Cruzthepug

Good Morning, let me start off my first post by saying hello from Huntsville, Alabama.

My 50th birthday is about a year away and I've been telling my wife for several years that I was buying myself a sports car for my 50th. To make a long story short I've begun the search pretty serious. Tired of internet research I got out this past weekend and test drove some different cars. All the cars I drove were 2014 models and they were (in order I drove them) Jaguar XF (not really interested in a sedan, now), Porsche Cayman, Camaro SS, Nissan 370Z Nismo, 370Z w/sport package and the Mercedes SLK350.

After Saturday I had narrowed down my list to the Cayman, the 370Z and the SLK350. To fit my budget the 370 I could buy new and the other 2 would need to be CPO. The Cayman is at the top of the list.

I found a 2011 Cayman and made a offer on it yesterday but just couldn't get to my number and the dealer was unwilling to get where I needed to be. We were only $1000 apart, but I felt they were low on my trade in value and I didn't want to give away my truck. Now, the search continues.

My reason to join here is to ask about searching for a Cayman. What years to look for, anything to avoid, and other standard questions I'm sure everyone has asked. I'll look through some of the older threads and I'm sure I'll find some of the answers but any starting suggestions would be helpful. I think I might have a 2006 (16K miles) but I'm afraid of the age, is this something I should worry about?

Thanks in advance for any and all advise.

extanker

budget?

Cruzthepug

Oops...sorry. My budget is 40K. From what I'm hearing the CPO vehicles don't allow for much price negotiation, is this a fact? I've been looking at $45K and under, my trade should have $2-4K equity depending on the appraisal. It was the trade appraisal that kept me from making the deal on the 2011, they were about $1500 below the lowest KBB trade price, but they were just going by photos I sent, the dealer is 6 1/2 hour drive away.

zedcat

Couple of things to consider- 987.1 vs 987.2. The second gen 987 (from 2009-12) has some key changes- notably the new engine 9A1, and availability of PDK trans. Also base vs. S- in the 987.2 base is 2.9L 265 hp and S is 3.4L with DFI and 300+ hp (can't recall exact figure). For your budget 987.2 S may be a stretch. I had a 09 2.9 and liked it. But the S is noticeably more powerful. CPO is wise if you can find it. Should still be some negotiating room but CPO will command some premium vs. non.

CATSO

Def go with a CPO car if at all possible. Factory extended warranty coverage is hard to beat.
Negotiability varies from dealer to dealer and car to car. If a dealer put a lot of work into a car, ie new tires, major service, to get it up to CPO standards, they may not have much room to budge. That's in addition to what they bought the car for. Take your time; Be reasonable. Dont be afraid to walk away from a deal that's not exactly what you're looking for.
The Cayman is a pretty soild car; Only thing I've run into is a rattling rear hatch, which I hear is common on these cars. Regular driving and regular service will keep her happy.

BoostPower

Several things to point out.
1. You said you test drove the 14 Cayman(981), but the CPO you were looking at is a 11(987.2). I am sure you probably already know, but the two chassis are different. If you like the newer style, then you need to find a CPO on 13+. If you haven't test drove the 11, I suggest you do so since 11 drives different than the new style.
2. Make sure whoever you purchased the CPO car from is from a Porsche dealer that did the CPO work. Otherwise you will have a lot of headaches later. Do not buy from 3rd party or private seller that claim the car has CPO, as CPO is non-transferable unless you pay the dealer to get it inspected again.
3. Depends on how eager the dealer is trying to sell the car, the pricing is always negotiable. My dealer was willing to make things happen when I purchased mine.

Cruzthepug

I was not aware that there was a big difference in the '11 vs the '14. This is all new to me and I'm trying to learn all I can. Being a novice sports car guy and have driven trucks my whole life, will I really be able to tell a difference?

BoostPower

Best is to test drive one. Each has different feeling on the car. I drove several of the 981 Boxsters and Boxster S (They are the same platform as 981 Cayman), and they feel more refined, planted and more civilized. However, 987 (last gen) is more fun to drive.