All,

I would like to move to a Cayenne preferably the S-model, but I will not shy away from a Turbo for the right price. I have been an avid SUV driver and have owned a BMW X5, Mercedes ML, Infiniti FX which are all sitting in my garage right now if you want them, lol. I have made some mistakes in the past by not asking questions before purchasing these vehicles so instead of having another SUV sitting in my driveway not worth the key I put in it, I want to make sure I invest in the best Cayenne I can.

My ML had loads of problems which where all quality issues, the X5 is just not my cup of tea as it seemed really bland as far as comfort (though my wife uses it more than any other vehicle to haul groceries), and the FX had way too many gadgets which I hardly used but surely paid for. The Cayenne seems to be the happy medium between the comfort and performance of the ML and the technology of the FX so this is why I am so drawn to it.

With that said, are there things that I MUST look out for when seeking a used S or Turbo? I am looking to purchase within the month of February and have cash in hand. Thank you all in advance for your help and if you have one, post me a PM. If I do not respond, please don't hound me, I am simply not interested. Also, please be sure to include price, mileage, and if you have it serviced at an indie or the dealership.

 

Welcome to the Cayenne forum, sometimes referred to as the P!g Pen.

1. Look for a suicide note under the driver's seat. Find out what finally caused the previous owner to take up cliff diving.

2. Warranty. Naked Cayenne ownership is not for the faint of heart (I'd rather own a 928). CPO is preferred, aftermarket warranties can have "issues" with coverage....right Danno (sorry, inside Hawaii 5-0 joke)

3. Model year, Model year, Model year. Folks who have suicidal tendencies are discouraged from owning a MY03 or MY04. Late MY05 and beyond is a bit "safer".

4. Coolant tubes. Yes, they're plastic, Yes, they all break/leak...it's not "IF" but rather "WHEN".

5. STFF. There are many great threads on Warranty Repair items, Coolant Tubes, Cracked coils/Fouled plugs, etc. Learn to use the Search button, it is truly your best friend.

6. Who is the Cayenne for? Some spouses can quickly turn on the Cayenne and the person who bought it...especially when they start spending a lot of time at the dealer's service lounge. In one case, a former member (R.I.P.) actually lost his manhood over the Cayenne.

7. Your Esteemed Forum Moderator (I prefer the term Adult Day Care Provider), Sir Mudman2. Great guy, fair, level headed, lots of experience with Cayennes....everything I'm not.

8. We are fortunate enough to have 'Porsche52' on staff and on call. He is our Cayenne Trauma Surgeon, Grief Counselor and P!g Whisperer. If you have a serious concern (do I pull the plug on the Cayenne or leave it on life support, etc), HE is to Go To Guy.

9. Ignore everything I say. I never owned a Cayenne...I just stop into this forum from time to time for old time's sake...although most of the veterans of the alpha and beta years are slowly dying off.

Good luck and Welcome to Rennlist.

 

Lewis, your post should be a sticky on this forum. Do you know somebody who can make it a sticky?

 

well LTC may be a bit jaded, but for the most part he's correct. Early Cayenne ownership can be dubious at best. I've owned an early S for the last few months and it's been a lot of fun. Sure, I had to have the coolant pipes replaced(expensive but worth the peace of mind) and I will be replacing ignition coils in the very near future. BUT, it's so much fun to drive that it really makes the head aches worthwhile. I too was looking at an X5 and a Cayenne as they were both in the price range I had set for myselff. All I had to do was drive the Porsche and my mind was made up. If you can CPO is the way to go. Myself, I have a pretty good extended warranty that should cover most of the common/expensive problems. Unfortunately CPO is the only warranty i know of that will cover the coolant pipes and possibly the coils. Good luck! if you get the right one, one that's had the common problems repaired, it should be very reliable IMO. and **** loads of fun to drive :d

 

Good list, Lewis. Model year is the most important. Go for '06 or later.

We've had 3 ML's (wife's) and an X5 8 cyl (mine). They don't hold a candle to the Caynenne S in terms of performance/joy to drive.

I have 100K on my '06 S and it's been virtually trouble free. I am meticulous about maintance-- service every 10K even though manual says 20K, etc. I wouldn't hesitate to get another.

 

Your esteemed forum Moderator, Mudman2, can promote any post to 'Sticky' status.

It would be exceptionally foolish for anyone to give me that kind of power...I'm definitely not the responsible type.

 

Questionable...I'm running at 18.75% of ownership time at dealer. Actually, I forgot what my P!g looks like. Yesterday someone asked me what color my interior was and I couldn't remember...

 

Please note that I did say "a BIT safer"...

I never owned a Cayenne, remember?
I still do think back to Larry's (R.I.P ) fond stories of his Cayenne ownership experience...no matter how many times I hear the Maglite and racer's tape story, I still break down

But I digress...Cayennes have actually developed a very keen 'homing instinct'...their ability to return to the Porsche dealer's service center, from anywhere, is surpassed ONLY by the Monarch butterfly.

Truly amazing.

 

I think that owning a beta Cayenne that is out of warranty, with the original plastic coolant pipes, builds character.

But worse than a 928? Wow... ouch...

 

Let me know if this is worse than a range rover, that thing had door handles breaking, wipers stop working, gasket seals below the block leaking, exhaust headers cracking, constant air suspension problems, heater core $2 o rings leaking which required removing the whole dash to get to, window motors burning out.

And that was a 4 year old car out of warranty.

 

Silver Spring?!

I used to go to high school there. Haven't been back for a long time.

Cruise the forum and get to know the regular issues. There are some things that go wrong with just about every cayenne (like the coolant tubes). Buy one with some warranty left or make sure the previous owner addressed these issues already.

At the end of the day, there is no other SUV on the planet that will give you the same experience driving as a Cayenne S or Turbo.