ADias

Mike: Your Cayenne gen is nimbler (lighter) but the 1st gen is no slouch. See my post above this one.

USMC_DS1

I had the pleasure of being driven by a salesrep/driving instructor in a Cayenne GTS... wow! He did streets maneuvers I would not consider/condone in my 2CS with passengers onboard. My boys and wife were giggling and laughing in the back seat... you’d think we were on a ride at 6 flags. Unfortunately the salesrep made a calculated error. The SUV was for my wife... she was looking for a geriatric 4x4 grocery store luxo SUV... we got her the Lexus GX 470 instead. Personally, I was pulling for the GTS

Recently my wife saw a red Cayenne parked at the local grocery store which she fondly described in detail... hint, hint, this is the ride I want next. There's still hope for me yet... I'd love to own a Cayenne someday and especially a GTS alongside my C2S. We already have some 4x4’s( ’92 4Runner, ’08 Tundra TRD, and ’06 Tacoma TRD) but I have to admit that the Cayenne GTS is just pure fun in an “on-road” kinda way.

ADias

You got that right!

Mike in CA

Tony, I was trying to be as diplomatic as possible in giving the OP the benefit of the doubt. Every review I've ever seen absolutely agrees with you that the earlier generation Cayennes are extremely capable handlers. When I said that the difference between the current Cayenne and earlier generations would have to be much greater than I imagined, my tongue was firmly in cheek; it would take a lot of imagination......

FI Flyer

In my defense, I hope that I made it clear that I did not try to throw the Cayenne around. The opposite was true. It was a borrowed car that I had never driven before and I treated it with care and respect. I am sure that better drivers than me (not a high bar) could make the Cayenne handle very well. All I intended to say was that, as someone new to driving an SUV, it seemed very high which made me feel that it was probably top heavy. I was probably wrong in that perception but it is the way that I felt.

As for the comfort and interior space of the Cayenne, I stand by my comments about the discomfort of the seat and the seating position. My comment about sitting in a new Cayenne hybrid in the showroom was intended to make clear that some of the problem was in the seats of the car that I drove rather than being true of all Cayennes. And the comments here about the more adjustable seats that are available makes it likely that I was the victim of first generation base level seats that are not indicative of what is available in properly accessorized current models.

That said, I am still struck by the lack of legroom and general space that I discovered inside such a large car. I have driven my former Cayman and my current C4S on multi-day road trips. The Cayman, which had standard electrically adjustable seats, was reasonably comfortable but not fantastic. My C4S which has Adjustable Sport Seats is blissfully comfortable. I had expected the Cayenne to be like riding up front (or at least in business) in an airplane but it was nothing of the sort. Maybe the problem was with my expectations but I have to reiterate that I was surprised and disappointed.

Mike in CA

No need to offer a defense AFAIC; you are certainly entitled to your subjective impressions and expectations. They're just much different than mine. Wish I could offer you a proper ride in my Cayenne S.

ltc

Well said.
It worked hard to earn its name the P!g (and its home forum the P!g Pen) ... not nearly as nice as the 928's name of Shark, but fitting.

HKinVA

I have to agree with the OP. The seats are hard and flat. There's nothing subjective about it! My 2012 Cayenne S is an awesome vehicle, but I've gotta get some padding!

zanwar

We have a previous generation Cayenne loaner right now and my wife and I feel the same way about the seats. There's probably a sweet spot where they are comfortable, but I haven't found it yet. I think a lot of the problem has to do with the lack of good armrests and shoulder support. Our Range Rover Sport is much more comfortable in this regard.