[EyeMD1]

Anyone here every buy or lease a base Cayman with no extra options, except maybe PDK? Any regrets on options you wish you had gotten?

The lease on my Jaguar F-type will be up in December 2020 and I'm considering a Cayman. My husband had a Miami Blue 718 Cayman with a MSRP around 75,000 and a monthly lease payment of $1100/month (don't remember how much was put down, it was a 36 month lease with 10K miles a year). The car had a lot extra options that I realize weren't needed (starting with the $2,580 extra for the color lol). I really miss the car, but not the payments. I figure if I keep the MSRP under $65,000, I should be able to pay significantly less per month. I live in South Florida where deals are hard to come by because demand is usually high.

 

[EuroKip]

Ordered my base with pdk No chrono. No regrets. Added money for sport seats ( no power ) and leather and Bose.
Did not upgrade wheels for crazy money either. msrp around $65k

Lease deals seem steep on Porsche. Did a purchase. Check out other brands for a lease deal on your msrp and you’ll know.

 

[jimmuller]

It's hard to say which options aren't so optional. I took my car off the lot and it came with several, a few of which I would not have ordered. However many of what it did have I'd consider essential. It's a base Cayman with no Sports Chrono, no PSE, no suspension upgrade, no PTV, no rear wiper. No multi-function steering wheel, which I'd rather not have anyway. It has PDK, whch I really like though I've spent most of my drving life with manual gearboxes. It has PDLS which I consider an essential upgrade over the base lights. It has the Bose sound system which is also very nice. The 14-way power seats let my wife find her perfect seating adjustments and the ergonomic memory package means someone else can drive my car and I never lose my own settings. Porsche Connect means CarPlay is available, essential for some trips in unknown areas. I wouldn't necessarily haven't paid extra for special paint though I like the Rhodium Silver it has. Same with 20" wheels. But everyone has their own essentials list. The real point being that you have to decide for yourself which options aren't so optinal.

 

[EyeMD1]

Ordered my base with pdk No chrono. No regrets. Added money for sport seats ( no power ) and leather and Bose.
Did not upgrade wheels for crazy money either. msrp around $65k

Lease deals seem steep on Porsche. Did a purchase. Check out other brands for a lease deal on your msrp and you’ll know.

Thank you for your reply. similar cars like the BMW Z4 and Jaguar F-type definitely lease better at the same MSRP. But, lets face it, nothing drives like a Porsche. I may end up purchasing a previously owned Porsche cayman as that is probably the financially smart way to go, even though I have always gotten new cars.

 

[LongRanger]

My base Cayman has PDK, 19” wheels, and a heated multi-function steering wheel, and that’s it. Nothing else. However, for me, the most important feature is its CPO warranty. That’s huge value to me.

 

[Third]

Anyone here every buy or lease a base Cayman with no extra options, except maybe PDK? Any regrets on options you wish you had gotten?

The lease on my Jaguar F-type will be up in December 2020 and I'm considering a Cayman. My husband had a Miami Blue 718 Cayman with a MSRP around 75,000 and a monthly lease payment of $1100/month (don't remember how much was put down, it was a 36 month lease with 10K miles a year). The car had a lot extra options that I realize weren't needed (starting with the $2,580 extra for the color lol). I really miss the car, but not the payments. I figure if I keep the MSRP under $65,000, I should be able to pay significantly less per month. I live in South Florida where deals are hard to come by because demand is usually high.

If I had a budget of $65K (MSRP) for a Cayman with PDK, here's what options I'd add: (The Porsche Code)

Automatic Climate Control - as crazy as it may sound, this is one option I would not do without. (My first Cayman did not have this feature. I will not make that mistake again. Always happy to elaborate.)
Bose Sound System - with all the time we spend in cars, a good sound system is too important.
Multifunction Steering Wheel - PCM controls are cramped behind the shifter. The multifunction wheel is a good workaround.
Adaptive Sport Seats - of course this is a personal choice, but I find this seat far more comfortable/supportive than the standard seat. I've owned both.

While I consider those four options as necessary creature comforts for daily driving, there are several others I insisted on for myself but that fall in performance or aesthetics categories. I've left them out for that reason.

Getting a used/CPO'd car is definitely where the value is. I have found that no car owners take care of their cars better than Porsche owners. Most are babied to death, and in fact are barely driven, but they still depreciate just as fast.

Good luck!

 

[CaymanMatt]

If I had a budget of $65K (MSRP) for a Cayman with PDK, here's what options I'd add: (The Porsche Code)

Automatic Climate Control - as crazy as it may sound, this is one option I would not do without. (My first Cayman did not have this feature. I will not make that mistake again. Always happy to elaborate.)
Bose Sound System - with all the time we spend in cars, a good sound system is too important.
Multifunction Steering Wheel - PCM controls are cramped behind the shifter. The multifunction wheel is a good workaround.
Adaptive Sport Seats - of course this is a personal choice, but I find this seat far more comfortable/supportive than the standard seat. I've owned both.

While I consider those four options as necessary creature comforts for daily driving, there are several others I insisted on for myself but that fall in performance or aesthetics categories. I've left them out for that reason.

Getting a used/CPO'd car is definitely where the value is. I have found that no car owners take care of their cars better than Porsche owners. Most are babied to death, and in fact are barely driven, but they still depreciate just as fast.

Good luck!

I'll add one more - instrument panel dials in White. The tachometer essentially disappears during the day in almost any condition, particularly with sunglasses on, because there is no backlighting until the headlights turn on. Unfortunately, the color Porsche chose for this dial just makes it worse. The net of it is that you get to drive your high performance sport car by feel.
BTW, the only way around this is to run with the headlights on all the time.

 

[jimmuller]

I'll add one more - instrument panel dials in White. The tachometer essentially disappears during the day in almost any condition, particularly with sunglasses on, because there is no backlighting until the headlights turn on.

Matt, you have that problem only because you live north of the acrtic circle.😀 Or you wear those funny sunglasses. Seriously though, I never have that problem. But then, I have the PDK so I rarely have to look at the tach (though I do fairly often anyway). When I'm pushing the car hard enough for it to matter I can't take my eyes off the road.

 

[Third]

Matt, you have that problem only because you live north of the acrtic circle.😀 Or you wear those funny sunglasses. Seriously though, I never have that problem. But then, I have the PDK so I rarely have to look at the tach (though I do fairly often anyway). When I'm pushing the car hard enough for it to matter I can't take my eyes off the road.

I have to agree with Jim here. I have never had any trouble seeing my black tach, day or night, lights on or off. I'm curious Matt, since all that really matters is seeing the needle itself and since its color doesn't change, I assume you have an easier time seeing it against a white background compared to black? Is that the situation?

 

[CaymanMatt]

Matt, you have that problem only because you live north of the acrtic circle.😀 Or you wear those funny sunglasses. Seriously though, I never have that problem. But then, I have the PDK so I rarely have to look at the tach (though I do fairly often anyway). When I'm pushing the car hard enough for it to matter I can't take my eyes off the road.

Jim:

If this is the only cost of being north of the Arctic circle, I'm willing to pay it!

I find it interesting that there are a number of owners who have no issue & others who like me do. Maybe it's all to do with colorblindness and/or age. What color are your tach/speedo? I know that gauge colors depend on model. Our CGTS has black/dark gauges with red or orange pointer & numbers. That combo is horrible I think, particularly for those of us who are color blind. BTW, I don't consider colorblindness as an excuse for Porsche. 4% or so of the population have that deficiency and they should consider that in engineering decisions. I will say that I can sometimes sort of see the pointer at times. I unfortunately can never see the numbers except at night & in reality can't ever visibly tell where the redline is. I know from reading what the value is but I would never be able to tell while driving.

Third:
Basically the tach is a black hole under most circumstances. If I focus on that region, I can see the pointer/numbers. However, that's not really something I want to do while driving backroads & switchbacks. So, yes, contrast is king. White needle against black dial, black needle against white dial, etc. You could generically say dark against very light or vice versa is best. I also have 64 yo eyes so maybe that has something to do with it also. However, considering the average age of Porsche ownership, I would consider that a required consideration for Porsche!

Back to my basic belief: back lighting should be selectable for all modes at any time. Headlights on, or headlights off - it doesn't matter. If it helps the driver to be able to select that, then it should be selectable. It is ridiculous, in my opinion, that when every Honda/Subaru/Toyota and probably Chevy/Ford/FCA/etc car available has backlit gauges that Porsche does not. JMHO.

When we configured our car, our SA convinced us that we didn't need the white gauges. That for me was a big mistake that I will rectify the next time. Either that or spend some money some day to have the gauge colors changed.

MOO

 

[Third]

Jim:

If this is the only cost of being north of the Arctic circle, I'm willing to pay it!

I find it interesting that there are a number of owners who have no issue & others who like me do. Maybe it's all to do with colorblindness and/or age. What color are your tach/speedo? I know that gauge colors depend on model. Our CGTS has black/dark gauges with red or orange pointer & numbers. That combo is horrible I think, particularly for those of us who are color blind. BTW, I don't consider colorblindness as an excuse for Porsche. 4% or so of the population have that deficiency and they should consider that in engineering decisions. I will say that I can sometimes sort of see the pointer at times. I unfortunately can never see the numbers except at night & in reality can't ever visibly tell where the redline is. I know from reading what the value is but I would never be able to tell while driving.

Third:
Basically the tach is a black hole under most circumstances. If I focus on that region, I can see the pointer/numbers. However, that's not really something I want to do while driving backroads & switchbacks. So, yes, contrast is king. White needle against black dial, black needle against white dial, etc. You could generically say dark against very light or vice versa is best. I also have 64 yo eyes so maybe that has something to do with it also. However, considering the average age of Porsche ownership, I would consider that a required consideration for Porsche!

Back to my basic belief: back lighting should be selectable for all modes at any time. Headlights on, or headlights off - it doesn't matter. If it helps the driver to be able to select that, then it should be selectable. It is ridiculous, in my opinion, that when every Honda/Subaru/Toyota and probably Chevy/Ford/FCA/etc car available has backlit gauges that Porsche does not. JMHO.

When we configured our car, our SA convinced us that we didn't need the white gauges. That for me was a big mistake that I will rectify the next time. Either that or spend some money some day to have the gauge colors changed.

MOO

Even though I don't have the issue, I completely understand your frustration. In fact I have my own issues with some of the car's ergonomics that I know others don't share. We're all just different enough that perhaps that's the silver lining in Porsche's infinitely long (and expensive!) options list!

 

[DriveInHouston]

Disappointments in descending order.

Invisible dark gray dial faces. (Especially in the Houston sunlight)

Voice Control/PCM/Nav philosophy. The whole PCM interface is dismal.

CarPlay implementation leaves something to be desired...

 

[Third]

Disappointments in descending order.

Invisible dark gray dial faces. (Especially in the Houston sunlight)

Voice Control/PCM/Nav philosophy. The whole PCM interface is dismal.

CarPlay implementation leaves something to be desired...

I agree, the PCM interface is atrocious. I always say, if it didn't come with a Porsche attached to it, I wouldn't own it!

 

[craig66]

Asking about options is like discussing which flavor is the best ice cream flavor. Everyone has their own idea of what is needed, a luxury, and unnecessary.

I can only tell you that I consider my car a "stripper" and others might consider it loaded. I did not choose the options but for the most part if I had I would have ordered all that I have.

I think the sports plus seats are great in a sports car but got the 4 way not the 18 way
I am in NJ and so heated seats and heated steering wheel is a must as I drive it in the winter
I dont like hot air blowing on me but I like to be warm and so the dual zone climate allows me to blast the empty passenger seat with 75 degree heat while my seats gets a 68 - 70 degree air stream and so the car stays warm in the winter.
I got PDLS (not plus) and I think that is something which I would have forgone had I chosen myself
I also got PDK and dont regret for a second even though I love manual shifting

I did not get the S, PASM or SC and again have so muchg fun in my car I cant imagine any of those would add significantly to MY fun.

Again I consider it a stripper as i has only what I need. others would consider it loaded

 

[garethmat]

Like others have said, it ultimately comes down to personal preferences and what you value most within your budget limitations, which will vary a lot from person to person. For what its worth though, I personally really like the following:

• Sports Chrono pack and the steering wheel mounted driving mode selector this brings,
• Extended leather really lifts the perception of luxury vs entry level
• 20inch alloys are not for everyone (depending on local road surfaces etc) but really set the car off
• PDSL+ works really well, but even more, the aesthetics of the LED headlights make the car look more futuristic (in my opinion) and I think it will age better as a result, although equally I've heard others on the forum prefer the standard headlight look.
• PDK if its a daily driver (perhaps MT if its a weekend machine)
• Dual zone, automatic AC - Almost everyone that doesn't have this option appears to regret it. Should be standard on cars at this price, but hey, that's Porsche for you.
• Bose stereo - My car is the only place I listen to music so I consider this a must. Quality is reasonable enough unless you are an audiophile (although the small cabin of a 718 will never provide ideal conditions regardless of how much you spend on your car hifi).

I have other options, but these are the ones I would really miss if I didn't have them... Hope it helps!

 

[jimmuller]

I completely forgot the dual zone automatic climate control. I have it and it seems like such an integral part of the car I have a hard time remembering it as an option. My sweetie really likes having her own temperature setting. I frequently push some button, typically to turn down the blower speed a notch, and that overrides its automaticity for that feature while everything else stays automatic. I can't image having this car without it. But if you don't often have a passenger with, um, differing opinions on the ideal temperature, then it would be less valuable to you.

 

[garethmat]

I completely forgot the dual zone automatic climate control. I have it and it seems like such an integral part of the car I have a hard time remembering it as an option. My sweetie really likes having her own temperature setting. I frequently push some button, typically to turn down the blower speed a notch, and that overrides its automaticity for that feature while everything else stays automatic. I can't image having this car without it. But if you don't often have a passenger with, um, differing opinions on the ideal temperature, then it would be less valuable to you.

Yes, totally agree, although I would go one step further and say that even if you are the only person ever in the car, it provides two important additional benefits over and above the dual zone funtion: 1. Its thermostatically controlled automatic AC... I believe the standard A/C, doesn't allow you to set it to a particular temp and leave it, so you would be frequently fiddling with it. 2. the button layout is much more user friendly with the dual zone setup (or so I've been told). All in all, it feels like an item that should be standard in the year 2020 but Porsche treat it like an 'extra'. I think it would be a false economy to not spec it and may even hurt future resale values or desirability.

 

[Third]

Yes, totally agree, although I would go one step further and say that even if you are the only person ever in the car, it provides two important additional benefits over and above the dual zone funtion: 1. Its thermostatically controlled automatic AC... I believe the standard A/C, doesn't allow you to set it to a particular temp and leave it, so you would be frequently fiddling with it. 2. the button layout is much more user friendly with the dual zone setup (or so I've been told). All in all, it feels like an item that should be standard in the year 2020 but Porsche treat it like an 'extra'. I think it would be a false economy to not spec it and may even hurt future resale values or desirability.

I TOTALLY agree with the above two posters! So much so that auto climate control is FIRST on my list of must-haves as I noted above. And I agree it doesn't matter whether you have a passenger or not. I owned a Cayman without this feature and found myself forever adjusting the temperature controls. Crazy that it's not standard equipment.

 

[jimmuller]

And I agree it doesn't matter whether you have a passenger or not. I owned a Cayman without this feature and found myself forever adjusting the temperature controls.

Is a passenger an optionable feature on the configurator? Is there a warranty or upgrade option?

 

[garethmat]

Is a passenger an optionable feature on the configurator? Is there a warranty or upgrade option?

Yes, but its more expensive than the car itself