Item: Used Porsche 718 Cayman 2016-present
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/alpine/a110/coupe/review/n185">Alpine A110</a> is a real triumph. Its grin-inducing handling is unmatched at this level, and it’s also surprisingly cheap to run. It feels even lighter and more agile than the Cayman, if that’s possible, and for that reason it’s one of our favourites. Not many have filtered through to the used market yet, though.&nbsp;

The evergreen <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/tt/coupe/used-review/n814">Audi TT</a> is a cracker, in whatever form, with a smooth, eager range of engines, darty handling and a beautiful interior. It’s as fast, in some of its variants and in many of its ways, as the Cayman, but perhaps lacks the special sparkle of the Porsche badge.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter <a href="http://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a>

<h2><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/porsche/cayman">Find a used Porsche Cayman with What Car? &gt;&gt;</a></h2>

Page 5 of 5

What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Airbag</h3>

There have been two recalls related to airbags. The first applies to early cars made up until 16 June 2016, and the second relates to cars built between 22 November 2017 and 25 April 2018 for&nbsp;the sensors that form part of the system. Find out from a Porsche dealer if your car is affected by either of these recalls.

<h3>Fuel lines</h3>

An issue with the fuel lines in the engine compartment of Caymans made between 17 July 2019 and 15 January 2020. Contact your local Porsche dealer for further information.

Unfortunately, the 718 Cayman and its closely related sibling (the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/boxster/sports/used-review/n17940">Boxster</a>) were the least reliable entries&nbsp;in the sports, coupés and convertibles class acorrding to the latest <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey-coupes-convertibles-and-sports-cars/n20067">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>.&nbsp;

Porsche as a brand finished in a disappointing 22nd place out of 31&nbsp;manufacturers.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a> pages for more information.

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 Cayman is pricey, but it's beautifully built and a joy to drive. It’s one of our very favourite sports cars

&nbsp;

Used Porsche Cayman 2016-present

<h3 dir="ltr">MPG</h3>

The 2.0-litre Cayman is the most economical, not surprisingly, with an official WLTP figure of 38.2mpg, and even the more powerful 2.5-litre engines manages 34.9mpg, although if you enjoy the car as much as you should you’ll probably not see anywhere near that in the real world.&nbsp;

Naturally, the GTS and GT4 won't see figures that are that good, at 25.9mpg and 25.4mpg, respectively.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">CO2 emissions</h3>

The CO2 emissions of the 2.0-litre, according to the older NEDC tests, is 168g/km, while the 2.5-litre 186g/km.

<h3 dir="ltr">Road tax (VED)</h3>

Tax for cars registered before April 2017 will be based on CO2 emissions and will be fairly high, while cars registered after that date will pay a flat rate fee. However, all Caymans cost over £40,000 new, therefore are subject to a luxury car supplementary tax. Current fees are £150 a year for the road tax and £325 a year for the supplementary tax. 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 dir="ltr">Insurance and servicing</h3>

Insurance groups are high, too, ranging from 44 for the 2.0-litre car up to 49 for the GTS. Servicing will be expensive, and is best carried out by a dedicated&nbsp;Porsche specialist in order to get the best value for money.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Page 2 of 5

Used Porsche 718 Cayman 2016-present

The Cayman is pricey, but it's beautifully built and a joy to drive. It’s one of our very favourite sports cars


This is the only bad news, or the good news if you already own a Cayman. Few cars hold on to their value as well as a Cayman, so there are few bargains to be had. Reckon on spending at least £37,000 to get behind the wheel of a 718 Cayman. This will buy you a 2016 model with an average mileage for the year. On the whole, sports cars like this don’t tend to accumulate huge mileages, so watch out for those that have. You’ll be looking at the 2.0 version at this price, but up the folding stuff to&nbsp;£40,000 or so, you should find an early S model. Expect to fork out&nbsp;over £50,000 for a&nbsp;GTS 4.0 or around £85,000 for a&nbsp;GT4 version.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">Check the value of a used Porsche Cayman with What Car? Valuations</a>

Discounting the expensive six-cylinder versions, you have a choice of two: the standard 2.0-litre car or the 2.5-litre S. To be honest, we love the S, but because it’s more expensive to buy, even used, we’d probably be very happy with the normal Cayman.&nbsp;

Our favourite Porsche 718 Cayman: 2.0 Cayman

Page 4 of 5

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Ride comfort shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of handling sharpness</li> <li>Plenty of power from a melodic engine</li> <li>Handling that doesn’t come at the expense of a back-breaking ride​​​​​</li> <li> Practicality is not essential but nice to have </li></ul>

Driving fun is right at the top of any sports car buyer's priority list, and every one of our award candidates has backroad entertainment coded into its DNA.

The Mazda MX-5 embodies sports-car spirit without wearing an exotic price tag, and has deservedly gained a strong following over the years. Much newer to the scene is the mid-engined Alpine A110. It may carry a name from the past, but this potent, mid-engined sports car was designed with the very latest lightweight thinking.&nbsp;

Rounding off our shortlist, though, is a name that'll be familiar to even those to whom sports cars hold little interest. The Porsche 911 was born an icon in 1964, and the latest generation bridges the gap between sports car and supercar. Yet, somehow, it manages to preserve a distinctly civilised character.

Sports

This is a very sporty car and will therefore have been used enthusiastically from time to time. Check the bodywork carefully for any signs of damage. Look at the alloy wheels closely for kerb damage, as repairs will be costly.&nbsp;

The GTS 4.0 could be had with a less aggressive, more speedbump-friendly 10mm ride height reduction instead of the standard 20mm set-up. If you live in an area with lots of traffic calming measures, then this might be a worthwhile option to seek out.

If you are into your sports cars, and you’re okay with paying a very large sum of money for the privilege of owning and running one, you'll probably already be considering a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/porsche">Porsche</a>. More specifically, you'll be seriously considering this 718 Cayman, because it has numerous&nbsp;upgrades over <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayman/coupe/used-review/n17566">the wonderful old Cayman</a>&nbsp;that preceded it,&nbsp;such as a trick&nbsp;suspension and a sharper&nbsp;steering response, plus&nbsp;it's&nbsp;actually much faster, too.&nbsp;

We're not kidding about it being quicker because even the entry-level Cayman has&nbsp;a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder unit good for 296bhp, and the S version is even more potent with a 345bhp 2.5-litre engine.&nbsp;However, for those hankering&nbsp;after six cylinders,&nbsp;a naturally aspirated 3.0-litre flat-six engine was&nbsp;reintroduced in 2019 in&nbsp;two additional models, the 394bhp GTS 4.0 and the 414bhp GT4.

If you want luxuries, better hope the first owner ticked a few options.&nbsp;The regular Cayman is a spartan affair with 18in wheels, xenon rather than LED headlights, part-Alcantara seats and single-zone climate control. Mercifully, a 7.0in touchscreen with sat-nav and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> is also standard. You get a bigger engine in the S, along with 19in wheels.&nbsp;The T models are supposed to be lightweight specials, although many did opt to reinstate the touchscreen infotainment system because it was a no-cost option.

To go along with the six-cylinder engine, GTS 4.0 models have 20in alloys, lowered, adaptive suspension, a limited-slip differential, a sports exhaust and the sports chrono pack.

Both the 2.0 and 2.5 four-cylinder&nbsp;engines&nbsp;are strong enough to make the Cayman tantalisingly fast. Both&nbsp;will see off the 0 to 62mph sprint in under five seconds and rocket up to a licence-losing speed fairly quickly, and despite the turbochargers, it’s rarely caught out when it comes for sheer puff. However, what it does lack is an aural pleasure. The noise is just a noise when all is said and done, and in the case of the S there’s quite a lot of it. It’s not nearly as pleasant as the old engine’s tone, and it’s not very sports car-like. This is solved with the GTS 4.0 version because it brings back the&nbsp;classic&nbsp;six-cylinder burble that sounds fantastic.&nbsp;

But the engines only tell half the story, because what’s always separated the Cayman from the also-rans in this class is its delicate mid-engined handling balance, and just how damn enjoyable it is to drive. This one is no different, with wonderfully direct steering that is well weighted and linear in its responses, and eager handling that makes the car brilliantly driveable at any speed, with endless grip and remarkable poise thrown in for good measure.

It even rides well, with a suppleness unknown in other lesser sports cars. It’s firm, of course, but it never threatens to become uncomfortable.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Inside is a comfortable, pleasant and well put together interior with a great driving position that places the driver central to the action, in a perfect location in front of the controls. Visibility is reasonably good, too, for such a low-slung sportster, and many cars will have been specified with the optional reversing sensors or, if you’re lucky, a camera.&nbsp;

All the switchgear has a solid, high-quality feel, and all the buttons are well damped. There’s plenty of room for two to sit without brushing shoulders, and although storage space is rather limited there are two small-ish boots: one in the nose and the other behind the engine.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/porsche/cayman">used Porsche Cayman</a>, or any of the other sports&nbsp;cars mentioned here, check out our used car buying site <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>.&nbsp;

Page 1 of 5

Save £££s now - hot deals

Used Porsche 718 Cayman 2016-present review

Porsche Cayman 2.7 2dr

Porsche Cayman 2.0 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