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Let me first say, that im a huge porsche fan and since i was 8 i knew i wanted a porsche some day.. but it that time now?
I was going to buy a boxster on my 23rd birthday which is in 1 month. I have 15.000 to spend and after looking at Craigslist and Ebay and cars.com, it seems you can actually pick up a pretty neat one for that much money..

Then someone brought to my attention that with the Honda S2000 you would get a lot more car for your buck.. not to mention annual maintenance, insurance. etc.

So, I think what i am looking to find out, is first of all, how much money you would be looking to spend a year in maintenance on either a Porsche or a S2000?

When it comes to insurance, the S2000 is 700 dollars cheaper for me a year, which is quite a bit, and I think i am trying to convince myself to get the S2000, but I really am a Porsche person.. so that makes it quite difficult.

Does anyone here have any experience with either car?.. pros or cons? Porsche VS. Honda.. .. i watched the Topgear episode with the S2000, Z4 and Boxster but that didnt really help much, so now i am hoping for some advise here.

thank you very much for reading
Adam  

I'd say that right now is not the time for you to get your dream-Porsche.  But that doesn't mean that you can't, or shouldn't, or anything like that.  It's just that the S2000 offers similar or better thrills for less operating cost.    If you're a Porsche-lover on a budget, it seems that your two most important criteria are performance and affordability, both in purchase and operating costs.  So let's compare the two.  

As far as performance is concerned, the Boxter, as you probably well know, offers the sounds, precision, and style of a proper sports car.  But it isn't fast, at least by today's standards.  For $15K, you're probably looking at one of the original 2.5L versions, or a newer 2.7L with high mileage.  Either way, the car will be a bit old, quite a bit used, and potentially costly to run.  If the Boxter offered a significant performance gain over the S2000, I'd say go for it, since it's the car you've been pining for.  After all, that flat 6 engine is a glorious noise-maker, and even with barely over 200 HP, it's certainly not slow.  Add to that a comprehensive list of modern convenience features not found in similarly priced, high mileage 964s, and it's an attractive alternative to more expensive, more classic 993s.  But then, I find the boxster experience to be generally let down by a boring, cheap-looking interior, a needlessly stiff clutch (considering its Accord-like HP figures), and lack of engine muscle.  It's a Porsche, through and through, but it's also a porsche than only a real fan could love.  That might be you, but maybe you'd be better off with a proper 911, or a more recent Boxster S.  

Untill you can afford that, I think you'd be happier, for the time being, with an S2000.  Its interior is far more minimalist, but it's not uncomfortable, and its design is focused, where the Boxster's seems like a compromise.  And most importantly, that incredible 2.0L engine (and later 2.2L) is a soul-stirring piece of engineering brilliance that's powerful, songful, efficient, and reliable.  The handling isn't as balanced as the Boxsters, but what it lacks in predictability, it makes up for with agility, communication, and sheer grip and speed.  It's more playful than the boxster, and more willing to make you wrestle a wee bit with the controls to make it behave.  It's every bit as much a driver's car, yet more raw, more viceral, and arguably more fun.  

These impressions come from comparing my experience driving a 2002 Boxster S and a 2002 S2000.  The Boxster S that I drove was, obvisouly much more powerful than the S2000.  Well actaully, it's only got a couple dozen more HP, but the 3.2 Liter displacement fills out the torque curve.  The point is that the Boxster is supremely capable, but no more so than the S2000 in its older, base sub-3L form.  And because the S2000 is proven highly reliable, I'd pick it over the Boxster until I could afford a Porsche that offers more power, more performance, and more "porscheness" than an old Boxster.  

i would go for the Honda S2000, beautiful car not to mention extreme power behind them. not to mention its more of the sporty wild younger guy car as well so it would go great for you right now, compared to the porsche, they are more sophisticated and for the more mature older crowd.