New here. I'm working up an order for a Cayenne (V-6). I'm curious about the view of those who own the car about the suspension options. Particularly curious why PASM and Torque Vectoring are worth it? I've read some of the comments here, but most of what I see is "get it" or "worth it" which is nice but can someone say why (or why not)?

I've only driven the Cayenne S (dealer has no V-6 cars). I liked the standard suspension, though it had a bit more understeer than I'd view as ideal. I think my main question about PASM is whether "normal" feels about like the standard suspension. On a 911, I often feel that normal loses some compliance vs. the base suspension. I know the Cayenne has a comfort mode too, which the 911 doesn't so maybe that would work around town?

Does Torque Vectoring help at less than 9/10ths speeds?

Then there's the air suspension? I can't see that it helps much, but a lot of people seem to love it. Why? I will tow with the Cayenne, but my trailer is for karts, and so weight is under 2000 lb.

And PDCC? I'm not trying to make the Cayenne into a sports car exactly since that just can't happen. But maybe PDCC is magic in some other way. I'm worried that it will make the car dead. I don't want another M5.

Of course, I'm cheap or I'd probably get the CS. So I'm trying to skip anything I won't massively regret. Thanks.

 

Welcome to RL. The best set up IMO is the PASM with air-suspension, PTV and PDCC in that order of most to least important. With that set up everyone says that the Cayenne stays miraculously flat when you turn-in and inspires confidence instead of panic. In corrners it reacts cleanly and allows you to really feel and subtly exploit all that the PORSCHE badge has to offer. It truly defies your expectations of what over two tons SUV should be able to do and is genuinely fun.

Your comment: " I'm not trying to make the Cayenne into a sports car exactly since that just can't happen" ...

My remark: With the above set up you truly can make it into a sports car. If you do not want to make it into one or if a some amount of bodyroll or less than sublime steering response does not bother you then just get PASM and you will be fine. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to drive fast like a madman to take advantage of the benefits that PTV and PDCC has to offer.

I DO KNOW THAT PEOPLE WILL NAIL ME FOR THIS FINAL COMMENT BUT I WILL STILL MAKE THE COMMENT: Anything less than the full set up will be a compromise of some sort from the true PORSCHENESS of the cayenne.

 

If you haven't seen this video yet click on the link below, enter the Cinema, and view "To The Point" about the Cayenne. It's a 30 minute film that gives good descriptions of how AS, PASM, PTV, and PDCC work and their benefits plus a bunch of other stuff.

I ordered all of the above on my arriving-someday CS. I like the idea of being able to tailor the ride to the circumstances via PASM. My Carrera has just the 2 mode PASM so this should be even more flexible. Everything I've read about PDCC and PTV is that they make the car feel 1000 pounds lighter with a nimble feel that is amazing for an SUV. You don't need to drive 9/10 to appreciate the benefit. Of the 4 options AS is one I might have passed on as I don't offroad and plan to do minimal towing, but it was part of the package I wanted and was required for PDCC. A good excuse to get it!

Don't know if this helps much, but at least the video is pretty cool if you haven't seen it.

Porsche Web Cinema

 

+1 for Mike's post. On the air-suspension: Everyone say that it is a huge upgrade over the standard suspension irrespective of whether you off-road or tow. One problem...everything adds to more $$$$ and more than likely for every performance upgrade you are looking at a higher maintenance cost down the road after several years (and if you don't plan to keep it for long you are looking at taking atleast a partial hit at the time of resale for all the extra $$ that you sink in now).

 

No doubt w00tPorsche. I tried to make it sound like I was being rational and didn't really need AS but had to get it because it was part of a package. Truth is, I wanted it and I agree with you that all 4 suspension/handling options together are optimum.

To the OP, performance goodies are the highest priority AFAIK. I'd rather have something like PASM or PTV than one of the more comfort oriented options if I have to choose. If you can do both, all the better, but I understand that sticking to a budget is important too.

 

If you add all the performance options and even 50% of the frills/comfort options you will be above the base price of the higher model in the Cayenne line up. My fully loaded CS is 5K more than CTT. 50% of the options I ordered on my CS (like ACC, AS, 18-way seats etc) was built into the base CTT price but I still could not justify a 20K delta in price for a fully loaded CS vs CTT to go for the CTT. Resale was not important to me, if it was then CTT would have been the way to go for me.

 

I'm sure that's true. OTOH, I ordered all the handling goodies in addition to premium plus, full leather, 20" RS wheels, trailer package, rear air bags and Bose (not exactly a stripped vehicle) and came in at $14K under the cost of the CTT, before discount. The difference, I guess, is I skipped stuff like Burmester, natural leather, adaptive cruise, roof rails, extra trim bits, etc. Very nice items, but not at all necessary to my getting a vehicle that I would be totally satisfied with. There's nothing that I regret not ordering.

And that's the bottom line. My advice to the OP is whatever decisions you make on options, make sure you don't leave off something that you will truly regret not having just because of price. It would be a shame to spend this much on a car and not get the stuff that you really want. Whenever I've done that, I end up selling early, and costing myself more in the long run. Just my $.02.

 

Mike in CA: " I skipped stuff like Burmester, natural leather, adaptive cruise, roof rails etc"
w00t: I added all that so no wonder mine cost more than the base CTT.
Mike in CA: "There's nothing that I regret not ordering".
w00t: Fantastic, that should be everyone's goal as you say, it would be a shame to spend this much on a car and not get the stuff that you really want.
Mike in CA: "Whenever I've done that, I end up selling early, and costing myself more in the long run. Just my $.02"
w00t: How right you are. Afterall it is just money we lose during the process of getting what we want and not compromising in a custom order.... hopefully we can all earn it.

 

To answer the question if AS is worth it or not, this is my response. My research leads me to believe that the air-suspension does make a noticeable difference. With the AS, one can cater the ride to the road. Many Cayenne owners permanently leave the AS setting on Low Level 1. This in addition to the aesthetic appeal, tends to reduce the natural tendency of all SUVs to understeer in tight corners during spirited driving. "They" say that one definitely feels the weight of the SUV more at the normal height partly due to the heightened centre of gravity.

For example: On smooth roads the Low level 1 setting of the adaptive suspension and the sport mode on the PASM would give it a sports car like handling. On bad roads: Normal height and comfort mode would give your PORSCHE. So in addition to The other major benefit of the air suspension for those who off road or tow (ie height adjustement) the AS WILL kick in and lower at high speeds to help with handling.

Disclaimer: I have never driven a Cayenne with PDCC, PTV, PDCC or AS. (Come Jan 2011 that disclaimer will no longer be valid )

 

Thanks guys. Based on this, I'm sold on AS + PASM. Of course I can imagine I'd like PTV and PDCC, but it would be nice to hear from someone who has driven a car with and without those. Problem may be that all of it is worth it once you've tried it. I'm having that struggle with the V-8. But with my budget, the V-8 knocks out all the suspension stuff and that doesn't seem like a good tradeoff.

 

i just wish the options were more in line with carrera options, navi should be 2k and not almost 4k, sunroof should be standard on all so that pana roof is 600 on all..... the leather interior should have more options for color like carrera, etc.. then again the cayenne's are made in a diff factory so i guess costs change... would kill for an all blue interior like offered on boxter/cayman/carrera... surely dont want half black tho.

 

OTOH, the Cayenne has more package options while most everythng on the Carrera is ala carte. Judicious use of the packages can make getting Cayenne options more cost effective than ordering similar items on the Carrera.

I definitely agree with you on the color choices for exterior and interior. The 911 has a better selection.

 

Frankly, Porsche's option choices, even on the Cayenne, are pretty amazing. I do think a) the pricing is a bit aggressive (when $30k of options is easy to add to a $46k car, that's aggressive) and b) some of the stuff you pay a lot for is standard on a Hyundai, which looks opportunistic and ticks people off a bit (XM, keyless start, a sunroof, rear air bags, automatic, adjustable lumbar and nav shouldn't ALL be options). Still, Porsche offers choices that others only dream about.

I would have an easier time buying into the package idea if there were a performance package. This is a Porsche after all. PDCC, PTV, AS and PASM cost $9k individually. Pricing that group at $7k would ease the pain. Or pricing that group plus a decent looking wheel would be really good. $12k in options for $10k wouldn't exactly kill PCNA and might even help because take rate on these options would rise.

 

+1

Interestingly, a Sport Package is offered on the CTT but not any of the other Cayennes. It includes PDCC, PTV, and the Sport wheel with paddles for $3500 which is cheaper than PDCC alone ($3510) on the other models. You basically get PTV for free. The Turbo has the prerequisite PASM/AS as standard, unlike the Cayenne or S, but if you are getting the PASM/AS option on those cars the Sport Package should be made available too. Curious.

 

Im in the same boat. Was all set on pasm and ptv but not it seems like AS w/ pasm is the way to go for a similar price. Would to hear from someone with wheel time how much better ptv would make it for daily driving. Pdcc is def out of my price range!