2024 Miata vs Used Cayman

Looking at purchasing a compact fun car as a daily driver, with a 2024 Miata and a used Cayman emerging as the frontrunners. Planning on doing some causal autocross/track days with the car as well. I hope to drive auto versions of both soon (though would definitely purchase a manual Miata and would prefer a manual Cayman - I'd be learning to drive manual on whatever I'd buy). Porsche dealers have been stingy with 718 test drives, and 981s and 987s are less available. I'd appreciate any advice on the handling/practicality/value that could push me one way or another. Max budget is 50k.

The Miata's 2024 updates are appealing to me, with the tweaked steering and LSD. Leaning towards the RF, but considering both the RF and ST. RF Club is ~42k, ST Club is ~34k, maybe a bit less for both with s-plan pricing.

• +Good steering feel, very good manual, LSD.
• +Lower maintenance and insurance costs, likely pretty reliable.
• +Reputation of being very fun to drive both on the street and track.
• +Solid driver aids - backup camera, rear cross traffic warning, automatic emergency braking.
• -Some rollbar compatibility concerns with the RF, though not sure how much of an issue it could be.
• -Less space and less comfortable than the Cayman.

I've been looking at Caymans at multiple pricepoints across the 987.2, 981, and 718 gens.

• Local 987.2 manual for ~25k with 85k miles.
  • +Great steering feel, flat 6 sound.
  • +Pretty reliable (if PPI checks out).
  • -No driver aids, older car, basic spec.
  • -No LSD, though it seems like aftermarket options exist.
  • -Manual probably doesn't feel great.
• Non-local 981 manual for ~38k with 80k miles.
  • +Loaded spec (PTV, PASM, sport chrono) + beefed up cooling, brakes, and roll bar for track use.
  • -Worse steering feel than other options, probably won't be able to test drive one.
• Non-local 718 manuals, one base and one S, both for ~50k. Base is 2019 w/ 20k miles, S is 2017 w/ 60k miles.
  • +Good steering feel, both are loaded with PTV/PASM/sport chrono.
  • +Probably the only Caymans with some driver aids (backup camera, parking sensors, maybe blind spot alert).
  • -Expensive purchase price, probably going to be pretty expensive to insure.

The Miata is a really nice package - how much might I be missing out on vs a Cayman? Getting a test drive of a Cayman has been tough, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a hands on comparison. Overall practicality seems pretty close - I'm guessing the Cayman is quieter, more comfortable, and has more storage, but the Miata has better driver aids. The novelty of the mid-engine setup in the Cayman is rather appealing. The Cayman (especially a 718) is probably going to be much more expensive than the Miata between insurance and maintenance. How much of that money goes into a better car vs paying for the Porsche name?

You really need to drive both yourself to see what you prefer. They are both great cars with a list of pros and cons. 
 

You can probably rent one from Turo to get some quality seat time in them. 

My old boss had a used Cayman and a 2019 Miata RF at the same time for a couple of years.

He still has the Miata.

I've got a manual 981 Cayman (it's actually a Project Car) and I've spent lots of time in ND Miatas. I'll second the suggestion that you really, really, really need to drive them. It's tough to compare new vs. used, and they're completely different cars.

Cayman Pros:

• Amazing Noises
• Safer
• Faster
• Much better highway car
• Pretty much ready to track out of the box.
• Porsche badge
• More storage

Miata Pros:

• Better/cheaper aftermarket
• More fun on track
• Much cheaper in every way
• Top goes down

I'd rather have the Porsche, but the miata is probably the smarter buy.

I had a 987.2 PDK. I seriously looked at ND2s but they were claustrophobic for me.

Pros: It's fairly roomy inside, flat 6 sound and power, hydraulic steering, quieter, a little more classy, Porsche badge if that matters to you. Throw a set of brake pads, 200tw tires and some brake fluid in it and it's ready to track.

Cons: More expensive. Porsche interiors from that era have problems with peeling interior surfaces. The ND3 is probably more engaging to drive. 

I drove a couple hundred miles in both of these cars this year. It's worth renting each of them for a day to find out which one is closer to your tastes. 

The 718 Cayman/Boxster is riotously fast; the 2.5 is just plain unfair. They feature 11-second quarter miles and neutral handling  with very little roll feedback at cornering speeds well beyond the limit of visibility on most roads.  Porsche maintenance is expensive and working on it yourself takes careful planning. 

The Miata is just plain fun - little, narrow, great visibility, easy to tell your cornering load. Miatas are also simultaneously extremely reliable, durable, inexpensive, and generally easy to work on. 

Do not discount the Boxster, you can typically get a better spec, newer and often in a better color then the Cayman. Also the service costs are nothing to scoff at, if your going to use the car like I did tires and brakes will eat you alive over the ND. 

981 Cayman all the way, for $50k you should be able to get a decent S. It'll be better suited for track driving out of the box. I'm not a steering feel snob but unless Mazda really really improved it on the new nd there's no way it's better than the cayman. Maintenance is minimal as long as it's not a basket case. Financially it's the better buy, it's already depreciated some and will run circles around the Miata at retaining value, even if it is a bit more up front. I wouldn't be surprised if insurance is cheaper, what matters is the owner demographic much more than the value of the car. The 718s have cooling issues on track. I'm pretty sure the 981 had optional parking assist, and a decent quantity of them have had some form of backup camera retrofitted at this point.

In reply to dps214 :

Steering is a strong point of the ND3 in particular. It's one of the major updates to the platform. 

And the demographic of new Miata buyers is, shall we say, insurance friendly. Mazda has also made repair costs a priority. So I'd recommend a call to your insurance agent before assuming the Porsche is the cheap option there :)

Oh yeah, if you're 6'+ you'll fit way better in the Porsche.
 

And Keith's right about insurance, except I'd bet it's way, way, way easier for the average person to get the Porsche on a collector policy, making it way cheaper to insure. My classic insurance company didn't bat an eye at my 981. 

Yeah definitely research insurance, I just wouldn't assume one of more than the other without checking. The cayman/really all post-996 Porsches are the most tall person friendly sports cars I've encountered. I remember fitting fine in the nd I test drove a while ago but the porsche stuff is definitely better. Still wish the wheel telescoped a bit more but that seems to be a common theme across every vehicle I've owned or driven except the fiesta st, of all things

I wouldn't buy a car I haven't driven.  Find yourself a Caymen at a non-Porsche new car dealer.  They go in on trades against all manner of cars,  and at least it will give you the opportunity to try the platform and all of the tactile stuff.  At 6' tall I wouldn't even consider a Miata because it's simply too small/cramped for my fat/tall frame.  Wonderful little car, just not big enough to accommodate me.

Caymans have amazing balance that is just sublime.

Miatas are surprisingly quick on a road course and just stupid fun both on and off track.

I can best be described as F-en cheap and if I can have fun for less that's always my choice.

I own a 987.2 Cayman S, and have driven lots of Miatas, but never a ND. But I can tell you that the Miata will be more fun on the street; on track they will both be a lot of fun, but the Cayman will be a lot more thrilling because they are much faster. The Cayman is more practical and refined, but of course more expensive (but not outrageously so). Plus there is something about owning a Porsche.

The Cayman is pretty ho-hum in street driving, so if you are mostly going to be using the car for fun street driving, I'd go with the Miata.

I've owned 5 Miatas over the years (1 NA, 3 NB, 1 NC), had a 987.1  before and currently have a 987.2 Cayman as my fun car. Like the look of the ND's and I'm sure they're fun to drive but I simply do not fit in them. Had the same issue on NA/NB/NC's and got tired of dealing with unobtainum Lotus seats or lowering brackets that are a compromise. 

Yes, the Porsches are more expensive to maintain but if you're able to do DIY you can keep the costs reasonable. Keep in mind ND will be a depreciating asset whereas values on 987 are pretty stable especially gen 2 ones that are kept in good shape. As mentioned insurance with collector policy on the Porsches are surprisingly cheap though there are limitations on mileage, usage etc and it cannot be your daily commuter. 

Driving the Cayman always feels like a special occasion even at low speeds -- the smooth wonderful sounding engine, solid chassis, perfect driving position and the manual shifter is actually pretty darn good as well. 

It's a sliding scale of everything and what you truly value. If I wanted a fun street/autocross car, I'd just get the ND3. I've been co-driving an ND2 Miata this season and its a wonderful car. If you wanted something that was a bit more classic with steering feel and a great sound, I'd get the 987. The 981 and 718 are great and capable, but the EPS kills off the steering feel and honestly they're really "fast" for the street so you wouldn't really have as much fun IMO. This is coming from someone who owns a 996 911 as a "cruising fun car" and an NB Miata as the "raw sports car with feel". Also, with the ND Miata you'll get a new car warranty and you'll know everything that happened to it during your ownership as well as cheaper consumables and engines. (Porsche engines are stupid money)

The 718 is a better car, period.  Don't get the base model.  Too much turbo lag and a bit underpowered.  As has been suggested, look at the Boxster.  However, only you can decide if it's worth the $$$ over the ND.  The Miata is a spectacular car for the money.

You mentioned track days. The Cayman could go on track with pretty much any organization in the country as-is bone stock. The Miata will need an aftermarket rollbar to play on track with many (most?) organizations. The ND is not the easiest platform to get a rollbar in. You need to consider how much the rollbar will impact your enjoyment of the car when not on the track. I think in the RF the only available roll bar makes the roof non-retractable. 

Cayman is a great car. I had a GTS4.0, while the car was amazing 1. it was crazy fast for the street, 2. maintenance on it was insane, 3. insurance for track days, tires, brakes etc... crazy priced. So i sold it and bought a nice race car to enjoy and have been looking at either a miata or a lower priced cayman for street duty. I will be honest that the P badge is nice but the community has changed. It seems the Porsche community is more about the "hey look at me" than a purist who loves cars and porsches.  The Miata just seems like it would be more fun on the road and track, plus if you plan on trailering the car that would fit into your budget as well. This is coming from someone who loves Porsches and has had a few throught out the years. Nothing against the P car, but i would go on rennlist and ask about maintenance as the car gets older and issues. Like others have said the boxster is nice but if you plan to go on track you may need a roll bar. Keep us in the loop, id love to know what you settled on.

Do you have the extra monthly income to support the additional maintenance and increased costs of tires, brakes, and other consumables on track? If the answer is yes, thats worth the nicer/more roomy interior and additional track speed, then Porsche ALL THE WAY IMO. Are you single, then the answer is definitely get the Pcar. I also like the suggestion of looking into a Boxster to get the same/similar package at a reduced cost to save money for a rainy day (for repairing said Pcar).

If 50k is a stretch and the extra monthly maintenance and consumables would lower your ownership enjoyment, I would go to the Miata (or C7 vette) and never look back. 

There's a third option in the middle. The last Camaro convertible was really, really good, and there was an optional V8. 

I've owned and dailied both. The RF Miata stayed longer, but the Cayman was the better daily. The most important factor for me was the seats of all things- no matter what I tried, I just couldn't get on with the Miata seata for longer drives. The Cayman was very comfortable. 

I will just say what I always say in these cases and it's not meant as an insult. Ensure that can afford to OWN the Porsche, not just buy it. I looked at Cayman/Boxster S models a few years 2012-2016 (I forget which designation that is). After looking at maintenance/insurance costs, I decided I couldn't afford to own it. 

I can't really provide anything else as I haven't driven an ND Miata and the only Cayman I've driven was the GT4 RS on track at Exotic Racing in Vegas a few months ago. I liked it better than the Lambo Huracan Evo and the Ferrari 488 Pista. 

But after having owned a heavily modified NA Miata, a stock NC Miata, a heavily modified NC Miata.........I ended up ordering a 2023 BRZ that's now lightly modded. 

Maybe I'm richer than I realize but I don't find the ownership costs unreasonable. Insurance varies wildly by state and situation and I honestly haven't looked at my policy for a while but I don't remember the cost being out of line with other "normal" vehicles I've owned. If the difference between a $40 oil change and a $90 oil change once or twice a year is that big of an issue, you probably shouldn't be spending $30-50k on *any* car. But it is a good idea to do some reasearch and not go into any car purchase totally blind to long term costs. New car warranties are nice, that part is definitely worth something when weighing the options.