Hi everyone - wanted to see if anyone on this board has/had a Cayenne S and could share any opinions on driveability, reliability, etc. I had a X5 4.4 previously and didn't like it very much - my kids complained about the harsh ride. Thanks.

 

I have one and like it for daily driver duties. The only thing it has in common with a 993 is the Porsche crest.

My Cayenne is reliable, handles very well for a SUV, has plenty of power and rides well. If you want smooth, you need to get the air suspension. I don't have it but like a sportier ride.

There are lots of negative comments on the Cayenne forum. There are some vocal folks there who had beta cars with lots of problems.

Honestly, I bought mine because I like the Porsche brand and they don't make a sedan. When the Panamera comes out, I will likely get interested in that for my daily driver.

 

I really enjoy my `05 CS...

 

I too have the X5 4.4 with sport package and I think it is way too rough. When our lease is up on the X5 next year we will be making the switch to the Cayenne. I've driven all of the Cayenne's, even on the track and I can tell you that it is a great handling SUV with a comfortible ride. Do yourself a favour and get the comfort seats, the regular ones are too hard, especially for pasengers. The new 2008 is so much better than the original. Porsche sorted out the sloppy transmission and now that they have gone to direct injection, the engines are very sporty with much better fuel consumption.
The thing about the Cayenne is I like it and my wife loves it. We've had 5 BMW's and we're tired of them, time to get a different family vehicle.

 

I've had an '04 S for 3.5 years. 35,000 miles. 22" wheels. Still have rubber on original tires. Serviced at 30,000 km (18,000 miles). That's it. No problems. Comfortable, quick (for an SUV), solid, stable.

 

We've owned our 05 Cayenne S for better than two years now and we both love it. It's the wife's daily driver, so I don't drive it all that often. Every time I do get to drive it, I am struck by how nice a vehicle it is! Other than eating two sets of tires due to what turned out to be a bad alignment, we've had very few problems with it... and we just rolled over 50k miles. We like it so much that we just purchased an extended warranty for it and plan to keep it thru 100k... Then maybe we'll upgrade to a turbo... Though the CS is plenty fast.

 

Not the same car, but similar I have a T-Reg and I love it. Air Suspension is great

 

Not the same car posted either but I have the '05 Volvo XC90 V8 with 20K on it and love it. Awesome power in the mountains and 22-24mpg on the highway. Four snows on it in the winter and it's unstoppable plus amazing safety features. Either way, a Cayenne is a p-car so you can't go wrong.

 

Second that on the XC90. I have a T6 and, if you have to have an SUV, this is the way to go IMHO.

The Cayenne is nice but unless you LOVE the styling, it does not deliver much value for the dollar. Now, maybe used is way to go on them.......

 

We have a 2001 X5 (with the sport package so it's firm) and love it. We're buying a 2008 in a few weeks and I'll keep the 2001 over the Winter and if the Gods of Spring are good to me it will be replaced by a 997 (still keeping the 993!). We looked at the Cayenne/RR Sport/Toureag and decided it was still the X for us. I understand the Cayenne will be an all new (and much better looking) car next year so it might pay to wait if you can.

IMO Cayenne's a poor value for the $ but with dealers currently discounting heavily (tens of thousands in our area) they're certainly worth looking at if you don't mind the styling. You might also note that the new X5 has a much softer ride- even with the sports package. It also (IMO) offers a lot more value for the $- you don't have to remove the headrests when lowering the rear seats, USB connection, bluetooth (all around much better electronics), and just all around better equipment and better design for less $.

Here is pretty fair summation from "Canadian Driver" (they even point to the Cayenne forum here!) Their advice seems to be get a used one:

"According to Consumer Reports, the Cayenne has a similar spotty reliability record as other recent Porsche models (apparently, an older 911 is a very safe bet, but that's a story for another day); as with other high-end German cars, its electrical system components seem to let it down.

According to posts in the Cayenne forum at Rennlist.com (forums.rennlist.com), ignition coils appear to be a frequent trouble spot (a potentially expensive fix, as there are as many as eight of them - one for each cylinder), as are transmission/powertrain control modules. Also, a couple of owners mention having to have the air compressor that keeps the air suspension aloft replaced, but it's hard to say how common this issue actually is. A couple of minor problems include a rear hatch that won't stay open on its own due to weak hydraulic struts, and wipers that chatter.

While Internet forums are hardly a scientific way to find out if a vehicle is reliable or not, I'd recommend spending some time in the Cayenne forums listed at the end of this article in order to get a good idea of what things to look out for. These threads - one at Roadfly.org and another at Rennlist.com - are good places to start.

Despite the cachet of the Porsche brand, the Cayenne's resale values aren't that strong: a 2003 model is currently worth about half what it cost new, according to Canadian Red Book, a rate of depreciation similar to that of a Kia Sorento from the same year. That doesn't make a used Cayenne particularly affordable, however. Values range from a little more than $41,000 for a base 2003 model to a high of $128,700 for a 2006 Cayenne Turbo S. Canadian Red Book's $59,200 retail price for a 2005 non-turbo Cayenne S seems like a decent deal for a quick SUV; go back to 2004 and Red Book suggests you should be able to find the same model for about $48,000.

The Cayenne is a capable vehicle and no doubt an attractive proposition for drivers looking for something with the practicality of an SUV with the performance of a Porsche. Purchasing one through Porsche's certified pre-owned program would be wise, as would looking for a Cayenne with some of the original factory warranty left. In any event, a used Cayenne should be a rewarding vehicle to own if you shop wisely and go into the deal prepared for pricey maintenance and repair costs."

Hope this helps....

 

Hey George, the 2008 model is the redesign. No new designs in the next few years.

 

I have an '06 Cayenne S. Previously I had an X5 4.4. The Cayenne is superior in everyway IMO.

In fact, I love my Cayenne so much, if I could only keep one of my Porsches I would probably give up the 993 C2S and keep the Cayenne S.

Reason: It is such a great all around vehicle. It is amazing in the snow and poor driving conditions. It is fast and agile on dry roads. It has tons of room and is really comfortable.

Well, you get the idea-- It is the perfect all around daily driver.

 

Best SUV I have ever owned. Power, Handling and construction are all top notch. Doesn't handle quite like a 993 but it is the closest to a true Sport car suv out there.

 

The older Cayenne's are not worth looking at. I'd only consider a2008 model, the updates made to that year are what make the Cayenne attractive. I'd not even consider the older units, too many problems.

 

I've always liked the looks and concept of the Cayenne. If they made one in 7/8ths scale it would be in my garage now. Instead, I have the S4 Avant. Actually, with a lift kit it would be pretty close to a 7/8ths size Cayenne.