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Cayman ComparisonsThis sub forum is for messages specifically about comparing the Cayman to other cars. For example how the Cayman compares to the 350Z or S2000 or SLK, etc.
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All - I'm considering a Cayman as my daily driver. I live in Northern New Jersey and I commute nearby with some turnpike traffic.
How comfortable is the Cayman as a daily driver? How sensative is it to the rougher roads? I used to have an Audi with low profile 17's and I would blow tire after tire. I believe that was because it was such a heavy car on those skinny tires. How is the car in the colder weather with the regular 17" tires? How about a little snow, rain? My BMW is rear wheel drive, but I've driven in all types of snow as discovered as long as I go slow.. the traction control takes care of the rest.
I'm also not skinny guy and my current car, an 05 BMW 530 has pretty coomfy seats. I'm going to swing by a dealership in Englewood to see if they let me sit and maybe take one for a spin.
I have another car, a new FJ Cruiser.. so I have something for the bad weather and trips to really rough areas. But the Cayman would be my daily driver.
I'm going to swing by a dealership in Englewood to see if they let me sit and maybe take one for a spin.
That would probably be the best idea . . .
A heavy-set neighbor of mine who has an older 911 found the seats in the Cayman a bit tight for his liking.
Mine is also a daily driver, but remember it is a sports car so you're going to feel more bumps, expansion joints, etc. than a BMW or Audi sedan.
Driving in the rain - no problem. Cold weather (<40 F) or snow - better have winter tires put on - just put mine on last week. I'll probably be able to let you know how it does in the snow next week, if the weather forecasts are correct.
Reading your post, I don't know if a Cayman would be the right choice for you as a daily driver.
First off an Audi riding on 17"s isn't that extreme, so I will tell you that any Cayman being a full blown sports car may not even ride as well as the Audi. PASM would help a bit, but it's still a good stiff suspension on a stiff frame....intended to perform first and be comfortable second.
With a great chassis and excellent balance,....along with some good winter tires the Cayman would be just fine, but it won't do the same things an Audi with Quattro can do (if your Audi had it).
IMO the interior of the Cayman is comfortable and the way it should be in a sports car, but again it's meant to be sporty, not plush.
As you said, you really need to go and have an extensive look and drive before you proceed. Good luck!
PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management
This active damping system offers continuous adjustment of individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving style.
The driver can choose from two setup modes, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’, using a separate ‘damper’ button on the center console. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for general road driving and circuits with uneven tarmac. ‘Sport’ mode is intended for smoother track surfaces, where the harder settings help eliminate pitch and roll.
In either mode, PASM continuously evaluates the current conditions while automatically selecting the corresponding damper rates from the respective set of mapped values.
A range of sensors are used to monitor the movement of the body under acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, as well as on poor road surfaces. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and modifies the damping force on each individual wheel in accordance with the selected mode. The result is a significant reduction in body movement as well as a better grip on the road.
For example: if ‘Sport’ mode is selected, the suspension is automatically set to a harder damper rating. If the quality of the track surface falls below a certain threshold, the system immediately changes to a softer rating within the ‘Sport’ setup range. When the quality of the tarmac improves once more, PASM automatically returns to the original, harder rating.
Need more information about PASM? Click this link: FAQ for PASM
With a great chassis and excellent balance,....along with some good winter tires the Cayman would be just fine, but it won't do the same things an Audi with Quattro can do (if your Audi had it).
In snow I don't think a Cayman would do as well as an Audi that only had front wheel drive and it certainly won't do what an Audi Quattro will do.
A Cayman is my daily driver but I'm semi-retired (don't have to go anywhere) and live in North Carolina (the weather doesn't get too bad). I am running 18" wheels and summer tires now. In late December/early January I will switch to 17" wheels (with summer tires) just to keep the 18" wheels from getting messed up. I am not going to invest in 17" winter tires. If the weather gets bad I will stay at home or fall back on my wife's Mercedes.
I'm 5'11" and weigh 185 lbs. and I find the Cayman to be extremely comfortable. It fits me like a glove. I can drive it all day long without getting tired.
As Atlas_Croc said, it's comfortable but not plush. It's a sports car!
____________
Porsche Cayman 2.7
Mercedes E-320 Bluetec Diesel
Ducati Paul Smart LE
BMW R1200GS
That alcantara headliner probably makes the car quieter. And there are several other options that may make it a great daily driver.
I am not certain you'll want either a 6-speed or a short sports shifter but I'd go with the three asterisks *** above.
PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management
This active damping system offers continuous adjustment of individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving style.
The driver can choose from two setup modes, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’, using a separate ‘damper’ button on the center console. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for general road driving and circuits with uneven tarmac. ‘Sport’ mode is intended for smoother track surfaces, where the harder settings help eliminate pitch and roll.
In either mode, PASM continuously evaluates the current conditions while automatically selecting the corresponding damper rates from the respective set of mapped values.
A range of sensors are used to monitor the movement of the body under acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, as well as on poor road surfaces. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and modifies the damping force on each individual wheel in accordance with the selected mode. The result is a significant reduction in body movement as well as a better grip on the road.
For example: if ‘Sport’ mode is selected, the suspension is automatically set to a harder damper rating. If the quality of the track surface falls below a certain threshold, the system immediately changes to a softer rating within the ‘Sport’ setup range. When the quality of the tarmac improves once more, PASM automatically returns to the original, harder rating.
Need more information about PASM? Click this link: FAQ for PASM
__________________
Transplant from Alaska => Arizona. I like it HOT!
Don'tmiss scraping my master's windshield, winter oil, winter tires, chains, pluggin' in the car over night--block water heater! and interior warmer. And having to put anti-freeze in my GAS!
Cayman as a daily driver... if memory serves, this has been discussed here once or twice. If you look at the bottom of the thread you have created, you will see a few threads on this subject. You can also do a search on daily driver and find a few more.
As it was pointed out your best bet is to do several test drives on various types of roads to get a feel for the car and see if you can be comfortable with a stiff ride; which of course is subjective. Also try different set ups: 18 inch vs 19 inch, PASM vs non-PASM, etc. This will be your best bet.
Good luck with your decision and Welcome to the Cayman Club!!
PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management
This active damping system offers continuous adjustment of individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving style.
The driver can choose from two setup modes, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’, using a separate ‘damper’ button on the center console. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for general road driving and circuits with uneven tarmac. ‘Sport’ mode is intended for smoother track surfaces, where the harder settings help eliminate pitch and roll.
In either mode, PASM continuously evaluates the current conditions while automatically selecting the corresponding damper rates from the respective set of mapped values.
A range of sensors are used to monitor the movement of the body under acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, as well as on poor road surfaces. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and modifies the damping force on each individual wheel in accordance with the selected mode. The result is a significant reduction in body movement as well as a better grip on the road.
For example: if ‘Sport’ mode is selected, the suspension is automatically set to a harder damper rating. If the quality of the track surface falls below a certain threshold, the system immediately changes to a softer rating within the ‘Sport’ setup range. When the quality of the tarmac improves once more, PASM automatically returns to the original, harder rating.
Need more information about PASM? Click this link: FAQ for PASM
All - I'm considering a Cayman as my daily driver. I live in Northern New Jersey and I commute nearby with some turnpike traffic.
How comfortable is the Cayman as a daily driver? How sensative is it to the rougher roads? I used to have an Audi with low profile 17's and I would blow tire after tire. I believe that was because it was such a heavy car on those skinny tires. How is the car in the colder weather with the regular 17" tires? How about a little snow, rain? My BMW is rear wheel drive, but I've driven in all types of snow as discovered as long as I go slow.. the traction control takes care of the rest.
I'm also not skinny guy and my current car, an 05 BMW 530 has pretty coomfy seats. I'm going to swing by a dealership in Englewood to see if they let me sit and maybe take one for a spin.
I have another car, a new FJ Cruiser.. so I have something for the bad weather and trips to really rough areas. But the Cayman would be my daily driver.
Thanks all!
As you might have guessed, this is not the first time this has been discussed, so you might want to scroll down to the bottom of this page where, under "similar threads" you'll find more threads on this topic and a total of 111 more responses to the same question - more opinions for you to read before making a decision. Welcome to the CC...
brad
__________________
21-year PCA Member
PCA DE Instructor
I commute 22 miles each day, about 70% highway. I'm also 55 so the pain I was willing to take years ago in exchange for performance is not there any more! The Cayman is between a Boxster and a modern 911...I've had both and done this same commute in all three. Quieter, less flex, than the Boxster, not quite as GT-esque as the 911. As mine is a normal I have 17" snow tires (an absolute MUST...in both Boston and NJ) and 18" S rims for summer and of course the 17's are easier on the bum, but not as dramatic a difference as I would have predicted.
To the extent that most folks with Audi quats are too lazy to fit snow tires, I'd disagree that the Cayman is not as capable in the snow. I took the car on several ski trips last year (althou we typically take the 330i, RWD, an astonishingly good car in the snow fitted with Blizzaks) without drama assuming you don't run into clearence problems. Our ski house is up a long hill and we get up it everytime far easier than our FWD and AWD guests every week....yup, they're running "all seasons". But the real drama happens in the morning when the AWDs end up in the snow bank at the bottom of the hill because their heavy, expensive AWD systems have no effect on stopping! The good news is we typically have another one around to tow them out with
__________________
2007 Cayman, midnight/tan
2007 Touareg V8, working man's Cayenne, tow vehicle
2007 Mazda3 hatch, ski car and wifey-mobile
1993 BMW 325is Spec E36 race car
I can only comment on the difference in ride quality compared to an Audi on 17" 225 x 45 with "sport suspension" the Audi ride is poor compared to the Cayman-The Cayman is stiffer but the suspension has more travel and is less bouncy. There is no thrashing over potholes with the higher profile tyres. No need for PASM on 17" in my opinion.
PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management
This active damping system offers continuous adjustment of individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving style.
The driver can choose from two setup modes, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’, using a separate ‘damper’ button on the center console. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for general road driving and circuits with uneven tarmac. ‘Sport’ mode is intended for smoother track surfaces, where the harder settings help eliminate pitch and roll.
In either mode, PASM continuously evaluates the current conditions while automatically selecting the corresponding damper rates from the respective set of mapped values.
A range of sensors are used to monitor the movement of the body under acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, as well as on poor road surfaces. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and modifies the damping force on each individual wheel in accordance with the selected mode. The result is a significant reduction in body movement as well as a better grip on the road.
For example: if ‘Sport’ mode is selected, the suspension is automatically set to a harder damper rating. If the quality of the track surface falls below a certain threshold, the system immediately changes to a softer rating within the ‘Sport’ setup range. When the quality of the tarmac improves once more, PASM automatically returns to the original, harder rating.
Need more information about PASM? Click this link: FAQ for PASM
Sounds like my preferance for a Daily Driver
For the Ride of Your Life: Drive the Alcan! 
