2017 Porsche 718 Boxster S

WHAT WE LIKE: The sun is shining, temperatures are rising, and out on the horizon we can see the days when we’ll be able to lower the roof of our 718 Boxster S roadster again. Meanwhile, we marvel at just how competent this mid-engine Porsche is in snow and cold. Aided by $1291 worth of Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 tires, the 718 Boxster S proves improbably adept in winter weather. It brushes off frost heaves and potholes with remarkably compliant ride quality. And unlike our long-term Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, which cranks lazily during arctic startups, the Boxster chortles happily on ignition, as if every subzero morning is just another sunny day in Palm Springs. Mostly, though, it’s the Boxster’s crisp sports-car dynamics that make it so great in winter weather. “More people should drive their Boxsters year-round,” wrote deputy online editor Dave VanderWerp. “After all, its precision, balance, and poise are just as welcome—if not more so—in low-grip conditions.”

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: Of course, driving a Boxster year-round in the Midwest isn’t all sunshine and wind in your hair. After a night parked outside in snow or sleet, the Boxster’s frameless windows occasionally have to be freed with a splash of warm water before they’ll drop and allow the doors to open. And the low ground clearance means the Porsche is sidelined whenever snow falls more than a few inches at a time. But that’s about the extent of life’s difficulties in a Boxster. Driving a droptop through the slop and grit and slip of weather that typically sends sports cars into hibernation is every bit as awesome as you might imagine.

WHAT WENT WRONG: In December, a plastic hose running between the washer-fluid tank and the spray nozzles cracked, rendering the windshield washers inoperative during a particularly messy time of year. Our local dealer, having seen this problem before, promptly replaced the line under warranty. A cracked windshield two months later led us to shell out $1124 for a replacement. We also stopped in for the scheduled 20,000-mile service and traded $604 for an oil change plus new engine and cabin air filters.

WHERE WE WENT: There were no midwinter escapes to warmer climes for our Boxster. This car spent the entire season in the Midwest’s chilly embrace, which is a greater test for this car than logging highway miles all the way to Key West. The one recent trip of note is more remarkable for what we did rather than where we went. In late fall, before the snow started falling, six-foot, five-inch VanderWerp used the 718 for a golf outing. His golf bag didn’t have to ride shotgun; it fit nicely in the Boxster’s rear trunk, although the longer woods had to be removed from the bag itself. You can’t do that in a Mazda Miata.

Months in Fleet: 13 months Current Mileage: 21,774 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 22 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 16.9 gal Fuel Range: 370 miles
Service: $967 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0 Damage and Destruction: $1455

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $81,630 (base price: $69,450)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 152 cu in, 2497 cc
Power: 350 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 309 lb-ft @ 1900 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 97.4 in
Length: 172.4 in
Width: 70.9 in Height: 50.4 in
Passenger volume: 49 cu ft
Cargo volume (front/rear): 5/4 cu ft
Curb weight: 3090 lb

PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 4.3 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 9.6 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 16.4 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 23.1 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.2 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 8.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.6 sec @ 115 mph
Top speed (drag limited, mfr's claim): 177 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 142 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.03 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA combined/city/highway: 22/20/26 mpg
C/D observed: 22 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

WARRANTY:
4 years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper;
4 years/50,000 miles powertrain;
12 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection;
4 years/50,000 miles roadside assistance

If you believe that driving is a chore, you’re driving the wrong vehicle. In a car as spirited as the 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster S, driving chores involve ironing out properly wrinkled roads with its well-starched chassis, sweeping through highway on-ramps, and dusting traffic off the line. That’s why we’re looking forward to 40,000 miles with Porsche’s mid-engine, droptop sweetheart, because it makes mundane commutes and weekend errands worth anticipating. Riding in on a 10Best Cars win and following our long-term test of a 2014 Cayman S, the 982 generation brings big changes to Porsche’s entry-level sports cars, chiefly turbocharged four-cylinder engines that replace free-breathing sixes, a new 718 moniker, and a lineup shuffle that properly prices the convertible above the Cayman coupe.

The Boxster configurator is a tapas menu for four-wheeled indulgence. It’s tempting to just order one of everything, but then you’re facing a bill north of $110,000—and that’s before you consider adding special paint or any of the many special Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur touches. Accordingly, we consider our $81,630 car an example of uncharacteristic self-restraint.

Naturally, we started our build with the $69,450 Boxster S for its additional half-liter of displacement, variable-geometry turbocharger, and 50 horsepower over the $12,400-cheaper base 718 convertible. From there, we tacked on the sport exhaust ($2540), PASM adaptive suspension ($1790), navigation ($1730), sport seats with additional bolstering ($800), dual-zone automatic climate control ($760), ventilated ($730) and heated ($530) seats, Sapphire Blue paint ($640), Guards Red seatbelts ($350), a GT sport steering wheel ($320), plus two no-cost options: the smoker’s package (it adds a useful 12-volt outlet in the center console) and a cargo net in the passenger footwell. Does it go without saying that our car carries the standard row-your-own, six-speed transmission?

After a 2000-mile break-in, our 3090-pound Boxster S ran the zero-to-60-mph sprint in 4.3 seconds and slipped through the quarter-mile in 12.6 seconds. It looped the skidpad with 1.03 g’s of cornering grip, stopped from 70 mph in 142 feet, and registered a peak 90-decibel blat with the accelerator pinned to the floor. Our staff remains split on whether the new flat-four sounds more like a Subaru or an air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle, but we’re all in agreement that we dearly miss the yowl of the old flat-six. Turbocharging does have its benefits, though. The Boxster’s performance numbers look very similar to a base 911’s.

Of course, the appeal of Porsche sports cars has always extended beyond the numbers, and this 718 is no exception. Early comments celebrate the precision of the controls, the fluidity of the chassis, and the firm hug of the simple sport seats. This low-slung two-door is also surprisingly practical. With both a front trunk and a rear trunk, the Boxster easily manages the chore of a (modest) Costco run.

There are the usual gripes about price. And there is the usual hedging of any and all complaints with an equivalent serving of praise. A typical comment reads: “Only Porsche can get away with charging $80K-plus for manual seats, no leather dash or door inserts, no passive entry, and no steering-wheel audio controls. And yet, I want what the Boxster has and don’t care about what’s missing.” Neither is our Boxster immune to the usual strained relationship between spring roads and sports-car tires. At 2343 miles, one of our drivers managed to tear the sidewall of the right-front Pirelli P Zero, flattening it. We used the onboard inflation kit to breathe just enough life into the tire to limp it back to the office, where we replaced the 235/40ZR-19 tire at a cost of $331.

But the only real downer so far is that every mile driven is one mile closer to ending our long-term test. The very first comment in the logbook, written by deputy editor Daniel Pund, already lamented the Boxster’s inevitable departure: “Damn, only 38,905 miles left with this car.”

Months in Fleet: 2 months Current Mileage: 5297 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 22 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 16.9 gal Fuel Range: 370 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $331

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $81,630 (base price: $69,450)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 152 cu in, 2497 cc
Power: 350 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 309 lb-ft @ 1900 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 97.4 in
Length: 172.4 in
Width: 70.9 in Height: 50.4 in
Passenger volume: 49 cu ft
Cargo volume: 5/4 cu ft
Curb weight: 3090 lb

PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 4.3 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 9.6 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 16.4 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 23.1 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.2 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 8.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.6 sec @ 115 mph
Top speed (drag limited, mfr's claim): 177 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 142 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.03 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA combined/city/highway: 22/20/26 mpg
C/D observed: 22 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

WARRANTY:
4 years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper;
4 years/50,000 miles powertrain;
12 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection;
4 years/50,000 miles roadside assistance

WHAT WE LIKE: Michigan summers are even sweeter when you’re driving a quick and beautiful convertible. This is prime season for folding our Porsche 718’s top, thumbing the button for the exhaust’s Sport mode, and blasting down a two-lane with haste. We love the immediacy of the Boxster’s controls. The shifter slides into gear with magnetic urgency, the brakes bite hard and fast, and steering inputs are telegraphed to the tires with perfect precision. These are just a few of the attributes of the best chassis available for less than six figures. “The Boxster is a terrific ride-and-handling palate cleanser amidst all the mediocrity,” deputy online editor Dave VanderWerp wrote in the Boxster’s logbook. “Every automaker should have one on hand to inspire its engineers to reach higher.”

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: This will hardly come as a surprise, but Porsche ownership isn’t cheap. Our Boxster’s first service at 10,687 miles set us back $363 for an oil change, a multipoint inspection, and . . . actually, that’s it. Our money went toward six quarts of Mobil 1 synthetic oil, a new filter, and $254 worth of Porsche dealership labor.

The excellent chassis dynamics could cover for all manner of sins, but this Boxster’s only flaws are trivial. The one complaint peppering the Porsche’s logbook: The ramplike center console doesn’t offer a single uncovered bin, tray, or cupholder to catch sunglasses, cellphones, or wallets. Online copy chief Rusty Blackwell attempted to quell the popular discord: “Just put your phone in one of the generously sized door pockets, people. This car is fabulous. Stowage space is not a valid complaint,” he wrote. His words didn’t deter more people from piling on in subsequent comments.

WHAT WENT WRONG: Since a flat front tire at 2343 miles (we wrote about that in the long-term introduction), the Boxster has had a faultless three-month run.

WHERE WE WENT: While the Boxster may lack small-item stowage space in the cockpit, the front and rear trunks offer adequate cargo space for a smartly packed weekend trip for two. Despite that, our Boxster has largely stayed close to home throughout the summer. Senior online editor Joe Lorio ferried the car on its longest excursion to date, four hours to northern Michigan. “During ordinary driving the Boxster’s capability is just waiting to be unleashed,” he wrote. “When you finally get onto some worthy tarmac, such as M-22 or Sutter Road near Empire, Michigan, the Porsche’s reflexes are almost astonishing. Although it’s more tractable, the turbo four isn’t as spine-tingling as the old flat-six. But it’s still mighty good overall.”

Months in Fleet: 5 months Current Mileage: 10,903 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 22 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 16.9 gal Fuel Range: 370 miles
Service: $363 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0 Damage and Destruction: $331

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $81,630 (base price: $69,450)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 152 cu in, 2497 cc
Power: 350 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 309 lb-ft @ 1900 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 97.4 in
Length: 172.4 in
Width: 70.9 in Height: 50.4 in
Passenger volume: 49 cu ft
Cargo volume (front/rear): 5/4 cu ft
Curb weight: 3090 lb

PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 4.3 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 9.6 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 16.4 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 23.1 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.2 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 8.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.6 sec @ 115 mph
Top speed (drag limited, mfr's claim): 177 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 142 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.03 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA combined/city/highway: 22/20/26 mpg
C/D observed: 22 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

WARRANTY:
4 years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper;
4 years/50,000 miles powertrain;
12 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection;
4 years/50,000 miles roadside assistance