• Build quality is excellent
• Layout is easy to navigate
• Design looks quite dated

How is the quality and layout?

Stepping into the Porsche Boxster feels like stepping back in time, but that’s more of a testament to how far Porsche’s interior design language has evolved in the past seven years than it is a criticism of the Boxster. It’s far less tech heavy than the 911 or the Taycan, which means it’s much easier to use.

There are more physical buttons than you’ll find in Porsche’s more expensive cars, which could turn off those upgrading from a fast Mercedes-AMG or BMW M car. Our advice? Don’t worry about it. The buttons mean you don’t need to take your eyes off the road to adjust the climate controls or fiddle with the drive modes – and that means you can dedicate more of your brain power to driving rather than staring at an infotainment screen.

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One thing about the Boxster that hasn’t dated is its build quality. The dense soft touch plastics and supple leather wouldn’t look out of place on the much more expensive 911 – and all the switchgear has a pleasingly solid action. The only disappointment is the slightly flimsy passenger cupholder.

Infotainment and technology

The Boxster uses the same MMI infotainment system found in Audis of the same vintage. It’s a 7.0-inch screen with support for wired Apple CarPlay. You can’t have Android Auto and, as we mentioned in the previous section, there’s nowhere convenient to leave your phone while it’s tethered to the screen. Especially if you own one of Apple’s flat screen-sized flagship devices.

The screen’s graphics also look rather dated compared to the 911’s and its resolution isn’t anywhere near as sharp as its big sister’s. We also found the screen was mounted a little too low on the dash for comfort. It means you need to divert your eyes a long way from the road to check navigation instructions. However, that’s probably because we’ve grown so accustomed to high-mounted infotainment systems over the past five years – so it’s harsh to mark the Boxster down for that.

It’s worth mentioning how good the 718 Boxster’s gauges are. There’s something very nostalgic about watching the physical needle on the rev-counter bounce up and down the gauge – and the dials are crisp and easy to read. There’s also a little digital gauge on the left of the cluster that can display items such as your trip computer and lap times.

Comfort

• It’s a sports car, so it has a firm ride
• But it’s never unbearable, even on UK roads
• Road and wind noise is well controlled, too

The 718 Boxster is a sports car, so it’s never going to be as comfortable as a Rolls-Royce. But despite its immense cornering capability, comfort is more than acceptable – even when the car is equipped with Porsche’s optional sports suspension and 20-inch alloys. We reckon you could easily go on a tour of Europe in it, providing you’re not worried about packing light.

It’s easy to find a comfortable driving position, too. Porsche’s seats are superb, offering loads of adjustment and plenty of lateral support when cornering. A word of warning – if you’re tall and wide, make sure you try the optional racing seats before you buy. They’re quite snug.

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With the roof up, wind and road noise are both well suppressed for a rag-top convertible – and even with the roof down, you’ll well protected from wind buffeting if you leave the windows up. As an added benefit, you can erect or lower the roof in just 10 seconds at speeds of up to 40mph. That makes it easy to dodge an unexpected rainstorm or take advantage of a brief break in the clouds.