Advice for 958 shopping & towing
09-29-2016, 12:32 PM
#1
Advice for 958 shopping & towing
I'm looking for a used 958 for towing a 6000 lbs enclosed trailer. The car will be used for towing about 30% of the time, the balance being normal on road driving. I'm a newbie to Cayennes and trailering, so assume I know nothing 
Which models have the horsepower and torque for long distance towing?
Are diesels that much better suited to towing?
Which options should the car have? I have been told the air suspension is a must. Is this standard on some models and, if so, which ones?
If a car does not have the towing package, is this difficult to install after market?
I've been doing some online shopping. Some cars come with 21" wheels. Would these be a disadvantage when towing (I am assuming they have lower profile tires)?
Which models have the horsepower and torque for long distance towing?
Are diesels that much better suited to towing?
Which options should the car have? I have been told the air suspension is a must. Is this standard on some models and, if so, which ones?
If a car does not have the towing package, is this difficult to install after market?
I've been doing some online shopping. Some cars come with 21" wheels. Would these be a disadvantage when towing (I am assuming they have lower profile tires)?
Last edited by devenh; 09-29-2016 at 12:33 PM. Reason: Spelling
09-29-2016, 07:15 PM
#2
I have had two V 8 Cayennes and could only get about 12.5 at highway speeds towing my Trailer enclosed trailer with a car and goodies total weight 5600 lbs +-
I now have a diesel Cayenne ( actually two as my wife uses one for a daily driver) and I get 19 mpg towing the same load and easier. When not towing I get around 25mpg in town and 34-37 on the highway, and Texas highway speeds are 70-85 MPH. I normally tow around 65-70. I have no problem passing or pulling on to a highway with the trailer as the diesel has so much torque and low in the RPM band. Its too bad the foolish negative publicity originating from that judge in Calif, on a vehicle that passed certification honestly and is so good. My wife and I plan to keep the diesel Cayennes for a long time. My wife by the way has 55,000 on her 2014 and I have 21,000 on the 2015 with no problems. Well one small issue with the nav on the 2014. I can't say enough good things about the diesel Cayennes
I now have a diesel Cayenne ( actually two as my wife uses one for a daily driver) and I get 19 mpg towing the same load and easier. When not towing I get around 25mpg in town and 34-37 on the highway, and Texas highway speeds are 70-85 MPH. I normally tow around 65-70. I have no problem passing or pulling on to a highway with the trailer as the diesel has so much torque and low in the RPM band. Its too bad the foolish negative publicity originating from that judge in Calif, on a vehicle that passed certification honestly and is so good. My wife and I plan to keep the diesel Cayennes for a long time. My wife by the way has 55,000 on her 2014 and I have 21,000 on the 2015 with no problems. Well one small issue with the nav on the 2014. I can't say enough good things about the diesel Cayennes
10-06-2016, 06:06 AM
#3
Instructor
The Diesel is, by far, the strongest tow vehicle. Good mileage AND will move 7,000# trailers with authority.
A factory hitch is best - it will cost @$2000 if installed later. But the tow mode will be active, and cooling is up to the task whether it's factory or dealer-installed. Skip an aftermarket hitch - they lack the reinforcement that comes with the factory unit.
Air suspension is optional for towing, in my mind, but I wouldn't tow without a good weight distributing hitch, no matter which suspension you have.
You will benefit from wider mirrors - Milenco Grand Aeros are excellent clamp-ons. For a wider view, McKesh mirrors by Hensley are great, but are a bit clunky.
And of course you will want a trailer brake controller. We use a Tekonsha RF model - it requires no wiring to the 7 pin connector and is excellent.
Some people think that low profile tires give better control in awkward (emergency) situations, and I agree. We have 20's now, and they seem more stable than the 19's we had on our last diesel.
A factory hitch is best - it will cost @$2000 if installed later. But the tow mode will be active, and cooling is up to the task whether it's factory or dealer-installed. Skip an aftermarket hitch - they lack the reinforcement that comes with the factory unit.
Air suspension is optional for towing, in my mind, but I wouldn't tow without a good weight distributing hitch, no matter which suspension you have.
You will benefit from wider mirrors - Milenco Grand Aeros are excellent clamp-ons. For a wider view, McKesh mirrors by Hensley are great, but are a bit clunky.
And of course you will want a trailer brake controller. We use a Tekonsha RF model - it requires no wiring to the 7 pin connector and is excellent.
Some people think that low profile tires give better control in awkward (emergency) situations, and I agree. We have 20's now, and they seem more stable than the 19's we had on our last diesel.
Last edited by Searcher356; 10-06-2016 at 06:08 AM. Reason: add tire comment
10-07-2016, 12:51 AM
#4
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Is gas mileage is your primary focus? Using F4's numbers, you'd spend twice as much in gas with a non-Cayenne D. If you towed 1000 miles you'd spend maybe $130 more on gas with a non-D. Does that savings go away with the increased maintenance of a Diesel (from more frequent oil changes especially if you don't DIY?)?
As stated above, I don't agree the D is the "strongest" tow vehicle. The Turbo or TurboS has more power, better brakes, a better suspension, and more options to make the ride far more comfortable, and especially in the 70% of the time you're not towing, it's a far more fun machine to drive.
Consider that the high up models (S and T) have better and more options which truly makes one Cayenne a very different machine than another (in handling, looks, comfort, speed, enjoyment, etc.). In some cases there are options you can't get in a Cayenne D like PDCC which is really amazing from a handling standpoint with this SUV both on the road, and off-road. And getting PASM, air suspension or Adaptive Cruise is rare on used Cayenne D's as they are technically base models and not frequently optioned up. All models have the same towing capacity, so they can all handle the load, some just do it better in different ways and options are a big differentiator between one Cayenne and another, even across different model lines (base, D, S, T, T-S, GTS, S-H).
You really need to drive all the various models and decide what's important as Porsche did a great job making a lot of models to fit a lot of different priorities.
As stated above, I don't agree the D is the "strongest" tow vehicle. The Turbo or TurboS has more power, better brakes, a better suspension, and more options to make the ride far more comfortable, and especially in the 70% of the time you're not towing, it's a far more fun machine to drive.
Consider that the high up models (S and T) have better and more options which truly makes one Cayenne a very different machine than another (in handling, looks, comfort, speed, enjoyment, etc.). In some cases there are options you can't get in a Cayenne D like PDCC which is really amazing from a handling standpoint with this SUV both on the road, and off-road. And getting PASM, air suspension or Adaptive Cruise is rare on used Cayenne D's as they are technically base models and not frequently optioned up. All models have the same towing capacity, so they can all handle the load, some just do it better in different ways and options are a big differentiator between one Cayenne and another, even across different model lines (base, D, S, T, T-S, GTS, S-H).
You really need to drive all the various models and decide what's important as Porsche did a great job making a lot of models to fit a lot of different priorities.
10-07-2016, 01:18 AM
#5
Rennlist Member
I can tow my featherlite open trailer with gt3 on it from la to thunderhill on one tank in my cayenne diesel. 500 miles. If I'm not trying to haul ***... I usually top off at 3/4 mark to stretch legs.