tbm

Thanks for the insight. I agree that the Cayman feels like a sports car. The low seating position and noise for the engine certainly adds to that feeling. I am 51 years old now and one of the reasons I have considered a different car is the seating position. I would like to sit a little higher off the road. I have gotten spoiled by the ease I can get in and oit of my truck and the Charger I drive for work.

I'm not a fan of the things we are calling SUV's these days and was hopeful a 911 may solve the problem. I can't imagine ever NOT owning a Porsche now that I have had one but a Macan or Cayanne is not for me.

Alc

I’m blessed to have a 2018 Cayman S PDK and a 2019 Carrera T with a MT. Crazy but I’m the exact opposite of the consensus above, the 911 is much sportier than the 718S and if I were to track one it’d be the 911 all day every day. The PDK makes the 718 a breeze to drive but the 718 is way more luxury oriented than my 911. Crazy how different models/sub models and options can transform these cars.

oh and I’d replace a Cayman with a 911 every day of the week, but WARNING you will definitely miss the trunk.

Wolpertinger

That's true! It was very handy. The 911 isn't too bad for space with the seats folded down, but it's just a lot harder to access the space.

tbm

I had not considered that. Is the only way to access that space by leaning the front seats forward? It appears there is a release on the left side of the driver’s seat similar to the Cayman that would allow the front storage and a rear storage to be opened.

Wolpertinger

Yes, there's a release that allows the seat backs to pivot forward. It's fine, just not as convenient as a hatch back. The release switches on the left side - front is for the frunk, same as the Cayman. The rear one is for the engine cover, that allows you access to the oil filler cap and the coolant tank.

tbm

Ok. Sounds like soft-sided stuff has to be packed behind the seats. Thanks.

BSO

Had the opportunity to drive Caymans, Boxsters and 911s (both the 991.2 and 992) on track. The Cayman/Boxster felt more visceral, the 911 felt more composed. I connected to the 911 best.

IMHO, for a daily driver and long trips and even track days a 911. If you’re track focused, a Cayman.

Love my 991.2 C4S.

S S

981 CS MT to 991 CT MT. The only thing I miss is one less gear. Otherwise worth every penny. It’s not a car that Porsche felt they needed to hamstring. The enhanced driving experience is immediately noticeable. Everything else is Porsche quality and about the same across platforms. Good luck!

ß

tbm

Great info and advice from everyone. I really appreciate it.

One more question.

When I look at this car, is there anything specific I need to look for that is not intuitive? Any issues or concerns specific to a used 911 that I need to be aware of?

Good to bad, the car is CPO at a dealer that I am familiar with. That makes me feel a little better but I understand they are still trying to sell me a car.

Thanks.

captainslow21

I went from a 981 to a 991 and have zero regrets. the 911 felt gigantic the first time i drove it but that goes away after a week or so. there are plenty of posts on what to look for but basics like making sure to review the CPO service records, all prior service records and maybe even having a frank conversation with the sales/mechanics that know the car a bit should help. well taken care of cars will take care of you. best of luck!

Wolpertinger

Check the interior door panels at the top where they follow the curve of the door to meet the glass. They can become delaminated. It's very common with the 991. CPO should take care of it if it happens. Good info here Warped! (pedrosgarage.comh
I guess I did have one issue with mine. Both tail lights fell out at a track day sponsored by the dealer. The salesman who sold me the car was there, so that was pretty funny. They got me new updated light assemblies under warranty. Bore scoring is not common with the 991, but check the tailpipes for excessive, heavy soot build up, especially if one side has significantly more than the other. See when/if the spark plugs and coil packs have been replaced. I changed them on my car at about 52,000 miles. I don't know if they were done before or not, but the difference in performance was substantial after new plugs and coil packs. That's about all I can think of. Mechanically (other than normal wear items), mine has been rock solid over the past 19 months of ownership.

Rich_Jenkins

For the .2's, leaks in the water pump is one issue that seems to recur. I don't know whether the .1's were affected by this. There are a few threads on .2 water pumps failing, requiring replacement, as well as additional parts. There is also discussion of Porsche now offering an extended warranty on replacement water pumps, but the details escape me or are in the threads.

Door panel warping seems to recur, for those cars with the plastic interior (not full leather). Again, not sure if both .1 and .2 were/are affected. I would guess so. Additional info, root cause and repair prognosis, below. Pedro is a PCA member of the Suncoast region, and has a lot of experience repairing these in his garage in FL:

http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site_5/Warped%21.html


The two gas-pressure struts that hold up the rear engine compartment deck lid seem to fail. Heat gets to them, resulting in loss of seal for the gas, and they no longer hold up. Mine ('17 C2) were just replaced under warranty. To check, just lift up the rear deck lid, and wait about a minute. If they have failed, the lid will slowwwwwwwly drop back and then clunk back into the latch.

I would definitely check the A/C system on a 5-7 year old car, actually any car. Refrigerant can leak and may need to be addressed.

Otherwise usual rules apply, look for good consistent routine maintenance, regular check ups, oil changes, etc. etc. in a used car. These cars (.1's and .2's) seem to be in a sweet spot for Porsche; not too old that they have persistent problems, not so much high tech that requires a PhD in Software Engineering to resolve, and build quality and design that ends up with fewer than average trips back to the dealer.

Lastly, and you may know this, but "CPO" doesn't necessarily mean "100% perfect cosmetically". Although Porsche touts CPO as the be all and end all, or likes to give the impression the car is like new, in practice, judging by the reports of folks who have had issues with CPO cars, there seems to be a variety of what's acceptable to "CPO" a car. It is however a very worthwhile warranty to have on an older Porsche, that much is for sure.

Rich_Jenkins

I would say this is spot on.

EDIT: No pun intended.

Martin S.

The 911.1 and the Cayman S/GTS share the same base 9A1 motor, the 991 Carrera with a 3.4 and 350 HP, 10 more than the Cayman GTS....that 991.1 Carrera S with 3.8 and 400 HP, that's was a deal maker for me. PASM was available on both cars....both with PDK, don't know if they were based on the same tranny configuration, gear sets, etc. The biggest difference that should result in optimized handling is the increased wheel base and the distance between the axel hubs, I would think.

The interior "aural aroma" (I made this up a second ago), with both the GTS and the 991.1 Carrera S having Sport Exhaust..I prefer the overall sound off the 991.1. However my car lacks Sport Chrono...the Cayman GTS in Sport + mode, it's off throttle pops and crackles are hypnotic. For me the problem was, I was reluctant to use Sport + on the Cayman GTS on the street..Red Line in the first 6 years was a bit much...I could have paddle shifted the car...too lazy....but the "aural aroma" of the 991.1 Carrera S 3.8, 400 HP motor has its own distinct sound.

As has been mentioned, drive both......in my case, I drove the wheels off the Cayman GTS for about 2 years, did 8+ track weekends. It was scary fast. With only one track weekend under my belt at Willow Springs in CA with the 991.1 S..scary fast as well...albeit the 991.s felt a wee bit more stable.

I would think if one is looking for a smaller car with commendable performance, and have no desire for a rear seat, Cayman S/GTS. Those wanting a larger car with that somewhat useless rear seat and a 911 badge....enough said, both are great cars.

koala

I absolutely love my 991.1 S, but if I didn't need the back seats, I'd have a 981 Cayman GTS.

To me, the Cayman is closer to the "spirit" of the car I miss the most - my AP2 S2000.

At the end of the day, these are all amazing cars. You really can't go too far wrong with any 981/991. For me, I'm happy if it's NA and MT. Beyond that, couldn't care how fast it is.