I'm fortunate enough to be shopping these two fine vehicles at the moment.
I would like to hear everyones input please. When you factor in the great lease deal Porsche is running right now on the base 991 (95K MSRP) and Cayman S ($82k MSRP) both are pretty similar on payment. With money aside. Which would you rather have or not have and why? Thanks for any answers! I appreciate your input.

991 Base Carrera VS 981 Cayman S

 

You would want the 991 in this case only if you have small kids that would need to use the back seats. Otherwise you could save some serious money and get comparable performance with the cayman s.

 

The seats in the 991 are more comfortable for larger-framed people like myself. I was shopping for a Cayman S and ended up ordering a Carrera S.

 

What's the residual value on each, 911F1?

ChuckJ

 

They're both beautiful cars and I'm sure you'd be happy with either one. Do the road-test thing before deciding.

 

Hi, I cannot speak to the newest cayman s. However I owned a 2007 cayman s for 3 years and then sold it. While it was a great car and fun to drive there is no comparison between it and my new 991.

I find the 991 smoother and more agreeable as a daily driver. I have 3 kids so they can all come along. I can stretch out more due to the room behind the seats and yes, I agree the seats are more comfortable.

Also there's something iconic about the 911 that doesn't exist (yet) with the cayman. Many people think the cayman should be priced in the 40's and its over priced in the 60's and up.

Finally, resale value. I got hammered in 09 when I sold it. 65k msrp and I got 36k for it. it had maybe 19k miles on it.

get the 911 is my advice. If you don't I think you will notice every 911 on the road and wonder "what if..."

 

This is a really tough question . I won't discuss the lease aspect because i have opently stated that the only way i will ever have a car in my garage is a cash purchase in full . Otherwise . No Car !! Or less expensive car !!

That said -I freel that the 911 is the icon yet the new Boxster/Cayman is a completely new species compared to the previous generations . In fact if I were to evalute the proportional improvements comparing a 997 to a 991 Vs the previous Cayman to the present car .. the Cayman would be the winner .

In fact I test drove a Boxster S and bought one . I am having an absolute blast with it !! Of course its not as fast as my Turbo but what a fun car to drive daily. Top up the cabin is as quiet as a coupe and top down it is a raw mid engine roadster .

I do not know what i would pick but am leaning towards the Cayman S because if you loaded up the 911 with all the options it would price near a 991S and for a 911 I feel the base car lacks power . What the Cayman lacks in power it makes up for in balance !!

Cayman S is my choice !!
Plus .. If "better looking" was any type of criteria in the choice I think the Cayman is gorgeous .

 

My previous P was a Boxster S. Bought it more with my brain than with my heart as everyone kept telling me it was almost as good as the 911 for half the price, no need to throw away all that money. Never really fell in love with it though. Always kept lusting after that 911. Honestly, you can rationalise it to death with numbers and stats, but in the end you have to face the music, the 911 is simply in another league for reasons that may sometimes even be intangible ! The 911 has been THE Porsche for 50 years now, it is safe to say it has it's status for a reason.
I LOVE my base 911 C2 !
(and don't let anyone tell you the base 911 is inferior)

 

Both are outstanding. But everyone who cares about cars and driving should own a 911 at least once!

 

The Cayman is the better sports car, but the 911 is the better all around car.

Regardless of whether you use the back seat for kids, the extra space back there really helps to open up the interior and make it less claustrophobic.

Personally, I went for the 911:
1) Rear seats, so I can drive around with my sons back there
2) Rear engine, which is just iconic and special
3) Legacy, as I grew up wanting a 911.

 

The previous Boxster S is not the same as the current car in any capacity (with the exception of the Boxster Spyder). In fact there is no comparison of the last Boxster to the previous 997 much less a 991 .

But the new Boxster/Cayman car is the real deal !!!

 

Look in your heart, do you want a 911? My heart said yes. I had a Cayman for 1 year, 9 months. For 1 year and 8 months I kept dreaming about a 911. The heart wants what it wants. Forget the specs or the power or the magazine reviews, both cars will be great. Follow your heart.

 

+1 Best advise. Forget the specs, just follow your heart

 

+2 good advice. Listen to your heart, not just what others said.

 

I'd say get a Boxster S and tune the hell out of it.