evolver

Hi!

I'm in the market for a new SUV for my wife. When we bought her SUV, it was one of very few available in manual transmission. Times have changed, our family grew, and now we are looking for something more comfortable than a 4-liter SUV with manual transmission. Ride comfort in the rear is also important. Firm and bouncy leaf spring suspension in the rear is good off the road but we never do any of that. At the same time, we both want to keep the fun factor in driving the SUV.

These criteria brought us down to considering two SUVs, Cayenne and new FX. Cayenne handles better than FX35 but due to objective reasons it is slower than the FX. It is 700 lb heavier, 4WD, 6 speed vs 7 speed, and the engine has slightly lower numbers. FX is packed with neat features that have hefty price tags for Cayenne. An equally equipped Cayenne carries extra $10-$15K.

From my perspective, Cayenne's advantages are handling, looks, and the badge that it carries.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing on the Cayenne. I'm seeking for help from Cayenne community to see if I missed something in the Cayenne in a short 15-20 minute guest drive I had. I would appreciate any Cayenne-biased opinions and hints


Thanks!

mudman2

get a 24hr test drive of both

evolver

Is it a standard practice among Porsche dealers? Before I bought my Infiniti G35 Coupe, dealer offered me a week-end drive of a vehicle but I was determined to buy it anyway and pulled the trigger without taking advantage of this offer. I hope they would not mind offering same thing fir the FX. But how about Porsche dealers?

Thanks!

Dennis C

I think it depends on what you want in an SUV. If you want gadgets, the Cayenne can't compare to the Infiniti. The electronics of the Infiniti are superior, including i-Pod integration, bluetooth, etc.

If you are looking for a driver's SUV, then make sure you compare driving features to driving features. Forget about all the gadgets and try to evaluate how each one drives. IMHO, no SUV drives like a properly outfitted Cayenne. The Infiniti is very nice (as most SUVs in this price range are), but there is still no comparison. There is no SUV that drives like a Cayenne. Are you considering a new Cayenne? if so, then drive one with PDCC. From what I hear, that will make a big difference.

I think the Infiniti comes with 20-inch rubber standard - is that right? If so, make sure you drive a Cayenne with 20-inch wheels. It makes a big difference in ride and handling.

Finally - last comment - I find the FX to be quite ugly. I know it is only a matter of taste, but I think the FX looks like an armadillo on steroids. It is strange looking. Some might argue that the Cayenne is a bit ugly, but I think it looks far better than the FX.

Good luck with your choice.

BuzzBomb

In my opinion, if you like to drive there is nothing like the cayenne in its class. It has the best combination of engine, transmission, and suspension available. Most car buyers do not list those as top buying criteria but maybe it helps to understand Porsche priorities.

I bought a 2008 S model about a year ago and I still smile everytime I drive it. A dozen cupholders and electronic gadgets cannot give that to you. I also think the build quality and materials are superior to other brands I test drove.

However, if the car is for your wife you may prefer something with more convenience features and a larger service and mainetnance network. If you value the qualities of the Porsche and there is only a $10K price difference then I think you should consider the Cayenne. If you value other attributes then Infiniti, Acura, Lexus, BMW and Mercedes are all other high quality alternative that are a little more practical.

evolver

Dennis,

Ironically, iPod integration is one of the things that failed miserably in my test, when I tried it in an Infiniti FX. I connected my iPod that had about half of the tracks labeled in Cyrillic alphabet. The display module was not able to handle these characters correctly and replaced them with space. It was fun to scroll through several hundred tracks with "empty" names. On the other hand, I have not seen a single stock unit that could handle Unicode characters correctly. What is the most frustrating to me as to a person who thinks he knows software internationalization aspect well is that it is such a simple feature that they could have implemented once and never came back to it.

Coming back to the main topic, I fully understand that Cayenne is built around driving feel and not the gadgetry. This is something that attracts us more than anything else. In the end, I think, it will boil down to the monetary aspect. If we decide to allocate more, we'll go with a Cayenne. Otherwise, it is going to be an FX.

If it is Cayenne, we want to do European Delivery to run around Germany, France, Austria and Italy a little


Thanks!

evolver

BuzzBomb,

I drove both, Base and S, back-to-back. I chose to drive the S first to avoid being biased when I would go from Base into S. What I felt was somewhat counterintuitive at first. I liked the way Base Cayenne moves better. Only a few days later I realized that at the speeds I was testing them, the S did not have to work hard, downshift and rev up the engine much. It moved but I did not feel the machine beneath me working. In contrast, Cayenne Base willingly downshifted, revved up, and such. It gave additional aural sensation of power. However, numbers tell that it was a misperception

Maybe if I drove more "torquey" vehicles before I would be able to feel and appreciate it... Weird. It think if I had an vehicle with a motor producing constant torque in a wide range of RPMs (something like what an electric motor would do), it would be most boring ride for me even it outperformed everybody on a dragstrip

Dennis C

Press the "sport" button on the S and it changes everything. The engine will rev more freely, and the shift points will be changed so you get more of that torquey feeling.

I just drove a 2008 base Cayenne a few weeks ago, and they are nice - a vast improvement over the original V6. I think the V8 makes a big difference though, with 90 HP more and that nice V8 growl.

richri929

get a used s or ctt

JW3

I was just in the 2009 FX35 and it is a HI-TECH palace (the FX50 has bit more). The parking system (4 real time cameras) is remarkable ! The phone, audio and touch screen/voice recognition hard drive navigation system is very cool and very easy to use. The connections for iPOD, MP3, the built-in Hard Drive and Compact Flash Card Slot are all very nice and work well. Things many wished for in the Cayenne - in the past.
It looks like those wishes will come true in the 2009 Cayenne (except the 4 cameras) and the Compact Flash Card Slot. The Cayenne will have the iPOD, AUX. and USB Port in the center console (nice and out of the way). The Cayenne has the touch screen/voice recognition hard drive navigation system, back-up camera, Blue Tooth Telephone setup and Satellite Radio (XM). That's most of the HI-TECH stuff I would like to have in my Cayenne.
As for driving, haven't driven the FX but I have driven the CS & CTT and agree with the comments on the PDCC - make sure you get this option. The PDCC combined with the Sport button make the Cayenne one hell of a ride. And the Sport Exhaust of the 2009Cayenne is just music to the ear.
You can buy the Infiniti and have a wonderful automobile for years - probably be very happy. Or, you can purchase a Cayenne and truly enjoy driving for many, many years. I must say, that after 28 months with my CTT, I still smile every time I get in the drivers seat or look into the garage and see my treasure sitting there. A magnificent automobile! If you choose the Cayenne, you will also probably become a regular on this forum and you must remember that each word you write can/probably will be worse than a land mine. But that is also part of the experience and it is fun.

VVG

keep in mind that the 2009 FX50 has a 390hp V8.

evolver

Well, I'll give the S another try. My wife prefers Cayenne over FX, so, I'll be working in this direction

What difference in monthly lease payments should I expect between Base and S? Would it be true to say it is around $150?

evolver

CPO is the only way in this case, I assume?

evolver

Johnnie, thanks for your comment and comparison.

On PDCC and other options, I may start asking more detailed questions about options that you, Cayenne Veterans, find to be most and least useful. Hope, I will not annoy ya'll much with these questions