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First P car - 991.2 GTS vs 2024 718 GTS4.0 for same price
Hey all! I am in a fortunate position to be able to afford my first sports car, and I can't decide between an older, 2019 911.2 GTS (26k miles) and an almost-new 2024 cayman gts 4.0 (7k miles). I test-drove both, and I love both; I also love how they look. While I'd love the extra practicality of 911, I am afraid of buying a 5-year-old car. I have zero experience with cars above >15k USD, so I don't know the reality of owning one and the expected maintenance. Both cars are with their original owners, are on Porsche warranty, and are roughly the same price (~115k USD, but keep in mind I don't live in the US).
When it comes to the usage - this would be my daily driver (single and remote working so not driving much), and occasionally a track car - maybe once a quarter
I'd love any input - especially around the car's age. Is my fear of buying a 5-year-old car unreasonable? I can afford the car, and I'll pay cash - but it's still a lot of money
The only bit of concern on the 991.2 is if the water pump has been replaced or not. Otherwise, heck, a 5 year old car is relatively new to me. My last fun car and motorcycle, I kept each about 16 years. Actually, the car was 18 years old. And I typically keep my daily drivers at least 10years/100k miles.
Personally, I like mid-engine. I can fit everything I need in the frunk of the 718 for everyday use. Even grocery shopping. The 911 could be considered more practical with the back seat as storage; I wouldn't put any humans back there unless they were under 5' tall.
Financially, the 911 has depreciated more. The 911 will be the faster car in a straight line if that's your thing.
@spdracerut thank you!
> The only bit of concern on the 991.2 is if the water pump has been replaced or not.
I'll ask - but should that be of any concern if the warranty is still in place?
> Otherwise, heck, a 5 year old car is relatively new to me. My last fun car and motorcycle, I kept each about 16 years. Actually, the car was 18 years old. And I typically keep my daily drivers at least 10years/100k miles.
Right - exactly, I think my reaction is based on me working in tech for the past 10 years, where (almost) everything thats >5 years old is considered ancient
You're going to have small issues with it, and I'm guessing it's fully out of warranty (factory and CPO) -- things like below, but I'd say it's worth it to have the 911 over the Cayman. I get goosebumps when I see a good 911. I don't really get the same when I see a good Cayman... All minor stuff but you can fix it...
- the washer fluid hose cracks and breaks on all of them
- horns dying randomly
- headlamps get spider cracks in the clear housing
- water pump on the 991.2 as someone said earlier in the thread
991 platform has proven to be quite reliable. Stupid stuff goes wrong, but it's not major.
At 26k miles you should be pretty good on the car ...
@doallstuff, you might want to also post this in the 718 Cayman subforum. Sometimes answers are skewed depending on the audience.
I’ve owned a 991.2 GT3RS (closest I can get to your 991.2 GTS). Have had 4 caymans (Cayman R, two 981 GT4 and current 718 GT4). For me - I prefer mid engine. Also had a 992 but it felt really big compared to the 991.2. If I were going to buy a 911, it would 991.2. Had one as a loaner for a week back when they were new, and should have bought one back then. It’s one of my fave generations of modern 911. I liked the engine and the turbo and the size and aesthetics. It simply appeals to me and is very personable and subjective.
In the GT3RS we had the LWB seats (carbon fiber - did not articulate or fold). Using the back seat for storage was a major PITA. Hated that aspect of the car. We took a 5 day trip and filled every nook/cranny. Packed in small, soft duffles that would fit between the seats or between the seat and door. If your GTS has folding seats then accessing the back seat area is easier, but I still hated having to fish stuff out of the area in the 992. It’s simply uncomfortable to have to twist around, or bend, and it’s not nearly as nice as having a trunk. Of course there’s the boot (also called frunk) which holds a decent amount, but it gets warm.
In the Caymans (all of them) you have the boot (up front) and the “trunk” in the rear. There’s also space on the carpeted deck over the engine. I never use that deck but it’s there if needed. I’ve taken week long trips (solos) to track events with two helmets, track tools and gear plus clothing and fit everything into both the boot and trunk plus my cooler on the passenger seat or passenger floor. I don’t tend to overpack but that’s only because years of business travel and flying and preferring carry-on made me a very efficient packer.
The Caymans have zero usable space behind the seats. Maybe you could fit a jacket back there, but nothing of substance. The trade off is that to access stored items you have to be out of the car. One advantage to things in the back seat is that they are in the same compartment (not that it’s a big deal). I might keep an umbrella or raincoat behind the passenger seat in the Cayman if I wanted weather protection (rather than in trunk).
I think both are beautiful and some folks only dream of owning a 911 and are never satisfied until they get one. Be true to whatever your heart wants. But for me - I never grew up lusting after Porsche and I simply love mid engine, especially for track. For street driving I’m sedate enough that the platform is less important, although the rear engine is very different (as you know from test driving) so you need to ‘learn” the idiosyncrasies that go with that platform.
Best of luck. You really can’t make a bad decision. They are both great cars, and often people say buy the newest you can afford. But I wouldn’t hesitate to buy the 991.2 if it passed a thorough PPI and you had service records. I would PPI ANY and every used car I’d consider. And don’t place too much trust in CPO. My Cayman R had been CPO’d and the dealer sold it to me (and let me drive it 330 miles home) with a damaged BBS wheel. It was a big awakening for me (it was my first Porsche bought from a Porsche dealer). I’ve since read stories about CPO cars having issues that should have (in theory) been found during CPO inspections, or even prevented the car from passing CPO. So it’s a good idea to get a third party inspection (PPI). And PPI isn’t bulletproof but IMO better than nothing.
I don't think you can go wrong, you'll enjoy either car. I love the rear engine better. It's more interesting and fun on a back road. Throttle lift mid-corner and feel the rush of oversteer you just can't get in mid-engine. However, if stability is the goal, a Cayman is superior, as physics dictates.
The 911 is its own thing and can easily get you into more trouble if you don't know what you are doing. That's the double-edged sword. Learn to drive a Cayman fast, and that'll translate into any other mid-engine car with neutral balance.
Do some research on these forums and you can find the normal cost for maintenance and repairs. The 991.2 and 718 both are pretty reliable, but they are not inexpensive to maintain. You have to expect cost for tires to be $1500-2000, cost for brakes are expensive with 350mm rotors running $500 each (over $2000 for a set), every 4 years/40k miles you have to do a major service that can cost around $2,000, and spark plugs for $800’ish. Make sure the car you’re buying is up to date on these services, or negotiate for a lower price.
Re: 991.2 water pumps - if I'm not mistaken, that was only an issue for 2017 and early build 2018's. However, Porsche recognized that this was an issue and extended the warranty to 10 years for the the water pumps.
981 GT4 for 14,000 miles as a daily > 991.2 C2 7MT for 80,000 miles as a daily here, but have spent a lot of time in 718 GTS 4.0 (sublime) and 991.2 GTS (also sublime).
In other words, you can't go wrong with either of these.
One might be the last "slow burn" Porsche still on offer, not "amazing" at any one performance measure but nevertheless a true 1:1 NA sports car that's utterly fantastic and deeply satisfying in use. The other is, well, a 911. And from one of the best generations of 911 to date, with a spec sheet that's more than a bit GT2-ish. The 911 adds dimensionality vs the 718, whether considered in turbo torque, an extra gear for serious grand touring (if both are MT), the challenge/reward of rear-engined handling (not to mention superior braking on the way into turns and traction on the way out of them), rear seats when you need them (whether it's packing in a friend after a night on the town or taking your future kids for their first rides in a Porsche, and a layout that's effectively unique among modern cars. 718s are lovely things to travel in, with two trunks to keep all your stuff out of sight, though a 911 has the larger of those trunks and then a massive rear area as well. Mid-engined Porsches are easier to drive quickly than rear-engined Porsches up to a certain point, and less forgiving thereafter. Depends on what you like.
Tough call, but I think I'd go 991.2 GTS if I liked the specs of both cars equally—particularly as a daily car, and particularly if track days were in my future. YMMV…but do let us know what you decide to do, and welcome to Rennlist!
I have owned a 2023 GTS 4.0 and currently own a 2018 991.2 GTS. The 718 GTS is very good, but cannot compete with the 991.2 GTS. If the car is in good condition take the 911.
Great question and very similar to my situation. I have wanted a 911 since I was a kid ( a long time ago). A few months back I realized that I was in the position to purchase a Porsche. I drove a 992 Cab and was not impressed but I think I was also a bit nervous. I drove a GTS 4.0 and laughed the whole time I enjoyed it so much. It exceeded what I expected by a TON. So, I jumped on the list to buy a new 718. I had time so I started looking at 911s and I test drove a couple of more 991 versions and drove them spirited and it erased my original disappointment. Then I had to find a suitable one that was CPO or wait and wait for my allotment turn to come up. I settled my mind on a 991.2 GTS of C4S. The GTS I found was in Cali and the C4S I wanted was 2 hours away so I went with the C4S. My wife had told me "You have always wanted a 911 so get the 911". I love my car but I wish I had gotten the GTS for the 30 extra HP and it had all the interior trim that I wanted. I am also certain I would have been extremely pleased with the 718 GTS 4.0 and I plan on owning one also someday. The way I figured, the 911s are not depreciating so I could drive it and trade it in if I decided I wanted the 718 and not lose money. Boiling it down, I chose the 2019 911 because I always wanted a 911 and didnt want to wait for the 718. At times I think I should have waited...until i get into my car and go for a drive lol. Picture for effect:
Forget the research, repair worries, warranties, and all that. If your choice is 911 vs Cayman, drive both and decide which one feels more fun to you. IMO both are great cars but even without pushing hard, the dynamics and feel are different.
> The way I figured, the 911s are not depreciating so I could drive it and trade it in if I decided I wanted the 718 and not lose money. Boiling it down, I chose the 2019 911 because I always wanted a 911 and didnt want to wait for the 718. At times I think I should have waited...until i get into my car and go for a drive lol. Picture for effect:
This definitely resonates - changing the car won't be too hard with either option! although it might be a bit more difficult with 718
I think the simple answer is if you don't care that much about a naturally aspirated engine, get the 991.2 GTS. It's easy to live with, has the 911 cache, could fit your kids in the back, great low end torque. In my mind it's as simple as that.
09-02-2024, 01:28 PM
First P car - 991.2 GTS vs 2024 718 GTS4.0 for same price
