Acceleration

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
8	8	8	8	8.2

Smooth, ready power. Boxster S and Cayman S particularly strong as rpm climbs. Responsive automatic a better substitute for manual than most, but still not the sports-car ideal.

Fuel Economy

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
6	5	5	5	4.2

No opportunity to measure with Boxster. Test Cayman S models averaged 20.5-22.8 mpg. All these Porsches require premium-grade fuel.

Ride Quality

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
3	2	2	3	4.3

Firm control, with tire choice a big factor in comfort. No models with 17-inch tires made available for test. Boxster and Cayman S with 18s traverse, bumps, cracks, patchy pavement with little undue harshness. Boxster S with 19s uncomfortably choppy on all but smooth roads. Uneven surfaces induce more structural shimmy in Boxster than in BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda rivals, but body flex never compromising.

Steering/Handling/Braking

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
10	10	10	10	8.5

Invigorating. Steering natural, communicative, responsive. Rock-steady on straightaways; an agile, balanced ally in corners. Tenacious grip in turns. Antiskid/traction system an unobtrusive safety net. Brake feel, strength inspire confidence.

Quietness

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
3	3	3	4	4.1

Engine's location behind seats means more mechanical ruckus than in front-engine designs, but race-car-engine note delights. Road noise well-managed, considering wide, low-profile tires. Wind rush unobjectionable in Cayman, somewhat more prominent in Boxster with top up. Plenty of noise in Boxster with top down, but none annoy.

Controls

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
7	7	7	6	6.3

Racy design puts tachometer appropriately dead-ahead. It houses digital road-speed readout to supplement analog speedometer. Control layout orderly, logical, but audio, climate systems governed by too many undersized, look-alike buttons. Navigation system has small fussy buttons, absorbs and complicates audio control. Rich-feeling, carefully assembled cabin materials enhance sophisticated ambience.

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
4	4	4	4	5.7

Low-slung cockpit roomy enough for six-footers. Seats exceptionally supportive in aggressive cornering. Boxster top-up rear visibility severely limited to corners and aft, only marginally better in Cayman. Entry/exit demands some flexibility.

Room/Comfort (rear)

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
0	0	0	0	.7

(No rear seating.)

Cargo Room

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
2	2	2	3	2

Careful packing takes good advantage of cargo bays front and rear for more luggage-carrying possibilities than in many two-seaters. And no volume is lost when roof is down. Note that Boxster and Cayman do without a spare tire, supplying instead an emergency inflation kit. Little in-cabin storage space.

Value within Class

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
7	6	5	4	4.5

Some less expensive sports cars challenge Boxster and Cayman on a fun-per-dollar basis, and some like-priced competitors deliver more outright power. Few, however, match their range of strengths: road manners, mechanical sophistication, and a good dose of everyday usability, not to mention the cachet of the Porsche name.

Total Score

Boxster w/18-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., man.	Boxster S w/19-in. whls., auto.	Cayman S w/nav. sys., man.	Class Average
50	47	46	47	48.5

Scores for all Premium Sporty/performance Cars

Low Score		37
Average Score		48
High Score		58