Porsche Cayman (2005 – 2013) Review

Porsche Cayman (2005 – 2013) At A Glance

5/5

+Superbly balanced and agile with amazing grip. Relatively refined and comfortable enough for everyday use. Available with double-clutch PDK gearbox.

-More expensive than an equivalent Boxster. Standard equipment levels are far from generous.

Insurance Groups are between 42–44
On average it achieves 90% of the official MPG figure

While Porsche may be well known for its iconic 911 Carrera models, there is a smaller hard top coupe in the range - the superb Cayman. Based on the Boxster it's quite simply the best handling car on the market with amazing poise, great grip and surging performance. Some may say the 911 is still the 'true' Porsche, but even that doesn't drive as well as the Cayman.

It's helped by the fact it is mid-engined, which means perfect balance in all conditions, while the steering is incredibly accurate. This makes the Cayman a hugely enjoyable car to drive with a real feelgood factor from behind the wheel. There are two models - the standard Cayman and the more powerful Cayman S - both powered by characterful straight-six 'boxer' engines which have a delightful engine note.

In 2009 the model was revised with some subtle styling tweaks. The big changes were reserved for the engines with two new more powerful units delivering faster acceleration times and improved fuel economy. This not only makes the Cayman range even better but helps differentiate it from the Boxster. There's also a new dual-clutch PDK gearbox which offers amazingly rapid gearchanges, so much so that it's quicker from 0-62mph than the standard manual.

But just because this is a sports coupe, it doesn't mean it's not useable everyday. The ride is firm as you'd expect, but copes pretty well on most roads plus it's surprisingly practical inside with a large luggage area in the front and a comfortable cabin. The interior is superbly constructed with a purposeful but sophisticated feel.

Where the Cayman comes into its own is on the open road where you can enjoy the great performance available and appreciate how well it handles. Few cars feels as special as the Cayman and although standard equipment levels aren't exactly generous, it's still well priced compared to the competition. There's a huge range of options available too which means you can really go to town and customise your Cayman.

Porsche Cayman R 2011 Road Test 

Real MPG average for a Porsche Cayman (2005 – 2013)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

90%

Real MPG

20–34 mpg

MPGs submitted

98

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Ask Honest John

Is it best to buy a car with a low mileage and older - or a newer car with average mileage?

"My dilemma is, should I buy a Cayman with 18,000 miles on the clock that is a 2009 model or a 2011 model with 40,000 miles on the clock? "
Even though that doesn't get you the current Cayman model (from 2013), I'd still go for the newer, higher mileage car because the older car is still an older car, more prone to problems and worth less.
Answered by Honest John

Servicing my Porsche Cayman S?

"My 2010 Porsche Cayman S has covered 17600 miles since new and is due it's second service next month, however due to commitments it has only covered 1100 miles since the last service in June 2012, would you recommend a full or partial service?"
A full service, of course. Every car needs an oil and filter change at least every year or every 10,000 miles whichever comes first because the oil can become contaminated. Don't mess about with a Porsche. A new engine is the wrong side of £12,000. Have the brake fluid tested too. That may also need replacing.
Answered by Honest John

Which high-performance sports car should I buy?

"I am a pensioner and have a budget of around £50,000 to treat myself to a 'fun' car before I am finally too old to enjoy driving. I have owned many high-performance cars in the past and I shall keep my Audi A3 3.2 Quattro for everyday use. My shortlist, all of which I have driven and would purchase from a main dealer with an appropriate used car warranty, comprises: Bentley Continental GT, Audi R8 V8 Coupe (manual) or the Porsche Cayman S (PDK or manual), but not the newly announced model. My annual mileage in the car would not exceed 4000. What do you think? "
The Audi R8 V8 manual if the money stretches to it, but they can be quite high maintenance. An RS4 certainly is. Or the new model manual Porsche Boxster S that has much better ride quality than the previous Boxster. For a fun car, a convertible makes more sense. And a Boxster has two boots, front and back, so is a better tourer than the new Jaguar F-Type that doesn’t have a lot of luggage space.
Answered by Honest John

Should my Porsche be fixed under warranty?

"My 2010 Porsche Cayman S will be three years old in several days time and so earlier this week I had JCT600 in Newcastle carry out an 'end of warranty check' and give it an MOT. While it was in the garage I asked them to inspect the foot brakes as when on an incline the calipers did not release for at least 2 - 3 seconds after I had taken my foot off the brake pedal. JCT600 did not investigate the specific problem but simply stated that they had carried out a brake efficiency test and that everything was OK - should I return the vehicle to JCT and insist that they rectify?"
This is probably caused by a build up of brake dust on the calliper pins, and cleaning them up would be a service item at cost to you rather than a warranty item. Simply giving them a blast with an air hose might get some of the muck off.
Answered by Honest John
More Questions

What does a Porsche Cayman (2005 – 2013) cost?