When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm looking to purchase my first P-car and have decided that the '14-'16 Cayman is my favorite choice within my budget. I've read all the treads that speak to buying a Base vs an S and have come to the conclusion that I'd be equally happy with either model as the car will be a daily driver i.e. not a lot of opportunity to exploit the full power.
That being said, I wanted to get the opinion of those here between two different vehicles I'm contemplating (both PDK):
Option 1: 2014 Cayman S. ~20k miles. Fully optioned including Sports Chrono, Bose, PASM & PSE. Tires around 80% remaining. Pads & rotors just replaced. No warranty. ~$52.5k. 3 owners.
Option 2: 2015 Cayman Base. ~10k miles. Sports Chrono, Bose, power seats. Brand new tires & fully serviced. CPO through 2021. ~$48k. One owner.
While the fully spec'd S would obviously be more fun, I'm wondering if the newer year model + warranty + $4.5k favorable price differential is the obvious choice. I've read that the 981's are extremely reliable; however, the warranty adds a piece of mind. I do however feel that the rate of depreciation on the S model would be lower than the Base.
I picked up a CPO 981 base manual 2 years ago and have loved every minute of it. The Base does like to be in the higher rev range, but that is where that sweet flat 6 sings its songs anyways, so its easy to want to keep it there. If i were picking between the two I would pick the base with the CPO. It will provide piece of mind for the first few years of ownership. Are both of these from a Porsche dealer? Be sure to get a DME report on which ever you choose. I still smile every time i drive and look at mine. Best of luck!
If you don't buy the S you will always wonder later if it would have been a better choice, "S envy". My first pcar was a base, then had to have an S, then an ordered GTS.
What do you guys think about Rhodium Silver Metallic with the Platinum Grey interior color combo? I found a low mileage CS for the same price as the aforementioned CS with ~16k less miles. While it doesn’t have the sports exhaust, it does have the PVT. Would this color combo ultimately negatively affect resale?
It is sort of bland but it's not offensive. I don't think it would negatively impact anything.
The sports exhaust is great but it's also pretty much the easiest thing to change out via aftermarket. PTV is a much rarer option; sounds like a solid car.
I don't think it would affect resale much. I personally prefer brighter exterior colors (see avatar), but many prefer silver/white. The interior would at least get less hot than black.
I prefer a black interior, but do agree that it gets VERY hot in the summer months.
In my previous 997, I "settled" for stone grey as the overall car was in excellent condition. I wanted to like the interior, but always thought it was just blah.....every time I got in the car, I wished it was black. Always kind of bummed me out. Point being, you'll see a lot more of the interior than the exterior. Well, unless it's just a garage queen.
06-19-2018, 03:10 AM
981 Cayman Purchase Advice
