Five things I don't like

After two months and 3600 miles with my Cayman S , I love the car even more than when I bought it. But there are a couple things I don't like. These are: 1. The oft-mentioned hatch clunk, which I will fix this week thanks to the great tech article on this forum. 2. The key fob--it's way too big (wish it folded like a VW's) and it's oversensitive--I am constantly opening various hatches by accident. 3. The lack of an oil pressure gauge. It's a Porsche, not a Toyota . A Porsche needs an oil pressure gauge. Wonder if the aftermarket will come up with a way to mount the 911's cluster? 4. No chirp when I lock the car, just a small flash of the parking lights. The manual says I can have this changed by the dealer. Why not let me change it myself like my Nissan Titan pickup does? 5. The analog speedometer. Given it's size, location, the tiny increments, and the digital readout on the tach, why have it? That real estate could be used for, say, an oil pressure gauge. I'll refrain from listing the thousand things I love about the car. Suffice it to say I'm glad I chose it over the Lotus Elise I was also considering.

You can fix # 2 and # 4 with the Mods4Cars remote key. Most of us installed it ourselves and it's great.

There is actually probably a reason for that. If you look at most gauges, "normal" is straight up and down. In other words, the needle sits betwen 10 and 2. If your racing, you aint got time to think about numbers and doohickeys. So, a quick glance at the gauge will just tell you everything is within somekind of normal limit. On the other hand, if your brain has to process 164 ... Whoa ... Oh head 164 MPH!!!. ... IN other words, you got to think and you aint got time to think. Its the same thing with shift lights, no time to watch a tach ... but a flashing light will tell you to shift. In any case ... The 10 - 2 gauge thing I was told a LONG time ago ... no time to actually read the silly thing.

"But there are a couple things I don't like. These are: 1. The oft-mentioned hatch clunk, which I will fix this week thanks to the great tech article on this forum. I never have had his problem ... 2. The key fob--it's way too big (wish it folded like a VW's) and it's oversensitive--I am constantly opening various hatches by accident. The size could be smaller, but the sensitivity wears in over time ... mine used to trigger all the time, as the key is in my pocket and the car is outside my office. But, it doesn't trigger anymore. So the wear-in was probably factored in during R&D. 3. The lack of an oil pressure gauge. It's a Porsche, not a Toyota . A Porsche needs an oil pressure gauge. Wonder if the aftermarket will come up with a way to mount the 911's cluster? An oil pressure gauge isn't needed. The fact of the matter is that most gauges are really indicators anyway, meaning that they have an electrical signal going to an indicator, whether analog or digital. And the old direct pressure (true pressure) type isn't used anymore. An oil pressure switch connected to an idiot light is really all that is needed. Now, oil temperature, on the other hand, is of great value, or so it was when air and oil was all we had for cooling. With the introduction of water cooled heads, that, too, is much less needed. The head temperature is always what was critcal as the valves die first. So a water temperature gauge is adequate. Give Porsche some credit. They have been building high performance engines for a long time ... 4. No chirp when I lock the car, just a small flash of the parking lights. The manual says I can have this changed by the dealer. Why not let me change it myself like my Nissan Titan pickup does? I, personally, find the chirp annoying. And the horn honk really annoying. Why should I have to hear everyone on the lot set their alarm??? There's enough noise polution as it is. And it does "click" when the lights flash. I set my lock immediaitly upon exiting the car. It will also lock on its own, too. 5. The analog speedometer. Given it's size, location, the tiny increments, and the digital readout on the tach, why have it? That real estate could be used for, say, an oil pressure gauge. Speedometer, whats that? I don't use it. It's probably the law. The digital one on the tack is all I ever use. And I set the trigger for 70 to hear the beep. It reminds me to look for LE.

Well said FM. If my Cayman chirped when I locked it or opened it I'd be looking for away to turn it off. And I am not sure why a Porsche needs an oil pressure guage?

TT, Don't even think about posting anything critical about a Cayman on K-man S's site. It is only for positive comments about the car/brand and general self-affirmation of an elite. I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments. I too have a CS and have the same problems with my car; 1 the rear hatch engineering is crap - almost every passenger asks me what the hell is the thumping noise coming from the rear 2 the key is crap - mine falls apart (literally in half)- when I told the OPC they said its fortunate the car is supplied with two (If only Porsche could achieve the quality of my Renault Van!) 3 the locking process/key sensitivity is bizare - obviously an audible indication is sensible. Porsche engineers should be forced to drive Volkwagens! 4 No auto headlight light sensors - just that pointless home setting 5 The radio is truly crap- must have been specified by someone deaf 6 The speedo is pointless, might as well be substituted with something else more interesting, even if it is not as you have been educated stictly necessary This car is simply not perfect and could be better engineered. Porsche obviously don't have a great deal of faith in the build quality as they only give a two year warranty (in the UK). I too love the performance and handling... I am off to Nürburgring on Monday, might also find an autobahn to stretch its legs . These cars are not keepers, they are fun machines to be driven hard. I would never buy one secondhand as daily transport. Ucayman

Ucayman - You are simply wrong about this site being only for positive comments - spend some time reading through the site, in particular some of the very long threads in the "complaints" section, and you'll see there's plenty of adverse commentary, some written by K man-S himself. I have also not had the hatch "thunk" problem, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist for some people. Over the last 9 years, I've had two other "new" style Porsches and easily got used to the flashing lights on lock and unlock. I just installed the RemoteKey that's mentioned above, adding horn beeps, and now that I've been using it for a week, I'll probably disable that feature because I don't like the extra noise like fmarshall and Santa Fe. Anything can be better engineered, but at what price point does one stop? Are you willing to pay a lot more for a car that includes all the features that you insist on? I don't think anyone expects the cars to be perfect, others were just expressing their opinions about what works for them. brad

FM, I give Porsche lots of credit. Not only that, I gave them over 60,000 of my hard earned dollars. So I think I have bought the right to snivel just a little bit on a board entitled "Cayman complaints." Gotta disagree with you on the need for an oil pressure gauge. I have a 944S2/968 track/race car, and I use the gauge to monitor pressure every few laps. Early in a run, it shows 5 bars at 7000 rpms. Later, when it gets hot, it shows about 3 bars at that same speed. When it starts showing less than that, I know it's time to figure out why-like a bearing just starting to go, but not yet at the catastrophic failure stage. An idiot light goes on too late to do any good; it just tells you that you'll presently be needing a new engine. My cousin, a former BMW factory tech, calls it the 'remove wallet' light. Every Porsche factory race car I have seen (including the 997 GT3 cup) has an oil pressure gauge, in addition to a light. So do 911's. So Porsche apparently thinks their highest performance engines deserve a gauge. As to the locking thing, I recognize different people have different preferences. I was just lamenting the fact that my Nissan lets ME choose without taking it to the dealer, whereas the Porsche has made the decision for me. I don't know if the analog speedo is a legal requirement. Weren't the horrible Corvette mid-80's dashes all digital? Can't remember. I also thought of a sixth thing: the lack of availability of a limited slip differential, even as an option. I understand the marketing reasons--a CS with a limited slip would walk away from the base 911 on the track. Porsche had the same problem in the 1980's with the 944 turbo, which would outpeform the 911. Gotta protect that flagship!

Beez, Thanks for the patronizing response. I am not new to this website, I have ben reading the posts since December last year. However most go the way this one is heading ie. dont offer any constructive criticism that questions the Porsche engineering and design. I doubt it was K-Man S's original intent when he started this excellent enthusiasts site, however this site has become a clique opinion of a few members whos goal it is to "educate" the others into the correct way to view the issues. I have offered an opinion on the car which is has negative elements relating to aspects of the car's design and build quality which are not subjective. I do not expect to pay what it takes to get a car with all the features I and Terry Thomas have outlined; I paid £47,500 for a car with a major piece of bodywork that does not fit properly, a key that falls apart, a radio system that has been surpassed by every car I have owened in the last 20 years, and with a lack of modern features included in even base mainsteam models offered by manufacturers in Europe. Subjectively... I have never had a car other than this one where I was unsure if the doors were locked. My VW golf does not bleep when locked however it does make a satisfying clunck when locking. None of these features should require me to pay a lot more for the car, or modify the electronics, I expect them as standard in the inflated asking price. After all if, they can sell me the car with a pointless driving course included in the price they can afford to include a proper key. I expect you will educateme otherwise though... Ucayman

Terry, you have to love this site because most sites would have really been after a "newbie" whose first posts were critical of the make. We love the Cayman but also like to hear the things that can be improved even if we all don't always agree on what they are. For instance I've never heard of a problem with oil pressure in a Porsche that a guage caught that a warning light did not but I'm sure it has happened and if so Porsche will be forced to correct the oversight. Some folks just want the trinkets of the ricers but those who use the cars and respect them like you do get appreciated and over time will influence the design so don't think we were hammering you. Welcome to the site (a bit late to say that). Ucayman my 62 year old ears hear the locking of the Cayman just fine, it is a nice cluck and I'm never in doubt. My key has never fallen apart and I have no noise from the hatch even though I live off of a mile gravel driveway. There are no body bits on my car that are not fitted correctly and the Bose works as well as any other car radio as far as my ears are concerned but if you cannot hear the locking noise than the radio sound might be a problem. Take it back and try another brand if you really don't like it. Life is too short to be unhappy over something like this.

Cost not a factor for some complaints It is a bit ridiculous that you have to go aftermarket to add the features provided by RemoteKey. VWs and Audi's have many of these features either on by-default or dealer-activated. This is all software, so there shouldn't be large per-unit costs to add these features. And don't these companies exchange parts and technologies? And how much more could a better key cost? These are all nits indeed, but you can't play the cost card against these product features. Although in my humble opinion, if you want overall automotive design perfection, get an Audi. If you want perfection on the elements of auto design affecting driving performance and the visceral driving experience, go Porsche.

SF, I didn't feel hammered at all. We just had a respectful exchange of different views. Mine just happened to be right. I may be a newbie on this site, but I'm no newbie to Porsche. I've owned them since 1983 and have been racing various cars off and on for 16 years, 10 of which I've also been a PCA driving instructor. Over that time I've acquired some definite opinions about Porsches--both positive and negative, but overwhelmingly positive. What's cool about Porsche is that they DO listen to guys like me on the big stuff--like the lack of an LSD option. That's part of what distinguishes them from BMW, which seems intent on ignoring widespread pleas from guys like me to ditch I-drive. And while they are at it, I want them to offer Chris Bangle a lifetime employment contract so he can never leave them to take a job at Porsche. I remember when the Boxster came out--I drove onee on the track and fell in love. I kept saying that as soon as the coupe version was released, I'd buy one. Little did I know it would take 10 years, and that Porsche would find a way to make it more expensive than the convertible. Gotta love their chutzpah.

Ucayman, Porsche's are not intended to be something to everyone, but everything to someone. Perhaps you're not that someone. I totally agree on the oil pressure gauge issue. WTH were they thinking..? On my last Porsche (a 944 Turbo) I often kept an eye on that gauge. It helped me determine when the engine was too cold (higher than normal pressure), when it was too hot (lower than normal) and when it was time to change the oil (lower than normal at idle). It gave me a feel for what was happening inside my engine and I think any performance car should have one.

I have not had the trunk issue either, or any problems with my keys and think the Bose is okay, personally I don't expect great audio in a sport cars. On the horn beep on locking the car, I got the Wilhelmy module and am trying to decide whether or not I will keep the horn beep enabled or not. Godfrey

I also have not had the trunk issue or the key fall apart. If you expect the dealer to turn on the horn option for you I think you are in for another disappointment, as I don't think they can - mine couldn't anyway. I do think the trunk and hood pop open too easily on early cars especially, but they did make the delay longer at some point in production. Unfortunately for me it was after my car was produced and so far they haven't offered a retroactive fix. But I do love the car and appreciate the design and engineering that produced such an amazing vehicle in most every other respect.

I am still setting off the horn beep by accident when I am getting out of the car. Other than that no complaints. Russ

Ucayman.....What is wrong with the bodywork on your car ? and why didn't you purchase a car that was more to your liking ?.

Hey, Ucayman--either drink the koolaid like a good boy or the Cayman Mindless Adulation Division (C-MAD) will show up at your house and take your car away and put you in a reeducation camp. Too much more criticism out of you and Switzerland itself may invade the UK!

Where did this come from? Why would we even have a Cayman Complaints section/forum if this site was just for positive things and self affirmation??? I'm not sure how you got that impression but constructive criticism is always welcome. If you are going to be a troll and jump on the site just to bash the car then that isn't welcome, but that's totally different from having things about the car you don't like or would like to change. As someone pointed out above the original complaint list has 2 items on it that can be solved by an aftermarket product should the owner so choose. Should Porsche have given us those options from the factory? Maybe, but if they did, would the car cost more? Would it cost more than the aftermarket item? Do I expect any car to be perfect? No, that includes the Cayman. Is the Cayman a wonderful car? Sure. Does it have its faults? Sure. Does Porsche have its faults? Sure. Do you and I have our faults? Sure. It is true I didn't set this site up as a place to "bash" the Cayman on purpose, I set this site up so there would be a place to discuss the Cayman both good and bad and a place to provide as much information as possible about the Cayman to assist owners and enthusiasts. If that isn't coming across clearly then please PM me why you think that is the case.

Ok I gotta ask who these select few member are who have formed a clique and are trying to educate people in the "correct view" ??? Some of our most vocal members often disagree with each other. Nearly 50% of our member population has posted as some point. I don't see this forum as being controlled by a select few so I'm sorry you've formulated that opinion. Everyone's opinions are welcome here, even those that disagree with others as long as that disagreement is handled in an adult fashion (no flame wars, no personal attacks, etc.). I did not read Beez's post as being patronizing but I did read your response as taking a cheap shot at him for supposedly being in this clique you talk about. Internet forums are not perfect places for getting one's ideas across and often items typed by one person are misinterpreted by another. If you come into the complaint forum and type a "Here is all of the things wrong with my car" post or "5 things I hate about the Cayman" you have to expect others to ask "why" you hate something or offer suggestions (such as the Remote Key add-on) to help fix the things you don't like. There is no need for other owners to get defensive because there are things you don't like, and there is no need for someone complaining to get defensive if others either don't share that same complaint or have what for them is an alternative solution (Remote Key, Oil Idiot Light, etc.) There are things about the Cayman, things about my job, things about people I know that irk me. I can't fix them all, so I do what I can to get by and not worry about it. I might vent from time to time about one or more of them, but I don't expect others to join in on my vent as they probably don't share the same point of view as I do. Doesn't make either right or wrong, just different. Please do not mistake "differences" as cliques or patronization or something they are not, they are merely differences of opinion, which as I see it is a good thing that they are being expressed.

Terry, I completely agree with your points . I had already begun thinking about what a waste of space the speedometer is, and how much more useful a volt meter and oil pressure gauge would be in that space. Given that speed control by the smokies is an "absolute" number, an analog gauge doesn't make a lot of sense anymore. I also have an '87 Carrera , and a '94 964 C2, which of course have oil pressure gauges. In fact a measure of the health of those engines is the bar pressure at various rpm levels. I've added volt meters to both. Given the issues with battery drain from all the little things that are running in the background, I'd really like to be able to keep my eye on voltage levels in my Cayman S . As K-Man notes, we have fixes for #2 & #4. Now we just need someone to come up with fixes for the other things that we'd like to improved.

Concerning Oil Pressure Gauge/Light. I can tell when a gauge is working, and (hopefully) presenting correct information ALL THE TIME. With a light, I don't know if it is out because pressure is good or if the light itself is not working. Same thing with Water Temperature. I want to know, incrementally, what is going on; not be warned just as my car is about to blow up.

The Cayman S has a radio?????????????? Your dealer has a recall notice on the rear hatch issue. Call them to schedule a fix.

My father just had a loaner BMW 325 (he drives a 5 series) and was shocked to see there's no way to check the oil level. There's a warning light on the dash that lets you know if the oil is below the minimum level, and no dipstick under the hood! Hope that light bulb doesn't burn out! I couldn't believe this from a company that markets itself to car enthusiasts. --Will

Okay, I'll post my two gripes about the Cayman S so far. First, the standard steering wheel has too thin a rim, and I resent having to pay anywhere from $250 to almost $1000 to get a decent one. The one in my MINI S has a smaller diameter and a thicker rim with nice thumb spots in a $25K car. Secondly I resent having to pay extra for Xenon lights, especially so much. Xenons are now becoming ubiquitous in cars costing half as much, and the ones that still do charge are much less, i.e. MINI for $500, my Audi A3 for $650. There, I feel better now, back to Koolaid drinking.

Ucayman - If you have been reading this site since last December, then I don't understand how a reasonable person can say that there is no room for criticism at the Cayman Club. There are literally hundreds of threads and thousands of responses in the "complaints" section where problems, complaints, and even fixes have been aired and discussed in a reasonable and non-bashing fashion. Imagine my confusion - your post was your 2nd at the time, and I felt that comment was off-base at the time, and I still think so. The opinion you offered of what's wrong for you with the Cayman was not what I quibbled about, and I was merely pointing out that I didn't have some of these problems, and found the others not to be a hassle for me. If that makes me a member of some nefarious clique in your opinion, then so be it... if you're going to post a strong opinion, then you should be prepared for others not to agree with you, or have completely different experiences with their cars. Maybe you don't expect to pay extra for for what it takes to get all the features you expect on a car like this, but with other car makes, you would have to pay a lot extra for features that Porsche has standard - like brakes that will stop the car in 15 panic stops in a row from 90% of it's top speed with no fade... or a dry sump (albeit, integrated not a separate oil tank now) oiling system that puts the oil exactly where it's needed through little channels actually cast into the crankcase and heads, rather than a system that merely splashes oil around the inside of the motor - or variable intake, and valve systems... the list goes on. Suffice to say (since you mention taking your car to the "Ring) all of the other cars that pay a lot of attention to beeping rather than flashing the lights when you lock the car would have to be heavily modified in terms of brakes and motor systems to run on a track in the same league as a box-stock Porsche. That's where the money goes. It also never fails to amaze me that some people will spend this kind of money for a car, and not really spend much time investigating what they get. Did you drive the car before buying it? Drive it over bumps? Listen to the radio and sound system while driving the car? Did you really expect a concert-hall experience in such a small cabin with the motor right behind your head? The bottom line is that all manufacturers of every product in the universe design them differently, some beep, some flash... if I switch from a Nokia phone to a Motorola , it doesn't work the same way and there's a lot of new things to learn, but they all have their purpose. I'm happy to meet your expectations of my attempt to educate you as to why the Porsche is more oriented toward the "driving" experience then the other things that seem to be standard on "even base mainsteam (sic) models offered by manufacturers in Europe," as you put it. If those things infuriate you so much, then maybe a Porsche is not for you, because they seem to have misplaced their emphasis on performance and not electronic comfort features. Although, I fear my "education" attempt will fall on deaf ears. So, even though I did not intend my previous comments to be patronizing, after reading your response, I will not argue with your assessment. brad

OK, This is going to be my only response on this topic as it is clear that some people feel they have to escalate every post into an opportunity to impart wisdom; "If you are going to be a troll and jump on the site just to bash the car then that isn't welcome" - Just hang on a second. I have never posted anything Troll like ever, and especially in the last year I have been observing the threads of this forum. I understand netiquette, I have used the internet for nearly 15 years and IT for over 22 years...."If you come into the complaint forum and type a "Here is all of the things wrong with my car" post or "5 things I hate about the Cayman" you have to expect others to ask "why" you hate something or offer suggestions (such as the Remote Key add-on) to help fix the things you don't like." - yes, and you should also be open minded enough to accomodate those who wish to reinforce a viewpoint. Terry Thomas actually posted under the heading "Five things I don't like" not "5 things I hate". The sentiment of not liking is entirely different and less confrontational than hating, he then qualifies this in the context of "I'll refrain from listing the thousand things I love about the car." I have given Terry my support to the points he raises based upon my own experience, however this appears to be me misunderstanding the elite brand that should only be owned by enthusiats who appreciate a car "more oriented toward the "driving" experience". Therefore post such as "Terry, I completely agree with your points ." - by roadmaster are considered inflamatory. Everyone's opinions are welcome here, even those that disagree with others as long as that disagreement is handled in an adult fashion (no flame wars, no personal attacks, etc.)."Ok I gotta ask who these select few member are who have formed a clique and are trying to educate people in the "correct view" ?" this is your adult response? "Do you and I have our faults? Sure." -is this a personal criticism? "Don't even think about posting anything critical about a Cayman on K-man S's site. It is only for positive comments about the car/brand and general self-affirmation of an elite." - gosh didn't this turn out to be a self fulfiling prophecy! "I did not read Beez's post as being patronizing but I did read your response as taking a cheap shot at him for supposedly being in this clique" OK so how am I supposed to take this condescending tone? (education) "Ucayman - You are simply wrong about this site being only for positive comments - spend some time reading through the site, in particular some of the very long threads in the "complaints" section, and you'll see there's plenty of adverse commentary, some written by K man-S himself." "Over the last 9 years, I've had two other "new" style Porsches and easily got used to the flashing lights on lock and unlock." "Please do not mistake "differences" as cliques or patronization" Bouy doo eye neeeeddd and edukashon. As for actually addressing the points of the thread; "if you cannot hear the locking noise than the radio sound might be a problem. Take it back and try another brand if you really don't like it." is this a personal attack on my hearing or something? I never said I don't like the other elements of the car, and neither did Terry Thomas. I thought this was a forum topic but it appears to be a stock "if you don't like any aspect of the car take it back." And did you not try before you buy nonsence. In the UK the OPC takes you on a pre booked pretty short 1hr test drive over a generally a pre-determined route. You do not get to play with the cars as the attitude is take it or leave it. I waited from Jan till Sept for my car, there is a waiting list for the vehicule here. The dealer only had one showroom car and one demo, obviously ample opportunity to explor the faults, ha. "You can fix # 2 and # 4 with the Mods4Cars remote key." "It is a bit ridiculous that you have to go aftermarket to add the features provided by RemoteKey. VWs and Audi 's have many of these features either on by-default or dealer-activated." "And how much more could a better key cost?" "I got the Wilhelmy module and am trying to decide whether or not I will keep the horn beep enabled or not." - there is a clear concensus as to the value of the aftermarket solution. "I do think the trunk and hood pop open too easily on early cars especially, but they did make the delay longer at some point in production." "The Cayman S has a radio?????????????? Your dealer has a recall notice on the rear hatch issue. Call them to schedule a fix." - mine's an 07my and the hoods pop open too easily. My dealer tells me the hatch problem is fixed so maybe the noise is coming from the excellent subwoofer! "Ucayman, Porsche's are not intended to be something to everyone, but everything to someone. Perhaps you're not that someone." Clearly your idea of everything is not the same as mine. And finally; "Hey, Ucayman--either drink the koolaid like a good boy or the Cayman Mindless Adulation Division (C-MAD) will show up at your house and take your car away and put you in a reeducation camp. Too much more criticism out of you and Switzerland itself may invade the UK!" "Our C-MAD representives have located your home address in the UK and will be paying you a friendly visit within a few days. Congratulations are in order since you have won a full scholarship to C-MAD University where you will get the finest re-education available. The koolaid is also free. Oh, forgot to mention, pack your bags, C-MAD U is in Switzerland." Clearly two people with a sophisticated sense of humour I expect I'll be banned now. Ucayman

I'm not banning you, but I am going to tell you that you are out of line and jumping to conclusions and twisting the words of what people have written. For someone who supposedly has so much internet experience your ability to actually quote people correctly and make your posts legible is lacking in my opinion. I'm entitled to my opinion just as you are entitled to yours. I've got other things to do like get some C-MAD t-shirts made up since there's obviously a new clique going around that I want to be a part of!

This thread is beginning to look like gasoline alley with a lit match. Here's my attempt to douse the flames: My point was to originally state my experience with my car and inject my opinion with past experiences with Porsches and cars in general. One doesn't know the level of experience of any particular poster, lest they know otherwise, either from previous posts or some other venue. And if one person doesn't like something, it certainly doesn't make that particular something wrong or right. It merely states the opinion of the poster FWIW. I don't feel that an oil pressure gauge is needed in my Porsche, as a light is suffucient. Do I feel that an indicator for oil pressure and oil temperature would be helpful, to ease my mind? Sure. But I don't feel it to be necessary. Am I racing? No. If I were racing, then maybe. It depends on cash reserves, etc. If you had one lap to go to win lots of cash and fame, but it may cost an engine, and you were sponsered by someone that was providing the equipment and wanted to win for glory, I for one, surely wouldn't pit. And if I were racing on a real tight budget, say weekend for fun, but can't afford any calamity - well, then I wouldn't be racing as the risk is too high. But that's just me. I think of the analog speedo as a rate of acceleration indicator. And in that regard it is helpful, but not needed. To date, the overall experience that I have had with my Cayman S has surpassed all of my expectations and has proven to be a better automobile than any I have owned in the past. If I had any complaints, I would limit it to low gas mileage. At 8,000 miles, the rings are fully seated and I now get about 18MPG, rather than 17MPG. Others have reported 28MPG. I blame the difference solely on driving habits and driving habitat. And it doesn't bother me in the least. In a perfect world, I would like to buy just one tank of fuel a year and drive like Marco Andretti. And all that for $.45 / gallon. I do think that when a review is done of experiences with a new car model, it does come across better to express the good and the bad. Dwelling on just that bad can seem to be an attack to some folks that don't find the same annoyances. I don't belong in any clique or represent any gorup of people. I have found almost everyone on this site to be helpful and informative. I have learned that lots of folks spend lots of money to accomplish the smallest things. And it has all been entertaining, in the least. Mostly, its been fun. Happy Porsching ...

Ucayman, I noticed you quoted my post about not being sure whether or not I would keep the horn beep feature. Just to be clear, the reason I got the Wilhelmy module was for the Passenger Mirror tilt on reverse, being able to open and close the windows from the remote and the delay on the trunk release. The horn beep on lock/unlock is something I don't really care about, I have had cars that do it and cars that don't. I wasn't sure if you were using my quote to indicate that I don't see the value in the aftermarket solution but that is not the case. Godfrey

My nitpicks are: 1. crap key fob 2. no audible notice for locking or unlocking doors (biggest issue) 3. too big and thin standard steering wheel (should have got Sport wheel) Minor things and 2 and 3 are easily corrected.

Please be advised that as of today I have trademarked the acronym "C-MAD" and that henceforth I shall demand royalties on any usage thereof. My army of highly trained attack lawyers will be vigilantly on the lookout for any infringers. They'll slap an injunction on you faster than you can say "personally I find chirping annoying." I didn't mean for this thread to cause hard feelings, the formation of any cliques, cabals, or axes of evil, banning or reeducation of members (even the detested "newbies") or international incidents. I was just mulling over the very very short, realtively innocuous list of things I don't like about the car. But boy, do I wish it had an oil pressure gauge . . .

Correcting #3 will cost about $1,500 if you go through a dealer. It requires a new wheel (~$700) and a new air bag (~$800). Don't forget installation $$. -James