So I took a 14' Cayenne GTS home for my mom to test drive. While she loves the car, I just don't see the value like I do with the 911's. Obviously this is 100% subjective, but I wasn't wowed by the car. I think it's well built, rides well, and is plenty powerful, but I'd rather spend half the money on a domestic SUV, like a Grand Cherokee.

She currently has a 2006 Cayenne S, and I feel like I'm just as satisfied with the way that drives at 200k miles as I am with the way the GTS drives with 18k miles; especially once I factor in price. Has any one else had that same revelation? It really makes me appreciate the value I feel the 997 offers, as I feel like 60k spent on a 997 provides a driving experience that is largely irreplaceable.

 

Mom is not you.
A truck is not a car. I do agree with your thinking. But everyone has their own reasons. My wife likes the "UP HIGH" driving position.
I like the nimbleness of a car.

 

Completely agree. Like I said, 100% subjective. I was just surprised that I didn't appreciate it as much as I thought I would.

 

Agreed..
I found the GMC Yukon much more appealing...hard to say this but also much more macho
Porsche SUV's are not my thing.. (price just doesn't seem justified with what you get)

Wife loves her Denali

 

cayennes are nice, but I don't need a sporty driving SUV. Escalade for me.

 

I bought a 2014 Cayenne S for my wife. Replaced 2004 BMW X5. I drive the Cayenne once or twice a week; it's comfortable, but not nearly as comfortable as my 2007 A8 when it comes to a large vehicle comparison. I like the V8 and It has PSE; great combo. My wife likes the Cayenne, so that's the important thing.

But for me, I'm fortunate enough to be able to ask myself each morning "which 911 today?"

 

thats the direction i went, the 2nd row captains chairs made it SO nice for having 2 car seats. i'm not a gm guy at all, but it's pretty hard to beat them. some quirky "cheap " things about it , but all in all the form and function is unmatched.

 

I went for the 285 hp Lincoln MKC. It is a great small SUV for winter/carrying my bicycle/rainy days when I don't want to take the Porsche. 8-9 months of the year the 997 is my dd.

 

Cayenne's pretty good IMO but I prefer my full-size Range Rover Supercharged.

That said, the new Mazda CX-9 is the best looking SUV on the market IMO. And cheap!

 

Similar to others. If we want sporty, we have a 911, SLK 250 or California too choose from. If we want reliable, carp hauling capacity, then the Ridgeline fills the bill. Cayenne is a great ride, especially GTS, but would duplicate our present stable...T

 

I almost bought the Cayenne GTS instead of a 997. It came down to already having and SUV (X5D) and wanting to daily drive a real Porsche.

They are great cars but go in eyes wide open- it will be a $20K car someday.

 

Oh absolutely. Personally, I would rather buy a 2011 Cayenne S for~$35k with 50k miles on it, but it isn't my car or money. I do like the Cayenne, but they're is no comparison to a 997 from my perspective. At the end of the day, these are all luxury cars and can't really be justified from a utility standpoint, so anything is worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.

On that note, my wife saw what my mom was looking at, so now I'll probably be buying a Cayenne in~ 6 months.

 

My wife was Uber carpool mom, so she did need 3 rows.
13 year old is now almost as tall as her, Uber mom does not need 3 rows now.
Nor do I think I need to transport and be responsible for the neighborhood.
I will have about another year in the eX5, I can see a peasant package Cayene in my future.
When I say peasant package, I mean best truck and engine. I'm not going to get caught up in $13000 lane departure leather mirrors package. And keeping the wheels as small and cheap as possible. She can scrub the 18" just as nicely as 21".
On a tangent. Need to replace the 20" tires on her eX5. Look at the difference in weight on the run flats? 30 pounds !
Consider that next time your test driving a new ride. Not as nibble as you thought. This maybe why?

 

Yeah I have run flats on our X5, makes the heavy truck feel even heavier

I have PCCB and HRE with PSC2 on my GT3, the advantage in feel of that lower unsprung weight combo is noticeable everywhere- turning, braking, accelerating, even on bumpy roads.

 

Why does your mom need a Cayenne GTS? Cayenne is an SUV, for the car guys who NEED to have an SUV and still enjoy driving dynamics and Porsche quality (specially the GTS model). It is NOT 997 or even Cayman.

To me, on the luxury side, Mercedes offerings are better for pure SUV duties (not counting performance, handling,etc...) and Domestic SUVs or some Japanese (that Mazda does look nice) are just good enough for 90% of the market at a fraction of the cost.