Extremely on point. I think the vast majority of the barebone Boxster/Caymans that are up for sale are dealer spec examples with almost zero options to hit a specific price point when they were new. You don't know how many times I've seen a decently specced 981C and then the damn comfort wheel with the shitty paddles rears its ugly head.
Another thing, the 718 is an incredible car that puts up amazing numbers and reviewers have said as much. I almost hate that I prefer the sound of the N/A flat 6 over all the improvements the 718 brings.
Honestly, each car has its virtues. I actually think the 981 base is more fun to drive than the base 718 because of how much more you can rev and toss the car around. The 718 base is extremely quick and I'm constantly going at 90/100 MPH just barely thinking about it. Where I live, there're a lot of police so I'm constantly fearing getting caught even with radar scanners. I had to set a speed limit notice on the dash. I never had to worry about it on the 981 base Cayman since you can hear the engine working harder. But if it's speed you want and the power reserve under your feet, then 718 is just a world away from the 981, there's absolutely no comparison.
As for sound, here's the thing, I looked down on my 718 Cayman as well until I drove the 981 again and I realized how much better the 718 performs. It's actually hard to go back. Which is why I'm currently looking at 981 Cayman with manual shifters instead of PDK.
Another point to consider when thinking of sound. Ignore all the reviews. The 718 may not sound as high pitched and harmonic as the 981/991 Porsche's, there's no way around that and reviewers bitch about the 718 sounds so much that's it's completely overblown. However, I think the 718 has a completely different character altogether. It's much deeper and more aggressive sounding than the 981's exhaust. You can't hear this characteristic on any Youtube videos, I know because I had/have them both.
Since you're considering the Cayman, the sound actually don't impact you as much as it would if you were looking at Boxsters. If you were looking at Boxsters then I'd definitely tell you to consider the 981 over the 718. However, the Cayman actually is quieter and you don't hear the engine's sounds as much, definitely nowhere near as much as a Boxster so the engine sound doesn't impact the Cayman as much.
Also, here's another consideration, the famous flat-6 engine sound people keep raving about? You only hear it once it revs up to about 4-5,000 RPM and above. You rarely go that high in daily driving (at least in the Bay Area or LA), so you rarely hear that sound unless you go to a quiet and empty backroad somewhere. So if you daily drive it in a crowded city like SF, LA, Seattle, New York, Pittsburg or whatever, then you won't hear the 981 engine's famous sound as much.
Just food for thought. Conclusion, 981 engine definitely sounds better than the 718 engine. That doesn't mean the 718 engine sounds terrible though. If you get a chance, definitely drive both. I think Boxster drivers between the 981 and 718 will be hit hardest. Cayman drivers shouldn't take sound into consideration as much since it's so much quieter in the Cayman cabin. The performance of the 718 is a world above the 981, it's not even a close comparison. I think it's the biggest increase in performance between all the Boxster/Cayman generations so far (986, 987, 981, and now the 718).
With all that said, the prices of the 981 are still pretty reasonable for what you get, you won't be disappointed with the car at all. All the comparisons above? Just minor stuff in the overall picture of how these cars are. Nothing else handles like them and you definitely feel that after you drive them a while. I had a friend tell me,"You didn't leave much room for improvement." And I've driven many performance cars from more prestigious brands and more common brands, but I still feel these cars are just masterful at handling on backroads and track.
