Some decent points have been made, but overall if you can afford it I say go with the P Car.
I don't think the S is necessary either. The Cayman is lighter then the Z and will feel more agile.
I would not buy one new...CPO deals are out there to be had. We picked up a base 2007 lightly optioned with 14 K miles on it for 36K. Depending on time of year/haggling/location you could find a similar for 32-34K. I have seen plenty of 2007-2009 cars go for sub 40K.
You will get more value with the Z sure but after the initial depreciation hit, the Porsches look much more affordable. They had further to fall
Maintenance is actually pretty simple on Cayman/Boxsters and TCO is not that much different. Sure if something goes 'wrong' it will be more part for part on a german car then a Japanese car. Once out of warranty basic maintenance is easy to do if you are a home wrench and I plan to do it.
Example: synthetic oil change 1x year = about 200 from the porsche dealer (less if you BYO parts...say 160). My 2x synthetic changes for the Z cost me about 120/yr.
Would you be happy driving a Porsche over a Z for an added $80/yr in maintenance costs? I think you would
From a driving experience, the Cayman really bonds with the driver. I don't hate our Z at all: I truly enjoy it (its got more creature comforts) but if I had to pick only one unfortunately the Z would lose that contest.
- b