QKENUFF

??

OldGuy

The Jeeps always get the BIG BLACK dot in Consumer reports for reliablity and when you think you're going to be taking it back to the Dodge dealer to get it fixed that doesnt really make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Plus Dodge really dealt my mom a bad deal right after my Dad died and she was a new widow. She bought a New 82 Chrylser Lebaron turbo convertible. The turbo went out in about 4 months, it was replaced under warranty and caught fire and burnt to the ground. The fire marshall said the fire started in the turbo/exhaust area. Chrylser sent a rep down and said for all he knew it started by a cigarette while driving. She used $1000 of my fathers life insurance money (he had less than $5K policy we were poor) So the insurance paid the market value which was way less than she paid for it and she was way upside down. I wrote every one including Lee Iacocca and they basically said "take us to court" knowing we couldnt afford a lawyer. She ended up getting like a $400 beat up truck and had to take out a loan to pay off the car. So no Dodges/Plymouth/Chryslers/Jeeps for me EVER.

Steve you need to take your wife out and let her drive all these possilbilities-this is the same advice everyone gives when someone is asking the question "TT or GT3???" and thats only 2 choices-you're asking the same question with every make and model SUV. Everyone is going to have a different opinion with all these makes. YOU need to drive them and have your wife drive them and she what strikes a cord with both of you then decide(even if its the JEEP heaven forbid!!) do a little research on reliablility at consumers reports and get what you want and can afford.
I would (I am in a similar boat) buy a 05/06 Cayenne from my dealer because I can trust my Porsche mechanic there-so I can trust his opinion.

Do what QKENUFF says and get a red one!!!I agree!

EnigmaWmn

Dude, why don't you invite your wife here and let her do the talking? :-D

P.S. Go for the jeep.

ChipAZ

Could we see a picture of your wife, then we can better match her to the car. Or maybe there is one in all these pictures, but post another one since I'm too lazy to go back and look.

I'm thinking of getting a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4 door. I've just decided I don't want to tear up the Cayenne on all the back roads around here. They are interesting looking but a cross country touring machine they are not.

Steve 96C4S

To Chip AZ: Here's some pics. Maybe you can fit a car to my wife?


So, I'm starting to get a better understanding of why you guys are amazed at my lame questions. They sure seem lame to even me now. What was I thinking, posting pics of a Jeep here, of all places?!?

I also understand why you suggest driving the cars before asking all these questions. We did just that today. We went to BMW first to drive and look at the X5. The more I look at it, the less I like it. I can't put my finger on it, but it just isn't my cup of tea anymore. I really like that the rear seats recline, that's so cool. The front seats are very comfortable though they are a bit hard on the bottom. They're alot wider than the tight Cayenne seats but she liked the Cayenne seats better than I did. I'm so used to being in my 7 series all day so the similar interior of the X5 was kind of boring to me, same old, same old.

We both LOVED the Cayenne in Silver with the titanium package. We finally saw the pure red Cayenne and didn't like it at all. It was too flashy for us, so it was nice to find that out. Pics don't really capture a vehicle like actual light does. My buddy who's a wholesaler told me today that he thought the Cayenne's interior was kind of blah compared to the Mercedes, and he wasn't a fan. Different strokes. The silver CS was sitting on the showroom floor with a big sign that said "Manager's Special - $10k off". Apparantly all of these Titanium models are $10k off. That brings it down from $68k to $58, about $18k more than we wanted to spend (we were initially only looking at a used 2004-5), but my wife liked it so much that she was talking about cashing in an old CD of hers to propel us to the point of affording it. What a snazzy SUV it is in person. I couldn't put my finger on why it appealed to me so much, but all those lovely rounded edges on the exterior was much more pleasing to me than the squarish look of the BMW. While at the dealer, she looked at an Audi A6 Quattro that was $57k - about the same as the Cayenne, but she found the seats too hard and just didn't like it.

The next and probably last stop is to Mercedes to look at a 2006 E350 4matic and a 2005-6 S500 4matic. She doesn't like the looks of the ML but is open to looking at the AWD sedans as an option to an SUV. She's already said that sedans don't appeal to her as much as an SUV now, and doesn't really have an explanation as to why, other than she just is ready for something different.

By the way, I didn't even drive the 2 vehicles today. I let her drive them as it will be her vehicle. After 2 minutes in the X5, we were ready to turn around and bring it back, and we did! I wish we could rent a Cayenne for the weekend or week to see how it feels day to day over time. We're a little nervous spending $13k more than we've ever spent on a vehicle before. A used one is for sale near us at Select Auto, and it's $57k with 7k miles and doesn't have the titanium package. For the same price we could get this brand new one with 4 miles on it from the actual Porsche dealer. If the 2006's with 6-10k miles were substantially less money($10k less), we'd probably go that route.

The thing that really got us with this brand new Cayenne was that new car smell. It was incredible when you opened the door. She joked that it would cool in our garage if we had my silver 911 and her silver Cayenne both in their. She's already thinking like me.

Steve R

STATMAN

You ARE all over the board, wow.

If you really like the Cayenne you saw and it is more than you would like to spend, here are two options:

1. Offer less than $58,000. I'd try to get them to knock off at least $2000 to $3000 more. When I bought my 2004 CS in about November of 2004 when the dealer was trying to clear the 04s off the lot, I got $10,000 off plus installation of the dark wood package just for asking.

2. Try above AND lease it. Pay only the depreciation and it may be closer to your price range.

Pull the trigger on something dude...the suspense is killing me!

ltc

Wow....and they locked up Larry at the "vacation villa"?

SHV

You should be able to get ~17% off sticker.....56,440.

Steve

ltc

I can think of a lot of cars to make a "financial stretch" for......no, the Cayenne is NOT one of them.

As for that "new car smell".......you can have it without a Cayenne.
http://www.lanescarproducts.com/newcarscent.html

And no surprise, that "new car smell".....it's not good for you:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...ar-smell_x.htm

Steve 96C4S

Thanks SHV. That's really helpful info. 17% off sticker. Not sure where you got that #, but it makes it a little more palatable. If we decide to get the 2006 CS, then we might as well get it new, than used if the difference in only around $6k. If only the preowned 06' S's sold for around $47-48k with about 6-10k mi on them. That would be a great savings over new, something we'd jump on alot faster.

LTC - I'm almost afraid to ask... why isn't it worth making a stretch for a Cayenne? It seems like you try to turn alot of people off from buying one by your remarks you frequently post here. I'm not sure I understand where you're coming from...

Steve R

ChipAZ

Steve, over the years I've had 2 ML's, an X-5, Hummer H-3 and a Range Rover. I tend to use them off road and that's a consideration. Believe it or not I really don't care what they look like, I care how they drive and I care very much about not getting stranded in the middle of no-where.

The Cayenne is the best and I may actually keep it for awhile. It's just smoothest of all the cars I've owned. It out handles a Mercedes CL,E class and this from an SUV that will do the off road thing. I just find that to be really neat. Your wife will look great and you get to where your going and not want to stop driving.

That's what I think.

ltc

I am from the planet Krypton and I miss my parents, they sent me here before the planet exploded. I spent a lot of time in a "vacation villa", wearing "tight fitting pajamas" and typing on a laptop with a #2 pencil clenched between my teeth......but I do miss Tuesday night sponge baths. I miss Larry now that he's dead. There is a small piece of me riding around in all MY03 and beyond Porsches. I wish I didn't know what I do know.

OK, so now you know where I'm coming from.

Cayennes, like almost all modern Porsches, are overproduced, leading to big depreciation. This is designed into the business plan, since it assures a large supply of low cost, first time Porsche buyer, vehicles.
Also, not a lot of people really look forward to being 'naked' with their Cayenne, as the vehicle does not inspire 250K mile ownership like a Japanese car or a Ford pickup truck.

So, based on that, it just seems a bit odd to stretch from $35K to $40K to cashing in a CD in order to buy a Cayenne....but that's just me.
Then again, I'm not allowed access to my money.....I should probably ask why that is......never mind, probably better this way.

But, in the meantime, it is sort of fun watching you and your vehicle search.....kind of reminds me of watching a dog chase his tail......eventually you'll get tired and slow down.

SHV

Steve R..I got $16,000 off on a demo CS. ~24% off sticker. Some would say no deal is a good deal on a Cayenne..I'll find out for my self.

Steve

droptop

until now.

CR's new listing of owner satisfaction (ie, would you buy it again) in midsize suv's puts the cayenne at (drum roll please)

67%

which if you are a glass half full guy means 2 out of 3 people said they would buy it again. of course, the other way to look at it means that despite the fact that "there is no substitute" (notice they never say for what?) 1 out of 3 drivers that shelled out the money for the cayenne wishes that they could "re-do".

it also means that the cayenne is sandwiched solidly right below the

hummer H3

and just above the

jeep commander (the 50's retro looking one)

it also beat such luminaries as

Subaru B9 Tribeca
Cadillac SRX V6 rwd
BMW X3
Mercedes-Benz M-Class V6
Ford Freestyle
Land Rover LR3 V8
Buick Rainier
Volvo XC90 5-cyl. gas turbo
Mercury Mountaineer V8 awd

how could you go wrong....

for those interested, the top 16 spots went to toyota/lexus and honda/acura (with one land rover) products, which were also the only ones to go over 80%.

the toureg was dead last at 43%. reason for the difference between it and the cayenne i leave for speculation.

and in the reliability section... "The Porsche Cayenne improved from much worse than average to worse than average, but the Volkswagen Touareg, based on the same platform, didn't improve as much"

talk about left handed complements...

STATMAN

No huge surprises here from Lewis, but when I got to that line, I just about fell out of my chair laughing. That has to be one one of the better Lewis one-liners that so accurately and humorously captured the moment.