2008 Porsche Cayman Quality Review

The 2008 Porsche Cayman features excellent build quality and some rather nice materials, but it’s a small car with a small interior—by design.

The 2008 Porsche Cayman seats two inside a cabin that Cars.com says is "definitely on the cozy side," though they feel "it's not the least bit cramped." Edmunds reviewers find that the "seating is comfortable and supportive and the cabin affords a surprising amount of headroom," but they also mention that legroom is just "OK." The sport seats inside the 2008 Porsche Cayman "may look a little meek compared to the highly bolstered ones in some sports cars, but the side bolsters are plenty capable of holding you in place during aggressive driving," according to Cars.com. However, for serious driving enthusiasts, reviews read by TheCarConnection.com suggest opting for the "adaptive sport seats," which ConsumerGuide says include "adjustable side bolsters, power seats," and a "memory system" for both the driver seat and mirrors. The one complaint that seems to arise frequently regarding the seats is comfort and support during long drives. Cars.com reviewers register "some soreness after a good five hours of driving," while ConsumerGuide mentions that in the Cayman, Porsche's seats "lack long-distance lumbar firmness."

One area where the Cayman shines unexpectedly is cargo space. ConsumerGuide rates it above the class average for cargo room, reporting that there are "cargo bays front and rear for more luggage-carrying possibilities than in many two-seaters," though they also mention that there is "little in-cabin storage space." Kelley Blue Book agrees, deriding the "dismal cupholders" inside the cabin, but adding that "stowage space under both the front hood and beneath the rear hatch" gives it "a good deal more practicality than may be apparent at first glance." Compared to its Boxster relative, the Cayman's "hatchback body style offers more cargo capacity than the Boxster, with 9.1 cubic feet in the rear and a front trunk (or 'frunk') that brings total storage capacity to 14.5 cubic feet," says Edmunds.

In typical Porsche fashion, the 2008 Porsche Cayman features exemplary build and materials quality. Kelley Blue Book calls the interior of the Cayman "compact but well-finished," featuring "lots of leather and brushed aluminum accent trim." Cars.com agrees, praising the "mostly nice materials throughout and fine build quality" evident in it. Even ConsumerGuide can't help but gush about the "rich-feeling, carefully assembled cabin materials" that "enhance the sophisticated ambiance," but they mark Porsche down for charging extra "for amenities some rivals include as standard, including full leather upholstery."

Unfortunately, the exceptional build quality on the 2008 Porsche Cayman doesn't translate into a quiet ride. ConsumerGuide notes that "the engine's location behind the seats means more mechanical ruckus than in front-engine designs," and other reviews read by TheCarconnection.com also mention obtrusive ambient noise levels. Autoblog says that the 2008 Porsche Cayman has "minimal sound insulation to keep the din at a palatable level."