Just wondering about everyone's opinion. Any problems reported, issues...and be honest! lol. I own an '88 951, and love it. I know we're not comparing, but anything to watch for...true gas mileage, maintenance hassles...how easy is an oil change, etc.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

 

Are you considering buying a new or used Cayenne? Will you be doing mostly city or highway driving? Do you have/know a good dealer in your area?

I don't do any maintenance myself, so can't answer about oil :-).

 

Oh sh*t! P-A-N-D-O-R-A, Best thing to do is a search on some of the topics that you are most interested in on this forum and there will be plenty!

Despite electronic quirks, I love my car and I will get another when that time comes. My mileage is about 15 city and 17 highway (Turbo). Oil changes recommended every 20K, however I do mine at every 10k, actually dealer does this. Some report needing to add oil frequently, not the case here. Tire wear is another great variable. No abnormal wear issues here either, 20k + on same set of all season 18" and still with great tread depth (I am changing to P scorp Ice and Snow though next season, as they are sitting in my garage. I do drive aggressively too. No brake pad or rotor change yet but will more than likely occur with my 40K mile "overhaul".

99.9% of the electronic glitches have been corrected.
One thing just creeped up over the weekend.

I hope you end up buying a Cayenne, any model, and I hope you fall in love with it as I have mine, and I hope that you will soon enjoy this forum. There are some amazingly knowledgeable folks here, happy to share info, stories, and recommendations, I learn all the time from them.

 

I've never seen numbers like that on my CS. 11-12mpg is what I usually get driving in the city and highway. That is probably my only (knock on wood x 3) complaint so far at 10,700k miles.

 

Average about 13-14 MPG mixed driving (Turbo), sometimes I see 15 MPG pure highway. Despite past electronics problems (all fixed) I really enjoy the Cayenne. I use it for highway, desert off-road, and ski trips. It is a very versatile and fun vehicle. A truck and a sports car all in one.

 

There really are no issues with the Cayenne. There are those who may disagree, pointing to trailer lighting or cracked ignition coils, but that is instead indicative of difficulties in assimilation, which as we all know is futile.

When faced with an incompatible trailer, the proper action is to expel the offending trailer.

Remember we are all here to serve the Porsche Queen. Those that do not assimilate are removed from the hive.

 

I've ranged from a low of 17mpg city to 20mpg highway (at ~80mph) with my V6. No real issues with my Cayenne (5K miles). IMHO, the Tiptronic transmission shifts too early, but it's designed that way by Porsche to meet their fuel economy numbers. Once the engine is broken-in and you can rev above 4000rpm with the Tip keeping the engine on boil, it's a blast to drive! I'm a longtime BMW-nut, but I replaced an X5 with the Cayenne...I'll never go back!

 

I have a 2005 CS and have had (knock wood) no major issues. I typically get mid- to high-teens mpg thru spirited driving and mid-teens when driving it like it was stolen. Its my first porsche. Its simply amazing to me that a 5000+ lb vehicle can accelerate, brake, and handle like this car does. The suspension is a little tight and can get some getting used to. The brakes are "grabby" but you can stop in less distance that virtually any other car on the road. It has it quirks but I would certainly buy again. A turbo the next time. Im addicted to the speed..

 

Which ever model you decide to purchase - go for it. This is an amazing SUV.

 

Well...to answer some of the questions posed of me, I'm prob. leaning toward a used one, less than 20K miles, 04-05. Have been leaning toward the CS, but may opt for the 6 mainly for mpg reasons. I have only really run across data on the CS and turbo when it comes to fuel economy. This will likely be a daily driver (so I can turn my 951 into a track star!)...I drive my 951 almost daily now.

Most of my driving will be a combo, but mainly highway (43 miles to work one way) ---Houston is a bit sprawling...lol. My "trade in" is a 01 GMC 2500HD crew cab, conversion truck...gets about 11mpg if i'm lucky...just want something a little smaller than that and more fun to drive.

Thanks for all the info on this...still looking to see if someone on here does their own wrenching and can let me know how easy/hard simple maintenances are (oil change, plugs, etc)...I don't mind taking things to the shop if need be, but I love working on them myself as well (recently replaced the clutch in the 951 in my garage).

Thanks!!!

 

I have an early build '05 CS. No problems whatsoever so far. Zero oil consumption, 16-17 mpg mixed driving and 12 mpg when towing a 5000 lbs boat. Will do my first service this summer when I hit 20k miles.

 

While you will read the cayenne has its share of gremlins it has been a great car for me. I had mine in at the dealer for a nitty noise related to the heating. The tech mentioned that despite a few quirks related to the electronics he was just this week working on his first major engine on this vehicle - I thought that was pretty good given the numbers.

 

Since I just went through this drill, I will offer the following:

With any Porsche (my 5th), if you are planning to buy used, get an extended warranty! These things are not cheap to fix at all. I bought my 04 (actually placed in service in mid-03) with 30K miles, saved about $17K over a new one. Got the extended warranty so I have some peace of mind for a while. I traded in an 01 cab, it is amazing how much better the Cayenne retains its value over the 911. 2 months in, no real problems, and I am just getting ready to do a few upgrades.

Gas milege sucks, so do my driving habits (I drive it like my old 911, and actually use the tip to shift). I agree the brakes are grabby and spew out more damn dust than anything i have ever seen.

I hear the oil changes are a bitch because of some protective cover (I believe the dealer charges $200 for one because of the extra time involved to take it off). For the rest of the wrenching, simply open the hood and look down. Ever see anything like that?

 

Get a used one with the 100k warranty, I love mine and am going to get a new one soon!!!

 

the CPO option seems most attractive to me & my Wife when we replace the Land cruiser this summer. Ideally i would like something as stout as the LC for 80-100 Miles (total)