In partnership with Auto Trader
Best used Porsches
A Porsche is a dream car for many, but some used examples are surprisingly affordable. Here are the top 10 used Porsches you can buy...
It’s no secret that Porsches are among the most valuable and sought-after cars, both new and used. The brand is consistently creating masterful driving experiences, along with captivating designs and luxurious interiors. As such, Porsche has built itself a strong following among generations of drivers.
Despite this, not all of its models are stratospherically expensive to buy, especially if you focus on what the used market has to offer. There are plenty of amazing deals to be had on some extremely desirable Porsches, meaning one could find its way on to your driveway for reasonable money.
Even less than £10,000 is enough to put you in an example in great condition. Naturally, a bigger budget allows for more choice, though, so our list of the top 10 best used Porsches accounts for a wide variety of bodystyles and budgets. You'll find sports cars, SUVs and more.
Our pick: 4.0 GTS 2dr
Strengths
- Excellent performance
- Wonderful handling
- Posh interior feel
Weaknesses
- Not very well equipped as standard
- Replacement parts will be pricey
Many people consider the Porsche Cayman to be inferior, in every way, to the iconic Porsche 911. And, a lot of the time, those people haven't experienced a Cayman.
It's a sublime sports car, handling with expert poise, precision and driver engagement. What's more, thanks to its engine being positioned right behind the driver (as opposed to slung behind the rear wheels like in the 911), it's actually better balanced than its bigger sibling.
Used prices start at around £22,000 (for this particular generation of Cayman), making it very reasonably priced by Porsche standards.
"The Cayman was even better to drive than how I'd imagined it. From the second you set off, you feel in perfect harmony with the car." – Oliver Young, used cars reporter
We found: 2013 Porsche Cayman 2.7 981, 78,770 miles, £22,800
Read our full used Porsche Cayman review
Search for a used Porsche Cayman for sale
Strengths
- Brilliant handling
- Surprisingly comfortable ride
- Classy interior
Weaknesses
- Not as well equipped as some
- Relatively expensive to buy and own
The Porsche Boxster isn't quite as razor sharp as its fixed-roof sibling, the Cayman, but it's a close call. The Boxster remains brilliant to drive and, if you're after open-top thrills, you really aren't doing yourself a disservice by choosing it.
This generation of Boxster uses the same six-cylinder engines as the Cayman, meaning it sounds heavenly and goes like stink. And like in the Cayman, the Boxster employs a mid-engined layout to help with cornering and putting down power.
"I would choose a Boxster over a Cayman, because there's the option of wind-in-your-hair fun and nearly all the same handling ability. Plus, I actually prefer the way the Boxster looks." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor
We found: 2014 Porsche Boxster 2.7 981, 66,000 miles, £19,995
Read our full used Porsche Boxster review
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Our pick: T 5dr PDK
Strengths
- Punchy performance
- Superb handling
- High-quality interior
Weaknesses
- Rear seat space limited
- Misses some safety kit
- Expensive to buy and run
Underneath its skin, the Porsche Macan shares parts with the Audi Q5, not that you'd know it – the Macan is much more of a driver's car. It almost defies physics with how agile and composed it is: enter a bend and it handles more like a somewhat tall, chunky hot hatch than an SUV.
It is an SUV after all, though, and you get a lofty driving position, seating for five and a decent boot, meaning it can work as a family car – unlike the sports cars on this list.
"The Macan has much of the same qualities and driver appeal as the super sporty Porsches and yet it's quite practical. I like the steering in particular, because it's sharp and well weighted." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor
We found: 2015 Porsche Macan 3.0TD V6 S, 69,158 miles, £19,989
Read our full used Porsche Macan review
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Strengths
- Rapid performance
- Wonderful handling
- Beautifully finished interior
Weaknesses
- Road noise
- Still expensive
- Stingy kit
The words iconic, legendary and famed are often thrown around in the car world. For the Porsche 911, though, such acclaim is deserved. From the 1960's original to the current model, it's unique rear-engined layout, captivating handling and intoxicating performance has won many a fan over.
This is the previous-gen car and it's a great used buy. Sure, it's not cheap per se – a fair few other cars on this list are more affordable – but prices are far from from the near-£100k that new 911s demand, plus this generation still feels fresh and modern, too.
"With its engine slung out behind the rear wheels, the 911 is naturally imperfect from a weight distribution point of view, yet somehow Porsche has made it feel perfectly natural. It's beyond me. The 911 is wonderful to drive." – Oliver Young, used cars reporter
We found: 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera, 65,074 miles, £37,500
Read our full used Porsche 911 review
Search for a used Porsche 911 for sale
Strengths
- Powerful engines
- Flexible rear seats
- Sharp handling
Weaknesses
- Expensive to run
- Stingy standard equipment
- Low-speed ride firm
Some Porsches can be described as beasts because of how fast they are, while the Porsche Cayenne can be described as a beast because of how big and beefy it is – and, in the case of certain versions (usually those with a V8 engine), also because of how fast it is.
If a V8 engine does peak your interest, you can get one via a TD V8 S model (that's a diesel V8), a Turbo or Turbo S (that's a turbocharged V8) or, if you'd like the duality of V8 and electric power, the V8 E-Hybrid. There really is that much variety to be had with a Cayenne.
"The Cayenne is a really nice car to drive. It has the quick and accurate steering that you'd expect from a Porsche and it's fun to drive. I appreciate it's practicality, too." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor
We found: 2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, 73,000 miles, £26,995
Read our full used Porsche Cayenne review
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Our pick: 4.0 GTS 2dr
Strengths
- Brilliant to drive
- Decent boot space
- Fairly reasonable prices
Weaknesses
- Can be costly to maintain
- Dated interior
This Porsche Cayman is older than the one we cited as our number one pick (and it does feel it). However, in turn it's a cheaper buy and there's certainly a lot of old-school charm here. For instance, helped by the steering being hydraulically assisted rather than electrically assisted, you have a fantastic feel of the road in front of you. It's also a smaller and lighter car, meaning it's tremendous on a tight, twisty B-road.
"If you feel that the modern refinement of newer Caymans have robbed it of some feel and communication, try this one. It feeds back to the driver with less of a filter, giving you a great, honest connection to it. I found it very refreshing." – Oliver Young, used cars reporter
We found: 2009 Porsche Cayman 2.9 987, 66,500 miles, £14,200
Read our full used Porsche Cayman review
Search for a used Porsche Cayman for sale
Strengths
- A fantastic sports car at a reasonable price
Weaknesses
- Running costs can be high
You probably know the deal by now: the Porsche Boxster is the Cayman's drop-top cousin. As a driver's car, the Cayman is ever so slightly sharper, but don't let that put you off.
This is the Boxster to the Cayman above, meaning it's also a few generations old and, as such, it feels a tad dated. Still, there's a lot to like, including six-cylinder power, amazing handling and enticing used prices.
"Along with the original, this second-gen Boxster is a surefire future classic in my opinion." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor
We found: 2007 Porsche Cayman 2.7 987, 72,772 miles, £9995
Read our full used Porsche Cayman review
Search for a used Porsche Cayman for sale
Strengths
- Great pace
- Lovely interior
- Hybrid model has low CO2 emissions
Weaknesses
- Some controls a little confusing
- Not especially engaging to drive
- Quite expensive, even used
Initially, the Porsche Panamera received a less-than-warm welcome – actually there were quite a few boos and hissess from Porsche purists. A five-door luxury car that takes styling cues from the 911? Blasphemy, they cried.
However, as time passed and another generation (this one) came along, people seemed to warm to the Panamera, because it offered so much pace, space and opulence, all the while staying true to the Porsche name – in other words, it's amazing to drive. What's more, reasonable used prices has only made the Panamera all the more tempting.
"The Panamera is a quick car, no matter which one you choose but especially Turbo models. They're my favourite." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor
We found: 2017 Porsche Panamera 3.0 V6 4, 73,000 miles, £36,500
Read our full used Porsche Panamera review
Search for a used Porsche Panamera for sale
Our pick: 380kW 4S 105kWh 4dr Auto
Strengths
- Astonishing to drive, with great performance and class-leading handling
- Luxurious interior
- Reasonably practical
Weaknesses
- Good value used, but still pricey
- Some alternatives will go further on a single charge
- Poor reliability
The Porsche Taycan is a cracking electric car with a wonderfully honed driving experience and a comprehensively classy interior. You’ll find used Taycans are most affordable in 4S guise, because this mid-range variant was first to market. It has four-wheel drive and, if you find an example with the 93kWh Performance Battery Plus, a power figure of 469bhp (which rises to 523bhp for quick bursts).
For a Porsche of its age, prices are remarkably low on the used market. Watch out for infotainment-based issues, though, because they're prevalent and have let the Taycan down in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey. If the model were more reliable, it'd definitely rank higher.
"The Taycan was the first electric car to astonish me from a driving point of view – actually, it astonished me from many a point of view." – Oliver Young, used cars reporter
We found: 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S, 50,440 miles, £39,964
Read our full used Porsche Taycan review
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FAQs
We adore the Porsche Cayman and believe it's the best Porsche you can buy. Some might find it less charming than Porsche's staple sports car, the 911, but we find the Cayman's smaller size, lighter weight and better balanced handling makes it the sharper driver's car. More affordable prices make it easier to recommend, too.
If you're looking for an investment, there are a fair few Porsches that retain value well and even appreciate in some cases. The 2005-2012 Porsche 911 is considered among many enthusiasts as the golden era of 21st century 911, so there's a future classic. Any Porsche bearing a GT badge is going to be very sought after as well, such as any 911 GT3 or Cayman GT4. Other models you might want to keep your eye on include the Porsche 928 and Porsche 944.
In our view, the top five Porsche cars are the Porsche Cayman, Porsche Boxster, Porsche Macan, Porsche 911 and Porsche Cayenne.