Sharing Blog Comments

Lately, I’ve been receiving more comments even on older posts. I’m glad I took the plunge and rewrote all past articles… haha.

As usual, I’m sharing some of the comments from readers, and this is the fifth installment. Again, I’ve edited the comments slightly to include only the necessary parts and to keep the context clear before sharing them with you.

Comments from Readers

The Wonder of the Boxster

＊Comment on the issue where people ask “911?” when you say you drive a Porsche, but the atmosphere gets awkward when you answer “Boxster.”

Until about a year ago, I was in the “Open cars? Pfft, haha” camp, but getting a 718 Boxster changed my world! It’s hard to explain, but it’s just so much fun. Before driving it, I wondered if I’d feel embarrassed, but that was needless worry.
Once you get used to it, you don’t care about people’s eyes at all. In fact, I’m addicted to open cars now (laughs). When I drive the 911 GTS, I’m like, “Why doesn’t the roof open?” Of course, the 911 is a great car.
Comparing the 911 and Boxster, my feeling is “quality goes to the 911, fun goes to the Boxster.” It’s a rough analogy, but if I were to compare them to fighter jets, the 911 would be an F22 and the Boxster an F16—though I’ve never flown either (laughs). (Runrun Rumba)

My Macan GTS was hit, and I was considering switching to either a 911 or a Boxster as my next car, so this was very helpful. I’ve decided on the Boxster next. The 911 seems like a car you can enjoy even when you’re older, so I’ll save that for the time after next. (Ippachi)

The Boxsters I owned were the base 986 and 987 models. In a word, they felt like “cars that run, turn, and stop” or “nimble cars,” with performance more than enough for me.
Driving open under the fresh green canopy, open at night in Tokyo’s midsummer, or open with winter gear in the cold—all were extraordinary, transporting me to another world.
Though sometimes mocked as “the poor man’s Porsche,” once you grip the wheel and press the accelerator, you’ll realize how off-base that criticism is. Plus, it’s not just for driving; it has enough storage for trips and decent shopping. It might be the most practical two-seater convertible in the world. (Tetsu)

I agree! I couldn’t forget the joy of the manual base 981 Cayman I used to drive, so last week I bought a well-maintained base 981 Boxster with a manual transmission. With Porsche, I feel there isn’t much quality difference between expensive and cheaper models. The Cayman and Boxster clearly offer great value. The speed is just right too. (Maru)

Options on the 971 Panamera

Soft-close doors were something I wanted, but after much thought, I didn’t get them. I was worried that if my small child closed the door quietly by themselves when I wasn’t looking, they might get their fingers caught. I’m sure there are safety features, but I couldn’t confirm because the display models didn’t have this option.
I definitely want to add them when I upgrade to the next Panamera.
For our family, rear seat comfort is a priority, so we added four-zone climate control and rear electric sunshades. I like being able to operate the rear sunshades from the driver’s seat. Our 4-year-old also loves the ambient lighting.
Though not factory-installed, we added a navigation canceller. The 971’s large navigation screen makes it easy to watch DVDs from the rear seats. This might be controversial, but for us, it’s essential for long trips. (Neriten)

I ordered a Panamera in Japan in November 2018 and chose the 5-seat option called 4+1 seats. Also, until reading this article, I hadn’t considered parking width issues at all. Places where my Boxster fit might not accommodate the wider Panamera I’m adding. The difference between 1800mm and 1935mm width is quite significant. I’ll be sure to check parking spaces in advance! (Tommy)

The Road to Nachi

I saw the Nachi article while staying at a hotel in Katsuura, so I wanted to comment. I visit Nachisan about once a month, and I always debate whether to take the “sea route” or the “mountain route” after the Hanwa Expressway. Recently, I mostly choose the mountain route: exit at Arita IC, then Route 424 → Route 311 → Route 168 → Route 42.
Sometimes a light truck safety car blocks the way, but there are many safe passing points, making for a comfortable drive. Give it a try! Just note there are few rest stops, so kids might not like it.
Also, watch out for surprises: white police motorcycles waiting in unexpected spots and officers catching speeders (I’ve encountered this several times on Route 168). (Umpaki)

The Excellence of the VW Golf

Our family’s daily driver is a pre-facelift Golf 7. The Golf is such a well-made car that I honestly sometimes think it might even be better than a Mercedes E-Class. I totally agree with my husband’s opinion on this!
Our Golf has over 20,000 km per year, and at 65,000 km, the mechatronics failed, leaving us stranded on the highway, but otherwise it’s been extremely reliable. I think it’s such a good car that I plan to keep it for another five years and then hand it down as my eldest son’s first car! (Nave)

I used to drive my wife around in a Golf V. I also drove it occasionally because it was convenient. It’s incomparable to the Golf 7, but at the time, it was a flawless car. It felt much more luxurious than Japanese luxury cars back then, and I had no complaints.
Having driven Latin cars before, maybe that’s why I felt that way. If anything, my only complaint was having no complaints. Because of that, my wife didn’t like it, and we ended up back with a Latin car… (Taknokk)

Our second car, a Ford compact SUV, has passed 110,000 km and is nearing its limit, or rather, I can’t stand the difference in ride comfort compared to the Panamera and Volvo anymore. So I’ve started considering cars in this class. The front-runner is the new Mazda3, with the Golf as a contender. Some reviews say the Mazda3 has surpassed the Golf.
But the Golf 8 is coming out this year, so I plan to wait for that and the Mazda3 Skyactiv X model before deciding. (SN)

I’m influenced by my Porsche-loving parents and drive a pre-facelift Golf 7. The well-behaved Golf is praised by many as a great car. My dream is to own a Porsche someday, but I don’t have the financial means yet, so I chose VW because it shares the same heritage. Starting with a brand that shares the same bloodline and moving closer to Porsche seemed important to me. Sorry for going off-topic, but the Golf is truly a wonderful car. I’ll keep driving it as my “baby Porsche” for a while. (Umigame)

Dealing with “Tonalers” (Parking Next to You)

There are many “tonalers” who park next to you unexpectedly. When I go out for solo lunch and get seated at the counter, even if they say “please sit anywhere you like,” I hesitate because I don’t want to block others or have to ask someone to move during the meal. So I end up becoming a “tonaler” myself (laughs). (Kaze no Sakamichi)

When I park my 458 or Carrera, if there’s a lone Panamera parked in a big empty lot, I’ll park nearby. When there’s only one car, I worry about vandalism, so I like to park where it feels more grouped.
The risk of door dings is actually lower for supercars and luxury cars, since the owners usually care about their cars. I avoid parking next to kei cars, minivans, or cars parked with sharp steering angles.
Many supercar owners worry about where to park, but I think being a Ferrari actually protects you from trouble (laughs). So I park anywhere, even coin parking, and so far, no issues.
In the end, only a small portion of people care about cars, and most don’t even notice. (HIRO)

About BMW

＊Comment on test driving the BMW 5 Series: a sporty sedan that has regained the “joy of driving.”

The current 5 Series is still decent, but I agree with the opinion that “it used to be better.” Around us, people often say “BMW has gone.”
It used to be truly sporty. Now it’s more like a pretend sport. They soften the front suspension, stiffen the rear, and tune the steering’s initial response to feel sporty.
As a result, BMW’s core fans have been drifting away in recent years. However, BMW’s global sales and profits keep hitting record highs, so their branding seems successful. Still, I worry about BMW’s long-term future as core fans leave.
My personal theory is that manufacturers involved in F1 are the ones that really push the edge.
By the way, BMW once held the record for highest engine RPM at around 19,000 rpm. That was when the M5 sedan had a V10 engine.
Compared to those edgy times, BMW has really “gone.”
Sorry for the long rant. My father loved BMW and owned three at a time for 40 years since getting his license. But two years ago, he stopped owning any BMWs and switched to Mercedes and Porsche. This is my lament as a BMW fan.
With Porsche entering F1 next year or the year after, I have even higher hopes for Porsche’s future. (Buchi)

Porsche Mileage

My Cayenne has clocked about 24,000 km in just one year since delivery. I’m not even using it for commuting… I guess PORSCHE makes you want to drive more and rack up the miles (laughs). (Banki Hajime)

Our car has done 2,000 miles (3,200 km) in 3 months, so it’s about the same pace. We haven’t driven much due to bad weather, so maybe it’ll increase in summer. Daily mileage really adds up.
You aim to replace at around 30,000 km, right? In the U.S., 3 years and 30,000 miles (48,000 km) is considered quite low, and for a Panamera, you’d probably get 50-55% of the purchase price back. (SN)

718 and 981

The 981 is a wonderful car, but I think the 718’s handling is a step above. I don’t know the technical details well, but I heard the rear suspension was improved from the 981 to the 982 (718), which greatly contributed to better handling.
The 981 GT4 apparently has the same rear suspension improvements as the 718, so I’m curious about my Boxster Spyder. (Ishi)

I’m a “brand-new” Porsche owner who bought a used 981 Cayman in late January. Since it snowed occasionally in the Kanto area, I haven’t been able to go far and have only been cruising the metropolitan expressway, so I’m super jealous of those who can go to Royu Driveway between errands and pickups (laughs).
The rear suspension improvement mentioned earlier refers to the rear member reinforcement. It seems you can easily do this on the 981 using 718 parts, and I’m itching to try it. However, increasing rear grip can cause understeer on regular roads, so I want to “take it easy” and enjoy the 981 as it is first. (Tap)

〘Ishi to Tap〙
Nice to meet you, Tap. Thanks for the additional comment. I looked up “rear member reinforcement 981” and found info that this reinforcement bar is fitted not only on the 981 GT4 but also on the Boxster Spyder. It’s hard to check under the car in person, so this made me happy.
When I switched from a 981 GTS to a 718 (982) base model, I felt a big improvement in handling, and when I returned to the 981 Spyder, I expected to feel a decline but didn’t notice any difference.
At the time, I thought maybe my senses were off or I was biased toward my car. But if the 981 Spyder has this reinforcement, maybe my feeling wasn’t wrong after all. Thanks for the valuable info. Looking forward to more discussions. (Ishi)

Past Comments

I’ll continue sharing fun and informative posts about Porsche, cars my husband and I have test-driven and loved, and our car life, so please stay tuned.

By the way, here are links to previous posts sharing readers’ comments:

→All comments received on the Porsche blog (real voices from owners and those waiting for delivery) in one place!
→Sharing comments received on the blog again (real voices from Porsche owners and those waiting for delivery)!
→Introducing voices from Porsche owners! – Oil changes, door dings, daytime running lights, etc.
→Voices from Porsche owners: Comment sharing Vol.4