Hello all,

well, ive looked at several 997s, boxsters, and a few caymans. I drove a cayman recently and fell in love.. now:

(1) thoughts on leasing through Porsche vs buying

(2) any major issues to anticipate if buying used?
(3) it seems as though a signifigant depreciation hits after year one... so is there really an advantage to buying a 2008/2007 NEW vehicl (any "fixes" from'06)

(4) anything else you guys recommend looking for or watching out for??

Thanks!

 

I've heard of some problems with early '06 models with the clutch and possibly the cats. I wouldn't worry too much about them, since the US warranty should still be active and would take care of these problems if they were to crop up. The only 'upgrade' I can think of is that starting with '07 tire pressure monitoring was made standard because of federal regs.

The best deal would be to pick up a used '06 or '07. That's what I would do if I could find one that I liked.

Happy Hunting!

Dave
'06 CS

 

The Cayman has not really suffered any "new model" problems. There are some issues that are related to heavy track use (i.e. burning up the power steering pump) that are well documented by track junkies but really nothing for a primarily street driven car. Some owners have reported a “thunk” or “clunk” sound from the rear hatch but it is not universal and there is a fix the dealer can perform (I don’t have any issue with my Cayman S). There have not been any real changes from the 06 to current models. Some option changes and cosmetic but nothing significant. Most of these cars should still be under warranty so anything that does happen should be covered. Since the Cayman is based off the 987 platform it is a really well sorted vehicle.

As for lease vs. buy, new vs. used….that is really going to be a personal decision and driving habits. I will say that all 3 of my prior Porsches were used and I am a big supporter of buying 1-2 year old cars….however, I would be hypocritical to suggest used only because I purchased the Cayman S new. I could not find a Cayman S with the color combo and options I wanted for a price I thought was appropriate. Not to mention the dealership gave we a deal on my 996 as a trade (they almost gave me dealer retail prices) and worked a great deal on the Cayman S. Porsche offers so many options and I think it is important to get the car with options you want. As to what to look for, there really isn’t anything to warn you about right now. Just use good common sense in buying a used Porsche. I do recommend a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) by a qualified mechanic/dealer.

 

Porsche leases are not terrible, but not exactly the best either. (in terms of moneyfactor and residual) Personally, if the "new car" thing isnt critical to you, I would buy a slightly used late 06 or 07 Cayman S. All those cars have seen a big hit in depreciation, and it will work to your advantage. Seems to be a few out there in the mid-low 50s with relatively low mileage.

The cayman overall is a pretty basic porsche (no crazy technology), so it relatively trouble free, beyond the issues already mentioned.

 

Just got a recall notice on the clutch slave cylinder ('07 CS). Ours was bought new in April (special order). If you can find one that has all the goodies you want in stock you may be able to get a good deal. Our local dealer had several that were discounted significantly about 1 month ago. Or Go used. We paid near sticker but got exactly what we wanted (wife's car).
Tom

 

I have a good friend in Virginia Beach who has a used Cayman S Black for sale on Auto Trader. His name is Terry Hardee and he works for Ferris Baker Watts in Virginia Beach. You should be able to Google his office number. He now owns a GT3 and he keeps his cars in perfect shape.