Temptations never cease

[Minsu]

I have been tempted by another beast the Porsche Cayman S seems like a good competitor to the 370 Z I was wondering if anyone had experience with both cars and would like to give some input I was going to hold off on the whole new car thing until after the snow cleared but during Hurricane sandy rather about a couple days after when the gas lines were crazy somebody decided to rear and my car at 30 miles an hour so now I'm gonna have to get a new car regarless off the snow or not I have always wanted to 370 Z but after careful consideration of the Porsche Cayman S I am beginning to wait for it between the 2 choices if any of you can give me an unbiased answer or some advice hopefully by the end of December I can post a pic of me and my car on this forum regardless of what car I choose thank you in advance

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[Monzy]

I have driven both. My choice is the cayman, but for the money I would go with the 370, but if you are going to wait, get the new 370z(rumors are that they are coming out with a turbo model)

[axmea?]

No doubt the driving experience will be great. It will be very responsive with excellent driver feel. To me the z was on par. Fit and finish is top shelf. This is where the Cayman leaves the z in the dust. No harsh sounds, no clunky tranny, it is perfect. Dont expect too much with interior comfort and entertainment, it is basic by my standards. What you dont get in driver amenities is more than made up by how well the car drives and how well it is put together. Was close to getting it but the maintenance cost was astronomical. I also looked at mods and it too was cost prohibitive. If you're after driver interaction and experience go for it. This car is awesome. Keep us posted will 'ya.

[Lug]

MSRP on the cheapest Cayman S is $62k. So the question isn't do you like it more than the Z...it's do you like it more than having two Z's.

[Minsu]

There r a couple 2008 caymans that r around 33k less than 20k miles

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[Mt Tam I am]

Originally Posted by Monzy

I have driven both. My choice is the cayman, but for the money I would go with the 370, but if you are going to wait, get the new 370z

but the 370 does well head to head at the track.

[m4a1mustang]

I tested both back in '09. I thought the Cayman S was the better car, but the Z was the better buy.

[bigsix]

This is a good comparison/review of the two cars:

motivemagazine.com - Motive Versus: Nissan 370Z vs. Porsche Cayman S

[lemon-fresh]

Originally Posted by Minsu

There r a couple 2008 caymans that r around 33k less than 20k miles

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And likely out of warranty. They are amazing cars, if you can afford to maintain them.

[bigsix]

In many ways, that's the beauty of a Japanese car: low-maintenance; and, rewarding because of that ^ ^ .

[Coon-azz]

Originally Posted by axmea?

... Was close to getting it but the maintenance cost was astronomical. I also looked at mods and it too was cost prohibitive. If you're after driver interaction and experience go for it. This car is awesome. Keep us posted will 'ya.

After drivig both, I agree on this. There is nothing like the Porsche, but look at the "total cost of ownership" over, say 5 years. The Porsche is very expensive. If $ is no issue, go for it. Although I'd buy used, something with low mileage where they other party already paid for the depreciation. I've seen them with less than 20,000 miles for under 35K. New, they are almost double that. The Z was my choice because of my longer drives now days, however, I'm still looking at the Cayman S some day; Just hate the cost of anything for it..... I'd do some research on it before you buy. Look at the cost of an oil change; as some Porshes are Oil cooled, meaning they take an entire case of oil. Price a case of full synthetic etc etc...

[Minsu]

Temptation slowly fading

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[Coon-azz]

Originally Posted by Minsu

Temptation slowly fading

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Dont give up on it if you really want to do it. The "value" of a car is really based on how YOU define it. If its about pure joy, then its the value you get from driving it. If its for basic transportation etc etc, then your definition of "Value" might be how long it lasts, or how low the up-keep might be. For me, the Z is not the most practicle car, but I spend about 3 hours a day commutting to/from work. After years of doing this, I've GOT to enjoy what I drive or I just can't do it. So for me, the "Value" is in the joy I receive from the car. Financially, any car other than a super car is the worst investment you will make. At the end of the day, the Z makes me smile when I drive it. Thats the "value" I get for my payment. If the Porsche is that for you, then go for it.
Here is some good advice my dad gave me when it comes to owning a Porsche. "If you have to worry about $, this car isn't for you."
Money doesn't roll down hill in my family, but I would say that its sound advice coming from a guy who bought a RR Phantom to retire in and a new Ferrari to store his golf clubs. (again, $ doens' roll down hill in my family-just FYI) He has owned just about every Porsche at one time or another.
As many times as I've test driven one, I just can't get past the cost of everything for it. Maybe someday I'll get one for Fridays or something. LOL...

[tonythetiger]

cayman is a really good car, handling is awesome. it all comes down to price, what u pay is what u get

[bvl]

Some decent points have been made, but overall if you can afford it I say go with the P Car.

I don't think the S is necessary either. The Cayman is lighter then the Z and will feel more agile.

I would not buy one new...CPO deals are out there to be had. We picked up a base 2007 lightly optioned with 14 K miles on it for 36K. Depending on time of year/haggling/location you could find a similar for 32-34K. I have seen plenty of 2007-2009 cars go for sub 40K.

You will get more value with the Z sure but after the initial depreciation hit, the Porsches look much more affordable. They had further to fall

Maintenance is actually pretty simple on Cayman/Boxsters and TCO is not that much different. Sure if something goes 'wrong' it will be more part for part on a german car then a Japanese car. Once out of warranty basic maintenance is easy to do if you are a home wrench and I plan to do it.

Example: synthetic oil change 1x year = about 200 from the porsche dealer (less if you BYO parts...say 160). My 2x synthetic changes for the Z cost me about 120/yr.

Would you be happy driving a Porsche over a Z for an added $80/yr in maintenance costs? I think you would

From a driving experience, the Cayman really bonds with the driver. I don't hate our Z at all: I truly enjoy it (its got more creature comforts) but if I had to pick only one unfortunately the Z would lose that contest.

- b