996FourEss

Wanted to check with you 911 owners on your experience with other Porsche models as the family car. I have two kids now (boy of two and girl of ten weeks) and need to get practical. I love the 4S but the reality is that with two kids and all that "stuff", I need something bigger. I find myself leaning the way of a new Cayenne Turbo. Watching the autocar camparo of a 911 4S vs a new CTT was really quite eye opening on the speed of the big old truck (note to all, I have not driven a new Cayenne yet, doing so this w/e).

So, my question to all you 911 owners out there that also own a Cayenne is, any regrets on your purchase, would you do things differently if you could? Alternatives that come to mind are the M5, Audi S4, BMW X5/6 (I don't like current Mercs).

And yes, i am a big fan of the Panamera, but, the wife on occasion, needs to sit between the two kids in the back, which does not quite work.... Also, the boot/trunk is actually too small (I rented a Panamera S in Germany for six days, so have a decent amount of experience here).

w00tPORSCHE

The 2011 Cayenne has turned me into a believer that PORSCHE could engineer a large 911. Honestly from a performance and handling comparison to other SUV's ... there is no substitute. One word of caution. I custom ordered mine with the 18-way seats and all you get is a little perch in between the two sculpted sport seat configuration on the second row. There is very slim chance that your wife would be comfortable sitting in between two car seats in that small area. It may be slightly (but not much) better with the 14-way or 8-way seats. Here is a picture of my second row.

Leader

Drove an '06 Cayenne S for two years. Lots of fun, plenty of space, drank gasoline like it cost $2-a-gallon (which it doesn't).

Sold it. Bought an Audi Q5. Lots of fun, plenty of space, gets terrific MPG, even with the 3.2 V6 (you can get a 2.0T, but don't).

If the gas thing doesn't bother you - a new Cayenne would be a great car to add to the stable. Otherwise, look at the Q5. It's a good size compromise. We put too many miles on our "hauler" to deal with 12 MPG city, which is what we were getting with the Cayenne S.

jcnesq

Keep the 4S!!!! My kids are 9 & 5 (young crop), they have grown up in 911s. Yeh its a little more work and maybe a lot less storage room, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Wifey is on her third Cayenne S, fantastic car for what it is. Agree wife in the middle between two car seats in back could be somewhat tight.

alexb76

Do you need Wagon/SUV or 4-door? Quite a difference there, you've got em all listed.

If you're going SUV, I'd really wouldn't worry about performance/engine, get the car that has the feature you need, has best fuel economy you can get, with minimum engine that give you decent acceleration (in your opinion). Hence Turbo is overkill IMO. I was never much of a fan of old X3/X5, X6 is just a gimmick, so I'd avoid. I'd look into NEW Cayenne, Audi Q5/Q7, and new Toureg. All pretty much based on same platform... you gotto decide which has best bang for the buck for you! I'd probably get a TDI. Investing into high performance SUV to me is oxymoron... doesn't really make sense!

If looking at Sedans however, then I think it does make sense to look into higher performance sport sedans... then M5, S4, S6 would come to mind, again, depends how much room you need. New Audi S4 is much larger than before, so could be a great alternative to M5 at much lower price, better fuel economy, although not as fast.

Honestly, you're the only one who can decide which works best for you... there are just too many options, first gotto narrow it down to SUV vs. Sedan... then go from there!

racer

Bad idea imho. I am a longtime Porsche fan.. but the correct "tool" for the job is a dreaded minivan. Holds all the kid crap and plenty more.. gets better mileage.. sits lower to the ground.. has power sliding doors that makes it easy for young growing kids to climb in and out of. I know, there are no style points with a minivan.. but imho, they are the only tool for a young growing family. If you need to spend lots of money, you can rachet them up to $40K+ to make you feel better.

Then, keep the 4S for weekends, and for nights out with the wife, daily driving etc. On the plus side, kids will get bigger and the crap they need can be whittled down. My two boys LOVE riding in my lowly 944 because its NOT and SUV/Minivan!

unless I've completely misunderstood and YOU expect to drive the Cayenne all the time (which doesn't make much sense unless the kids are in your car everyday). Go take the kids and try one out. Get used to the high liftover to put the kid in the carseats.. to put the stroller in the back (is it a double stroller??) then imagine fitting the costco run of crap in there.

w00tPORSCHE

Alex, I agree with most of what you said. Cayenne, Audi and VW where exactly my choices too. Trust me I put a lot of thought into why someone would spend north of 85K on a SUV. After having the Cayenne fully equipped with performance options, PASM, AS, PDCC, PTV all I can tell you is that it handles like a 911 and there is almost no let down on the sports car feel. I asked myself this question: As someone who spends 75 % of the time driving with my family, why not get a SUV with a sports car like performance. After spending 5 weeks on my 2011 CS, I can confidentally state that I made the right choice for me but 9 out of 10 people out there it is oxymoronic. When I see people say that I just chuckle coz only I know how much fun it is the carve corners without any bodyroll sitting that high up and let me be the first to tell you that I don't drive like a maniac. I would say in the world of SUVs, for the performance, exclusivity, reliability, quality of interior fit and finish nothing comes close to the Cayenne. In fact it IS the best bang for the buck provided one has the guts to take that giant leap (I know it is hard for many for that 20K delta and I can certainly understand their perspective) and the wallet to support it. The V6 is very capable and the V8 is insanely fast and nimble. The turbo ... let's not talk about that.

utkinpol

New Q5s are nice. We looked at one, when old lexus will die - it is a #1 contender. #2 is GX or RX lexus - wife likes lexuses. So as she decides on that, for me it is all same stuff, I would be OK with an accord for DD, cheaper the better.

cannon1000

M5 is very nice as is the CTS-V if you are looking at Sedan's.

The X5 is also nice, but someone I know has one said they wouldn't buy it again, not because it wasn't great...but it cost too much for what you get.

We have the FX35 AWD...(of course, you can now get an FX50 w/AWD now)...I truly enjoy it.
Been in a Cayenne...love it to. Unstoppable in snow and it can actually tow if you need it.

RonCT

Rented an A4 Avant, manual diesel w/ auto stop-start feature in the South of France last summer and it was fantastic. Great torque, plent of room for the 4 of us and our 2 weeks of luggage, etc. Had the room of our old A6 Avant from years ago. Also considering the Q5 (or A4 Avant) for when my wife's Volvo is done.

KeninBlaine

I was wondering when someone would suggest the A4 Avant. To me, station wagons are coming back. They always had more room than most SUVs, and handle better, use less gas, etc. Plus, I think the A4 Avant is a gorgeous looking vehicle. Haven't driven one to see how the 2.0T motor feels (the only choice), but with the new 8-speed automatic (only choice in 2011), it should do fine.

f4 plt

The one comment I would add (and my wife and I are a long way down the road from when we had kids to plan a car around), if you get a Cayenne, and I think they are Carreras that seat 5, get either the standard or 14 way seats, not the 18 way adaptive sport seats. The reason is but one, if you get the 18 way adaptive sport seats, and I had them on or last Cayenne, the side bolsters make in uncomfortable to seat a third person in the rear for any length of time. I had the 18 way adaptive sport seats on our 2008 Cayenne GTS and have ordered the 14 way on the '11 Cayenne S now on the ocean.

RED HORSE

I've had the X5, it was a maintenance nightmare. On my second LX and couldn't be happier. Shopped the Q7, but settled on the 2011 LX. Not much for gas mileage, but plenty of power and plenty of luxury plus all the space you could ever want.

Dennis C

I highly recommend the C4S and Cayenne combination! Our Cayenne S has been one of the best vehicles we've ever owned. It's big enough to haul the kids' stuff, but not so big that you feel like you're driving a tank. We'll probably replace our Cayenne with another Cayenne when the time comes, althought I might get a turbo on the next one.

alexb76

Case in point... as 2nd car, and for gravel road/camping this summer, I am looking into a used Audi Allroad (no longer available in N.A). 2.7T or 4.2 engine, with adjustable height suspension... bring it down for highway, twisties, lift it up for gravel/light offroad/snow!