jfp2476

Hi all, first time poster here at rennlist! Looking forward to getting to know you all.


I’ll give you a little backstory: I’m on my second daily driver BMW Z4 since 2006. I owned a 2004 E85 from 2006-2014, loved every moment of driving it. When the odometer clocked 120,000 miles, I decided it was time for a new one and bought a 2012 E89 in November 2014. I know this isn’t a BMW forum, so suffice to say I’m not happy with the driving dynamics and started looking for something to replace it with.


I recently drove a 2014 base Cayman and really enjoyed it. I’m totally new to Porsche in general and the Cayman in particular. Unfortunately, I live in a low population area without much car culture and have one dealer 45 minutes away that I can rely on (that’s where I test drove). So I’m looking to the internet for some additional information and assistance.


I’ve got a lot of questions, but here are the most pressing few:

• I don’t buy new, and I don’t lease. My budget is approximately $50k (might stretch a tad for the perfect car). So my choices area 2012 or a 2014 (don’t really want to go older than that). I don’t mind driving/flying long distances to purchase, so I’ve been nationally searching.It seems that the average price difference between a 2012 and a 2014 is about 6-7k for similarly equipped, similar mileage, Porsche certified base Caymans. So it seems like going with the 2014 is a no-brainer, but can folks let me know if there are reasons I should more strongly consider the ’12?
• Is there anything of note regarding either the ’12or ’14 in terms of service issues that I should be aware of before purchasing?
• I typically keep my cars anywhere from 6-8 years (until I get to about 120k miles). My current Z4 is my 5th car (I’m 40), and is a total outlier in terms of getting rid of it so soon. Any concerns about driving the Cayman that long/to higher mileage? I was pleasantly surprised that my old Z4 had relatively few problems as it aged, and most of those were common due to design flaws (e.g. hydraulic convertible top motor failed) and expected wear/maintenance kinds of things (e.g. replaced the suspension).

Thanks in advance!
Joanne

7391420

Welcome and good luck in your search-

I can speak to the 2012- 987 cars:

-general service for things like oil changes and brakes is super easy, and not in my opinion intimidating.

-service for more significant work, I personally am not equipped to handle so I would sub that out.

I have a 2012 R, and formerly had a 2008 base car. Both are awesome, and the base had plenty of power.

Good luck!!

zedcat

Welcome, I had a Z4 from 05-08. A nice car, but I liked my 09 base Cayman and 12 CR much more. Comparing 12 to 14 there a lot of differences. You may know already but 2012 is the 987 and 2014 is the 981. If you have not driven a 987 it may be worth trying one. I like the styling of the 987 better but think I'm in the minority on that. The interior of the 981 is more refined and seems more modern and higher quality. That said I'm not that much of a fan of the high busy Panamera style center console. The steering feel is different- the 987 is the last hydraulic rack and the 981 is electric. The Electric is not bad but I like the hydraulic better. Both use the 9A1 motor introduced in 09 and so far it seems reliable. The 987 base uses a 2.9l EFI, while the 981 is a 2.7l DFI. If you go auto trans both are PDK which is very good. I prefer the 6MT, but PDK is nice if you use as a DD/ Commuter. I've had very few problems with my 987s. Just one water pump replacement under warranty. Hope that's useful, best of luck in the search!

logan2z

I guess we're both in the minority. I much prefer the interior of the 987. The center console in the 981 was a big turn off for me. Besides the fact that it badly encroached on my leg space (I'm 6'4" tall) I didn't like where the shift **** was positioned. The 987 center console is lower and not angled steeply upwards like that in the 981 so the gear shift **** falls right into my hand without me having to reach for it.

There are aspects of the 981 exterior I do like (the door design, for example) but don't like the ridge that runs across the rear and into the taillights. IMO that hurt the beauty of the Cayman's rear end lines.

All personal taste, of course, and I think both generations are great looking cars overall.

DBH

Drive both if you can as the '12 (987) and '14 (981) are very different cars. Although I never owned a Z series BMW, I have owned three M3's (E36, 46 & 92). All great cars but they couldn't hold a candle to a Cayman's performance or handling. Unless you prefer one Cayman model over the other common wisdom tells us to go with the newer, lower mileage car.

eddielasvegas

Hello and Welcome Joanne.

Others have given sound advice, but let me add that if you find the 987.2 (2009-2012) is your choice, then any of those years will offer the same Cayman with only minor differences. Given that, this opens up your options for finding the exact color, options and condition since it will be essentially be the same car even if it's not a 2012.

The 987.2's are very solid cars (except for somewhat frail water pumps and MT shift linkage) and one with low mileage example and a PPI, should give you miles and miles of trouble free smiles.

Good luck,

Eddie

jfp2476

Thanks 7391420 (I used to live in Boston!), zedcat, logan2z, DBH, and eddielasvegas...I appreciate the insights!

Based on your replies, I'm thinking I should really drive a 987.2 before making a decision, although that's going to be tough without doing significant travel (my husband, who also test drove the 981, is going to south Florida in a week, so I may ask him to locate and drive one while there, and at least I can get some feedback sooner rather than later).

I have been reading and soaking in all the information I can get, and am so glad to have found this forum. I'm getting really excited about moving this process forward (I actually put a "For Sale" sign on my Z4 last night!).

993Mpls

Any updates?

Ashman

Hi everyone, brand new here and I'm in the same spot as jfp. Looking at a used Cayman around the same price and same years...

One additional question for everyone. How do you feel about a Cayman as a DD, considering that I live in an area of the country that does get occasional snow (maybe 3 a year) of several inches.

Are they easy to live with on a daily basis, and do they handle well in adverse conditions?

Thanks in advance for any advice.