DGI

Right before summer vacation I retired my 2006 Expedition from our fleet and bought a very low mileage 2013 Mini Cooper Clubman JCW for daily duties. Im mostly alone on my daily commute but still need to haul items and the Mini has been pretty good about most daily tasks but I do miss having a full size SUV.

I looked at 957 GTSs at the time as well but didnt really want to deal with the unknown service history of most trucks out there or the potential for higher than usual (Ford) repair bills...

Fast forward and i'm now a 996 owner. Its not a daily driver by any means but I dig it.

I'm wondering if I would enjoy driving a "full size" Cayenne more than my Manual transmission'd JCW Mini...

More space for stuff I haul, more space for my boys in the back, etc. Im pretty sure I wouldnt need too much cash out of pocket for a "clean" GTS and I'm handy with a wrench but should I introduce the maintenance risks?!

The Mini only has 22K miles and its pretty darn clean... but is the grass greener on the other side?? LOL

Vivid7

I DD my 08 GTS. Just picked it up a few weeks back. 36k miles for $21k.

DGI

Awesome! Did it come with service history or any dings in its history for that price? Private party or at a dealer?

Vivid7

Bought it through a dealer. They got it on trade for a new Alpha Romeo the day before. it came with receipts from past work done at the Porsche dealer, new pirelli P zero’s, new brakes all around, no accidents. There were 3 other people there to look at it when I was buying it. I thought it was a pretty good deal.

DWPC

A 10+yr old Cayenne is likely to soon start having petty non-drivetrain issues unrelated to mileage that can be as costly. Just sayin'.

Avec

I daily my 08GTS as well. I got mine through a dealer that did a PPI, for whatever that is worth. I generally use it as a small SUV, I haul stuff in it. Right now, I have some wood and 3 bags of salt ready for the winter storm on the way. Only real issue is the really poor fuel mileage. No matter what I do, 15.5 mpg is the absolute best I ever have gotten. Usually right at 15. However, as I said in another thread, I love the car am not sure what I would swap it for. Fast, comfortable, sturdy, bad weather capable, and I can haul 4 people and a bunch of stuff.

Vivid7

I said the same thing about my V6 grand cherokee. I would get 16 mpg most of the time.

v10rick

The few issues with my 09 GTS M/T (3 years/15K mi.) were DIY repairs.

P parts are expensive and the Cayenne eat tires.

Avec

I have had mine for 2.5 years and 40k miles The couple issues were also DIY.

And Amen to eating tires. Be sure to get tire insurance from the tire place, because they are pricey rubber hoops, for sure.

Vivid7

good suggestion. I have never bought the tire insurance with any other vehicle. I will this time.

Wisconsin Joe

Have you read the "Thinking about Buying?" sticky?
Lots of good info there.

I would suggest spending some time going through the forum. Go back through the pages and read threads that catch your eye. This topic comes up a lot, and there are lots of "should I buy" types of threads (there's one maybe three or four threads down). You will also see what sorts of issues come up often.

One thing to remember is that you will be getting a car that is ~10 years old. Probably near 100k miles. Stuff wears out, stuff breaks. If you DIY, it can be manageable. If you have a good indy, it can be somewhat pricey. If you go to a stealership, it will be pricey.
One other thing to remember is that these are cars that cost ~$100k when new. Parts and qualified labor reflect that number, not what they are selling for now.

Tires & brakes are a fairly frequent need.
Gas is a VERY frequent need. And it takes premium.

I'm coming up on 4 years and 20k miles for mine. 05 CTT, 103k when I got it.
Love it. But it's had a few issues, which I fixed myself (with the help of the folks on here).

Petza914

957 is the best generation of Cayenne. Many of the 955 issues corrected, but still the masculine look, higher cargo capacity area because of the more upright rear window, plus a low range transfer case if you ever need it.

If you want a manual transmission.SUV, you can get that in the 957 GTS. If you're looking for the Tiptronic automatic, then look at the Turbo models too. They're usually slightly better appointed ND have 100 - 150 more HP, depending on whether a regular Turbo or a turbo S for not a lot more or even money (Turbo Ss pull a heavier premium).

Try to find one with PDCC as it really makes the handling defy logic.

GTS also has the PSE exhaust and the Turbo S bodywork, both of which are cool.

Try to find a 2009 or newer as they seem to be less susceptible to the potential for scored engine bores.

Jd_gts

Regarding missing the small car manual vs the full size GTS. I have a 2016 Golf S 5 speed manual and the GTS, which I switch between on my daily 25 mile commute. I would drive the GTS more if it had working bluetooth. The manual car is fun; it zips around and is easy to park. But I find the only reason I drive it over the GTS, for the most part, is because it has better tech. So if you are considering this move, I would make sure your GTS has the the factory options necessary to stream music (if that's your bag). If mine did, I sure would drive it to work more often! And it's actually kind of nice to commute in a larger vehicle on occasion. Yeah, the gas mileage sucks, but that may have less bearing depending on the length of your commute. For me, it doesn't factor in at all.

Regarding cost of ownership.... Mini (BMW) vs Porsche, just sayin'. I had a BMW 335 for a while and once it was out of warranty, I dropped it quick. Electric water pumps, vanos bolts, suspension issues, etc. The Cayenne has given me no problems so far (just replaced the headlight bulbs last night for $100). These things are pretty easy to work on if you are handy with a wrench and lots of aftermarket part options/forum support.

I personally agree 100% with PDCC - and I would get the factory Bluetooth / Aux options too!

Like others, I get 14.4-15mpg. It is what it is. But that roaring V8 sure is fun. It's not going to break any records, but it will get out of its own way.

Petza914

JD, what year is your GTS and do you have the multi audio interface in it (the 3 plugs inside the center console at the rear - AUX, old iPhone, & USB)? If so, you can add a BT streaming device that will connect to your phone and stream the audio through the AUX jack, like this.




If you have an older one with PCM2, you'd have to add something like a Dension kit with BT add-on, which I have in my 997.1, and it works well enough too.

Jd_gts

2009 and no, it doesn't. I tried the aftermarket bluetooth option plugged into the back of the radio on the AUX port, but the dealer has thus far been unable to "enable" aux on the source menu, so I can't utilize it

It looks like I may have to go with the $550 Porsche option to get that stuff added to the radio and the center console. I was trying the $75 option first

https://goo.gl/AGXxRN