Hi everyone,

I've been reading all the great info on the forums for a couple of weeks. I'm looking to purchase a new cs and still had some questions. i'd appreciate any help that you might be able to offer me.

I currently live in southern california and was wondering if I can get the best deal here or should I look to either northern california or out of state for a better deal. If it's possible to get a good deal in socal, could anyone give me some names of salespeople/dealers that you have had a good experience with. Also I read that the 09's might start to come out sometime in the summer, would it be a good time to make an offer on an 08. i've read that some have been able to get 1 to 2 percent above invoice on their cars, is that realistic in the current environment? can you get the same offer on an ordered car?

I'm limited to how much I can spend on the new car. I'd rather have a cs with limited options rather than a fully loaded cayman. So I need some help on which options I should get. Are the standard seats good or should i upgrade to the power seats or sport seats. Many of you have recommended the bi-xenon light, but how are the regular lights. Should i upgrade to the Bose Sound System. Any recommendations that you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help. I look forward to purchasing my new cayman and contributing to the cayman club!

Cheers,

Joe

Welcome to the swamp Joe!

My : The standard seats are good, the sports seats a little better from the lateral support standpoint; the power seats are heavier, and if you are the only (or primary) driver, and don't change the seat position often, then what's the point in having them?

The regular (halogen) headlamps are fine, but if you do a lot of night-driving on unlit roads, the bi-xenons would be a nice upgrade (or if you just prefer the look, I suppose).

My most accounts, the Bose is better than the stock sound system, but many people aren't that impressed by it either. I would say that if you are an audiophile, and are planning to go to an aftermarket head unit anyway, then don't spend the money on the Bose. If you aren't that picky (like me) then I would get the Bose (or the preferred package it comes with) - and do the simple subwoofer mod that makes it sound better.

Spend a little time looking thru the FAQ where there is discussion of the options, as well as similar threads to this in the past (see the suggestions at the bottom of the thread). Good luck in your search!

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thanks for the great info ks-cs, i can't wait to get my new cs and join the club! Currently i've found a cs with ppa but without the bi-xenons in stock at a couple of dealers here. i might go with these options unless i can get an ordered one for a good deal.

cheers,

Joe

Personally, I wouldn't buy another vehicle without xenon headlights. Even if you're young and your eyes are still pretty good, the brightness and pattern of the xenons make driving safer at night. Active safety is the best kind.

Seat-wise, you've got to sit in them all. There are no good rules of thumb, either. Some, ahem, larger people like the standard seats better, but I'm an extra-large and I like the sport seats. Truth be known, sports seats with the natural leather are so grippy they can be a pain to get settled into. The adaptive sport seats are nice, but they weigh significantly more, and they cost a whole lot more. Since all Porsche sports cars use the same seats it's pretty easy to find examples of all of them, especially in SoCal.

I'm one of those folks that thinks both sound systems suck, so I'd save your money and forget the Bose (I did this) and listen to the engine. For anything like decent sound you're going aftermarket. Personally, I only turn on the radio for the news on NPR anyway. (Though Porsche manages to make FM reception worse than any car I've owned in the past 20 years. Sigh.)

If you're ordering I'd recommend one of the sport steering wheels.

You didn't mention where you are in SoCal, but both San Diego dealers are reportedly pretty good, and have large allocations. Last November I couldn't get either one of them to knock more than $5K off a special order $71K CS, but maybe they're hungrier now. For in-stock cars 10% off is possible, but I've found that most dealers order cars for stock with the preferred package and 19" wheels (especially in SoCal), neither of which I wanted and cost thousands. East of the Mississippi & in Texas prices are lower, so look at the member's location before getting all excited about pricing claims.

Hi Joe,

Agree with KS-CS wholeheartedly about the power seats. I think the bi-xenon headlights are pretty important, so that was a must for me. I have the Bose sound system and it sounds pretty good to me, but then , I'm not a true audiophile. If you're really into your music or are going to crank it to the "fast & the furious" level, then you need to upgrade the stereo.

You might want to look at the '07s if the money a bit tight. Depends on if you really want certain colors and/or options. I picked up an '07 base recently at a pretty good discount. You can usually find what '07s are available at the Porsche site under dealer inventory. Last time I checked, there were some CS in the S Cal area, but the Porsche site allows you to look nationwide. Just takes a bit of time, but well worth it to save $$.

IMHO, most options outside of the bi-xenon headlights are not necessary but luxury items. Of course, that's only my opinion. Best of luck! Look forward to you joining the owner's circle.

Jim

Joe,

Good info from the other posters.

I have the sport seats and I love them. I do NOT regret not going for the power seats. I am very happy with the manual seats.

The BiXenons make a huge difference. I've driven both. I think they are a must.

Check out the FAQs for lots of good info on other options.

Good luck....

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Thanks Blueone, Echoboy and Gator Bite for the good info. It's seems like the bi-xenons are a must have, so I'll add that to my list of options. Also i'll be driving most of the time by myself so I agree that the power seats probably won't be needed. I've been to the porsche.com site to look for inventory nationwide, but could only find pre-owned. Is there a link that shows new inventory nationwide?

Cheers,

Joe

Also, times are tough. It should not be hard for you to rustle up a good deal on a Porsche. YMMV, but I suspect you will be able to negotiate a good deal without leaving your area.

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Hey Blueone,

Did you have a good experience with Pioneer in SD? Personally, I can't stand them. I found them so arrogant to deal with, both in person and on line. When I went to do a test drive, I was annoyed by the 2 salespeople I dealt with, and I'm not sure if they were the good guy-bad guy. Their attitude and demeanor made me feel as if I should be "honored" to be at their dealership and that they were "tolerating" me. I didn't enjoy dealing with their internet guy either. I enjoyed Hoehn at Carlsbad much more, they were more pleasant and polite to deal with. I don't expect to be babied at the dealership, but for Heaven's sake, they're car salesmen, not the President of the United States. Sorry, just venting my bad experience. I've never bitched on this site, but oh well, first for everything.

You might have better success going to the individual dealer's website to see if they list their new inventory - also, a lot of car dealers list new inventory on cars.com.

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My Blogs
2006 CS Tip (Daily Driver & Part-time Track Toy)
2005 Ford Expedition (to haul the CS)
2006 Lexus RX400h (wifey's)
Gone, but not forgotten: 2002 WRX, 2004 MINI

There's no link for a nationwide directoy. But sometimes, 07's new are listed under new cars and sometimes they're listed under used cars. you'll need to look at both. You can also find some '08s loaners, demos, etc under the used car directory. have you checked out Family porsche in bakersfield? I seem to remember they had a nice white '07 CS. Not sure if they sold it.

going to the individual dealers inventory has been helpful. i've found 3 dealers that have a cs close to what i want except they all don't have the bi-xenon lights. i've read through the forums that some have been able to upgrade later to the bi-xenons but that it's either more expensive or the quality is not as good as OEM.