[Miami Blue]

Hi All,

Been browsing this forum and it has been a great resource which is very helpful for prospective 718 buyers as well.

Started searching for a 981 CS and ended up finding a 2018 718 base which has been a service loaner (hence never titled). I have been offered approx 25% of MSRP. It has been a service loaner for about 6 months at a local dealership. Am about to pull the trigger after my conclusion that i won't miss the extra power of the 981 S if i chose the 718 base.

Any chance, that you guys can give me some added comments on this deal?

Thank you.

 

[johan]

Hi Miami Blue and Welcome to the Best 718 forum


I would Never (!) buy a car that has been a loaner, there is no telling how it has been driven.
The break in period is something thats importent........

 

[duegatti]

Is the service loaner . . . . Miami Blue?

 

[Miami Blue]

Thank you. Yes. it is a service loaner and CPO. warranty out to 2024.

My thoughts are to hang on to it for a 2-4 years ...and if not problematic, for much much longer. My gamble would be the service loaner abuse level.

No. Unfortunately not Miami Blue. I wish it was but my wife is not enamored with Miami Blue. This is white

 

[Basaltbox]

Hi Miami Blue and Welcome to the Best 718 forum


I would Never (!) buy a car that has been a loaner, there is no telling how it has been driven.
The break in period is something thats importent........

For me it would depend on how long I plan to keep it. If you shift cars regularly and will swap it before warranty is out then it sounds an ok deal.

For me, I keep cars 10 years plus hence my new BGTS will be new.

 

[Porsche2018]

@Miami Blue, how many miles on the 718? The engines on these cars are pretty solid so it should not be a big problem but, I have to say, I agree with @johan sentiments.

 

[Schredder]

I agree. I could have gotten a good deal on a used 911, but you just never know how the car was treated. But if you trust the dealership will keep it running great , then go for it.

 

[johan]

Does anybody knows if the G forces get stored even if the driver deletes them?
I know that they can see if the car has been redlined.

 

[Miami Blue]

@Miami Blue, how many miles on the 718? The engines on these cars are pretty solid so it should not be a big problem but, I have to say, I agree with @johan sentiments.

Thanks. it has 5500 miles. It is in great shape physically, i see no signs of abuse or wear and tear.

 

[Miami Blue]

Does anybody knows if the G forces get stored even if the driver deletes them?
I know that they can see if the car has been redlined.

That would be good to know. Technically, the 111 point CPO inspection is to catch issues, right?

 

[johan]

That would be good to know. Technically, the 111 point CPO inspection is to catch issues, right?

Wll you can always ask about the redline but i dont think that they check the g forces or if they even can if its deleted.
But 5500 miles means it officially broken in so then its Ok to take it up to redline and to have +1G on all directions.

 

[trusted]

CPO inspection is only as good as the dealership wants it to be. Also know that everyone who took that car out full throttled it to red line the first chance they got. I say that because that's what I do when I get a loaner. And I'm actually one that cares a little not to abuse them too much... imagine others...
So if it's the exact spec you want, the car has CPO warranty, is in good shape without paint or interior blemishes and you are ok with it having had a rough first 5500 miles I say go for it.

 

[Third]

I'm with Trusted. As long as there's no accident history, I see little if any risk given a warranty out to 2024. If it's spec'd the way you want it, it sounds like a good value. And if you sell or trade it in before the warranty expires, the first 5500 miles won't have mattered at all.

 

[Miami Blue]

I'm with Trusted. As long as there's no accident history, I see little if any risk given a warranty out to 2024. If it's spec'd the way you want it, it sounds like a good value. And if you sell or trade it in before the warranty expires, the first 5500 miles won't have mattered at all.

Thanks guys. I have been going back and forth of a new build or not as well. But 25% of MSRP is not small change. I appreciate all your inputs.

It is spec'd pretty much the way i want...maybe just the color but am fine with a clean slate to start off. Especially, since i think as a newbie to the Porsche line, i rather start with room to improve down the road i.e. if i want to step into S or GTS down the road built to my specs. My current thought process is that i will move along ( up or sideways ) in 2-4years..And if the car remains a great find, relegate it to a DD and get rid of my current DD. Thank you.

I will ask for the inspection checks as mentioned by Johan. Thanks Johan for your input.

 

[Rob G]

I would also highly recommend that you have them do an oil/filter change as part of the purchase. That way you can get some idea if there any unusual particulate issues and get rid of the factory break in oil. If you can be there for that you can see what it looks like. They should not have any problem doing that. Put it on the rack and do a good visual inspection yourself for peace of mind as well as that will allow you to get familiar with the under carriage. You will definitely want a copy of the inspection checklist. Enjoy your new ride!!

 

[OldJedi]

Like Rob said, get the maintenance history written on this car. Full warranty till 2024 gives you some peace of mind.

 

[ArchiProf]

After my BMW was destroyed by an uninsured driver, my spouse and I decided it was time to own another Porsche. The looks and performance of the Cayman put it at number one on the list. But we wanted to make sure the Cayman would meet our needs so before making the major purchase of a new one, we purchased a 2014 Cayman CPO from an out-of-state Porsche dealer. The plan was if we liked it, we would order a new one in 2018 (we did and we did).

The local dealer never hesitated to honor warranty claims and even contacted the other dealer for information on my wheel/tire warranty when I needed a new tire and did not have the papers with me. They also took care of several other warranty issues including warping door panels.

So, if the CPO car has most everything you want, I would go for it! Then if you like it as much as I believe you will, order a new one in the future with the exact specifications you want and discover you need or do not need after driving this one for a few years.

 

[Grozk17]

I used to hold the same opinion that I would never buy a loaner or off the lot that had miles on it "knowing that somehow it was not virginal and had been abused". 2 things have softened that opinion some (I have learned that one should "never say never"): a. 10 years ago I bought a BMW 135 (had been an unsold launch car that sat for a few months and then went into the service fleet for a few months). I owned it for 8 years and never had a single issue-zip, nada, etc. b. All the cars at Porsche Track School (AKA Porsche Driving School-Birmingham) go into the CPO fleet after a few thousand miles. And believe me they are not babied. All the instructors that I asked responded without hesitation that they would buy one of the former track cars. If something is going to break, it will be on the track.

(and they are not "broken in" in the factory recommendations. They get started up and run around for a couple of laps and then are "good to go". The TT 911 that we had for launch control practice had less than 1000 miles on it when 5 groups of 5 each did full throttle starts all morning-0-60 in 2.8 sec time and time again)

 

[Miami Blue]

Thank you all for your valuable input. I truly appreciate your comments. I will keep you posted of developments.

 

[mbern]

Just my $0.02 worth. I bought a 2018 cayman CPO service loaner in the summer. 2,400 miles and good discount but not as good as yours. With 5 years, 8 months unlimited mileage warranty, PDK, and no sport chrono. That means no launch control.

Look at the back tires and check tread depth. If they look good, buy it.

This was a stretch buy for me so I justified the purchase based on loving the car, the price and warranty.