denniscasey

For given budget and wanting to experience Porsche I have looked at both older Porsche Carrera S (2008-2010) and 2014 Cayman S. They are each wonderful cars, but intended for different markets. I have no experience with Porsche and have very limited test drive experience, so I don't know which car would best "fit" me in long term. Car would be "fun, responsive" daily driver and for weekend trips, probably no track time. My wife is becoming aware of how much fun cars can be (now has Lexus IS350) so I would like her to enjoy this car also. For those of you who have experience with Cayman and 911 I would appreciate your thoughts on differences you have observed. For instance, maybe Cayman with mid-engine is more "nimble", but you would take Carrera on weekend trip where you are in car for long periods of time.

So I would appreciate your comments and for sure this is not about which car is better, just differences you have noted from your experiences with both cars.

Just to share my perspective from very limited test drive experience in 2008 Carrera S (with PASM) vs 2014 Cayman S (with PDK, Sport Chronos, no PASM) it seemed Carrera had more torque in lower RPM range so acceleration felt more responsive vs Cayman S. Cayman S when "floored" in Sport mode when going 55 mph seemed to take a while to "gather itself up" then took off and I was surprised to see 85 mph on speedometer. It did seem to accelerate briskly from stop sign however. That is just my feeling and statistics (torque vs rpm) would not really support that. Both had similar ride quality it seemed (both on low profile summer tires and it was cold out so tires had influence).

Would either one give a better experience in ride quality (I think with Cayman I would get one with PASM) both daily driver and long trips, etc. with proper tires/temperatures?

One thing is for comparable budget I would be getting newer technology on Cayman S (newer car) vs Carrera--in some cases that might not be a good thing as newer not always better. And I must admit, a good CPO warranty would be good to have.

Another very limited observation in my shopping for cars is in general Carrera tend to accumulate more miles before being traded in whereas Cayman have fewer miles and found a few examples where person bought Cayman and traded it back in after only 1000 to 2000 miles. Might indicate Carrera used more for long trips, Cayman for daily driver or weekend track car. I stress very limited sample and I could be totally off in speculation. Thank you for your thoughts.

maxpowers

I have a 2014 C4S and a 07 Cayman S (so it's kind of the reverse of what you're looking at) and absolutely love both cars and don't think you'd ever be unhappy with either one. Both cars are manual, which I vastly prefer for fun to PDK.

I think you're observations are right. The Cayman feels more nimble, but doesn't have anywhere near the power of my newer 911. Maybe the new Cayman is different, but my Cayman doesn't have much storage room inside for long trips. That being said, I drove the Cayman across a couple states and didn't have any problems with ride quality. My C4S has SPASM and feels a little harsher for long trips than the Cayman.

Another difference is I prefer the 2 trunks iin the Cayman for daily errands to the front trunk/backseat combo of the 911. It's a little easier to stick a few things in the trunk of the Cayman.

So for my 2 cents the newer Cayman would probably be better, but I'm not really comparing apples to apples here. Just make sure it has enough power for your fun drives

mfection3

I had the dilemma to decide between a preowned 991 carerra and new 981 cayman s. I bought the 991 carrera based on practicality, slightly better performance, and 911 mystique. 4 weeks later I sold it and bought the Cayman s for all the reasons we buy sports cars. In my opinion the 981 looks sensational, sounds and drives like a sports car instead of a gt car. It has a snug cabin that makes you feel more in touch with the road and driving experience. Save your regret and by the 981 with the options you love. Good luck.

Spokayman

From my perspective, my C4 Cab (Tiptronic) is the car to use on a weekend trip or even a vacation.
It is a comfortable cruiser, handles very well, and in general does everything well.
But my Cayman is the go-to car for driving in the twisties and is also a good weekend trip car. It rides a bit stiffer due to the 19s, I believe. It is a good daily driver and I too like the dual trunks as pointed out by maxpowers above.
If you want the maximum in sharp handling, smaller/lighter (though not by much), and don't mind a bit more road and engine noise, the Cayman is the one.
If you want a larger size, more power, and a more quiet car that still handles phenomenally the Carrera is it.
But note that I am comparing a 996 and a 987S (nearly identical HP) which is a bit different than the 997 and 981 you are asking about.

thomapa1

It is an interesting dilemma.
There is also a softer side to the argument. If you have never owned a 911, you will 'likely' always be wanting one. If you start with the Cayman, you will likely be lusting over a 911 no matter how good the Cayman may be - this is just how it goes. So you have to come to terms with what you want / what you need / what you have.
I had a 996 turbo a few years ago, got the 911 out of my system after 2.5 years and $20k in maintenance - 911 desire was cured after that. For me now - new / 1-2 years old or nothing. Granted, my case is likely extreme - but older = maintenance costs and shop raping, unless you have connections.
I still like the idea of back seat room for storage in a 911. I did not care for the lighter front end of the 911, the porky weight, cost. I did not need to accelerate like a rocket ship - have come to terms with wanting lighter, nimble, balanced and can live with any missing raw power. I am headed for Cayman now.

Define your needs, test drive alot of models, make a choice and stick with it.

Alansglide

Both have advantages , and disadvantages as stated in previous posts.

Go out and test drive a few more examples of each. It might solidify your decision .
If all else fails , there are places that rent Cayman's and 911's for a day( at least here in Los Angeles) .
Although not inexpensive , living with a car for a full day , might help you make the correct choice for
You and your family.

Alan

DaveCarrera4

The Cayman S is like a cheetah , the Carrera (996 4S and Turbo) like a gazelle. Hope that helps.

denniscasey

All, thank you for your insightful comments. I won't be able to drive them side by side for any length of time (if at all) so I appreciate your sharing your thoughts and experiences. And no place here where I can rent them to try which would have been great.

pecivil

same with me. had a nice 996 cab, and got it out of my system. Just sold it for a 10 Cayman base and love it much more than the 911. it was fun, but expensive to maintain, and too big and heavy. Go Cayman and you will like it.

RickBetterley

Both are great cars. I have had 911s in the past for street and track use, and loved them all, but they were air cooled models.
I've driven and instructed in more modern 911s on the track and own a Cayman racecar. Have also instructed in non-race Caymans on the track. Much like my children, I love them all.
What I have found about choosing which model Porsche to buy is - go with your heart. They are all great cars. Which one do you lust over? Did you always want a Porsche because you saw 911s when you were younger? Because you love the Porsche racing heritage? Then you probably want a 911.
Do you like the idea of a Porsche but one that's different from all the other Porsches on the street? Consider a Cayman. Do you like the most modern design? Mid-engine is hard to beat.
If you need a backseat its easy - get the 911.
If you want to be recognized as being a guy with a Porsche, get the 911 (average person doesn't see the Cayman and think 'Porsche!' in my experience.
A track freind of mine will be joining the ranks of dedicated track car owners. He asks me what models he should consider. I ask him back - what do you see yourself in? What makes your heart skip a beat? He says 911, I say get a 911.
But I do so love my Cayman - they are amazing cars and I would enjoy having a street version too.
Hope this helps - enjoy the journey.

altonj

We own a 997.1 S, 987.1 Cayman S (our second one) and my father has a 997.2 S. The Caymans are a better performance platform, but lack the power of the 997 s. The 997 has a more roomy cockpit which some poeple prefer while other prefer the tighter confines of the 987 cars.

For street driving I prefer the 997, for track I prefer the Cayman. I will prefer the cayman even more once our 3.8 is assembled so it will have similar power to the 997S.

All of that said, drive each and see which one suits you better. We have customers who swear by one or the other. My wife loves the cayman but doesn't enjoy the 997 anywhere near as much. To each their own. They are both great cars.

PCA1983

I've never owned a 911 and would love a GTS or CS4. But the price of newish ones is a problem for me. I like all the new tech stuff, so am not attracted to ones 6+ years old. And I love the mid engine car handling and quick response of the lighter mid engine Cayman S. So the latest model Cayman S seems so natural to me. All things being as expected, my next one will be a GT4 or the next gen GTS.

rx7turbo

In my experience, the average person sees a Cayman or Boxster and absolutely thinks "Porsche".

Part of my deal is the racing heritage but when you look at that back over time, mid-engine Porsches are just as much a part of that as are the 911s.

The 904 and the Porsche 911 GT1 are both closer to the Cayman than they are the 911 and Porsche has built other mid-engine race cars.

I still love 911s but after owning my Cayman S, I like the nimbleness of it compared to a 911, which have become somewhat bloated.

Just my take on it.

william_b_noble

I bought a 2013 911, drove it a few months and sold it back to a dealer (taking a loss, of course) - I developed a serious hatred for the car - it had 20 inch wheels and the tires would bottom out on speed bumps even going slow, and the trim under the front spoiler would get ripped off each time I left my driveway. eventually everything good about the car became bad to me, and I got rid of it. About 9 months later I bought a cayman, which I still drive - the car is a tiny amount smaller, it gets almost 10 MPG better mileage (to me, that matters), the only downside of the cayman is you can't recline the seat and nap while waiting for your wife to come out of whatever store she's browsing. The 911 is beautiful, but you have my story - treat it as you wish. (somewhere on the forum you will find a series of posts by me with commentary on the 911, and you will find astoundingly nasty replies to the posts from others on the forum - I'm sure that also helped taint my opinion). I don't miss the 911, and when you are driving 'normally' you really don't notice much difference, only with the pedal to the metal.