Everyday Cayman?
Discussion
Having run BMW 330d in various guises for the last 7 or 8 years I'm at the point of changing and was about to default to another one. The better half has just ordered a new Audi TT TDI, which led to messing about on various configurators and ultimately the Porsche one. I was taken aback that I could get into a new 718 2.0, albeit without it being loaded up with options, for pretty reasonable money (and no more than the TT).
For a while I was doing a lot of miles and the 330d is frankly brilliant at being a do it all car and told myself I'd only change it next time for an Alpina D3.
Now I don't do half as many miles. Very sorely tempted by a 718, 2.0, manual. The drive I expect to be exceptional given what it is, but any views on whether its appropriate as the daily hack, based in the countryside, 10-15k miles a year, usually with a good coating of grime. On the one hand, it seems a bit indulgent, but I could buy any number of conventional 4 seat alternatives at the price and not give it a thought. I don't need 4 seats.
Is it likely to lead to a world of pain using one 'normally' - MPG, servicing, sticking on winters over the cold season etc. Never run a Porsche before.
For a while I was doing a lot of miles and the 330d is frankly brilliant at being a do it all car and told myself I'd only change it next time for an Alpina D3.
Now I don't do half as many miles. Very sorely tempted by a 718, 2.0, manual. The drive I expect to be exceptional given what it is, but any views on whether its appropriate as the daily hack, based in the countryside, 10-15k miles a year, usually with a good coating of grime. On the one hand, it seems a bit indulgent, but I could buy any number of conventional 4 seat alternatives at the price and not give it a thought. I don't need 4 seats.
Is it likely to lead to a world of pain using one 'normally' - MPG, servicing, sticking on winters over the cold season etc. Never run a Porsche before.
I use my 2.0 718 as a DD and it's a great everyday car. You don't need to splash out on options but there are a few essentials if you intend to use it daily. There have been a few threads on this topic so have a search. Ultimately only you know which of the options are essential to you but sticking to the basics that are standard on lesser cars is a start.
Go for it.... loved my 981 Cayman GTS as a daily for nearly 3years.... if you don't need the rear seats, you simply can't beat a Cayman as one car to do it all... a new 718 will be a great thing for you as a new customer to the brand.
Car has great luggage space - combination of front and rear boots.... best in class road dynamics and superb performance. Can easily get couple hundred pound of grocery shopping in between them without resorting to passenger seat or foot well - as i regularly did.. you just get proficient at Tetris - lol
Great size for the UK - at least perceive size from the drivers seat.
Car has great luggage space - combination of front and rear boots.... best in class road dynamics and superb performance. Can easily get couple hundred pound of grocery shopping in between them without resorting to passenger seat or foot well - as i regularly did.. you just get proficient at Tetris - lol
Great size for the UK - at least perceive size from the drivers seat.
Edited by TDT on Tuesday 30th January 12:19
biggles330d said:
Comforting feedback indeed! Options I am interested in are entirely practical, I'm realistic enough to know it's more likely to be in the Sainsbury's car park than the pit lane... so, rear parking sensors, climate, heated seats, bose.
As everyone is saying - great as a daily - even go boose cruising in mine. I'd listen to Bose before splashing out - it's pretty rubbish on the 981.biggles330d said:
Comforting feedback indeed! Options I am interested in are entirely practical, I'm realistic enough to know it's more likely to be in the Sainsbury's car park than the pit lane... so, rear parking sensors, climate, heated seats, bose.
hope you will choose dynamic options which give the banana once u get to countrysidesWould echo the above comments. I used to run a 981 Cayman S on a reasonably daily basis. Bose not essential. It's inferior to the BMW Business Nav set up you've probably got in your Beemer and not a patch on BMW's Harmon Kardon set-up. The only thing worth pointing out for a daily is the tyre roar and general NVH levels are high relative to your Beemer which can make phone calls more difficult at motorway speeds if you're needing this for work. That's really about it on the negatives!
Otherwise, it's pretty much spot on. Service intervals are far apart and MPG is really decent. Easily over 30 MPG on a run.
Would recommend saving yourself a heap of cash and buy a lightly used well spec'd Cayman 2.7 manual or PDK for around £35k to £40k from a known specialist or an OPC. It's a serious amount of car for the money and there are no known major mechanical issues to worry about.
Good luck!
Otherwise, it's pretty much spot on. Service intervals are far apart and MPG is really decent. Easily over 30 MPG on a run.
Would recommend saving yourself a heap of cash and buy a lightly used well spec'd Cayman 2.7 manual or PDK for around £35k to £40k from a known specialist or an OPC. It's a serious amount of car for the money and there are no known major mechanical issues to worry about.
Good luck!
Heathrow said:
Would echo the above comments. I used to run a 981 Cayman S on a reasonably daily basis. Bose not essential. It's inferior to the BMW Business Nav set up you've probably got in your Beemer and not a patch on BMW's Harmon Kardon set-up. The only thing worth pointing out for a daily is the tyre roar and general NVH levels are high relative to your Beemer which can make phone calls more difficult at motorway speeds if you're needing this for work. That's really about it on the negatives!
Otherwise, it's pretty much spot on. Service intervals are far apart and MPG is really decent. Easily over 30 MPG on a run.
Would recommend saving yourself a heap of cash and buy a lightly used well spec'd Cayman 2.7 manual or PDK for around £35k to £40k from a known specialist or an OPC. It's a serious amount of car for the money and there are no known major mechanical issues to worry about.
Good luck!
Nice car though the 2.7 is, after the grunt of a 330D it's going to feel pretty weedy. Even a 3.4S, though faster on paper will still feel lacking in torque.Otherwise, it's pretty much spot on. Service intervals are far apart and MPG is really decent. Easily over 30 MPG on a run.
Would recommend saving yourself a heap of cash and buy a lightly used well spec'd Cayman 2.7 manual or PDK for around £35k to £40k from a known specialist or an OPC. It's a serious amount of car for the money and there are no known major mechanical issues to worry about.
Good luck!
bcr5784 said:
Nice car though the 2.7 is, after the grunt of a 330D it's going to feel pretty weedy. Even a 3.4S, though faster on paper will still feel lacking in torque.
That's not my experience of either engine. Grunt is an interesting word to use talking about the 330d, it's torquey but hardly a rocketship. As well as previously owning the 981 CS I have a lot of seat time in the latest 335d and 535d so feel well placed to comment on how those engines compare with the 981 Cayman. The 981 engines certainly need revs, but I would not describe the 3.4S as lacking in torque. The other factor is the 981 platform feels (and is, relatively speaking) lighter, compared with a saloon car. Yes, you have to drive it differently from a blown diesel, but that's a pretty obvious thing to point out. Clearly if OP wants the feeling on instant roll-on performance, then the 718 might be more suitable.As with anything subjective OP, worth trying out for yourself and see what suits your needs.
Heathrow said:
That's not my experience of either engine. Grunt is an interesting word to use talking about the 330d, it's torquey but hardly a rocketship. As well as previously owning the 981 CS I have a lot of seat time in the latest 335d and 535d so feel well placed to comment on how those engines compare with the 981 Cayman. The 981 engines certainly need revs, but I would not describe the 3.4S as lacking in torque. The other factor is the 981 platform feels (and is, relatively speaking) lighter, compared with a saloon car. Yes, you have to drive it differently from a blown diesel, but that's a pretty obvious thing to point out. Clearly if OP wants the feeling on instant roll-on performance, then the 718 might be more suitable.
As with anything subjective OP, worth trying out for yourself and see what suits your needs.
You can only say as you find - I've owned a 330D and now a 981S (and have driven a 2.7 and a 718) The 330D develops about twice the peak torque of the 2.7 engine 413vs 214ft pounds and 50% more than the 3.4S. Combine that with the fact that both Porsche engines have a hole in the torque curve between 2500 and 4000 rpm and the diesel is bound to feel much torquier. Of course that may not be a big issue to the OP who perhaps wants something different.As with anything subjective OP, worth trying out for yourself and see what suits your needs.
As Heathrow says trying lots of options can only be good.
One option that I think you'll definitely need if you are based in countryside is upgraded headlights. Either the upgraded bixenon lights of the LED's .
The standard lights on the 718 are not great, especially if driving on roads with no streetlights, which I assume you will be doing in the country.
I'm waiting for my GTS to arrive. Will be my DD and I'm coming out of a BMW435. No need for the extra 2 seats anymore and I have no reservations about the 718 being capable of being used as a DD.
The standard lights on the 718 are not great, especially if driving on roads with no streetlights, which I assume you will be doing in the country.
I'm waiting for my GTS to arrive. Will be my DD and I'm coming out of a BMW435. No need for the extra 2 seats anymore and I have no reservations about the 718 being capable of being used as a DD.
718 comes with Xenons as standard now I think. I actually find the base lights pretty good. What I would say coming from executive cars is the Cayman road noise on P-Zeros is quite noticeable and the ride is quite firm (I don't have PASM.) I switched to Goodyears and it made some improvement, but it is still slightly louder on the motorway than most execs I've driven. That said, for commuting as a DD the 718 is a great car and very little else can touch it for torquey acceleration.
jimbo761 said:
718 comes with Xenons as standard now I think. I actually find the base lights pretty good. What I would say coming from executive cars is the Cayman road noise on P-Zeros is quite noticeable and the ride is quite firm (I don't have PASM.) I switched to Goodyears and it made some improvement, but it is still slightly louder on the motorway than most execs I've driven. That said, for commuting as a DD the 718 is a great car and very little else can touch it for torquey acceleration.
Yeah the standard xenons are only 35w (not like the 55w equivalents on Bemmers or Mercs). So if you are doings a lot lane driving I would definitely upgrade to the xenons PDSL as a minimum. Also add the bigger fuel tank too - it's not standard on the base 718 :-(Gassing Station | Boxster/Cayman | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff