NelaK

So I received an unsolicited offer on my 2009 CTTS. I've had the car for nearly two years now and the offer is tempting because I'd walk away with a small profit compared to what I paid two years ago (Not counting all the maintenance, repairs and fuel).

The problem is... I love my Cayenne and what would I even replace it with? I can't think of anything else on the market that's even comparable.

The only thing I can think of is just down grading to something cheap, small and fuel efficient so I can go back to measuring my fuel economy in mpg instead of gpm... And not dreading the next repair bill.

vandal968

Before getting rid of a car you love based on the gas mileage, do the math. The additional yearly cost of a gas guzzler can be surprisingly low. My father in law who barely drives keeps wanting to replace his Hummer H2 (about 12mpg) with a new Panamera or similar to save gas. I keep pointing out that spending $100,000 to save $500/yr in gas isn't a very sound plan.

cheers,
c

nodoors

If you don't have a next play that you are excited about, then selling seems like a poor idea to me.

dorumac

medtech

Get a hummer H3...should be free these days.

Dilberto

Avoid the temptation. There really is nothing out there that has the masculine panache of a CTT. Don't learn this way, once it's gone. I turned down 2 offers for my tuned, 2006 CTT - even though I would make a decent profit. The "prospects" were my followers on Wheelwell.com and CarDomain. They both knew my Turbo was a creampuff, needing no significant service for the next 80,000 miles. I really thought about it hard, but when you pour your heart and wallet into this vehicle - I had to just say NO....

Petza914

Don't do it unless they offer you something like $50k. There were only 306 '09 TTS delivered to the US and nothing else like it currently available, including the newer models. It's why I specifically sought out that same year and model a couple years ago when looking for the car on which to do my widebody build. Also, not sure how you'd go from a 550 HP beast with PDCC handling to a fuel efficient econo box and not shoot yourself the next day, but maybe that's just me.

nychase

I'm struggling with this very decision tree myself right now.

If someone offered me 50k I would do it but much less and I wouldn't be interested. That being said my numbers aren't in fantasy land, its got 48k miles, never seen snow until this year and pretty much the most desirable mods on an already uber rare vehicle, and its STILL under warranty.

I just can't figure out if I'd be happy driving around in a pickup of some sort (currently considering a new sierra with the not yet available 3L duramax).

To Pete's point about not being happy driving a econo box... I have PLENTY of other vehicles but none are the swiss army knife the cayenne is, but I struggle every time with putting "too many miles" on the P!G. Its really a curse.

Just this weekend I was going to take my defender 110 up to Upper Michigan but at the last second I bailed for many reasons and took the cayenne. Sure it was fast, comfortable, quiet and I even got 18.3mpg.....but man did I cringe at the 600 miles.

NelaK

nychase - That's pretty much it exactly.

The Cayenne is a Swiss army knife but unlike a real Swiss army knife that's largely gimmicky, the Cayenne actually performs.

I've towed with the car, I've taken it on mountain trails, across creeks, I've taken it through snow that stopped most other vehicles, I've taken corners at speeds that I wouldn't feel comfortable doing in most sports cars, I've driven long distances, I've driven it at ludicrous speeds, enjoyed the endless power, I've enjoyed slowly driving it through the mountains with the roof retracted.. and I've done most of that on the same trip with no more effort than pressing the appropriate buttons. I've added a lot of kilometers to it but you couldn't tell because I've spared no expense on maintaining it.

But the crappy econobox (when I say crappy econobox I mean 10 year old Toyota yaris or equivalent) does something the Cayenne never can - I don't care about it. There's an amazing feeling of relaxation when you drive vehicles you don't care about. Hit a pot hole too hard? Are the wheels still attached? Good enough. Drive it into a wall? Meh. Something breaks? Meh. You also don't have to park in the far end of the parking lot anymore and rush in the stores because you know some ******* is going to smash their door into your car.

Currently I'm thinking: A cheap econobox paired with a proper sports car (a 911? Cayman?) but that doesn't fill the utility requirements and I don't want to deal with three vehicles. I also have my 924S and my 928. The 924S is economical and fun but its not carefree driving and its not fast. The 928 is a project and it won't be done for many years and a lot of money.

Dilberto

The Cayenne Turbo is indeed the Swiss Army Knife of SUVs.... except this one also has a Machete and Flamethrower!

nychase

Theres no doubt about the swiss army knife.

I've always said if there was a decathlon for cars/trucks it would come out on top every time.

But thats where the problem is for me. I recognize that its great at everything and when it was the only vehicle I had access to it was magical. Now I have a dozen more and find it wasteful to drive and maintain such an expensive vehicle (that in my case still has value above my purchase price).

Its not so much the miles per gallon differential either, its more like the cost per mile. Lets say I wanted to put another 50k miles and bring it to nearly 100k. Gas is 25 cents a mile based on 14mpg and 3.50 a gallon, Maintenance is 30 cents a mile based on 15k over those miles (which may be low considering brakes alone are 4k) and depreciation is 40 cents a mile based on a value change from 40k-->20k (which may be a generous final value). Thats nearly 1 dollar per mile to drive. Certainly it could be argued there are trips and situations where paying that 1 dollar per mile is worth it, but for all the possible average "I-don't-wanna-ticket-this-time" trips it starts to fall apart.

And I couldn't agree more on the "I don't give a crap" attitude of having a beater. What I would give to go back to my college days and have my Subaru Legacy Wagon that I treated like absolute crap and to this day would still love to own.

Petza914

My goal is to take that $1/mile and then see how much money I can bring the tab up to in an hour, or 8 hours.

Whatever that # comes out to be, I look at it as the price of my sanity & happiness, which to me is priceless, so I'm still ahead of the game

You've got to do what makes sense for you, and I'm sure there will be a number of anxious potential buyers looking for a lower mileage 09 Turbo S.

NelaK

Well. It looks like my car made the decision for me.

This weekend the following things happened:
- A bit of white smoke coming out the exhausts over the weekend. Happened on cold starts and especially when I revved the engine. Its stopped now though.
- Clattering noise coming from the engine compartment on driver's side (especially noticeable if you stand a foot or two away from the driver's door). Only heard it once on a cold start and then it went away and hasn't come back since even on subsequent cold starts
- About a qt of engine oil was missing when I went to check it after noticing the other issues. I've topped it up and maybe that's what quieted the clattering.. But I've heard engines that are low on oil - they make a rattling noise almost. This was like a single object with metal on metal contact.

This video matches my symptoms -exactly-.

Its off to the mechanic to be borescoped and compression tested tomorrow.

Now excuse me while I sink into depression in my corner here.

Petza914

NelaK, that doesn't sound like good news. I don't see in your signature or avatar where you're located. Are you in a colder weather climate by chance or prior to your ownership was your Cayenne there?

NelaK

I am. Northern Alberta.

During my ownership it spent all its time in a heated garage at 21C but it had a few days where I took it out and I couldn't leave it running or get back to it before it had cooled down.

I don't know about the previous owner but I know they live in the same region.