swamisays

Hi all, new here so bear with me if you've seen this before. I tried to do a search but couldn't find anything, but it's likely I just wasn't sure what I was looking for.

I had been driving an 02 Subaru WRX from 02-14 and I loved it. A few years ago I was close to buying a 2001 911 Turbo but the engine was replaced and I didn't know if I could trust it without prior Porsche ownership under my belt. I also had a baby at the time and opted for a Wrangler instead. I sold that last year and bought a '14 BMW 328ix which is the nicest car I've ever owned but also the least fun. I've been considering selling it and my 02 WRX (that I still have) for a new WRX, but I feel like it's time to take the plunge and get a Porsche.

I need a reliable daily driver. From what I can tell, Porsche ownership isn't much more than BMW ownership. I'm debating between a post '09 Cayman S (do I need the S) or a much older (01-05) 911. My budget is less than 30 but I'd like to keep it closer to 25.

Couple questions: What is the better daily driver in terms of reliability? My commute is around 70-80 miles a day (almost all highway) and I don't want something that will need a lot of repairs. Plus having two small kids, spending time doing constant maintenance would be a giant pain. I know a Porsche isn't a family car, but can you fit a booster seat in the back of a 911? Just wondering if I'll have to swap out cars every time I need to pick them up. It's not practical but if I'm going to spend over an hour a day commuting, I may as well love the drive. I will not be tracking this car. Just driving it from April-November (i live in Michigan).

I've always dreamed of owning a Porsche and had the requisite red 911 poster on my wall growing up - will I have 911 envy if I get a Cayman? The fuel economy of a Cayman is a big selling point as well (not in terms of cost but as far as caring about the environment at least a little).

Any thoughts are appreciated.

extanker

wait a few more years and save up more

zedcat

Considering reliability and maintenance cost the best advice is buy the newest best condition car in your budget. I don't keep up with the market but you may want to consider an early 981 base Cayman. The 987.2 cars are pretty reliable too. Be aware that 911s prior to 05 are the 996. They can be great value but should be researched carefully. A 10+ year old 911 can be costly to run. Also suggest try some more searches. There is a lot of good info here on RL and the Cayman/Boxster vs 911 question has been debated for 20 years. No right or wrong, just differences. Take your time, test drive several, get a PPI. Best of luck.

Patriot

Your budget is too low for a 911 that would be worth buying. If you could stretch to upper 30s or low 40s you could probably find a decent 997 (2005-2012). Have you tried the Pre-Owned car selector on Porsche.com?

danschy

Can't really disagree with comments above, however, the 996 911 is probably about the most car per dollar you can buy, as it is the least desirable 911 ever built, with the IMS bearing issue and remarkably ugly headlights (what were they thinking!). The cost is so low respective to other 911's you may be able to save enough money on purchase to budget for maintenance, especially IMS bearing replacement. I occasionally think of picking one up for fun, but man, those headlights!

Macster

The Cayman or 911 should be the same regarding reliability. But both cars can and probably will need more in the way of repairs if you keep the car long enough put the miles on the car.

My experience with my Boxster and Turbo is things wear out. For the Boxster: Wheel bearing, AOS, water pump, fuel pump, O2 sensors, various items in the doors (switches, window regulator), CV boots, even a VarioCam solenoid/actuator. But the car has covered 315K miles.

Believe it or not the Turbo has been a bit of a problem car in what has gone wrong over just 157K miles: Broken shifter, leaking transmission (replaced under CPO warranty), clutch accumulator/slave cylinder, power steering bypass valve, water pump, RMS, front diff axle flange seals, spoiler system, radiators, rear view mirror (leaked).

While I don't have kids I know a number of couples who do. Invariably for hauling kids -- at least the younger ones -- they like bigger vehicles. Ones with a good height so putting the car seat in or taking it out doesn't have one bending over a lot. Room for the kids and carrying all the stuff kids need along with room for shopping or for luggage when on a road trip.

The 911 has the rear seats but they'll only suffice for a few years as the kids grow.

While either the Cayman or 911 would be a killer commuter car -- I use my cars for my 60 mile a day commute -- for kids not so much.

So if you have a Cayman/911 as your commuter car you'll still need a car/vehicle that can take the kids with no real struggle/effort on your or your wife's part.

For the question regarding Cayman vs. 911 both are fine cars. But they are different cars. Nothing beats the mid-engine location of the Cayman (or Boxster). My 911 (albeit a 996 Turbo) handles well to be sure but it is not mid-engine that's also for sure. The Cayman/Boxster have considerably more cargo/luggage space. The front trunk is huge in my Boxster compared to the Turbo's trunk (small in part due to the AWD system) and of course the Turbo has no rear trunk. It has the rear seats which can take some stuff but of course if you want to carry kids this cuts way down on the space for stuff.

Last but not least the view out the 911 is better than out the Boxster (or Cayman) and would/could play a role in the decision of which car to get for commuting.

For a budget of say $30K I don't know how $30K (or less) agrees with the market price of a suitable Cayman or 911.

Besides the purchase price there's the cost of registration, maybe personal property taxes, insurance (what's insurance going to cost you driving 80 miles a day?). While the Cayman will be a bit better on gas mileage it won't be by much. On the highway over the same roads and driven the same way my Boxster can deliver around 28mpg. My 996 Turbo around 26mpg. My 60 mile a day commute has me a regular visitor to gas stations -- the ones with the lowest prices -- along my commute route.

Also, don't discount the cost of servicing. While you might find a good example for $30K these were expensive cars when new. Parts and service cost more than say a Subie.

Keep in mind too that when buying a used car the general rule is to have set aside 10% of the cost of the vehicle to have just in case something goes wrong after you buy the car. With Porsches I would set aside double that 10% to 20%.

iliveoncaffiene

I wanted a 911, but for what I would have been paying it would have been used, ~30k miles and not all that optioned out. In my opinion, get the newest, lowest mileage version of EITHER car you can find that fits in your budget - it's not worth getting a much older 911 just because 911. A newer model Cayman will probably be better than the older 911 anyway.

Personally, I think the Cayman has better utility if you're not using the rear seats for people in the 911. The rear trunk is easier to access than trying to put stuff in the back seats. The frunk is quite deep and can hold a lot, and there's ample room in the back as well.
I can fit a full cart of groceries (I mean full) in the Cayman with room to spare, and none of them are in the seats.

I personally don't have too much envy of the 911 - maybe it's because I never test drove one (probably a good thing). I do wish I could have sprung for a Cayman S but it was outside of my price range (also never test drove 718 Cayman S vs Base, also a good thing).
And the 911 just doesn't have "that" much more than a Cayman for a lot more price.

To be honest, I know you want a Porsche but for your requirements I don't think a 911/Cayman are a good fit as your DD (older, higher miled, long commute, 2 small kids) - maybe as a 2nd car.
If you really want a Porsche and want to use it year round AND have kids, I'd highly recommend a used Macan if you can find one in your price range. The driving dynamics make it feel more like a big 911 rather than a small Cayenne - and it still feels really good to drive (I did test drive one).

The only reason I went with a Cayman as a year-round DD is because I don't have kids yet, and won't be for at least a few years. By then, I can hopefully keep the Cayman and get a comfy, practical car as well

white924s

I don't think $25-30k is enough to get a base 981. A base 987.2 may fall in that price range - and those are great cars. That being said, however, 987.2's are 5-8 years old now, so most won't come with a warranty. While Porsches are very reliable cars, parts do tend to be pretty expensive (worse than BMWs) - so getting a car with a CPO warranty could de-risk the total cost of ownership, perhaps enough to justify spending a bit more on the car upfront.

Mister Quickie

a) throw out any idea of a substitute for a Porsche, like a WRX or anything with the engine in the front for that matter.
The mid/rear engine is a far different (read better IMO) driving experience that can't be relayed via numbers.

b) throw out any idea of another Porsche (Macan, Cayenne, Panamera) substituting for mid/rear engine joy.

c) Who cares about how the headlights look, finicky "men" are annoying at best.

d) The rear seats in a 911 are ample, I've had chicks back there, not all of whom were gaunt.
You will have to budget for an IMS upgrade which translates into searching for a 911 with a bad clutch (sale price reflective of such) where the IMS and clutch can be done all at once.

To me your decision boils down to whether it's more important to be able to haul passengers (911) or doing a better job of staying on the road during cold and rainy MI weather (Cayman since 911s are notorious for fishtailing in cold rain).

Have you considered a Boxster? Well below your price point if you're willing to deal with a convertible or at least a Cayman base. Both the Boxster and Cayman base are going to be loads more fun that the cars previously mentioned.

DaveCarrera4

You won't find an '09 or newer CS at $25k, unless it comes from Houston and has lots of miles. Loved my 996 '03 C4S MK II, fast and fun, headlights are just fine. Look up a Carrera GT1 and see what kind of headlights it has. Those go for several million $ now. Put in a new aftermarket IMS bearing and RMS, or buy one that had it done, and don't worry. For your budget, it will likely be a 996 cabrio with tiptronic, but that's a good entry level car. Sorry, can't recommend an '08 or older Cayman.

Climarepair.com

+1 on that, plus you can always install a GT3 kit to any 996 and make it look astonishing!

sapman

I disagree. You can pick up a great low mileage 996 with all the issues taken care of for much less than that.

wanderingwheelz

Unless you are buying the car strictly for occasional fun when time allows, buying either of those cars will definitely be a hassle if you have a family. My daughter HATED the back seat of the 911 to the point where it may as well have been a Cayman, since she'd complain every time I said "let's take the Porsche". Kids would far rather ride in a Yukon. Trust me.

dgrobs

Great info. Great thread...

A432

If you can get away with 1 kid at a time, I'd say 987.2 base all day every day. Go drive one, it will be obvious if it fits what you like.
The 9A1 engine was a big improvement over the M96/97 and the 2 I've owned have been bulletproof after repeated track abuse.
The 987.2 was also the start of the PDK, which is a great trans. if that's what you want.
But the PDK can be pricey to fix if issues come up, so I'd stay with a manual for costs/reliability if you're on the fence there.
The 987.2 also feels more light/agile/direct to me than the 996/997's if that's something you value, just keep the revs up on the 987.2 base because that's where they shine.
Only thing to do to them is a preventive water pump/thermostat if past 50K miles and hasn't been done, then they are oil changes and brake pads/fluid.