4runner

 

Depends on what you want. The Toyota will be cheaper to run and own in the long run, probably more reliable (whatever that means); the Cayenne will be a lot more luxurious, powerful, and expensive to own. Pick your poison.

Toyota will need less maintenance and parts/service will be cheaper. By how much? Depends on how deep your luck runs, and whether you'll be getting your hands dirty. If you take it to a shop/dealer, you'll have two 4runners in the matter of a few years in what you'll spend on a Porsche. If you DIY, it's going to be far, far closer in terms of costs, esp if you compare to Toyota OEM prices (Toyota has the most expensive OEM parts of all Japanese non-luxury brands, though I'm sure Lexus has got Infinity and Acura beat as well).

 

 

There is no question that the 4 Runner will be far more reliable than the Cayenne. If reliability is important to you, don't buy a Cayenne! Don't get me wrong, I love my Cayenne, but the reliability has left a lot to be desired. I bought my Cayenne with 40k miles on it 4 years ago and it's now just turning over 76k miles. In that time frame it has needed: valve cover gaskets, water pump, idler + tensioner pulleys, water pump pulley (plastic), coolant expansion tank (plastic), coolant T's (plastic), various vacuum lines (plastic), coil packs, charge pipe seals (all of them), lower control arms, upper control arms, tie rod ends, engine torque arm, tie rod boots, wiper motor (over $500), blower motor, hatch struts (replaced 2x already), sagging head liner, and intake manifold Y-pipe (plastic). There have been other Nagy type things like the seat backs falling and the lower molding clips breaking. I'm not trying to scare you from buying one, but trying to paint you a picture of what to expect. All of these repairs are very common on Cayennes. If you're the type of person who enjoys working on their cars, then you will probably be happy owning a Cayenne. If you're the type who wants the car to work when it's suppose to all of the time, buy a Toyota. Even I keep a Lexus around for when my Cayenne breaks.

Hopefully I didn't scare you off. Cayennes are a lot of fun when maintained but it's a big commitment. Happy Hunting!

 

I have an '05 base. I bought it with 80k and it has over 150k now. It's been largely trouble-free; just the normal stuff a high-mileage vehicle will need as stuff starts to wear out. I beat the hell out of it.

 

We have a 2009 Cayenne VR6, but with all the other bells and whistles they came with. We have had, starting at 78K miles (3 years ago), no issues except for a drive shaft and isolater as I floored it once in sport mode from a stop sign for a about 100 feet. Now has 116K miles. It did have seat back separation (both sides) and lower moulding clips breaking, but ordered new clips. Also changed all fluids when we first got it, and the oil every 5K miles with the oil called out for VR6 engines (not the A040 spec). Battery is under driver's seat, make sure it is fresh. I think the running gear is the same as V8 versions, so maybe more design margin on stress and strain forces with VR-6 powerplant.

 

Get in and drive it without worrying about anything - 4Runner

Enjoyment, quietness, feeling of solidness, nicer place to spend driving time, acceleration (unless it's a base), rear seat comfort, etc all go to the Cayenne,

 

I've got an '06 CTT, and my Mom has an '07 4Runner. I live in Houston and use my CTT as a daily driver, but only 5-7k miles a year -- I love it for it's comfort, speed, and handling (for an SUV). Mine only has 54k miles on it, so it's in very good shape. I do my own maintenance and have gotten to know most of it's quirks. While it's not cheap to maintain, it's manageable if you are handy. It's a towing beast, although I infrequently use it for such.

I've driven and worked on my Mom's 4Runner. It's a truck that's incredibly durable and cheap and easy to work on. The V6 has good power and the brakes are surprisingly strong, although not with the same modulation of the Porsche. The handling/suspension is much softer/floppy and not sporty. But that's what works better for offroad. If you want to modify it to be more offroad, you've got no end of options. Probably not as good as the Cayenne at towing higher loads, but probably adequate for most. It's a car I've thought about for my kids when they reach driving age in a few years.

To your question on cost: If you do all your own wrenching, I'd guess that a well-maintained Cayenne might only be $200-$500/year more expensive to maintain. But if you take it to the dealer, it probably jumps to $1000-$2000 (or more!) per year on average to maintain. Depends on how much you drive and how many miles are on your car already. There is a Porsche Tax, even for Cayennes. And if you buy an under-maintained Cayenne, may God help you...

Be aware that the Cayenne has some chronic recurring/increasing faults:
- Coils (seems like a 50k mile replacement cycle)
- Transmission valve bodies (good for 50-75k miles)
- Vacuum leaks (seems to increase with time as plastic and rubber ages)

Faults with any of the above will slowly mess up the driving experience, though most issues will not strand you until they're really, really bad. In my experience, you can DIY them all, but it's fiddly, especially sorting vacuum leaks. But when it's all working, the car drives amazing.

I love my Cayenne and choose to drive it over a 4Runner (or even a Land Cruiser), but I'd never recommend one to a friend of family member unless I thought they enjoyed working on cars like I do and had the means to unexpectedly suffer a multi-thousand dollar repair (front transmission seal, alternator, or coolant pipes -- though most are fixed now).

Hope that helps.

 

No Virginia, even a base has acceleration; I can vouch for it.. More than I need. Toyota 4Rundeer, how fast are they ?

There's this-
https://www.edmunds.com/toyota/4runn...eatures-specs/
https://www.edmunds.com/porsche/caye...eatures-specs/

4805 lbs and 270 hp versus 4762 lbs and 290 hp..

 

And that's why its hard to ask opinions on vehicles. I wouldn't have considered a Cayenne below a GTS. Bought a Turbo S, then modified it.

 

I have/ had both. IMO there is no comparison between the two. Two opposite ends of the spectrum. I got the 4runner from my sister as a 2 owner absolute cream puff. It was the sr5 v6 model. It was soo nice I decided to sell it after about a year of driving it. It just did nothing for me. However, as the Cayenne will continue to eat money, the 4runner will only go up in value. I sold mine for almost 3k over book. It took about 5 months of advertising on Craigslist until one day a guy called and had to have it. That will never happen with the Cayenne.

 

My boat analogy:

The 4Runner is like a 20 foot tin boat with a 75hp outboard motor. It is going to run forever with very little maintenance and do everything that you ask with limited comfort and performance. It is quite boring, utilitarian and many people love them for that - especially because you can run it up on the bank, jump in with muddy boots, hose it down afterwards and leave it in the yard without a care in the world. If you are really, really into boats, it will not be the only one in your possession unless you do not have the means for more.

The Cayenne is like a 22 foot wakeboat with all the bells and whistles and headaches that come with the extra features, style, power, and comfort. It is a thrill for everyone and a big pain in the *** because you do not want to run it up on the bank, need to be careful who you let dock the thing, are always fidgeting with covers/seats/gear/settings, maintaining it well is a lot of work and pricey, and you don't really care that steering authority in reverse is non-existent. If you are really, really into boats it might be your only boat, but you might also have the means and rock several others as well.

 

LOL Nice and so true...

... and I guess why I have a Hammerhead equipped Malibu LSV and a Cayenne Turbo S

 

Spend your money where you want I say.