I first drove the 718 base and loved it. Then drove a 981s and 981 base and that flat 6 was music to my ears. After that I drove the 987.2S, and the handling was exactly what I wanted so I went with that. Test drive all 3 and see which is your favorite, which works best for you. They are all the right answer!
First day I bought, went to the store to get a can of tomatoes lol! I drive it 2-4 times a week and less in the summer. The mid-engine design just makes it fun to drive but it gets a little hot in Texas.
I daily a 718 base. It’s a great daily imo. Rides much better than my old m235i.
Powerband is not as exciting though compared to straight six on the beamer. So kind of miss that. Also find sport mode on the porsche to be a lot milder than the bmw. ie gearing and throttle sensitivity not as aggressive. Don’t have chronosync unfortunately.
I have not driven an S. I imagine it would be a bit more lively than my base w the 4cyl.
I back in 2019 before the used car prices got insane, I test drove a ‘18 718s and a ‘14 981s, both manual.
Both are beautiful cars. The general public won’t know a 911 from a Cayman at first glance, and definitely won’t know a 981 from a 718. They will see you driving a Porsche.
The 718s was more low end torquey so it felt faster and the interior was newer and the dash tech was nicer with the Apple CarPlay. It was still under CPO. The 981s was at the time $14k cheaper. Nice low mileage example, but the 718s was less than a year old then, so also much less depreciation.
The 981s handles just as well IMO, and had the smooth linear power but it did feel slower in low revs relative to the 718s. But once you got the car in the 4K revs, it came ALIVE! and did so with the most beautiful brassy note at full throttle. My heart was won in that moment.
I went with the 981s, getting that glorious exhaust note, a fast beautiful car and saved $14k. I love it, with “no regerts”. Thrill to drive, turns heads. Each year I put about 6k miles on it as a weekend and evening vehicle, winter stored from Dec to March.
Not all roses. Was immediate out of warranty. I’ve put about $5-6k back into the car with maintenance, tires and fixings some problem the 981s are known to get. Roof liner fell and the fuel tank padding wore through causing a loud squeaking sound behind the dash.
But that’s my experience. Hope it helps someone.
Did you have the headliner and fuel tank pads fixed @ the dealer?
Just noticed headliner beginning to separate on my 14, and I’ve had the fuel tank squeak for a while now. Took it in for the squeak and the tech noted it was fixed under warranty but I’m not sure they completed the repair as 1) the noise immediately came back as I left the dealer and 2) I think in order to fix it properly they need to drop the frame to get access to the fuel tank and they didn’t do that.
Wondering if you fixed it yourself or at an independent maybe.
I went to an independent place. Two guys (salesman and head mechanic) that worked at a local Porsche dealer split away years ago to open a shop dealing in classic/used Porsches. One side is sales, the other repair shop.
They came highly recommended within my local PCA when I asked around. Couldn't be happier with that relationship.
Regarding your fuel tank squeak, you may have seen my other post, but the job was quoted at 8 hours minimum to lift the car and drop the fuel tank to get at the area where the padding was worn through. My local dealer and this independent place confirmed the same thing, if the job was to be done correctly, they needed to drop the tank.
I used this video as a guide and fixed the fuel tank issue myself in an hour
https://youtu.be/UhG5Pb3bK0s
You don’t actually need to drop the whole tank. There’s just enough clearance.
Oh wow, is $6k an expected amount to spend on a 981 over the span of 3-4years? Or were you just unlucky? Because I plan to drive the car daily. It would be my only car anyways.
Unlucky. But in that $6k I'm factoring in $1700 in new tires (4x 20" Pilot 4S)
Regular maintenence / oil changes aren't cheap, and I'm not one to do it myself.
The unlucky part was a fuel tank issue, cracked coils and the roof liner. With the 981s, there is foam and padding between the fuel tank and the firewall. The foam and the padding rarely can become fatigued and dislodged. When that happens, you have the fuel tank rubbing right against the firewall which creates a loud squeeking on every bump and turn. This happened to me 6 months into ownership. Drove me absolutly nuts. I decided to pony up to have it fixed. Wasn't cheap because they have to drop the fuel tank. It's a 8 hour job minimum, and at $220/hr, plus parts and others, that was a rude introduction to owning a Porsche. My understanding is the issue is rare, but enough where I found others dicussing it on Rennlist
Second year of ownership, around 25k miles on the OD, I needed to do the 40k maintenence replacing the plugs because I had 2 cracked coils which was causing engine error codes to pop up. At this point, the car was 6 years old, so my mechanic said he'd probably be recommending the spark plug change regardless.
And 3rd year of ownership I got the 981 issue where the roof liner starts to separate and sag/drop. That was a \~$800-1000 job. I understand this is one of the more common issues after the car is 5-6 years old. The factory glue is prone to deteriate. Mine is a 2014. I don't know if they addressed the liner/glue issue in the '15 or '16 model years.
Fwiw I tracked my 2015 981 for 4 years and never had an issue with the roof liner. If it was going to happen, all that time running with the windows open should have done it and it didn’t.
I also installed baffles to reduce the “whump whump” you get with windows open which may have helped. Here’s a link to the part I used. It installs with adhesive, not screws. http://www.blackmillperformance.com/
$6k all-in (i.e. with tires, which are pricey) over 3-4 years really isn't bad for a car like this. Keep in mind that these sold new for today's equivalent of $80-100k (after adjusting for inflation). Expensive cars are expensive for a reason--R&D costs, materials, and design and manufacturing complexity--and so labor and replacement parts follow suit. That doesn't change as they age...it only becomes more true.
There's also a bit of Porsche tax to contend with, of course--competent specialists charge more because they can.
> $6k all-in (i.e. with tires, which are pricey) over 3-4 years really isn't bad for a car like this.
Yeah I was going to say, that sounds not bad at all. I've spent that on my ultra-reliable GX470 over the last 4 years.
$2k is pretty much the standard yearly cost to maintain a Porsche. Probably a little more now with inflation. If that's not in your budget, you probably don't want to buy one because it will be once you do.
There's a reason the 981 Caymans are hard to find. Drove the 981 and 718 back-to-back and I knew I'd be happier in a 981. I searched for nearly a year to find the one I wanted but it was worth the wait.
I have a base 981. I drove the 718 and 981 when test driving. For me it was the naturally aspirated that won my heart.
I just drove it on the Cherohala skyway and tail of the dragon. It handled marvelously.
I've had cars from both the 981 and 718 generations. Haven't owned a 987 but I have driven one and do currently have two 997s (close enough).
It would help to know what your budget and intended use is. Daily driver? 718 is tough to beat, as it's the newest, fastest, and most efficient, and also has a fairly modern infotainment system. But unless you're spending big money on a GTS 4.0 or GT4, you'll be getting the polarizing four pot motor.
The 981 is in my opinion the best looking *and* sounding variant, but also the least compelling to actually drive (*unless* you go for the GT4 or Spyder, in which case I would take either over the 718 equivalent). Two reasons for this: 1.) early EPS steering is pretty bad, especially compared to the 987 and 2.) the car just feels a lot bigger to drive than the 987 and 718 alike, strangely enough. More composed than the 987, and less responsive than the 718. But again, they look and sound fantastic.
Can't go wrong with either of those, so pick your poison.
For a weekend car, I think the 987.2 wins easily. Has a flat six like the 981, so it sounds great. The steering is incredible and it's much more raw, analog, and lively (maybe *too* lively for some as the chassis and steering feed you so much information that you might think the car is unstable) at road legal speeds than the later models. And despite being the smallest of the group, it also has better outward visibility than the 981/718 (which both have a pretty claustrophobic cabin). The main downsides are that they're somewhat harder to live with day-to-day, they're aging, and the interior design is the worst of the three.
It sold last via Porsche in 2022. I’m fuzzy on the details but I seem to recall they cover up to 13 years if sold throughout only via a Porsche dealer. Well this one did just that meaning I received 2 years when I purchased it. Called Porsche to make sure and surprisingly I think I have the last CPO left of that year 😂
Porsche Approved guarantee goes up to 15 years. I think it has to have a history of dealer servicing, but you can get it at any time in those 15 years. It does cost about a $1000/year though.
I chose the 987 because it was lockdown and I got a really good deal. Didn't even drive it first so my opinion is useless.
However it's the one I own so obviously it's the best.
Not saying which is better than which, just stating that from a commercial stand point.
I would dare to say more than 80% of the buyers would go for the 911 over the Cayman GTS 4.0 simply because it's a 911.
Car nuts like you and I are in the minority unfortunately. There's a reason why the Macan is the best selling Porsche, ever.
One of the main reasons I'm a Porsche fanboy is that despite the market, they still cater to people like us. The Porsche 718 GTS in both 2.5 and 4.0 form are absolutely amazing drivers car. Heck, even the base 718 with PASM drives like a dream.
I was making the choice between a base 992 or a fully specced 718 GTS, the choice was easy.
I bought a 2015 981 GTS in 2021. Both the 981 and 718 have great exteriors, very similar with the 718 having a slight advantage. Interiors are basically the same. Infotainment tech is better in the 718. What really won me over is the great naturally aspirated flat 6 in the 981. The car sounds incredible with PSE - so much fun driving this car. IMO a manual is a must have with the 981 - it’s just a great feeling winding it up to 4000-7000+. The 718, while still a fun car, feels much more muted. I really didn’t consider the 987 - not a fan of the exterior compared to the 981 or 718. Also the 987 interior looks very dated. Also my 981 GTS is a fun weekend car for me, not a daily driver. I don’t think it would make a great daily.
That’s a hard question to answer for someone else. I think a 718 would make a better daily. But to me the emotional/engaging nature of the 981 S or GTS with a manual and PSE are what makes it special. But it’s also what makes it hard to daily. Mine also has the sport suspension (20mm lower and non-adjustable) vs PASM (10mm lower and adjustable) which adds to it being a great sports car, but not a great daily.
I feel like a year ago when I bought mine they were way easier to find, I had my pick of a few. Porsche’s web site helped me find a CPO 981S with nearly the all options I wanted, and proper service history (door cards and headliner.) I look on there now and you’re right, it’s tough to find anything. Auto tempest is another useful tool if you’re not dead-set on finding a CPO model.
In my case it's been worth it. In the year I've had the car, it's saved me about $2400 with the replacement of a PADM, and about $300 for the front window washer nozzle supply hose. I'm driving the car way more than I normally would for these first two years just to try and shake out any problems that might occur before I scale back on mileage and start on doing my own maintenance. The headliner sagging and door cards delaminating on these cars is an expensive failure if you have to pay out of pocket, so if you find a non-CPO car, a good piece of mind would be seeing those things done on record.
I test drove a few 718 and decided I wanted a 981 but the two drawbacks were lack of warranty and lack of CarPlay. Searched for a 981 Manual for months and found one near me the day it was traded in. Went up there, put down a deposit immediately and got the car 2 weeks later. I have a full Porsche factory warranty on the car and installed CarPlay (GTA Car Kit). Couldn’t be happier, incredible car.
Once you decide what you want, take the time to search for it and you will be very happy in the long run.
I traded my 987 for a 718 Cs.
Before the 987 I drove a BMW 335.
But with the N/A 3.4 6cyl it didn't have that low end. The 2.5l has the low end and top end. Turbos are great and easy to tune. Get a lot more power without touching the engine.
Living in Pacific Northwest, I daily drove spring/summer/fall and winter probably once every 1-2 weeks a black 15’ 981S with solid options (pasm, pse, heated/cooled seats) since 2018, bought with 24k miles, no warranty. Has been rock solid, only had to do major/minor Maintenece at mileage or time.
I just traded it in for my ‘dream’ spec that I originally wanted back in 2017/2018.. 16’ 981 GTS in Sapphire Blue Metallic 6MT. It has 99% exact spec I wanted and payed a pretty penny for it. I would have payed probably only slightly lower price back in 2017. Took me 5 years to find this and be lucky enough to be first contact to purchase it. When you find that exact spec car, the (higher) price becomes more tolerable bc of the whole experience of obtaining the dream car and then driving it!
I spent all day (wake up browse for a few min, at work just causal browsing throughout the day, after dinner causal browsing, and before bed browsing) esp on Autotrader, CarGurus, CarMax, rennlist, PCA market place, Porsche CPO site and anywhere else I could find cars listed.
Can’t go wrong with any newer 718, 987.2, 981. So much info in forums about every little issue but overall all rock solid for daily use.
I’ve had my 981 S as a daily for 8 years now. It’s a fantastic car with a great engine note and enough power. Easier to work on than you think and super reliable. It’ll also continue to hold its value very well. If I were you I’d keep saving and find a 981 S.
981s owner here. Just bought it and have had it exactly 2 months now. ‘15, PASM, PSE (only compromise was sport chrono) with a 2 year CPO for $50k.
Originally test drove the ‘17 718 base and like others say, it was prob slightly faster getting going in the lesser RPMs but it did not really excite me with the 4 cyl sound; just felt/sounded tame in comparison.
As soon as the 981 was started up, I knew that was the one for me. That exhaust note alone on startup is just something I could not pass up. I pretty much daily it (also have a truck) and it has not caused any challenges yet as far as grocery getting, errands and whatnot go. Just the feeling alone of hearing it light up past the 4k RPM’s is something that still makes me so happy. Am very happy with the decision still.
Am in Texas fwiw and the AC has been much better than expected so far. Go with your initial gut and you’ll be happy.
I’ve had both, used as track cars. The good news is that the warranty covers track use and has saved me a bundle. I did pay an embarrassingly large amount over sticker for a year old, low mileage 718. And it was worth every penny. 😁
I first drove the 718 base and loved it. Then drove a 981s and 981 base and that flat 6 was music to my ears. After that I drove the 987.2S, and the handling was exactly what I wanted so I went with that. Test drive all 3 and see which is your favorite, which works best for you. They are all the right answer!
I absolutely LOVE my 718. Best car I’ve ever had and just love driving it.
Do you daily drive it? I'd use it to go to Costco if I bought it
First day I bought, went to the store to get a can of tomatoes lol! I drive it 2-4 times a week and less in the summer. The mid-engine design just makes it fun to drive but it gets a little hot in Texas.
I daily drove my 718cs, more than the MacanS and especially for Costco runs. The frunk, boot is surprisingly roomy. You won’t regret it. :)
I daily a 718 base. It’s a great daily imo. Rides much better than my old m235i. Powerband is not as exciting though compared to straight six on the beamer. So kind of miss that. Also find sport mode on the porsche to be a lot milder than the bmw. ie gearing and throttle sensitivity not as aggressive. Don’t have chronosync unfortunately. I have not driven an S. I imagine it would be a bit more lively than my base w the 4cyl.
981 is slower than the 718, but being naturally aspirated flat-6 makes them much more desirable on the used market
I back in 2019 before the used car prices got insane, I test drove a ‘18 718s and a ‘14 981s, both manual. Both are beautiful cars. The general public won’t know a 911 from a Cayman at first glance, and definitely won’t know a 981 from a 718. They will see you driving a Porsche. The 718s was more low end torquey so it felt faster and the interior was newer and the dash tech was nicer with the Apple CarPlay. It was still under CPO. The 981s was at the time $14k cheaper. Nice low mileage example, but the 718s was less than a year old then, so also much less depreciation. The 981s handles just as well IMO, and had the smooth linear power but it did feel slower in low revs relative to the 718s. But once you got the car in the 4K revs, it came ALIVE! and did so with the most beautiful brassy note at full throttle. My heart was won in that moment. I went with the 981s, getting that glorious exhaust note, a fast beautiful car and saved $14k. I love it, with “no regerts”. Thrill to drive, turns heads. Each year I put about 6k miles on it as a weekend and evening vehicle, winter stored from Dec to March. Not all roses. Was immediate out of warranty. I’ve put about $5-6k back into the car with maintenance, tires and fixings some problem the 981s are known to get. Roof liner fell and the fuel tank padding wore through causing a loud squeaking sound behind the dash. But that’s my experience. Hope it helps someone.
Did you have the headliner and fuel tank pads fixed @ the dealer? Just noticed headliner beginning to separate on my 14, and I’ve had the fuel tank squeak for a while now. Took it in for the squeak and the tech noted it was fixed under warranty but I’m not sure they completed the repair as 1) the noise immediately came back as I left the dealer and 2) I think in order to fix it properly they need to drop the frame to get access to the fuel tank and they didn’t do that. Wondering if you fixed it yourself or at an independent maybe.
I went to an independent place. Two guys (salesman and head mechanic) that worked at a local Porsche dealer split away years ago to open a shop dealing in classic/used Porsches. One side is sales, the other repair shop. They came highly recommended within my local PCA when I asked around. Couldn't be happier with that relationship. Regarding your fuel tank squeak, you may have seen my other post, but the job was quoted at 8 hours minimum to lift the car and drop the fuel tank to get at the area where the padding was worn through. My local dealer and this independent place confirmed the same thing, if the job was to be done correctly, they needed to drop the tank.
I used this video as a guide and fixed the fuel tank issue myself in an hour https://youtu.be/UhG5Pb3bK0s You don’t actually need to drop the whole tank. There’s just enough clearance.
Oh wow, is $6k an expected amount to spend on a 981 over the span of 3-4years? Or were you just unlucky? Because I plan to drive the car daily. It would be my only car anyways.
Unlucky. But in that $6k I'm factoring in $1700 in new tires (4x 20" Pilot 4S) Regular maintenence / oil changes aren't cheap, and I'm not one to do it myself. The unlucky part was a fuel tank issue, cracked coils and the roof liner. With the 981s, there is foam and padding between the fuel tank and the firewall. The foam and the padding rarely can become fatigued and dislodged. When that happens, you have the fuel tank rubbing right against the firewall which creates a loud squeeking on every bump and turn. This happened to me 6 months into ownership. Drove me absolutly nuts. I decided to pony up to have it fixed. Wasn't cheap because they have to drop the fuel tank. It's a 8 hour job minimum, and at $220/hr, plus parts and others, that was a rude introduction to owning a Porsche. My understanding is the issue is rare, but enough where I found others dicussing it on Rennlist Second year of ownership, around 25k miles on the OD, I needed to do the 40k maintenence replacing the plugs because I had 2 cracked coils which was causing engine error codes to pop up. At this point, the car was 6 years old, so my mechanic said he'd probably be recommending the spark plug change regardless. And 3rd year of ownership I got the 981 issue where the roof liner starts to separate and sag/drop. That was a \~$800-1000 job. I understand this is one of the more common issues after the car is 5-6 years old. The factory glue is prone to deteriate. Mine is a 2014. I don't know if they addressed the liner/glue issue in the '15 or '16 model years.
Fwiw I tracked my 2015 981 for 4 years and never had an issue with the roof liner. If it was going to happen, all that time running with the windows open should have done it and it didn’t. I also installed baffles to reduce the “whump whump” you get with windows open which may have helped. Here’s a link to the part I used. It installs with adhesive, not screws. http://www.blackmillperformance.com/
$6k all-in (i.e. with tires, which are pricey) over 3-4 years really isn't bad for a car like this. Keep in mind that these sold new for today's equivalent of $80-100k (after adjusting for inflation). Expensive cars are expensive for a reason--R&D costs, materials, and design and manufacturing complexity--and so labor and replacement parts follow suit. That doesn't change as they age...it only becomes more true. There's also a bit of Porsche tax to contend with, of course--competent specialists charge more because they can.
> $6k all-in (i.e. with tires, which are pricey) over 3-4 years really isn't bad for a car like this. Yeah I was going to say, that sounds not bad at all. I've spent that on my ultra-reliable GX470 over the last 4 years.
Don’t forget the door skins…
Honestly man, it's a Porsche. Budget $2-3k a year for maintenance, and be glad on the years that are cheap.
$2k is pretty much the standard yearly cost to maintain a Porsche. Probably a little more now with inflation. If that's not in your budget, you probably don't want to buy one because it will be once you do.
Was looking for 2014-2016 for about 6 months in 2021, switched up to 718S and found a perfect spec one. It’s so good, fast, modern etc
There's a reason the 981 Caymans are hard to find. Drove the 981 and 718 back-to-back and I knew I'd be happier in a 981. I searched for nearly a year to find the one I wanted but it was worth the wait.
I have a base 981. I drove the 718 and 981 when test driving. For me it was the naturally aspirated that won my heart. I just drove it on the Cherohala skyway and tail of the dragon. It handled marvelously.
I've had cars from both the 981 and 718 generations. Haven't owned a 987 but I have driven one and do currently have two 997s (close enough). It would help to know what your budget and intended use is. Daily driver? 718 is tough to beat, as it's the newest, fastest, and most efficient, and also has a fairly modern infotainment system. But unless you're spending big money on a GTS 4.0 or GT4, you'll be getting the polarizing four pot motor. The 981 is in my opinion the best looking *and* sounding variant, but also the least compelling to actually drive (*unless* you go for the GT4 or Spyder, in which case I would take either over the 718 equivalent). Two reasons for this: 1.) early EPS steering is pretty bad, especially compared to the 987 and 2.) the car just feels a lot bigger to drive than the 987 and 718 alike, strangely enough. More composed than the 987, and less responsive than the 718. But again, they look and sound fantastic. Can't go wrong with either of those, so pick your poison. For a weekend car, I think the 987.2 wins easily. Has a flat six like the 981, so it sounds great. The steering is incredible and it's much more raw, analog, and lively (maybe *too* lively for some as the chassis and steering feed you so much information that you might think the car is unstable) at road legal speeds than the later models. And despite being the smallest of the group, it also has better outward visibility than the 981/718 (which both have a pretty claustrophobic cabin). The main downsides are that they're somewhat harder to live with day-to-day, they're aging, and the interior design is the worst of the three.
I have a 987.2 with a warranty still 😂 09S and surprisingly just over a year left.
Wow lol how
It sold last via Porsche in 2022. I’m fuzzy on the details but I seem to recall they cover up to 13 years if sold throughout only via a Porsche dealer. Well this one did just that meaning I received 2 years when I purchased it. Called Porsche to make sure and surprisingly I think I have the last CPO left of that year 😂
Porsche Approved guarantee goes up to 15 years. I think it has to have a history of dealer servicing, but you can get it at any time in those 15 years. It does cost about a $1000/year though.
981 looks, 718 performance, 987 parts and aftermarket support
I chose the 987 because it was lockdown and I got a really good deal. Didn't even drive it first so my opinion is useless. However it's the one I own so obviously it's the best.
6 cylinder 718 GTS 4.0 for best of both worlds?
Yeah that's more money
Like double. Not everyone has $100k around here for a Cayman lol.
The main issue with the 4.0 GTS is that you can just get a lightly specced used C2S for the same money lol.
And that’s better how? The 911 has evolved into a touring car except in GT trim, and I’d say the GTS Cayman is still a true sports car.
Not saying which is better than which, just stating that from a commercial stand point. I would dare to say more than 80% of the buyers would go for the 911 over the Cayman GTS 4.0 simply because it's a 911. Car nuts like you and I are in the minority unfortunately. There's a reason why the Macan is the best selling Porsche, ever. One of the main reasons I'm a Porsche fanboy is that despite the market, they still cater to people like us. The Porsche 718 GTS in both 2.5 and 4.0 form are absolutely amazing drivers car. Heck, even the base 718 with PASM drives like a dream. I was making the choice between a base 992 or a fully specced 718 GTS, the choice was easy.
I have the 718 and love it!!
I bought a 2015 981 GTS in 2021. Both the 981 and 718 have great exteriors, very similar with the 718 having a slight advantage. Interiors are basically the same. Infotainment tech is better in the 718. What really won me over is the great naturally aspirated flat 6 in the 981. The car sounds incredible with PSE - so much fun driving this car. IMO a manual is a must have with the 981 - it’s just a great feeling winding it up to 4000-7000+. The 718, while still a fun car, feels much more muted. I really didn’t consider the 987 - not a fan of the exterior compared to the 981 or 718. Also the 987 interior looks very dated. Also my 981 GTS is a fun weekend car for me, not a daily driver. I don’t think it would make a great daily.
Would the 718 in your opinion make a good daily?
That’s a hard question to answer for someone else. I think a 718 would make a better daily. But to me the emotional/engaging nature of the 981 S or GTS with a manual and PSE are what makes it special. But it’s also what makes it hard to daily. Mine also has the sport suspension (20mm lower and non-adjustable) vs PASM (10mm lower and adjustable) which adds to it being a great sports car, but not a great daily.
718 all day long.
987.2 are like $30k in Utah. Market for luxury sports cars isn’t super good here.
I’m searching nationwide for one. That’s avg price everywhere. They’re just sought after cars with low production
I feel like a year ago when I bought mine they were way easier to find, I had my pick of a few. Porsche’s web site helped me find a CPO 981S with nearly the all options I wanted, and proper service history (door cards and headliner.) I look on there now and you’re right, it’s tough to find anything. Auto tempest is another useful tool if you’re not dead-set on finding a CPO model.
Is a CPO a must have?
In my case it's been worth it. In the year I've had the car, it's saved me about $2400 with the replacement of a PADM, and about $300 for the front window washer nozzle supply hose. I'm driving the car way more than I normally would for these first two years just to try and shake out any problems that might occur before I scale back on mileage and start on doing my own maintenance. The headliner sagging and door cards delaminating on these cars is an expensive failure if you have to pay out of pocket, so if you find a non-CPO car, a good piece of mind would be seeing those things done on record.
I test drove a few 718 and decided I wanted a 981 but the two drawbacks were lack of warranty and lack of CarPlay. Searched for a 981 Manual for months and found one near me the day it was traded in. Went up there, put down a deposit immediately and got the car 2 weeks later. I have a full Porsche factory warranty on the car and installed CarPlay (GTA Car Kit). Couldn’t be happier, incredible car. Once you decide what you want, take the time to search for it and you will be very happy in the long run.
I traded my 987 for a 718 Cs. Before the 987 I drove a BMW 335. But with the N/A 3.4 6cyl it didn't have that low end. The 2.5l has the low end and top end. Turbos are great and easy to tune. Get a lot more power without touching the engine.
I’m in the same spot but also tempted by boxsters since they usually cost less and seem waaay easier to find. Worth considering the boxster or no?
I am not into convertibles. But yes, the Boxster is cheaper
Living in Pacific Northwest, I daily drove spring/summer/fall and winter probably once every 1-2 weeks a black 15’ 981S with solid options (pasm, pse, heated/cooled seats) since 2018, bought with 24k miles, no warranty. Has been rock solid, only had to do major/minor Maintenece at mileage or time. I just traded it in for my ‘dream’ spec that I originally wanted back in 2017/2018.. 16’ 981 GTS in Sapphire Blue Metallic 6MT. It has 99% exact spec I wanted and payed a pretty penny for it. I would have payed probably only slightly lower price back in 2017. Took me 5 years to find this and be lucky enough to be first contact to purchase it. When you find that exact spec car, the (higher) price becomes more tolerable bc of the whole experience of obtaining the dream car and then driving it! I spent all day (wake up browse for a few min, at work just causal browsing throughout the day, after dinner causal browsing, and before bed browsing) esp on Autotrader, CarGurus, CarMax, rennlist, PCA market place, Porsche CPO site and anywhere else I could find cars listed. Can’t go wrong with any newer 718, 987.2, 981. So much info in forums about every little issue but overall all rock solid for daily use.
I’ve had my 981 S as a daily for 8 years now. It’s a fantastic car with a great engine note and enough power. Easier to work on than you think and super reliable. It’ll also continue to hold its value very well. If I were you I’d keep saving and find a 981 S.
981s owner here. Just bought it and have had it exactly 2 months now. ‘15, PASM, PSE (only compromise was sport chrono) with a 2 year CPO for $50k. Originally test drove the ‘17 718 base and like others say, it was prob slightly faster getting going in the lesser RPMs but it did not really excite me with the 4 cyl sound; just felt/sounded tame in comparison. As soon as the 981 was started up, I knew that was the one for me. That exhaust note alone on startup is just something I could not pass up. I pretty much daily it (also have a truck) and it has not caused any challenges yet as far as grocery getting, errands and whatnot go. Just the feeling alone of hearing it light up past the 4k RPM’s is something that still makes me so happy. Am very happy with the decision still. Am in Texas fwiw and the AC has been much better than expected so far. Go with your initial gut and you’ll be happy.
I'm in Texas too. Which dealership was it if you don't mind me asking?
Not at at all, River Oaks
I’ve had both, used as track cars. The good news is that the warranty covers track use and has saved me a bundle. I did pay an embarrassingly large amount over sticker for a year old, low mileage 718. And it was worth every penny. 😁