How is each one equipped? . No personal experience with the base Cayman or 05 base Carrera. but i would have to base any conjecture on my part on how each is equipped. You obviously have experience of your own with the Gen 1 Cayman. Good luck with your "new" purchase.......

 

My dad has an 06 carrera convertible. Only real options are bose and NAV. I have an o6 cayman S with sport chrono/sport package and 19 inch rims. Id have to say the over all driving experience is far more enjoyable in my cayman. In terms of pure acceleration when I turn the sport function on I really feel the cayman feels like it has more "umph" but I know the actual numbers side with the carerra. As a cruising car i will say the 911 feels a little more solid on the highway. On windy roads cayman I feel handles better. I guess the decision really is based on what you plan on doing with the car. I know for a fact I can put more groceries in the cayman and i have easily put two golf bags in the back!!

 

I don't think you could go wrong with either. Drive them back to back and you should have a better idea. I did think the carrera felt more planted in the back and that was with just cruising around town, but it also felt heavier. I think the interior is much nicer on the gen2 cars, especially if it has full leather and those two diagonal strips of stitching next to the SC. Exterior is personal preference but for me only one spoke to my heart!!!

 

Might be time for you to try a 911?

 

I would test drive both back to back and then decide. Realistically they are both great cars and you're not settling with either one but you need to decide if you like how the mid engine feels vs the rear engine.

I personally have always been enamored by a mid engine car and boat. It's like the rest of the car pivots around the engine, hard to explain unless you've pushed one through a corner.

 

I wouldn't make the assumption that the Cayman is more fun. The 997 has a lot more power than an '09 2.9L. The gearing is also numerically higher in the 911, making it feel even more responsive than the power difference would lead you to believe.

Handling is a mixed bag. The rear suspension in a 997 is more sophisticated, and you can feel that, but the combination of >60% of the weight on the rear wheels combined with a very short wheelbase can make the 997 dip and bob like a porpoise on some roads. On smooth roads it is difficult to tell the difference. The 997 also has more snout than the Cayman, and it doesn't like some driveways (like mine).

FWIW, I think the Cayman is better looking.

One of the let-downs about the 997 is that the interior is nearly identical to Cayman, save the shape of the instrument area of the dash, and the inclusion of two gauges. For a car that is so much more expensive you would think you'd get better materials, more style, etc. Also, the rear seats in a 911 are just dumb, in my mind. The Cayman, with secure front and rear storage, also strikes me as more practical, especially for trips.

A lot would depend on the 997's condition, mileage, and options. Can you give us more information?

 

blueone brings up a good point about the interior. I've heard from several dealers that Porsche has a much bigger margin with the 911 as compared to the Boxster/Cayman. Makes sense considering the engine and interior are so similar.

 

Many base Carreras are sold with 19" wheels, but no PASM, which makes the ride murder.
I'd go for the Carrera S-19"'s and PASM standard-that's the sweet spot!

Carrera has no blind spots and a touch more legroom than the Cayman.

 

I like the build quality of my Gen 2 Cayman over that of my 997.1 Coupe and 997.1 Cab, both MY 2005.

 

Like others have said you need to drive both back to back and then wait a day or 2 and do it again. My first Porsche was a 2010 Cayman S. Had gone in to buy a 911S and placed my order for a very high spec Cayman. 9 months later placed an even higher spec order for a 2011 911S For me the 911 is my favorite of the 2. Do not get me wrong love Caymans but for me i like the heavier feel of my 911 and after driving her now since August I take twisty roads just like I did in my Cayman. The old stories of losing your back end does not happen that easy any more. My salesman told me to trust the car and you would have to do something really stupid to lose the back end. I have taken turns at 80 mpg without any issues. Interior is beautiful in my car since it is full leather. As far as not having the rear trunk,with the seats folded down in the back I can get as much in my 911 as I did in my Cayman. Again both cars are awesome. For me the 911 is so classic and I still like the looks of it the best. Good luck and enjoy either way!

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm going to book a test drive of both.

 

Good to hear, let us know what you think .

Out of those 2 options I'd go with the 997 for Deschodts resoning here:

Torque *is* nice...Right now I'd buy an S of anything even if it means buying used, vs a new non-S. Or in that case a 3.6L vs, a 2.9... Just my experience after owning several P-cars over the years.
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If you don't have to get the car today, why not wait until a 987.2S or 997S are in your target price bracket?

 

For the Carrera: it's more powerful. The back seat is nice to have on occasion.
Against: it's an 05, ergo has the old engine design, the 09 Cayman has the potentially more reliable motor without RMS issues and all that good stuff...

Personally, I think the 997 is more "car" for the money and already more depreciated, ergo a better deal (vs, a BASE Cayman). But it really comes down to driving. That said, as much as I like the Cayman handling, I don't see myself driving a 320+hp 997 and then picking a 260 Hp Cayman (with a *lot* less torque). Forget Hp, I bought 2 base boxsters before I stopped the denial and got a CS. Torque *is* nice...Right now I'd buy an S of anything even if it means buying used, vs a new non-S. Or in that case a 3.6L vs, a 2.9... Just my experience after owning several P-cars over the years.

PS: on the driving feel, I'm equally unhelpful ;-) The Mid engine has nicer turn in and feels better to the apex of a turn, the rear engine car feels awesome coming out of a corner (from the apex to the exit). Both are very cool sensations..

 

I'd prefer the Cayman S, but if I needed the extra seats I guess the Carrera would be the way to go. I don't really see those two models as competing for the same audience.

 

I have a base Carrera 05 with 19 inch wheels and standard suspension - a pleasure to drive on the road or on the track ! Considering the performance of both cars, I would always go for the base carrera. I would have a much different view, if we are talking about a base carrera 05 vs. a cayman S 09...then, it would be a matter how one feels "settled" in either car. For a DD, I guess, it would also be a question of whether one wants a little bit of a more roomy feeling in the back (like in the carrera) or one prefers the nice luggage space in the back of the cayman....both are fantastic cars, but performance-wise, the base carrera is way ahead to the base cayman.
...my 2 cts...

 

You can't make a bad choice here. As others have said, drive both and then decide.

 

I think you should read this:

http://www.planet-9.com/auto-blog-f...umormill-next-gen-porsche-gt3-ditch-manual-transmission-rear-engine-layout.html

 

My opinion is that the Cayman is more of a sports car with two seats, mid-engine, and light weight. The 911 is more of a GT car, heavier, four seats, more HP, but doesn't handle as well.

What do you want, a sports car or a GT cruiser?

 

The exterior design of the Cayman is more sleek, and attractive to the eye, than any 911 car IMO. I myself would never own (and have never owned) a rear engine car.

 

Just traded in my 2009 (bought in 2008) Carrera Cab for a 2011 non-S Cayman. The Cayman is much more fun, and the PDK performs better in the Cayman. My Carrera was one of the earliest models with PDK and perhaps the technology has been refined or perfected by 2011. With the Carrera, sport mode was always engaged, otherwise it drove like a sedan. The non-S Cayman in non-sport, automatic, PDK mode behaves like sport mode in the Carrera. I am loving this car!

 

Test drove a used C4 Tuesday night, was thinking of trading. After a long test drive, handed the keys back and kept the better-feeling car...

 

UPDATE: Just test drove 997. I like the Cayman more. :banana:

 

I'm superficial, its all about the hips. Cayman has the best looking hips out there. In a beauty contest, the 997 can't beat the Cayman's curves.

 

I thought I was in the market for a Carrera. I drove two beautiful, low milage Carreras. They were both great cars . . . no doubt about it. They were both within my price range. I came away with my second base Cayman. :cheers:

 

When I drove my friends 911 C2 right after a base Cayman 2008 and 2009 I knew I had to wait for the Cayman S. Drive them back to back.

Andrew

 

They are about the same weight, but the 911 adds 50 hp and a bit of torque over the Cayman. Is that WAY more exciting? No. Noticeable? Yes, especially on the track. Worth it? I don't know. One probably needs to consider the other differences, such as engine layout, handling, size, practicality, styling and how often one will track the car. I would not trade my Cayman for anything less than a current generation Carrera S. Unless I intended to track it more often than I do, in which case I'd probably opt for the R.

So hawc, what did you end up with?

 

The payments on the 911 would make it more exciting.