busaganashi

I'm trying to decide between a 2002 C4S with 9000 miles and a Cayman S. Would love some feedback from people who have driven both. I test drove a Cayman S a couple weeks ago. I've owned a 2001 C4, but that was about 3 years ago. I'm slightly leaning towards the Cayman S because of the warranty, brand new, etc. However, that C4S is very tempting. I've read it is basically a 911 Turbo without the turbo. It has already depreciated from $91K to $59K and I'm guessing it will go down about $4K per year now, it has low miles, all the options I want, and I have to think it is faster and handles better. I think the Cayman will depreciate faster and after all it isn't a 911.

I'm using this as a daily driver, about 10K miles per year, rain or sunshine but no snow.

Wellardmac

Think of the Cayman as mid-range between the Boxster and the Carrera. It is middle of the road in pretty much all the specs, even though styling wise it's a Boxster with a roof.

Do a search on Google Video for Cayman and Top Gear and you'll be able to watch their review and test drive.

I'll tell you in advance that they were not impressed and called it the Coxster.



BTW, Top gear has excellent reviews on all P-cars

Apologies, I should have said youtube.com, not google video.

Here's the link:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1yBzKhW5zJU&search=cayman

pongobaz

There was an article in one of the British p-car mags (Purely Porsche, I think) back in Feb/Mar that compared the Cayman S to a 996 C4S. I have it somewhere and if I find it, I'll scan it and post it. But the final verdict was that both cars were terrific with the advantage going to the C4S.

Alan C.

I did the same thing with the Cayman S vs 996. However, I was looking at a C2. In the end I went with an 02 C2 and haven't doubted the move. The C2 hadles well and has a lot more room for trips. My wife thought the Caymen was too small/close on the interior. As a side the C2 had already taken it's big hit on depreciation.

But I will say that the Cayman S with PASM and Sport Chrono is a ton of fun to drive.

blk on blk

They are pretty different cars really. I think for a daily driver the 911 is a tad more practical in the sense that you actually could squeeze in more than two people if necessary. I also just think it is the pinnacle. Seriously the Cayman and Boxster are nice cars, but they are not and never will be the 911. That is huge to me personally, and that is not trying to take away from those cars. They stand on their own merit. Still the 911 is it for me, and this would be a very easy choice.

busaganashi

Yeah I owned a 2000 boxster and traded up to a 2001 C4. I loved the boxster but I remember thinking it wasn't a 911. I have a 1986 911 Targa now, but want something newer. I figured the C4S was the way to go. Now I have to decide to get a warranty and whether it's CPO or 3rd party. I don't mind taking a chance and having to spending $1000 here and there over the years but I'm worried about catastrophic stuff. Since the car only has 9000 miles on it I don't think it has had a chance to have the really bad stuff go wrong and now at 5 years old things may just start to wear out.

evansaero

Personally everyone who buys a Porsche aspires to own a 911.

A new car sounds great and smells great... But when it comes down to it would you rather be seen in a 911 or something that is not quite a 911

Everyone in the world knows what a 911 looks like and knows of its iconic status.

911 all the way

Wellardmac

Here's the funny thing. The Cayman is a good car, but it could have been a lot better. It was designed to be mid-range and it shows in it's performance. It's middle of the road in so many aspects.

I read an article in the S-NJ-PCA website a month or so ago about how Porsche was intending to develop the Cayman in the same way that they intended the 928 to take over the mantle of high perf. sports car from the 911 and turn the 911 into a sports tourer. That strategy didn't work with the 928 and I doubt it will happen with the Cayman.

As several others have said already if you by Porsche, you really want a 911. Can you really hold you head up high at the traffic lights if you're in a Cayman and a 911 pulls along side you? If the answer is yes, then you found your car.

JimB

I have a very differnt view. I'm a hard core 996 guy with a 04 996 club race car and a 02 996 cab. My girlfriend has an 84 911 euro cab and a Cayman S. Needless to say, I spend a lot of time in both cars. I don't care what Top Gear says, the Cayman is the better sports car. With it's current engine I can promise you it will be faster on the track than a C4S. If they decide to give it a real powerplant it will easily be the Porsche to own. Remember when Porsche decided to build a supercar they put the engine in the middle. Same with their LMP2 racercar.

Having said that, if you are looking more for a cruise around and look good car or a daily driver, go for the C4S. Either way, it's hard to go wrong.
Jim

evansaero

The Cayman COULD have been a better car if the engineers
had their way about it. We all know that this did not happen.

Techart took a Cayman and did full mod to it and it cost as much as a 997s. It still could not out perform the 911.

It's a great car but not the best out on the road. IMO

Wellardmac

Exactly! I me that's the biggest crime. It could have been a great car, but instead of building the best car they could Porsche filled a slot in their line-up. That's a real shame.

mooty

i had a 02 c4s, several c2, and many gt3's, and two caymans.
if you are 6' or taller, cayman is really tight. the two cars drive very differently and i can sit here all day argue about which is better and why, but it's meaningless until you go drive one. some ppl simply hate 911's while some hate coxster. YOUR opinion should be the most important after SEVERAL test drives.

in absolute straightline, or in wet roads, C4S will be faster no doubt.
on a road course, given equal driver, both cars being stock, the cayman WILL be faster everytime. if you dont believe that, drive both car and time yourself on the track, (remember, equal drivers), the cayman WILL be faster.

it is a shame that cayman didnt get a GT3 motors. i would pay 150k for one with and dump my GT3.

MarkinMD

We traded our '01 2.7L Boxster for an '03 C4S four weeks ago today. Before we bought the C4S, we did drive the Cayman S. To be honest, it was better than I was expecting. But both my wife and I felt it was too much like our Boxster. Also, I do not like the new "flat" interior of the 987/997 cars. The only way I could own one would be with a two tone interior to make it less one dimensional.

But the bottom line was I wanted a car that felt a little more substantial and had a roomier interior, one that didn't feel like a Boxster. Based on those criteria, the C4S was an easy choice and I'm loving the C4S. I also like that the C4S is something of a limited edition, so you don't see them quite as often.

busaganashi

Well I stopped by the Porsche dealer yesterday and drove a 2002 C2 followed by a Cayman S. That's as close as I could get to comparing the two right now. I think I'm going to go for the C4S. Thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions.

Doug&Julie

Not true.