There is no such thing as a cheap Porsche, but there is no such thing as a cheap Rolex either. That being said, prices are relative, and in the Porsche world, there are a couple of models that cost considerably less than the rest of the lineup.
The cheapest way into Porsche ownership is the Porsche Macan compact SUV. The Macan is less expensive than the majority of Porsche models, but it still offers a true Porsche experience. The Macan is the most dynamically capable compact SUV on the market.
If you fancy a true sports car, the Porsche 718 Boxster is the cheapest sports car Porsche currently offers. The Boxster is a mid-engined rear-wheel drive racer, and a decent amount of Porsche customers deem the Boxster/Cayman platform more fun to drive than the 911.
But you can always go used, and in the used market, there are loads of different options to choose from. And if you consider long-term Porsche reliability and value retention, Porsches are a great way to spend your hard-earned money.
Porsche Macan – The cheapest Porsche
The entry-level Porsche Macan retails for about $53k, and for such a price you are getting a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with 248hp and 370 Nm of torque. Standard equipment is rather scarce, but you are getting a 10.9-inch infotainment screen, Wifi, Bluetooth, 10-speaker surround sound, and LED headlights.
It is highly advisable for you to go for the Premium package which entails heated front and rear seats, an upgraded surround sound, adaptive headlights, and auto-dimming mirrors. If you want a sporty experience, you should also get the Porsche Sport Chrono package.
Going further up the range, $61k gets you the Porsche Macan S, and an additional $10k gets you the best-looking Porsche Macan GTS. At the very top of the range sits the Macan Turbo, but the Turbo costs as much as $83k, which is a lot of money for a compact SUV.
The best pick of the bunch is likely going to be the Macan S as it offers a slightly detuned V6 engine also found in the GTS and the Turbo. Additional equipment is pricey, but necessary if you want to sell your Macan on the second-hand market.
Porsche 718 Boxster – Cheapest Porsche sports car
One might argue that the Macan is not a true Porsche, a true Porsche should only be a sports car and not an SUV. While that might be true to a certain extent, we live in an era in which SUV sales dominate the market, and the Macan is somewhat of a raised-up hot hatchback.
But if you are determined to go through the Porsche sports car department, the Boxster/Cayman models do offer quite a bit of value. The difference is that the Cayman is a coupe, and the Boxster is a convertible, and the remaining differences between the two are mostly associated with that.
The base price of the entry-level Boxster 718 is $64k, but the prices go up to $102k for the limited 25th-anniversary edition. Probably the best pick of the bunch is the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS as it offers a naturally aspirated flat-six found in older 911 models.
The GTS costs $90k which is a lot of money, but some consider the GTS as one of the best value Porsche sports cars in the last decade. That being said, the most dynamically capable Boxster model out there is the Boxster Spyder, but it costs $100k.
Buying a used Porsche – the cheapest way into Porsche ownership
It’s kind of hard to justify paying as much as $100k for a Porsche Boxster. After all, it is only a Boxster and not a 911. And that’s especially so if you consider that you can get a full-blown Porsche 911 for as low as $10-15k if you like the 996 generation of course.
If you want a 911, but you don’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of money, you should check out the 997.2 and the 991 generation. You can get a decent 997 911 for as low as $40k, and a decent 991 Carrera could set you back for around $65-75k depending on the model year and mileage.
The newest 992 generation Carrera can sometimes be found hovering over $100k which is a great price for a relatively new car. A Porsche 911 GT3 costs as low as $100k for the least attractive 991 models, and the best examples of the 991 GT3 go up to $150k.
Whatever you opt for, be sure to cross-shop as much as possible and try to investigate the ins and outs of Porsche ownership. It’s worth mentioning that you should not stretch your budget too much because Porsches do cost a lot of money to maintain.
FAQ Section
Is buying a Porsche worth it?
Porsches are not cheap, and that’s the definitive truth. But if you are looking for sports car experience, and you do appreciate sophisticated engineering solutions, Porsches end up being not all that expensive after all.
Such cars are emotional purchases as much as they are rational purchases, and you are the one in command of what you want, but you can’t choose what you like. That being said, Porsches are indeed worth the money if you want what a Porsche offers.
Should I buy a Boxster Spyder or a used 911 GT3?
Considering the current market prices, these two models are priced somewhat similarly. You’d think that these two are fairly similar, but they are not. A 911 drives differently mostly because of the rear engine configuration.
Buying a brand-new Porsche is an experience one should go through at least once in their lifetime. But it’s hard to argue against a GT3 as it is arguably the best Porsche model ever built.
What are the most expensive Porsche models?
In the last decade, Porsche has built only a single hypercar, and that is the 917 Spyder. The 917 Spyder costs more than $800k at a minimum, and it is the most expensive Porsche model sold from new.
But if we go back in time, the most expensive Porsche ever sold on an auction was a Le Mans racing Porsche 917K which sold for an eye-watering 14 million dollars a couple of years ago.