I will be looking at purchasing an 04-06 Cayenne Turbo in the near future. I am selling my 964 C4, and replacing it with this hopefully (BMW X5 is also still a possibility/option).

Is there a buying guide for these cars that someone maybe has put together?

Any general tips would be helpful.

thanks.

-Don

 

Welcome to the Pig Pen.

No, the inmates here have not put together a buyer's guide.
The usual rules apply: buy the newest model year you can afford, make sure all the TSB's have been performed.
The Pigs have some "personality" traits: cracked coils, for example. Plastic coolant tubes will fail (not a matter of if, just when), so that can be a bit of $$ to replace.
CPO/Warranty is always the best route to take.

We're fortunate to have quite a few veteran members (survivors) from the 03/04 MY and we're also fortunate to have 2 Porsche mechanics in here.

Your esteemed forum Moderator is Sir Mudman2, he is also a survivor.

Good luck and Godspeed....

 

Thanks for the info. The information you posted is what I sort of gathered from doing searches yesterday/today.

Is there a general milage where certain things start failing, or should have been replaced by that time, other than the items you already listed (coils/coolant tubes).

I've also read that the earlier 03/04 cars have some sort of driveshaft issues that need to be addressed?

It seems like purchasing a Cayenne that has an average amount of miles is the best, since most items should have been repaired/replaced by that time, and it won't have excess or too many miles.

-Don

 

I am also looking to purchase a 2004 Cayenne Turbo.
Are the coolant tubes and coils the worst items?
I was told that electrical issues can also be present, but I can find little on this.

 

Thank you for using the search function....if MadFox (another veteran member) were here, you would be schooled in the use of the STFF emoticon.

They begin to fail as soon as you leave the dealer's lot.
Coils and tubes are hard to predict, coils will generally fail before tubes.

The rubber in the Cardan shaft is what fails and begins to vibrate/drone/resonate. There is an "improved" Cardan shaft design (different rubber material/design) that is supposedly much better....time will tell.

IA CPO warranty will give you piece of mind, and they are generally applied to Pigs in the best of health.

 

2004s can have many problems. Make sure it is built late in the build cycle, and that it has had the TSBs and other issues addressed already. Knowing the service history is helpful.

 

And extra credit if your 2004 has A506 Cowboy Belt buckles....a highly sought after item at PCA Concours events...

 

How about the decline declaration one had to sign when you argued with the dealer about NOT performing the A506 recall? How many points might THAT little jewel be worth? (I actually have one!)

 

Larry just had the A506 devices installed and removed them as soon as he got home....
Sometime later, they were delivered to Peter the Great's office at the Death Star.

 

I know you're not asking this, but I have a 964 and we had a cayenneS (my wife's car)- there is simply no comparison in driving either vehicle- may as well be a totally different car company, and come to think of it, it is pretty much is a different company (soon to be VW if porsche fails on their VW takeover and gets taken over themselves?)

Anyway, we loved the cayenne (sold it due to family growth)- I'd stick with the 2006- a lot of bugs were worked out by then. We had no electrical issues, or any issues what so ever besides the dealer being a huge rip off for service. In fact, in the 34K miles we had the car the $325+ oil changes etc were my only complaint. I'd avoid 04-05 if you can spring for the extra money, and I'd consider getting a titanium edition (that's what we had) and keeping your 964 as an alternative to the turbo

 

I already have a E36 M3 "track" car, as well as an E36 M3 turbo. It's just really not practical having 3 smaller sports cars. I have the least invested into the 964, so that's why it will be the first to go onto the cutting list.

The more I keep looking at Cayennes though, the more I am not sure I can live with its interior. Maybe it's just the triangle steering wheel that gets me everytime

-Don

 

OK- as long as you have other toys to satisfy your sports car desires, because the cayenne is definitely not a 911, especially an air cooled 911

I agree with you that the steering wheel is pretty ugly, but I remember seeing the interior design when the cayenne first came out and loving it- it had no ugly buttons so many cars in this size had, and had a tasteful interior design...5 years later and I still love the looks of the interior as it is classy and non-gimmicky. I wouldn't buy the current generation of X5 just because of that ugly shifter they have and the general interior/exterior design ethos of BMW has turned me off for the past 5 years. The x5 is the only decent exterior design because they kept the theme similar to the prior generation x5, but the 5-series with the high doors, dash (which is no longer canted towards the driver), scrunched up dash board dials and bangle butt is a train wreck. I'll keep my E39 (prior generation) 540, thanks.

Honestly, the other car I was looking at in 2007 when we bought our cayenne as a leftover/new car was a pre-owned 4.8si X5- just before the change over to the current model.

BMW makes some great products, I don't mean to overly bash them, but I just can't help it as I have loved their cars performance and design from the mid 1980's up to the current generation- with the current generation defined pretty much as the bangle designs (745i, 2004+ 5-seires, Z4, etc). The driving dynamics of the new 3 and 5 are not as good to me- I've had both as loaners, and they handle well but I just don't feel as connected as in my 540, or wife's old 3-series, and in the 1987 325is my sister had many years ago. And the gimmicks BMW has fallen for like the stupid key you put in a slot and a start button you push- assinine. The electronic blinker switch even pissed me off. Oh well, my friday ramble is now coming to a close-