[girarcat]

Hi!
I'm considering getting a base Cayman as my daily driver. I don't want to focus this thread on whether or not the Cayman is practical as a DD. I've been daily driving a 2016 Miata for the last 3 years, and I'm totally fine with the lack of storage space and having only two seats. What troubles me is not the practicality of a two-seater sportscar but the huge number of miles I drive each year.
I also would like to state that I don't believe in "weekend cars". I want my cool car to be the one I drive everyday and everywhere. I don't want to have a boring dailydriver and leave my sportscar only for the odd Sunday morning ride.

With my Miata I'm currently driving like 20.000 miles per year, most of them on the highway to go to my workplace (never thought highway driving could be that fun!). The Miata is a very cheap car to run and the car itself is quite inexpensive, so I'm not worried about neither running costs nor about depreciation. However, with the 718 this might be completely different. Running costs are higher (not just because of fuel consumption, but also because of maintenance costs being much higher) and also because depreciation losses would also be greater, especially for a high mileage car (the marked is filled with low mileage units, so I guess it would be quite complicated to sell a high mileage one). I can't see why I would want to sell my Cayman in the near future (it has always been my dream car) but you never know how thinks will evolve, so I think depreciation is worth to be considered.

So the big question here: Would you sell the Miata and get the Cayman as your all-purpose car (my original intention) regardless of the huge amount of miles I drive each year, or would you try to get the Cayman and also keep the Miata and dailydrive both of them, in an attempt to split the 20.000 miles I drive each year between the two cars?


Maybe the most sensible solution would be to get the Cayman, sell the Miata and buy a cheap little car to go to work, but as I said I don't want the Cayman to be just my weekend car. Besides, my commuting drive involves a 120 miles trip on the highway to go back and forth to my workplace several days a week. I quite enjoy this trip with the Miata (and hopefully with the 718), don't really want to do this trip on a boring car. It would just become a pain.

Do you think 20.000 miles per year would ruin the Cayman? How do these cars cope with so many miles on them in terms of mechanical problems?

Thanks!

 

[dhc3]

If keeping both cars is an option, that might be a good solution. But if the reason you are into a Cayman is to drive the nice car everyday, then you have your answer. I think you have properly analyzed the situation in your initial post. A Porsche will stand up to everyday use; you do not 'ruin' the car by driving it. Be realistic in the fact that, yes, you will have increased costs. And maintenance and upkeep will be increased as the years go by. But so will your satisfaction from driving such a nice car. More smile per mile...

 

[Scubaregs]

I have a 718 and my work commute mileage is about 13,000 miles a year, my total about 20,000. I would not dream of putting 20,000 miles a year on the 718, especially on a motorway commute, it is quite simply madness. I do 12 hour shifts, 4 on 4 off and take the 718 to work on the last of the 4 shifts. This ensures it is being run regularly. If the winter is bad, I use the DD for all 4 shifts.

 

[girarcat]

If keeping both cars is an option, that might be a good solution. But if the reason you are into a Cayman is to drive the nice car everyday, then you have your answer. I think you have properly analyzed the situation in your initial post. A Porsche will stand up to everyday use; you do not 'ruin' the car by driving it. Be realistic in the fact that, yes, you will have increased costs. And maintenance and upkeep will be increased as the years go by. But so will your satisfaction from driving such a nice car. More smile per mile...

Keeping both cars is definitely an option, but selling the Miata would be helpful in order to get a better equipped Cayman.
BTW, I still consider the Miata as a nice car to drive, so commuting with it (and also with the 718) would be pleasant enough as compared to commuting on a cheap saloon car or SUV

 

[jimmuller]

It sounds to me like you want a fun car to drive but not drive it too much. You can't drive it and not drive it, if you take my meaning. FWIW, I bought my base Cayman to drive it. That includes to and from work. When my salesman asked how long I intended to keep it I said until it or I break.

The reason there are so many low-mileage cars on the market is some people trade them in for a new one because they bought it to keep it pristine and the absolute latest and greatest. There is the occasional discussion about how they lose value with accumulated miles, so you should sell it while it is still young. That strikes me as silly, as it would seem more expensive to replace one new-ish car with a new one than just to drive the one you own already.

 

[dreamer]

I dunno. It’s a car. A commodity to be bought and sold. Drive and enjoy. If money is an absolute factor then maybe it’s the wrong car for you. Depreciation be damned! It’s a German made car. It’s well built. It should be able to handle a bunch of miles.

 

[Mrrippry]

Use my car as a daily driver, do about 17K a year and smiles every single day. Im in NJ so dealing with all seasons. I got a second pair of wheels for the winter (18” with Dunlop’s) and 20” for the summer. Have owned over 20 cars, by far the best daily to have.

 

[Scubaregs]

The simple fact is the more you drive it, the more it depreciates and the more it costs in servicing, consumables etc. You can't have the best of both worlds, if you think that you may have to sell in the short term then you need to work out if you can take the hit depreciation wise.

 

[Sunny SF]

The simple fact is the more you drive it, the more it depreciates and the more it costs in servicing, consumables etc. You can't have the best of both worlds, if you think that you may have to sell in the short term then you need to work out if you can take the hit depreciation wise.

I agree with Scubaregs.

IMHO, sell the Miata, buy a Cayman with the right creature comforts that you need for a 20k commute. You have to be comfortable with maintenance cost that's 3-4 times more than your Miata, and depreciation. If you can't afford it, then don't do it.

 

[reiver]

Let's see I have 274, 768 miles on my 911 and I put 60k of those miles on it...10 k a year...I'll use the 718 as my daily driver and don't care about the miles....life is too short to drink cheap wine as they say....Porsche drivers are known for their high mileage cars as they are 'drivers' not collectors per say...I have no idea how Ferrari owners can drive their cars 17 miles per annum...

 

[GregW]

<snip>I have no idea how Ferrari owners can drive their cars 17 miles per annum...

That's the mileage for backing it out of the garage to show it off, and then back in at night.?

 

[reiver]

That's the mileage for backing it out of the garage to show it off, and then back in at night.?

I have a friend that collects at a very high level (150 cars) and there is a huge (quiet) lawsuit in the Ferrari world.
They pride themselves on owning low miles/mileage Ferrari's and a recent LaFerrari sale of a supposed low miles car had had its ODO adjusted....discovered when the computer miles for each gear did not add up to the overall miles. It appears someone at the Maranello factory may be complicit as they were the last to touch the vehicle...but who knows. Regardless....a non driving investment really.

 

[InTgr8r]

^ I've heard similar stories of Maranello authorising dealers to turn back mileage on demo cars when put up for sale.

 

[718Niko]

You want a Cayman and can afford it along with its running cost?

Get it! Its all that matters, life is way too short to not get a Cayman as a daily driver.

If you REALLY worry about depreciation, maybe get a second hand low milleage one, a Porsche Approved one for peace of mind.
You ll shave off a chunk of the loss.

 

[girarcat]

Thank you all for your honest answers. I was afraid driving 20.000 miles/year on a Cayman would be considered madness, but now I see it's perfectly feasible. I'm not actually that worried about running costs and depretiation (I had pondered it all before deciding to get a Porsche and deemed it acceptable, otherwise I would be looking somewhere else for a cheaper car). It's the car I've always wanted. Why should I sell it in the short/mid term? Fuel consumption is not that much higher than the Miata's (at least on the motorway at more or less legal speeds) and Servicing costs are 3 or 4 times greater, but they are not that high if you compare them to a BMW's, which is a car everyone would consider totally acceptable as a DD. (I myself dailydrived a BMW before the Miata).

Problem is I sort of felt "guilty" for putting so many miles on a Cayman and "ruin" it, or make the engine suffer too much. It may sound silly to you, but I think it's a cultural issue. In the UK and in Germany (and according to your comments I guess also in the US) it's quite normal to daily drive a sports car. However, in my country when you say you daily drive a Miata people think you are nuts. Exactly the same (or even worse) with a Cayman. However, it is quite normal to daily drive a BMW, Mercedes or even a Cayenne and no one would consider it weird. Most people who own sportscars tend to keep them only for the weekends and dailydrive a low-powered, super-boring, FWD SUV.

The only question is if I should dailydrive the Cayman 100% of the days (and get rid of the Miata), or dailydrive it only 50% of the days (which already means driving it quite often) and the other 50% use the Miata.

 

[JazzCatGab]

Lots of folks here have multiple cars and seem to enjoy how splitting the difference helps reinvigorate the unique quality of each. If you really like the Miata and recognize the Cayman will be significantly different, you could easily justify the sharing of both. From an old guy perspective, life is too friggin short to worry about almost anything. I'd keep them both for a while and see if their differences make you enjoy them both more.

 

[RussellHodgson]

It depends on your finances. If you would be worrying about depreciation and maintenance costs in the 718 then you should not get it. But if those items don't matter to you then should definintely get it and enjoy it.

 

[girarcat]

Lots of folks here have multiple cars and seem to enjoy how splitting the difference helps reinvigorate the unique quality of each. If you really like the Miata and recognize the Cayman will be significantly different, you could easily justify the sharing of both. From an old guy perspective, life is too friggin short to worry about almost anything. I'd keep them both for a while and see if their differences make you enjoy them both more.

That's probably the best move. Get the Porsche and keep the Miata for awhile. Time will tell if I really want to keep the Miata or if I'd be better off selling it and enjoying the Cayman full time.

It depends on your finances. If you would be worrying about depreciation and maintenance costs in the 718 then you should not get it. But if those items don't matter to you then should definintely get it and enjoy it.

It's not that I worry too much about depreciation/costs, but I always want to take everything into consideration and try to foresee every possible outcome and consequence. In other words, I think too much. It's a bloody sportscar. It's pointless to try and buy it with the head instead of the heart. ?


Jokes aside, regardless of running costs and depreciaton, some days, specially in summer, it might be interesting to drive the Miata or something worse to my workplace instead of the pristine brand-new Porsche, 'cause all sheltered parking lots tend to be occupied and then I'd have to leave the brand-new car under the blazing sun for the entire day.
So, for example if I'm on an early morning shift (still plenty of empty parking spaces) I could take the Porsche. If I'm on a mid-day shift (sheltered lots probably fully occupied) I would take the Miata.

 

[DriveInHouston]

...'cause all sheltered parking lots tend to be occupied and then I'd have to leave the brand-new car under the blazing sun for the entire day.
So, for example if I'm on an early morning shift (still plenty of empty parking spaces) I could take the Porsche. If I'm on a mid-day shift (sheltered lots probably fully occupied) I would take the Miata.

A car cover may help, if you are really worried about it.

 

[jimmuller]

The only question is if I should dailydrive the Cayman 100% of the days (and get rid of the Miata), or dailydrive it only 50% of the days (which already means driving it quite often) and the other 50% use the Miata.

Ah, the two-car question. Before I bought my Cayman I owned two British Triumphs, a Spitfire (a roadster) and a GT6 (a coupe). I had owned the Spitfire and driven it daily for 20 years before buying the GT6. Then I drove the GT6 for another 15 years. The problem was always, which one to drive "today". It turned out that I drove the GT6 most days and the Spitfire sat idle. Ultimately I might as well have sold the Spitfire. In a nutshell, I found I could drive only one at a time. Unless I really wanted one vs. the other the choice was always the same. Now I have only one choice and it's a great one.