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I'm considering buying a cayman or boxster as a daily driver but I have concerns about the fact it has no back seat and limited storage.
For those of you who own one, any regrets? Do you find you need a second car that has back seat and full trunk for hauling things?
I'm a guitar player and pretty sure I would not be able to fit a full sized guitar into either of these cars.
It seems there are few rivals when it comes to a pure sports car. So many others seem to be just a compromise in the same price point.
I'd consider buying a used Cayman starting in 2009 so I can get the PDK trans. I love driving a stick and feel more connected with the car, but I might regret it in stop and go traffic.
Any advice / lessons learned from those who own a Cayman or Boxster as a daily driver?
I have both a 718 Cayman GTS and a 987.1 Boxster S. Obviously great cars but I would have issues with them being my only rides. First, if you make a lot of trips to Home Depot or need to cart big stuff home you will have issues. Second, I think the Boxster sucks with the top up. Crappy visibility and feels like driving with a tent over your head, so it's just no fun in the rain or other times when you need the top closed.
You might be able to get a guitar in a gig bag into the passenger seat. A combo amp would fit easily in the frunk but not sure I would really want to put a tube amp in there. I have a friend who says he gets two sets of golf clubs in a Cayman. I haven't seen it but then maybe you could put an electric in a gig bag in back. Maybe tomorrow I'll try it. I've been meaning to give it a try but just haven't. Will let you know if I do.
I've often thought about how I would lug some guitar gear around. I even went to a dealer an looked over a 911 to see if the back seat seemed more amenable. I don't know about that. I wasn't even sure there was enough room to put a hardshell case back there in a stable position.
There is great storage for weekend or daily trip to a super market. No issue there. My wife and I tooled around Europe for a month in the Cayman and never had a storage problem. We had two carry on size roller bags, a medium size duffle and two daypacks. It had to be loaded a specific way but no problems. Now if you want to go mountain biking, that might present so me other issues. I've seen people do it but it seems like a hassle.
I have both a 718 Cayman GTS and a 987.1 Boxster S. Obviously great cars but I would have issues with them being my only rides. First, if you make a lot of trips to Home Depot or need to cart big stuff home you will have issues. Second, I think the Boxster sucks with the top up. Crappy visibility and feels like driving with a tent over your head, so it's just no fun in the rain or other times when you need the top closed.
You might be able to get a guitar in a gig bag into the passenger seat. A combo amp would fit easily in the frunk but not sure I would really want to put a tube amp in there. I have a friend who says he gets two sets of golf clubs in a Cayman. I haven't seen it but then maybe you could put an electric in a gig bag in back. Maybe tomorrow I'll try it. I've been meaning to give it a try but just haven't. Will let you know if I do.
I've often thought about how I would lug some guitar gear around. I even went to a dealer an looked over a 911 to see if the back seat seemed more amenable. I don't know about that. I wasn't even sure there was enough room to put a hardshell case back there in a stable position.
There is great storage for weekend or daily trip to a super market. No issue there. My wife and I tooled around Europe for a month in the Cayman and never had a storage problem. We had two carry on size roller bags, a medium size duffle and two daypacks. It had to be loaded a specific way but no problems. Now if you want to go mountain biking, that might present so me other issues. I've seen people do it but it seems like a hassle.
Thanks for the useful information. Sounds like you're a guitar player too. :-) I play electrics but mostly acoustic guitars. I'd bet an electric in a gig bag would fit but I doubt a full size acoustic in a hard case would.
So I take it your Cayman and Boxster are not your only cars and that you have a larger car or truck for hauling things?
My wife isn't too keen on the idea of having two cars and thinks that my single car should for be able to work for all occasions. Unfortunately, I don't think a Cayman or Boxster could work for all needs, thus I think the only way I could justify getting one is if I keep my larger / older 4 door sedan as well. Hey, it's paid for and would only be liability insurance since it's much older. Price of Cayman ownership? I'd have to work on my sales pitch with my wife though. ;-)
I'm considering buying a cayman or boxster as a daily driver but I have concerns about the fact it has no back seat and limited storage.
The Boxster was out, but the Cayman was considered to replace our previous car, just just this reason - weekend, cross-country touring...
Luggage space is huge!
Well at least to what we were used to, and with the luggage blind removed from the rear hatch, I think a guitar would nice sit in the luggage area, with the neck over the engine compartment.
We now routinely pack clothes, food, general shopping, and up to 60L of kerosene and have not used the spaces behind the seats, or the secret compartments in the trunk.
For me, the Cayman and Boxster ( as I have said, I own both) are not practical ONLY cars. Can you get away with it? Yes. Is it practical/optimal? Well that depends on your situation and willingness to deal with some inconvenience.
I live in a house and do a lot of my own chores. For instance, we have a water softener for our well water. When I take a trip to Home depot I like to buy 7 or 8 bags of salt ( 40 lbs each). I don't see lugging that around in a two seater. Same goes for when I get mulch. I might pick up a dozen bags. If you live in an apt or condo then maybe you don't spend a lot of time with DIY junk to lug around.
I also live in the NE where we get snow. Can you drive the cars in the snow? yes, but I wouldn't recommend with summer tires. But the cars are lowish to the ground so winter snow, if it's deep, isn't a lot of fun. Of course you would need a roof rack if you wanted to carry skis, kayaks, bikes,... It's also not a fun car to bring down deeply rutted dirt roads. A lot of these things depend on your lifestyle.
Personally, I would not want the Cayman as my only car, but i could see somebody else, with a different set of circumstances, feeling differently.
Cost of ownership?
Well..it's a Porsche and it costs more. If you do your own work..a little more. If you bring it to a 3rd party...somewhat more...If you bring it to a dealer...you are screwed. I recommend you find a trusted independent mechanic to work on your car...dealers are absurd, IMO. Labor rate is higher for a Porsche, as are parts.
Figure everything costs 50%-100% more than if you have a Toyota. Oil changes, brakes. I do most of my own work. Summer tires, although high performance, wear out a lot faster. Maybe you only get 15-20k miles. This is just life of a performance sports car.
I think you hit the nail on the head. There is a price for owning a real sports / performance car.
All the things that make the Cayman a challenge to own (no back seat, lack of storage, low to the ground) are all the things that make it a real sports car.
I also own a house and several acres so if I did purchase a Cayman, it couldn't be my only car IMO.
The maintenance and cost of owning two cars - a practical sedan and a Cayman - appears to be the price of ownership at least in my case.
Good discussion and feedback. Thanks!
By the way, last time I went to Home Depot there was a Boxster in the parking lot. Also a few weeks before that I saw a different Boxster in the parking lot of Costco. Undoubtedly some people bring their sports cars to big box stores. Pretty sure they weren't picking up a mega load like I do. Also noticed both cars were parked so far away from the front door you needed to take a bus for the last quarter mile. LOL.
You are smart to start with '09 987.2 series. If you want more HP, upgrade to S. If you like growl and gurgle, be sure to get the PSE option - I wish I had this. If you want to save money, buy a bit higher mileage car that has had proper care and feeding and most if not all maintenance records. They are great and don't require a lot of service. My wife and I use the Cayman S for longer road trips. More nimble and frankly better street/highway driving than the 3 turbos in the garage.
I carry an electric upright bass (STAGG) along with a small amp 15 watts as well as my wife's alto sax in my '08 Cayman without even using the frunck. I also have a set of winter tires/wheels. Snow is no issue unless you are out before the plows, then YOU are the plow with the low front bumper. I confess I do have a VW Alltrack too but the Cayman serves well when needed and is used most of the time. I'm 76 years of age too and wife is 71.
I wasn't looking for my 128I when I saw the ad on Craigslist. I was looking for a two door manual. I enjoy the Cayman, daily drove a few 944S2s, and RX-7s. The function of the hatch in the 944 and RX-7 cant be beat. The folding rear seat and suspension modifications I did to the 128i bring it up to that level. If you want one car, take a look at the 1 series. I know, its not a Porsche, and I don't miss driving the Porsche when I'm in the 1. I do miss both when I'm driving the S80 even with its V8.
Only regret was selling my Peridot Cayman R.
Fantastic car and fits a lot more stuff than one would expect (between front & rear storage plus passenger seat/footwell).
I do love the GT4 which has roughly the same carrying capacity as the R. But I still think about the R all the time.... there was just something about it that was really special.
If you don’t need a back seat the Cayman is a fun car to own. Mine wasn’t a DD but I drove it every chance I got and put about 22,000 in two driving seasons. It saw plenty of track miles and also road trips and grocery store/Costco runs. Didn’t drive it during the winter, but you could certainly do so with the appropriate tires (depending on weather where you live).
Good luck with your search. Hope you find your perfect match!
You are smart to start with '09 987.2 series. If you want more HP, upgrade to S. If you like growl and gurgle, be sure to get the PSE option - I wish I had this. If you want to save money, buy a bit higher mileage car that has had proper care and feeding and most if not all maintenance records. They are great and don't require a lot of service. My wife and I use the Cayman S for longer road trips. More nimble and frankly better street/highway driving than the 3 turbos in the garage.
Agreed 100%, you will run into those who go for the 987.1, but when your sample set gets larger, you see the M97 engine issues.
Originally Posted by needmoregarage
Only regret was selling my Peridot Cayman R.
Fantastic car and fits a lot more stuff than one would expect (between front & rear storage plus passenger seat/footwell).
I do love the GT4 which has roughly the same carrying capacity as the R. But I still think about the R all the time.... there was just something about it that was really special.
Yup, thought of selling my R but glad I kept it.
I would jump on this if the buyer is a PDK type, be aware of the 5% winners fee for BAT though.
Sometimes I wish I got a 911 only because my wife is a bit cramped in the passenger seat on long (2+ hour) trips. We're both 6'0, but I guess her legs are longer than mine. Other than that, it was our only car for a while, and was actually serviceable as such. You can pack in a surprising amount of luggage or groceries into these cars. Never found myself wanting a PDK, but I always drove manual and ideally will never own an auto of any form if possible. The 981 has one of the best manual transmissions I've driven, not sure about the 987 though.
12-22-2018, 09:17 PM
Cayman, Any Regrets?
