Item: Used Porsche Cayman 2013-2016
Rating: 5
Author: Steve Huntingford

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/2-series/coupe/used-review/n880">BMW M2</a> is based on a four-door coupé&nbsp;rather than being built merely as an out-and-out sports coupé like the Cayman is. However, it’s incredibly quick, both in a straight line and round a bend. It sounds wonderful, is better equipped than the Cayman and is more practical.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/tt/coupe/used-review/n814">Audi TT RS</a> is wonderfully quick, too, and handles superbly. It’s loud, secure and easy to drive quickly, but also practical, usable and classy. It may not have quite the cachet of the Porsche, but it’s an impressive driving tool.

<a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here</a>

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/porsche/cayman?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used Porsche Cayman</a>, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>.&nbsp;

Page 5 of 5

What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Airbag</h3>

A faulty electrical capacitor could have been installed the airbag&nbsp;fitted to Caymans manufactured between 23 June 2015 and 16 June 2016, and this&nbsp;might&nbsp;prevent it from working properly in a crash. Speak to a Porsche dealer for further information because they'll be able to tell you if your car needs to be checked over by a technician and have the capacitor&nbsp;changed.

<h3>Bonnet catch</h3>

The bonnet catch of some examples made from 5 May to 6 June 2014 could fail and allow the bonnet to open at speed. Find out from your local Porsche dealer if your car is affected by this; if so, it'll need to have part of the catch replaced and have new screws installed to secure everything.

The Cayman didn’t feature in our most recent reliability survey, but its sibling car, the Boxster –which is similar under the skin – did. It finished in third&nbsp;place in the sports car category, with only minor interior trim, air conditioning and bodywork issues preventing it from scoring higher.&nbsp;Nearly all faults were fixed within a week and under warranty.

Porsche as a brand finished in 25th&nbsp;place out of 30&nbsp;manufacturers in our most recent survey.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">If you want to read more results from our Reliability Survey, click here.</a>

Page 3 of 5

Coupe

Porsche is best known as the quintessential sports car maker, but its line-up is increasingly diverse, interesting and successful, from its SUV family to the Panamera hatchback and shooting brake and, in time, a planned family of electric vehicles.

Whatever your choice, What Car?’s testers rate the cars highly; Porsche has an unusually high percentage of five and four-star cars.

Without exception, its sports cars are class leaders or among the class leaders, standing out for combining driving thrills with surprising luxury and comfort. Likewise, its SUVs are among the sharpest handling, as well as offering high levels of practicality and quality. Meanwhile, the Panamera is a true rival to the very best large executive saloons.

Porsche also sees itself as an electric car pioneer and has already enjoyed sales success with its plug-in hybrid range. Its first all-electric sports car is imminent, signalling the firm’s intent to stay relevant for many years to come.

PORSCHE

CAYMAN

The Porsche Cayman is a wonderful car. It’s quick, thrilling, precise and absorbing, and a great used buy, too

Used Porsche Cayman 2013-2016

<h3>MPG</h3>

Even buyers of expensive sports cars have to consider fuel economy sometimes and the Cayman is respectable on this front, considering its speed. If you seek out your Cayman with the PDK gearbox, you’ll often find that the official&nbsp;claimed NEDC fuel consumption figure is a couple of miles per gallon better than that of a&nbsp;manual model. With the 2.7, this means&nbsp;an impressive 36.7mpg for the PDK, but 34.4mpg for a self-shifter.&nbsp;The swifter Cayman S with its 3.4 engine&nbsp;is a tad thirstier, at 35.3mpg for the automatic and 32.1mpg for the manual.

<h3>CO2 emissions</h3>

A PDK equipped 2.7 puts out the least CO2 at 180g/km, while the manual emitting&nbsp;192g/km. An automatic 3.4 will produce 188g/km and the manual version emits 206g/km. These figures are the NEDC figures prevailing at the time.&nbsp;

<h3>Road tax</h3>

Car tax for Caymans registered before April 2017 (which covers this generation of the Cayman) is based on CO2 emissions and, with its reasonable claimed figures, the annual charge isn’t excessive for a car of this type, whichever model you choose.&nbsp;To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.

<h3>Servicing and insurance costs</h3>

Meanwhile, the standard Cayman falls into insurance group 37, while the Cayman S is in group 41 and the Cayman GTS in group 43. The GT4 is in group 45. Expect servicing costs to be high, though, and likewise the price of spare parts.

Page 2 of 5

The Porsche Cayman is a wonderful car. It’s quick, thrilling, precise and absorbing, and a great used buy, too 

Between £25,000 and £27,000 will get you a good Cayman from around 2013, with an average mileage for the year and a full service history. Expect to spend £28,000-£30,000 for a 2014 car that meets&nbsp;the same criteria and a little more than that if you’re buying from a franchised dealer. You’ll need to fork out between £30,000 and £35,000 to secure a 2015 car. If you fancy, a GTS will set you back&nbsp;more than £38,000, and £70,000 plus for a GT4.

To keep up to date with used Porsche&nbsp;prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you're getting the best deal.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">Check the value of a used Porsche Cayman&nbsp;with What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3>Engine</h3>

For the best possible&nbsp;Cayman driving experience, a purist would recommend trying to find a manual car, but the PDK automatic is nonetheless a truly impressive thing. So equipped,&nbsp;the car is actually a fraction quicker and more economical than the equivalent manual model, and it’s easier to punt around town as well as down a twisty road. Whether you should seek out the 2.7 or 3.4 engine is a matter worth some debate&nbsp;because&nbsp;both are fantastic. The 2.7 will cost a little less to run, perhaps, and for that reason it would get our nod, but we wouldn’t blame you in the slightest if you fell for the charms of the 3.4.

<h3>Specification</h3>

Porsche is&nbsp;notoriously stingy with standard kit, so look out for a car that was ordered with options like Porsche Communication Management for sat-nav and Bluetooth phone connectivity; Adaptive Cruise Control with Porsche Active Safety for automatic emergency braking, and Porsche Active Suspension Management if you'd like&nbsp;an adaptive suspension system that gives a better ride on broken road surfaces.&nbsp;

Our favourite Porsche Cayman 2.7

Page 4 of 5

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Strong performance</li> <li>Good balance between ride and handling</li> <li>Excellent build quality</li> <li>Decent practicality</li> <li>Sophisticated interior</li></ul>

Coupés are all about style, but while practicality undoubtedly takes a back seat to aesthetics, these cars still need to be easy to live with on a daily basis. It’s this that distinguishes a coupé from an out-and-out sports car.

Fortunately, there’s a wide range of style-focused models available, and you don’t even need to spend silly money to buy or run one.

For a blend of rock-solid resale values, punchy engines and an interior to die for, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/tt/coupe/review/n12">Audi TT</a> is a brilliant option. But the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/4-series/hatchback/review/n17260">BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla/coupe/review/n19245">Mercedes CLA</a> both offer plenty of style and substance to match, while the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/aston-martin/dbs/coupe/review/n18289">Aston Martin DBS Superleggera</a> will give you serious performance.

Porsche has a good reputation for durability and the Cayman seems to be a popular choice with long-term owners. This is, of course, a sports car, so it’s worth checking that all servicing has been carried out by a Porsche agent and according the specified schedule. Make sure oil changes have been carried out when they should have been.

Check&nbsp;the bodywork for any signs of damage or repair, and look for scuffs on the front wings and stone chips at the front of the car. Make sure those alloy wheels don't have any kerb damage.

Most people in the market for&nbsp;a good value <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/sports">sports car</a> will naturally&nbsp;think of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mazda/mx-5/sports/used-review/n855">Mazda MX-5</a>, and the latest version can be found for around £25,000 new without too much haggling.

However, that same money on the second-hand market could buy you something a bit more serious and from one of the most desirable sporting marques:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/porsche">Porsche</a>. That's right, an early 981 Cayman can be yours for the price of a Mazda, and, according to&nbsp;aficionados, this older&nbsp;981 Cayman is even better than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayman/coupe/used-review/n19648">718 Cayman</a> that replaced it, making for an even more compelling purchase.

Depending on which version you're looking at, ahead of&nbsp;the rear axle you'll find&nbsp;a 271bhp 2.7-litre flat-six petrol engine or an enlarged 3.4-litre one with either 321bhp (Cayman S) or&nbsp;335bhp (Cayman GTS). The track-focused&nbsp;GT4 got and even bigger still 3.8-litre engine delivering 380bhp.&nbsp;A six-speed manual gearbox was standard, with a seven-speed PDK automatic 'box a popular option.

Porsche cars tend to be quite sparsely equipped as standard and this Cayman is no exception. The standard car has 18in alloys, air-con, a 7.0in touchscreen, automatic headlights and a CD player, while the&nbsp;Cayman S has bigger 19in alloys, bi-xenon headlights and a part-leather interior. If you want any more luxuries than that, you better hope the first owner was generous with the options list because almost everything was an option – even&nbsp;simple things like a Bluetooth connection for your phone.

On the road, the six-cylinder engine is&nbsp;the reason why people prefer this generation Cayman; the four cylinder engine that came afterwards sacrificed the characteristic Porsche sound that many lusted after, yet it&nbsp;never delivered&nbsp;the promised economy gains.&nbsp;Even the 'entry-level'&nbsp;2.7 six-cylinder&nbsp;can rocket the Cayman from 0-60mph in 5.7sec and romp onto&nbsp;165mph, whereas the 3.4 engine will see it off in 4.7sec and go on to reach 174mph - traffic laws permitting. In most situations, the S variant naturally feels quicker, but the sheer character of that lovely smooth and biddable engine and the joy of piloting this machine will leave very few disappointed if they chose the standard model.

For true speed freaks, Porsche introduced a GTS version using the same engine as the S model but with a bit more&nbsp;power and a few suspension weeks to make it the one that enthusiasts will want. For regular track-day drivers, there is also a GT4 version that's&nbsp;capable of seeing off the 0-62mph sprint in just 4.4sec.

The Cayman's handling is a true delight. It feels nimble, stable, secure, fast and fun. Some purists disliked the change to electric power steering on this version, but nevertheless few cars steer with such alacrity, even if some elements of communication are slightly muted. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) was an option when new and is well worth finding an&nbsp;example with it fitted;&nbsp;it&nbsp;lets the driver choose between normal and sporty settings, further enhancing this car’s wicked potential.

The interior is of modest dimensions, and its suitably sporty, classy fittings&nbsp;remind you that you’re in a Porsche. Right in front of you is a central, oversized rev counter&nbsp;that lives behind a familiar and very tactile steering wheel.&nbsp;There are also plenty of buttons on the centre console – lots of them, in fact. Those coming from an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/audi">Audi</a> or a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/bmw">BMW</a> might be daunted by the number of buttons and yearn for a rotary controller to bring all the functionality together, but, with familiarity, things become a lot easier.

Surprisingly for a sports car, you get two boots. There’s a 150-litre luggage space up front and a further 275 litres in the rear – enough for a light trip to the shops or a week’s holiday luggage for two.

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/porsche/cayman?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used Porsche Cayman</a>, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>.&nbsp;

Page 1 of 5

Used Porsche Cayman 2013-2016 review

Best electric cars - our 2022 award winners revealed

Nissan Qashqai

Audi A3

BMW 1 series

Mini Hatchback

Audi Q2

Hyundai Tucson

Toyota Yaris Cross 

New car deals >>

site ribbon config

Looking for alternatives to the used Porsche Cayman 2013 - 2016? The expert What Car? review team guide you through some great options.

The BMW M2 is based on a four-door coupé rather than being built merely as an out-and-out sports coupé like the Cayman is. However, it’s incredibly quick, both in a straight line and round a bend. It sounds wonderful, is better equipped than the Cayman and is more practical.,The Audi TT RS is wonderfully quick, too, and handles superbly. It’s loud, secure and easy to drive quickly, but also practical, usable and classy. It may not have quite the cachet of the Porsche, but it’s an impressive driving tool.,For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter hereIf you're interested in buying a used Porsche Cayman, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site here. Page 5 of 5

New car deals >>

Used Porsche Cayman 2013-2016 review

Porsche Cayman 2.7 981 Euro 5 (s/s) 2dr

Porsche Cayman 2.7 981 Euro 5 (s/s) 2dr

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Porsche Cayman coupe?

What Car? has a buying service

Quick search

Tools & services

Legal bits

Information