r733up

I had 2007 BMW X3 with a stick shift. It was a great vehicle, overall, but the reliability of the plastic parts of the cooling system was pretty poor. I had to get towed more than once. An idiot running a red light took that car away from me though. Now I'm looking at the early second generation Cayenne base models, because of the availability of a stick shift. What is the reliability like on these? I did a search, but I didn't see anything very relevant. Could I use it as my only vehicle, a daily driver, without any worries? Thanks.

chsu74

Due your due diligence with any used manual car purchase. There are not too many sold but are available. Buy one with a CPO/warranty and you should be good to go. The 958s are reliable for the most part. There are talks of a weak transfer case because it is the first gen without low gear selection. I would have gotten one if my wife needed my Cayenne as an auto.

BKCO

To echo the poster above... get it CPO.

I have a 2013 with the 6spd. I love the car. Unfortunately, with these vehicles we don't know the manual shift proficiency of the previous owners. I had to get the transmission replaced 1k miles after I bought it due to a grind going into 2nd gear.

Otherwise, car has been flawless. I love driving it and would make the same decision to buy it all over again. Happy searching, these are rare beasts.

r733up

Were the synchros on 2nd worn down? Did you notice that when you bought it, or did the problem first appear later on?