7 days with a Boxster, comparing to my FRS.
 

I had the pleasure of driving around a 2013 Boxster for a week, putting 1100 miles on it. The driving ranged from city to canyon roads to a 7 hr interstate trip. There was a good amount of seat time so I decided to compare the two on here. I realize the Boxster is a $50k car compared to $25k for the FRS so this is NOT an equal comparison. The one I drove is lightly optioned, 19s, Bose audio and a couple of other smaller things.

Engine:
265hp/200tq & ~2900lbs. Guess what? Doesn't feel much faster than the FRS. The torque advantage is noticeable though. The sound is way better than expected, especially in tunnels. Seriously, I love the sound of the flat-6. Youtube videos don't tell the whole story. Boxster sounds exotic and we all know what an FRS sounds like, even with aftermarket exhaust. Having the engine in the back and the intakes behind the doors spoils the driver, it's hard to get that sound out of a front-engine car.

Transmission:
I've never been a fan of automatics but I wouldn't mind owning a PDK. It's that good. It a very intelligent transmission and the 7 speed is great. The RPM's drop 1k when going into 7th on the freeway at 70. 70mph in 7th is 2,000 RPM, in 6th it's ~3k. I averaged low-mid 30's on the highway.

Handling:
I didn't get a chance to track it so can't compare other than it feels much sharper with less body roll. Compared to a stock FRS, the suspension is firmer but the seats are much better so it doesn't feel bad at all.

Interior:
It's a Porsche, can't compare it to the Scion. I felt like my FRS had an okay interior but now I realize how much it sucks, even compared to my girlfriends daily driver. FRS has a cool gauge cluster but the Boxster has an LCD screen for one of the gauges.

Summary:
I always thought the FRS/BRZ is 90% of a Boxster/Cayman but I am completely wrong. Boxster/Cayman is out of the twins' league, it's not fair to compare these two. The sound, the awesome PDK, the interior quality, and just the overall experience is several times better than when in an FRS. They are completely different cars and it's not fair to compare the two.

Someone will always say, yes but I can drop $10k in my FRS and have it be faster/quicker/better than a Boxster/Cayman. My answer: on paper, yes but in person, never. It will never sound better than a mid-engine flat-6 and it will never feel so good while driving. I love my FRS and think it's a great car but it's simply not fair to compare the two.

Got to see a newer Cayman and Boxster as well as an older 911 (late '90s) do some hard launches today, Porsche has really kicked ass in the sound department the last decade.

Thanks for the review. Very interesting. :thumbsup:

Get yourself a boxster!

Sound-wise, Porsche fans will also miss a lot with the new 4-cylinder turbo engine. It is where things are going and in fact FRS/BRZ is already there! Today's engines have to consider also other things like fuel consumption, CO2 levels and to pass other emission standards.

Too bad. That would be the most interesting comparison.

Porsche brand is targeting the high premium level. FRS/BRZ is not targeting this level, but like it or not it was designed in comparison to Boxster/Cayman. Not the current model, but the first generation. In some levels FRS/BRZ was in fact better (e.g. handling).

Hahaha, I'm happy with the Scion. Also, not a ragtop fan. I have to admit, though, I've often lusted after caymans. Beautiful automobiles.

A Porsche is better than a Scion! Mind fucking blown!

Why are people getting twins when they don't want twins? I'm so confused.

Reliability and cost of ownership come to mind.

Great review- thanks.

i dont think anyone would cross shop a new boxster and scion. Now a first gen boxster/cayman would be a more fair comparison.

This simply isn't true. It's marketing. The people behind the GT86 used the Cayman as a benchmark in terms of driver-focus (Seating position, steering wheel position/shape/size, dash, etc.) and steering response, NOT "handling"... not even close. It could never match the mid-engine characteristics of the Boxster/Cayman, and the dinky low-resistance tires are NOT aiding handling. They are totally different types of cars with very different handling.

There were actual comparison tests with the 1st generation Cayman. In fact, in these tests GT86 outperformed Cayman. Check here for two examples:

https://youtu.be/L8mF9vRsv7s?t=618

https://youtu.be/L8mF9vRsv7s?t=663

I am pretty sure that the 2nd generation Cayman is a much more advanced car and the comparison would be much tougher, but overall it was not just a marketing thing.

Yes, but warranty is way much better than toyobaru. I mean Porsche encourage owners to track it and warranty still in without question.

you mean the warranty that subaru will not support because the car went on a track depsite a huge ecu issue with fueling?