Wanting to daily drive a Cayman, am I crazy?

[JulesMaximus]

10 years ago a Corvette was my dream car, but somewhere along the way it just lost its appeal for me. Maybe I just see too many on the road.

In any case, now I'm leaning against the Cayman anyway: The Porsche site lists its MSRP as $51k, so I'd still be paying 60percent of the cost of a new one, only the car would be 5 years old. That just seems like a terrible deal. I thought that the Caymans were more expensive than the Boxsters, and I thought the Boxsters were $50k when they came out. I has just assumed that the Caymans were somewhere in the upper 60s.

Meh.

The Cayman slots in directly between the Boxster and the 911 in both price and performance. Honestly, I love the looks of the Cayman and would love to own one. I also doubt that it would be too difficult to find a low mileage used one around here.

Here's a nice 2008 Cayman silver with black leather for $38,900 with 16,000 miles on it.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...price=&cardist=87&standard=false&rdpage=thumb

 

[MrWizzard]

Porsches are generally pretty good daily drivers. My Father-In-Law owned a 911 for about 6 years and drove it everyday in Los Angeles. Oil changes are expensive and it went through tires fairly quickly but otherwise he had only very minor problems with it. There are certain model years that had issues so I'd do my research on them prior to buying a used one...not sure about the Cayman but it is basically a hopped up Boxster coupe.

I probably wouldn't buy one as my only means of transportation if I lived in an area where it snows though.

I agree, I know someone who drove 3 different 911s for 20 years as a daily driver. He drove a lot for his job also. This is the LA area also.

 

[PricklyPete]

10 years ago a Corvette was my dream car, but somewhere along the way it just lost its appeal for me. Maybe I just see too many on the road.

In any case, now I'm leaning against the Cayman anyway: The Porsche site lists its MSRP as $51k, so I'd still be paying 60percent of the cost of a new one, only the car would be 5 years old. That just seems like a terrible deal. I thought that the Caymans were more expensive than the Boxsters, and I thought the Boxsters were $50k when they came out. I has just assumed that the Caymans were somewhere in the upper 60s.

Meh.

I did a quick model search...and 2006 is only showing the Cayman S as a model available in the US. The regular old "Cayman" did not get introduced until 2007. If that is the case, then the car you're looking at is a Cayman S with the 295 HP engine (250 ft. lbs). That's a considerable jump over the regular Cayman which only had 245HP (201 ft. lbs). The car also MSRP'd in 2006 for 58K...so you're looking at less than half price for 4+ years (since I'm assuming there are a few options on there which drive Porsche prices up ridiculously). Not too shabby.

 

[StageLeft]

The Cayman slots in directly between the Boxster and the 911 in both price and performance. Honestly, I love the looks of the Cayman and would love to own one. I also doubt that it would be too difficult to find a low mileage used one around here.

Here's a nice 2008 Cayman silver with black leather for $38,900 with 16,000 miles on it.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...price=&cardist=87&standard=false&rdpage=thumb

Man, I can't lie that would look sweet next to my Prius in the garage.

 

[MrWizzard]

The Cayman slots in directly between the Boxster and the 911 in both price and performance. Honestly, I love the looks of the Cayman and would love to own one. I also doubt that it would be too difficult to find a low mileage used one around here.

Here's a nice 2008 Cayman silver with black leather for $38,900 with 16,000 miles on it.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...price=&cardist=87&standard=false&rdpage=thumb

There is that one thing that top gear mentioned about pulling up to a 911 at a stop light in a Cayman would be like going to a urinal next to a horse. heh

I would still jump at the chance to own a Cayman though!

 

[JulesMaximus]

There is that one thing that top gear mentioned about pulling up to a 911 at a stop light in a Cayman would be like going to a urinal next to a horse. heh

I would still jump at the chance to own a Cayman though!

Well, their job is to find something to nitpick about every car. I'd take their comments with a grain of salt.

 

[Blackjack200]

The Cayman slots in directly between the Boxster and the 911 in both price and performance.

I don't know if I would characterize it like that. Looks like the cheapest Boxter is $47k and the cheapest Cayman is $51k. The cheapest 911 on the other hand is $78k. Seems like the Cayman is much closer to the Boxster. (all based on msrp at porsche.com)

But yes, I do love the look of the Cayman, to me it's the most beautiful Porsche.

 

[PricklyPete]

Well, their job is to find something to nitpick about every car. I'd take their comments with a grain of salt.

Agreed...and that comment is definitely a penis comment as the Cayman's are arguably the best handling porsche out there (and that is saying a lot with the handling prowess of modern Porsches).

What even makes me laugh harder is a lot of my colleagues (who are all German) laugh at the colleague who owns one and say they would never drive the Cayman because it is a "woman's Porsche". To them, the only Porsche to own in a 911. That is fine by me, because if I were to buy a Porsche as a "weekend car", it would definitely be a Cayman S or Boxster S and that mentality just makes the car cheaper for me on the used market.

 

[Blackjack200]

I did a quick model search...and 2006 is only showing the Cayman S as a model available in the US. The regular old "Cayman" did not get introduced until 2007. If that is the case, then the car you're looking at is a Cayman S with the 295 HP engine (250 ft. lbs). That's a considerable jump over the regular Cayman which only had 245HP (201 ft. lbs). The car also MSRP'd in 2006 for 58K...so you're looking at less than half price for 4+ years (since I'm assuming there are a few options on there which drive Porsche prices up ridiculously). Not too shabby.

That probably explains it. I forgot that the Cayman S came out before the regular Cayman. Hopefully by the time I'm ready to buy, regular 2007 Caymans will come down in price.

 

[Blackjack200]

What even makes me laugh harder is a lot of my colleagues (who are all German) laugh at the colleague who owns one and say they would never drive the Cayman because it is a "woman's Porsche". To them, the only Porsche to own in a 911.

To me, the bigger crime is driving a Porsche with an automatic. Not everyone has $80k to plunk down on a car, if driving a Cayman makes me a woman, fine, as long as other women are attracted to that particular brand of androgeny :awe:

 

[PricklyPete]

To me, the bigger crime is driving a Porsche with an automatic. Not everyone has $80k to plunk down on a car, if driving a Cayman makes me a woman, fine, as long as other women are attracted to that particular brand of androgeny :awe:

I couldn't agree with you more. And just in case it wasn't clear...I WHOLE HEARTEDLY disagree with my colleagues...I love the Cayman S.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

The 06 is not super unreliable but its also no Caddy/Lexus. That and parts are not as easy to come by and cost more to repair.
Also if you get a stick look up how much parts/labor cost. That and I am betting it ahs not had its 60k service done.

when did caddy's become synonymous with reliable?

 

[Blackjack200]

I couldn't agree with you more. And just in case it wasn't clear...I WHOLE HEARTEDLY disagree with my colleagues...I love the Cayman S.

No, I got it. I don't know about them but typically people that I know that say that stuff are driving Hondas and Toyotas. Not that there's anything wrong with that either, but it comes off as kind of pathetic when you criticize from that kind of a position.

 

[Vette73]

when did caddy's become synonymous with reliable?

Caddys have been in the top 10, sometimes top 3, in long term relability studies for a long time.
Problem is people only remember the 80's when the HookandTow4100 and other sublevel cars were made under the Caddy name.

After I got a CTS 2 of my BiLs got STS with the same motor, both had asian cars before(Toyota/Nissan).

 

[Vette73]

10 years ago a Corvette was my dream car, but somewhere along the way it just lost its appeal for me. Maybe I just see too many on the road.

In any case, now I'm leaning against the Cayman anyway: The Porsche site lists its MSRP as $51k, so I'd still be paying 60percent of the cost of a new one, only the car would be 5 years old. That just seems like a terrible deal. I thought that the Caymans were more expensive than the Boxsters, and I thought the Boxsters were $50k when they came out. I has just assumed that the Caymans were somewhere in the upper 60s.

Meh.

I would test drive a C6. 30k goes a long way on a gently used C6.

 

[Blackjack200]

I would test drive a C6. 30k goes a long way on a gently used C6.

They're great cars and probably the best performance for money buy on the planet, but they just don't appeal to me anymore. There's probably nothing a Cayman can do that a Corvette can't do better and cheaper, but I don't know, it just seems brutish with the wedge shape and the high rear end.

 

[Imported]

You're not crazy at all. My boss daily drives her '09 911.. roughly 40 miles round trip. She's always asking me when am I gonna get a Porsche.. I always respond with a "Well, I could use a 20k raise to help pay for it.. "

I'd love to daily a Cayman. I don't think it'd be much different from daily driving the G35 I drive now.. just no back seats which I never use anyways. The new Caymans look like absolute sex IMO.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I don't know if I would characterize it like that. Looks like the cheapest Boxter is $47k and the cheapest Cayman is $51k. The cheapest 911 on the other hand is $78k. Seems like the Cayman is much closer to the Boxster. (all based on msrp at porsche.com)

But yes, I do love the look of the Cayman, to me it's the most beautiful Porsche.

The Cayman S is $61k...or right in the middle. You're correct about the base model Cayman though...it isn't much more than a Boxster, more of a Boxster coupe.

 

[StageLeft]

The Cayman S is $61k...or right in the middle. You're correct about the base model Cayman though...it isn't much more than a Boxster, more of a Boxster coupe.

Does look a lot richer than that, though!

 

[Imdmn04]

There won't be any barebones Cayman S on the dealer lot.

With a few options, you will break $70k easily, plus TTL, you could easily end up paying $75-77K for a new Cayman S.

 

[MrWizzard]

They're great cars and probably the best performance for money buy on the planet, but they just don't appeal to me anymore. There's probably nothing a Cayman can do that a Corvette can't do better and cheaper, but I don't know, it just seems brutish with the wedge shape and the high rear end.

They can look better, and are better at being rare

 

[Blackjack200]

The Cayman S is $61k...or right in the middle. You're correct about the base model Cayman though...it isn't much more than a Boxster, more of a Boxster coupe.

Yes, and the Cayman S came out first, so you're right: when it was introduced it was slotted directly between the Boxster and the 911. Then they came out with a cheaper one.

 

[T2urtle]

i <3 the Porsche Cayman as well but it doesn't sound like its for you...

if you want that status type of car just pick up a C5/C6 corvette. Its easier on the pockets in almost every aspect vs the cayman.

 

[NAC]

It sounds like the OP has no problems with debt, and has the discretionary cash to afford the Porsche. If I were single, I would totally be driving a Porsche as a daily driver. One income, two kids and a wife, so I don't have a Porsche. Instead got the best family car I could think of: S4 Avant.

Just be aware that at any moment you might need repairs &#8211; probably an electrical do-dad, and it will cost like 2k or maybe more. My S4's secondary air pump went. My first thought was &#8211; what the hell is a secondary air pump (something for emissions). Second thought was, well there goes 1200. Or it could be something more expensive that breaks. As far as I know though, the basic drive line of the Cayman should be pretty solid.

You only live once. Now is the time to get the Porsche if that is what you want.

Having a secondary, larger, beater car is a good idea. And the obvious disclaimer &#8211; make sure you buy a well maintained, documented Porsche.

 

[KentState]

A co-worker has a DD Cayman S and he really enjoys it. I use my C6 as a DD and it's also a blast. I don't know however if I would want either car during the winter.