did!

After an entire day of bouncing between the three cars, she ended up agreeing that for the money, the Z4 provides an incredible experience. She had a hard time rationalizing the additional cost to step into F-Type or Boxster, other than "But, Jaguar (or Porsche)." The price gap between the Z4 and Boxster felt even more glaring when you considered that for the cost, you had this sense of diminishing returns (performance wise) for each additional dollar spent on the Porsche. Not to mention the lack of options and features on the 718, that either came standard on the M40i, or for considerably less money.

We placed an order that evening, for a Misano Blue over Cognac M40i with all Packages, 19" 800M wheels, Active Cruise Control, and the Moonlight Black soft top. It went into Production on May 23rd, with an estimated completion date of June 7th. By my estimates, the car should arrive around mid-July.
The "A la carte" ordering of a Porsche is indeed a painful experience where every little thing (crests on headrest, colored center caps, etc. etc. to infinity) adds up QUICKLY. A decently equipped 718 Boxster S was $115,000 Can. but it certainly didn't have everything. by comparison, the M40i had all the performance goodies standard and the Premium package had everything else we wanted for around $80k. Our dealer ended up finding a Z4 already en route that was in the colors we wanted plus the premium pack and the driver assistance package (which we didn't really care about but...) so we should have it in about 4 weeks. :-)

I will admit that I really liked the way the Porsche drove but, as I said, I was less enamored with the engine/sound.

I loved my Jag and it turns heads like an exotic but I really wanted something lighter and more dynamic to drive. ...the Jag was blisteringly fast but was 3850 lbs....and the AWD versions are even heavier with many tipping the scales at 4,000+ lbs. I would note that mine was a V8 - it appears that the Z4 M40i should edge out the F type V6S in most any speed contest. The F type V6S's weigh in around 3700 lbs. The M40i is supposed to be 3443 and yeah, the Porsche is the lightest at about 3150, but with the 50/50 weight balance and 30+ hp ( and 60 ft lbs) more I'm not unhappy with the Z4's feel and performance.

Ours is Black Saphire with the Magma leather and the 800m wheels.

Cheers,
Dave
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      05-29-2019, 12:45 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tambyz4 View Post
Hey Sgt, I am curious how the numbers worked out pushing the leases through the company vs personal. Every time we looked at having the company lease the cars, the insurance was triple vs personal, as it was then considered a business car, and thus made the move not practical.
Maybe just insurance costs on the east coast?
We have been using geico commercial since 2013. Its been a while since we've done a comparison but I dont think it was anywhere near that. They said it dropped a bit when I moved to the m40i, but the model x and model s that were on the policy were roughly $200/mo all together. Im paying roughly half that for the 2 on the personal policy, but theyre roughly half the value in the Washington D.C. metro.
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