Considering trading my Cayman for a CTR

[boosted180sx]

and here i am wanting a cayman instead of the ctr

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[zsak]

I noticed that the CTR takes a little bit longer to get to operating temps than previous cars I have had, but I don't think 15 minutes long.

 

[s2ktaxi]

and here i am wanting a cayman instead of the ctr

The Cayman has a bit more finesse and refinement but is also more expensive to buy up front and to own. The grass is greener...

 

[jred721]

Cayman and CTR are apples and oranges tbh. One's a practical daily that happens to be just at home on the track as it is getting groceries and offer great performance, while the Cayman is a mid-engine, rear wheel drive, 2 door sports car that is meant to deliver an amazing driver experience, some of that German engineering and nothing else.

 

[various cheeses]

So nearly a year later, and I'm revisiting this debate with myself.

Recently found out I have a kid on the way, so I'm wondering if I need another 4door as a backup to my wife's car. We upgraded her car to a 2019 Insight (great car btw, essentially a hybrid civic), but I'm worried I need a second practical car just in case. I finally test drove a CTR, and it's definitely something I could live with, albeit with a few gripes. Any way to get FLAC support on the stereo? My wife's newer Insight head unit plays FLAC files fine, oddly enough. Has Honda ever updated a head unit in a mid cycle refresh (2020)? Is it easy to get 19" NSX front wheels? I love the fact that the car has no Honda Sensing nannies - the system in the Insight is hyperactive as hell, and auto-defaults to on at startup.

My wife says I should just keep the Cayman, which I certainly could live with as well. It's legal in NC to have a kid/car seat in a 2-seater.

 

[GeezR]

I am typically faster than base Caymans and even Cayman R's at the track. At least til heat soak occurs. But you are more interested in the practical side of the car. I'd say its perfect for you as its heat soak issue never occurs, for me at least, even in spirited street use. And it's a blast to drive, kind of makes your car enthusiast's soul sing.

And its also a practical 4 door sedan with large trunk, rear seat, 4 doors, good mpg (when driven rationally). To me that has been the car's ace in the hole. I thought I was getting an amazing track car and instead I got an amazing street car. And, as you note, no intrusive safety nannies-so it won't steer you back to the center of your lane if it decides you are too close to the edge, etc.

Others will have to address the audio issues you raise. I like the stereo's sound quality but, honestly, am pretty indifferent to that issue.

Definitely buy wheel insurance or go to 18" wheels with more sidewall.

 

[HONDA X]

When it comes to Porsche I was never a fan of Cayman unless it’s a GT4 but prefer a 911 GT3 RS any day and hopefully someday I can own one. Price wise you cannot compare a Caymen to a CTR even with ADM because European cars in general have a higher msrp. If I was in a situation between choosing a regular Cayman and a FK8 Type R I would prefer the Type R any day. Honda engineering is great and amazing.

 

[BryanCO]

So nearly a year later, and I'm revisiting this debate with myself.

Recently found out I have a kid on the way, so I'm wondering if I need another 4door as a backup to my wife's car. We upgraded her car to a 2019 Insight (great car btw, essentially a hybrid civic), but I'm worried I need a second practical car just in case. I finally test drove a CTR, and it's definitely something I could live with, albeit with a few gripes. Any way to get FLAC support on the stereo? My wife's newer Insight head unit plays FLAC files fine, oddly enough. Has Honda ever updated a head unit in a mid cycle refresh (2020)? Is it easy to get 19" NSX front wheels? I love the fact that the car has no Honda Sensing nannies - the system in the Insight is hyperactive as hell, and auto-defaults to on at startup.

My wife says I should just keep the Cayman, which I certainly could live with as well. It's legal in NC to have a kid/car seat in a 2-seater.

Congratulations on the upcoming youngster!

Sell the Cayman (assuming you still don’t want to keep both) and get the CTR. I had a new GT4 for three years. Great car but the CTR is a lot of fun while also being very family friendly.

 

[various cheeses]

Interestingly, the Porsche forum guys recommended keeping the car and sticking a car seat/booster seat up front. Apparently many have done it, but I'm still on the fence about the idea. Looks like my FLAC problem can be solved with HondaHack on the head unit. I guess now we wait and see what happens in 2020 for the car.

I hope those weird body colored fake vents are swappable. Not a fan of how the front vents look on the 2020s.

 

[jasonjm]

Congratulations on the upcoming youngster!

Sell the Cayman (assuming you still don’t want to keep both) and get the CTR. I had a new GT4 for three years. Great car but the CTR is a lot of fun while also being very family friendly.

I have two kids which forced me out of a coupe for the weekend car. Being able to take them both for a ride and have room for stuff is fantastic. I was eyeing many cars 3-4x the price and I’m glad I stuck with the R. The one thing I found after kids is the amount of free time started to drain very quickly. So having an expensive car sit and just depreciate not being able to drive it would’ve made me sad. Besides probably shouldn’t be driving anyway with only getting 3 hours of sleep straight. Little naps throughout the day keeps you alive but probably not enough to drive fast - anyways I’m not so sad with the R cause I paid MSRP. Oh and I am def keeping it for 10 years or forever.

 

[tinyman392]

Interestingly, the Porsche forum guys recommended keeping the car and sticking a car seat/booster seat up front. Apparently many have done it, but I'm still on the fence about the idea. Looks like my FLAC problem can be solved with HondaHack on the head unit. I guess now we wait and see what happens in 2020 for the car.

I hope those weird body colored fake vents are swappable. Not a fan of how the front vents look on the 2020s.

I'm not surprised that the Porsche forum guys told you go to Porsche I'm not going to weigh in on that debate really, that's a personal decision. Keep in mind, though, that if the mother is still in the equation she might want to sit somewhere too

That said, the body colored fake vents may or may not be part of the 2020 models, we don't know yet as nothing has really been said about it. Everything up to this point is completely rumor.

 

[BryanCO]

Interestingly, the Porsche forum guys recommended keeping the car and sticking a car seat/booster seat up front. Apparently many have done it, but I'm still on the fence about the idea. Looks like my FLAC problem can be solved with HondaHack on the head unit. I guess now we wait and see what happens in 2020 for the car.

I hope those weird body colored fake vents are swappable. Not a fan of how the front vents look on the 2020s.

Ya, not surprising. The Cayman is a great car but would be tough for me to daily with a young family. I’ve had impracticable daily drivers but that was before our son and I tended to swap out of them more frequently. Of course, your experience may be very different.

The great thing about the CTR and similar cars is that they are nearly as much fun and special as a great a great sports car but are less expensive and practical.

 

[various cheeses]

Yeah bottom line is we could maybe make it fit with 1, but never 2 kids. CTR it is.

 

[fatherpain]

Congrats man and welcome to the club. Predict you’re gonna love it

Yeah bottom line is we could maybe make it fit with 1, but never 2 kids. CTR it is.

 

[DPE]

Sounds like you've made up your mind, but just reinforcing what jasonjm said. Even having a Mustang with back seats, with my three bigger kids the fun car was sitting in the garage too much (I have an Expedition for a daily due to work). Bought a CTR, and I'd estimate I use it about 3x more often just because I can easily get extra people in and out and it's not useless in the winter (with the right tires) etc. I guess my thought is I'd rather be able to take my fun car everywhere and not be in an Insight nearly all the time. Not disparaging the Insight, I'm just saying it's not exactly a CTR.

That said, a flat 6 Cayman is a special thing. I have a lot of seat time in a 2014 S, and in those really rare moments on a twisty road on a nice day with no traffic the CTR isn't going to feel as special (very few cars will feel as good to drive, in fact). On track the CTR will keep up fine if you seek lap times, but in terms of feel and driving satisfaction it isn't a Cayman. So if you place a huge value on that 1% of the time you're in the car in those situations, think about it before you trade. If that's just a nice thing to you but you're annoyed with not being able to easily access your engine, worry with future maintenance costs, and will get grumpy because it's spending too much time in the garage collecting dust, then the CTR is an easy choice you won't regret.

One other thing, hard to say what the future holds, but the CTR may prove to be a moment in time car. Honda building their best driver's car with a proper manual gearbox, no electric motors, and for a modern car a very 'pure' driving experience. I like to think the next generation will be a better version of the FK8, but for all we know it'll have electric motors and a DSG gearbox. If this is the last of the Honda driver's cars as we know them, you'll be very happy to have owned one.

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