DamonBoost

So I have two choices, two cars in similar price ranges. Actually exact same price. One is a 2005 997 with 44K miles, the other is a 2006 Cayman S with 27K miles. The 2005 is out of warranty. 2006 has remaining warranty for a 5-6 months. I would be looking at an extended warranty for either vehicle I purchase.

Both vehicles look to be in great condition with service records.

Basically I would be leaning more toward the 05 997 but I am not sure if it is as reliable as the 06 Cayman. More so with the RMS/IMS issues.

What are your thoughts on reliability and issues when comparing these two models. They are really close in years, is the Cayman going to have the same issues as the 997?

Also a small thing but the 997 has the stock sound system and the Cayman has the upgraded bose. How bad is the stock sound system? I honestly have never heard the stock system. The car isnt local so I cant try it out..

Thanks in advance..
-Damon

Edgy01

The engine issues with a 997 are also in the 987 (Cayman).

These are two distinctly different vehicles. If it comes down to money,--simply wiat 6 months and then check the marketplace. If you want a 911 but will settle on a Cayman, you might not be happy with that decision down the road. There is no rush now,--plenty of deals can be made. They will only get better over time.

DamonBoost

Dan-
are you saying engine/issue wise I am comparing apples to apples?

I would prefer the 997 as I am getting it for a GREAT deal but it will be my daily driver as I am one that can it sitting in my garage.

mooty

very different cars, drive both and see what talks to you.
the two motors came from same family, M97 block
they dont have too many IMS/RMS issues. those were M96 blocks

DamonBoost

So if it were early 2005 997 I would basically same engine and prone to same issues as the 06 cayman s.

I have driven both, like the 997 slightly better plus my deal is much better on the 9997 than I am getting on cayman. Same price actually. Just want to be sure I am no more exposed to relability issues if I choose the 997.

Edgy01

I'm not an expert on the Cayman,--is there even a MY06 Cayman? I thought they first came out in MY07--and all were Cayman S cars initially.

tstafford

There are definitely '06 Caymans.

RonCT

Sounds like you subconsciously already made a decision on the 997 (which is good). The Cayman is a great car, but no 997. I don't know of any reliability issues with the 997. My only suggestion is to use your 997 deal to see if you can find a CPO one (or one that you could run through CPO). So nice having the Porsche OEM warranty for 2 extra years and $2k in cost (vs. some aftermarket).

p-cardriver

We have an '06 CaymanS which we bought used (CPO) with about 3500 miles on it, and an '07 997S which we bought new. The CS has about 30k miles now and the 997S will turn 41k today. Both were daily drivers, but the CS is increasingly becoming a track car so it sees limited street time. We have had no significant issues with either car. From a reliability standpoint, I would not hesitate to purchase a well-cared for example of either. Peace-of-mind is enhanced with CPO if it is available to you.

Others have pointed out that the cars do drive differently. I would guess that the two you are looking at are close in HP/weight (the 997S is stronger than the CS) but the CS will handle better. There are obvious differences in styling. The CS is easier to load up for a long trip with the two trunks, the 997 can allegedly carry wee little people in the "back seats".

As you can tell, the decision comes down to personal preferences. Enjoy!

buckwheat987

As an owner of both (kind of) I would go for the 997.

However if the 997 you are looking at is a early 05; and reliability is a concern I would go for the cayman S. Early model year 05's could have issues with IMS. Mine did and I had a engine replaced. The changes are slight but you can't be 100% sure you won't have a problem.

JEllis

Good advice. But even the early Caymans shared the same IMS as the 05 997. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the Cayman did not receive the upgraded IMS and bearing until late MY06 or early MY07. I am sure a Cayman guy can answer this.

So what does this mean?.... if you look at a 05 997 and a 06 Cayman, you are talking apples to apples when it comes to potential IMS issues. The risk is small since the IMS bearing in both the 05 997 and 06 Cayman is an upgraded duel row bearing that is stronger than the bearings that pluaged so many early Boxsters.

Do not let the risk of IMS failure scare you away from an 05 but go into the purchase understanding that there is some more reliability from MY06 on. I have yet to hear about an IMS failure on a 06-08 997 and I have only read about two on 05 997's. Prices are very good right now so I would stretch to an 06 if you could but only if its feasable for you. If you want some better information about the IMS issue, google LN Engineering and read carefully.

Jason

DamonBoost

I have $41K to work with. What are my chances of finding an 06 997 for that? With CPO? I know the market isn't well, but I haven't had much luck so far...

DamonBoost

Also...

I guess one of my biggest concerns is the long term value of the car. I loved the fact that my NSX retained so much value as it aged. I am concerned the Cayman wont do that. I have more confidence that the 997 would. Am I correct in this thinking? Opinions?

p-cardriver

IMO they both will depreciate into the low-mid $20k range in a few years time. The CS will start to be bought at that price to be made into a track car, so that will create somewhat of a floor, and it will be a good value at that price relative to the competition. The 997 will suffer from the fact that it is not collectible and the 997.2 is better, so it will do better than the 996 but not by much. I would not expect great value retention. I could be wrong on the price point, but I doubt if I'm off by more than $5k. On the other hand, either car is a lot of fun for the money, and if you get 100k miles out of it for $20k of depreciation, you've done really well for a p-car. Check Edmunds cost per mile for Porsches to see what I mean...

MUSSBERGER

Not even high mileage with tiptronic.