The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster is available in five different trim levels and we are reviewing two out of them in this article. The base 718 Boxster starts at an MSRP of $62,000 while the 718 Boxster T starts at $71,000. The base trim gets 18-inch alloy wheels, power-operated fabric convertible top, xenon headlights, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control, partial leather upholstery, 7-inch touchscreen, 8-speaker audio system, satellite radio, and Apple CarPlay as standard. The 718 Boxster T adds a variable-damping sport suspension, a limited-slip differential and torque vectoring, Sport Chrono Package, and lightweight nylon door handle to the package. 

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The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster offers a great package in terms of performance and luxury right from the base model. The 718 Boxster T adds $9,000 to the package to enhance the handling of the car. The base trim is also pretty capable in terms of handling but we recommend paying the extra $9,000 to get the T trim. The 20-inch wheels add a visual drama to the exterior styling and you will really appreciate the improvement in the handling of the car. 

The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster is powered by a 2.0L Turbocharged Boxer-4 engine. The engine is capable of producing a maximum power of 300 horsepower and a maximum torque of 280 lbs-ft. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and the power is sent to the rear wheels. The power figures from the base engine will not disappoint you and it performs really well in the real world too. The only downside with the 4-cylinder engine is the lack of refinement in the engine that you can feel at times. 

The performance is at par with the other rivals in the segment. The power delivery is linear and you get a nice surge of power all the way up to the redline. However, the exhaust of the base engine becomes rough at higher rpm. The acceleration from the base engine is pretty respectable. The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster takes an impressive 4.6 seconds to reach from 0 to 60 miles per hour. The quarter-mile run can be achieved in 12.6 seconds from the base engine while you can get to a top speed of 177 miles per hour.

The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible 1LT has the most powerful engine in the price bracket. The performance of the Corvette Stingray is far better than the base engine of all the cars in the segment. The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster comes at second position in terms of performance with the base engine. The 2021 BMW Z4 sDrive30i is the slowest convertible in the comparison. 

How good is the handling of the 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster?

The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster lives up to the expectations of the buyers in the handling department. Porsche is known for making one of the best fun-to-drive cars in the sports car territory and the Porsche 718 Boxster is no exception. The 2021 718 Boxster does not feel like the most affordable convertible in the Porsche lineup at least in the handling department. It gets a variable-damping sport suspension, a limited-slip differential, and torque vectoring that give it some serious abilities around the corners. 

The steering wheels are fairly precise and give the connected from the road feeling that you expect from a car of this segment. The suspension is well-tuned and keeps the car settled even at higher speeds. You can push the limits of the car in the corners and you will still have great confidence. The ride quality is surprisingly comfortable for the passengers. It soaks all the small potholes on the roads really well and doesn’t bounce even at higher speeds. 

How good is the braking performance of the 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster?

The braking performance of the 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster plays a crucial role in making it fun to drive the package overall. The 718 Boxster comes with 13-inch brake rotors at the front while the rear wheels get 11.8-inch brake rotors. The braking hardware seems promising for the weight of the 718 Boxster and that shows in the real world braking performance too. The car takes only 100 feet to come to a complete stop from a speed of 60 miles per hour. The braking performance of the 718 Boxster will not disappoint you in any regard as the pedals give a positive bite which inspires great confidence in the corners. 

The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster is the lightest car in its segment and that really does help it in the braking performance. The 718 Boxster takes the least distance to stop from 0 to 60 mph. The 2021 Jaguar F-Type P300 Convertible stays right behind the Boxster in terms of braking distance with a mere distance of 1-foot. The 2021 BMW Z4 sDrive30i is the last one to stop from 60 mph in the segment.

The fuel efficiency is something that will only disappoint you if you keep high hopes in the segment. The Porsche 718 Boxster offers a pretty decent fuel economy for the segment. It manages to offer a fuel economy of 20 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg of combined fuel efficiency. The fuel economy is not among the best in the class but not the worst either. It comes with a 14.2-gallon fuel tank and delivers a maximum highway range of around 370 miles. 

The 2021 BMW Z4 sDrive30i offers the best fuel economy figures in its class. The 2021 Jaguar F-Type P300 Convertible is also pretty similar to the Bimmer in terms of the overall fuel economy. The 718 Boxster comes in the third position while the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible 1LT has the least fuel-efficient engine in the competition. However, the Jaguar and Chevy get an advantage in terms of the fuel tank size and the F-Type P300 Convertible offers the best highway range in the class of 555 miles in a full tank. 

The interior of the Porsche 718 Boxster is one of the best things about the car in the segment. You get the impeccable combination of sportiness and luxury inside the cabin of the car. Getting into the car requires a little effort but it is not that difficult at all. Once you get inside the car, you will appreciate the quality of the cabin. The space inside the cabin is pretty comfortable for two passengers. The seats also offer good support and multiple levels of adjustments to get a comfortable driving position. 

The sporty driving position feels comfortable and the visibility in the front is also pretty good. The controls for the driver fall in place and every control can be easily reached from the driver seat. There is a huge central tunnel that houses the controls for the cabin and also separates the driver seats from the passenger seats. There are no rear seats for extra passengers and the cargo area also doesn’t offer much space. The cabin does not get many storage options and the cabin is not high on practicality at all. 

All the convertibles in the segment only offer front row for seating and there is no option for the seats at the rear row. The Porsche 718 Boxster has not revealed the interior dimensions like all of the other Porsche models. The 2021 Jaguar F-Type P300 Convertible offers the best space for the passengers inside the cabin while the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible 1LT offers the best cargo area in the competition. The 2021 BMW Z4 sDrive30i sits in the middle in terms of overall space in the cabin and cargo area. Standout interior features are:

• 2-way heated electric sport seats
• Manual tilt/telescoping steering column
• Remote keyless entry
• Dual-zone automatic air conditioning
• Cruise contro

What is there to keep you entertained inside the 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster?

The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster gets a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment display that remains standard across the variants. The touchscreen is mounted on the center of the dashboard and feels smaller for 2021. The user interface is not an issue with the infotainment system of the 718 Boxster. The screen is fairly easy to use for daily operations and you can access all the features quite easily. The responsiveness of the screen is not a problem either and it feels fast and smooth for everyday use.

It gets all the basic infotainment features that you expect from the segment but there is nothing extraordinary or impressive about the infotainment system. It gets Porsche Communication Management (PCM) interface and also supports wired Apple CarPlay. Android Auto is still missing from the infotainment kit. The 6-speaker audio system does a decent job when you switch to your favorite music. Standout infotainment features are:

• A 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• Porsche Communication Management (PCM)
• Apple CarPlay
• HD radio and SiriusXM satellite radio
• 6-speaker audio system
• 11-GB of internal storage

The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster follows a completely unique design language for the exterior. You can still recognize it as a Porsche from the outside, but it is in no way similar to the Porsche 911 design. Remember when we say unique, we do not mean it in a negative way. The Porsche 718 Boxster is stellar no matter from where you look at it. The front gets a long hood with sharp curves and the design of the bonnet remains similar to some of the other Porsche sports cars. 

The Porsche-style long headlights look cool and are another factor that reminds you that it is a Porsche. The side gets 18-inch wheels with the base trim, however, the 718 Boxster T trim gets bigger 20-inch wheels that go better with the overall styling. The engine is mounted in the middle of the car and you get a small storage space inside the bonnet. There are side vents for the cooling of the mid-mounted engine. The rear end of the car gets real twin exhausts and taillights look more like headlights in the backside. 

The 2021 BMW Z4 sDrive30i is the shortest car in the segment and also comes with the shortest wheelbase. The Porsche 718 Boxster is slightly longer but comes with the least width in the segment. The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible 1LT has the largest dimensions in the competition and also has the best ground clearance in the class. Standout exterior features are:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Body-colored bumpers
• Power heated auto-dimming side mirrors
• Rain-detecting wipers
• Power spoiler
• LED Brakelights

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHA) have not rated the Porsche 718 Boxster like other Porsche models. It doesn’t make sense to crash-test a car at 35 mph that can go all the way up to 177 miles per hour. However, Porsche has a good reputation in terms of safety for their cars and the Porsche 718 Boxster is no exception. It gets all the basic safety features that you expect in the segment. You can add the extra safety features or driver aids from the available kit. The safety features include are:

• Driveline traction control
• Electronic stability control
• Tire pressure warning
• Post-collision safety system
• Emergency braking assist

2021 Porsche 718 Boxster vs. 2021 BMW Z4 sDrive30i

The BMW Z4 upgraded the complete game with the 2019 update. It gets a better overall package at a lesser price. The acceleration is a bit slower in the Bimmer compared to the Porsche but it is not that bad either. The BMW Z4 also returns better fuel efficiency compared to the 718 Boxster. The base 4-cylinder engine of the Porsche 718 Boxster needs further refinement. In every sense, BMW Z4 is a more sensible pick except for the exceptional handling of the Porsche 718 Boxster.

2021 Porsche 718 Boxster vs. 2021 Jaguar F-Type P300 Convertible

The 2021 Jaguar F-Type is an iconic model that has a huge fan following among auto-enthusiasts around the world. It offers similar performance compared to the 718 Boxster. The space inside the cabin is better than the Porsche and also returns better fuel economy. The 2021 Jaguar F-Type can still turn more eyes on the road than any other car in the segment. However, the design of the Jaguar F-Type has started to look old now as it did not receive any major update in recent years. On the other hand, the Porsche 718 Boxster looks fresher.

2021 Porsche 718 Boxster vs. 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible 1LT

The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible 1LT is a completely different car compared to the Porsche 718 Boxster. It offers the most powerful engine for a similar price and the performance is also way ahead of the base Porsche 718 Boxster. The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible 1LT is also better in terms of overall practicality and the handling is not bad either. If you want the best value for your money, Chevy is a better pick without any second thought. But if you want the Porsche badge and luxury, then the Porsche 718 Boxster makes more sense. 

The new Porsche 718 Boxster is the cheapest convertible in the Porsche lineup. It offers pretty good performance and unmatchable driving dynamics for the segment. The luxurious cabin makes it an even better choice. The exterior styling will ensure you get enough attention whenever you take your 718 Boxster out for a spin. However, the base engine lacks refinement and if you are planning to get the Porsche 718 Boxster, you should spend some more to get a more powerful six-cylinder engine option.