First Impressions: Hybrid
 

I traded in my 2008 CS yesterday for a hybrid. Silver/black with:
Premium Package, Bose, Turbo Wheels, Entry & Drive, Panorama Roof, Trailer Hitch, Light Comfort, Crests on Front Seats, Compass, Anthracite Birch Trim (incl steering wheel).

First, I will start off by saying that I had ZERO issues in the 18 months that I owned the CS. It was a great car and I liked almost everything about it. I installed Mobridge when I first purchased the car, giving me use of my bluetooth phone (through the radio) as well as ipod and aux inputs (for satellite). My only gripe with the car is what I perceive to be dismal gas mileage.

Contrary to popular opinion on these boards, I decided to plunge into the Hybrid. Most of my feedback is really not hybrid specific as I'm not sure I have driven the car enough to really assess how the hybrid drives vs. my old CS. However, in the 100 miles that I have driven the car so far, the hybrid drivetrain is fairly smooth and the power seems to be in the same ballpark with the older CS.

The interior is a significant upgrade from what I had - definitely a revolutionary upgrade for me. It makes the last generation seem very dated in comparison (although I didn't feel like it was dated when I was driving it). The new touchscreen interface is amazing and the new birdseye view on the NAV is pretty slick. Pairing my iphone was easy and my address book (as well as my call history) downloaded immediately. The USB interface also works seamlessly for playing music from my iphone.

I am happy to report that the nav interface rocks and even better, seems up to date. I live in a newer neighborhood and my address was found in the NAV (google maps just starting being able to map my address in summer 2010). The middle stack, while busy is very nice. I also dig the color display in the set of driver gauges.

I will reiterate the what other posters have said - upgrading to get PASM is a must. The drive is completely different vs. the traditional suspension and I see that as the most significant difference in driving vs. my old CS (it didn't have PASM). Overall, I thought that the 2008 CS drove like a very fast tank - the car felt heavy, but the sweet V8 allowed for some brisk driving. The 2011 feels more nimble - the Hybrid weighs about the same as the old CS, but the car feels a bit more athletic - not sure if it is faster, but definitely feels sharper.

I installed my snow wheels/tires that I used on my 2008 CS (18" turbo wheels) and they fit fine. I haven't driven the car yet to see that my TPMS doesn't work, but from everything I have read, I will need new transmitters.

The back seat definitely has more legroom than the older Cayenne, but it appears to also make the rear trunk space a bit smaller. The 14-way seats are more comfortable than the 12-way seats I had in the older car. The seat material even feels softer.

The biggest surprise for me was the anthracite birch trim - I didn't think I would like it, but I think it goes well with the black interior (not feminine at all) and adds a nice touch to make it unique vs. other Cayennes.

If you even think there is a remote possibility that you will tow something, get the tow package as this is definitely one of those items that is cheaper to option in vs. doing it afterward.

The compass looks nice, but is somewhat useless. The car had entry and drive (I did not order the car) and i'm not sold on it yet - not sure it is truly worth the $1000. The panorama roof is pretty cool - not sure how much I will have it open in the nice weather, but it gives the car a nice open feeling. Hard to say that it makes the car colder or less insulated yet...

The key is different - no more Audi-style flip key - the key is now shaped like a Panamera and has a hidden metal key within the fob (kind of like Saab keys).

My gripes: I miss the two side panel storage bins that I had on the trunk area - there is only one very small side storage compartment that will fit a pair a gloves. The storage bins under the front seats, while new, provide very little incremental storage. I miss having the two power outlets in the footwell on the passenger's side (although there is now an outlet in the center storage bin). Also, I miss the little change container that was right below the shifter - there is not an equivalent in the new car. The rear visibility is worse in the new car as the rear headrests block a lot of the view (and I think that the back window is smaller).

In talking to the saleman, he said that they can't keep the base and CS units in stock, but that the Hybrids are not moving as fast as they though they would. They also had a couple of turbos in stock, but I suspect that most people that purchase turbos build to order to get a truly custom car.

That's all for now. If anything else significant pops, I will reply with more.

Congratulations. Nice post. We need pictures please. I just drove a hybrid (their only Cayenne on the lot) this past weekend when I went to drop off my winter tire/wheels (BTW it is from a 2008 GTS) which will be mounted on my 2011 CS which comes in later this week. Rides very nicely but being used to Porsche brakes, I just cannot see myself coming to grips with the regenerative brake feel of the hybrid. Nothing wrong ... just feels different.

sounds nice. Wondering about how it feels to drive ... any notice of the switchover to battery power etc?

I do notice a difference. I don't think it is good or bad, just different. It is one of those things that need to be planned for (just like downshifting before a turn). Once you get it down, it is fine.

FWIW, the car did not switch to 'coasting' mode when i had the cruise control set at 80mph on the highway. I suspect that the speed was too high to use battery-only power to coast. I suspect that the speed needs to be lower to coast.

The engine shuts off consistently when I brake (virtually immediately) and when I come to a stop. I didn't notice too much switching besides that. In a way, I'm wondering if Porsche didn't take enough advantage of having an electric motor in the car because in higher-speed highway driving, it doesn't appear that it is used that much.

To stray a little from the hybrid, I had a 2008 GTS for 24,000 miles and 18 months until a young man hit us ( another story) been without a Cayenne for almost a year. My dealer let me borrow a 2011 CS last fall and both my wife and I fell in love with it. We have one on order and will be here in 45 days. I could echo all the good comments that have been posted about the new generation. I am a little concerned about the oil usage. Oh well. Today I dropped the Cayman off for service and was given a V6 Cayenne as a loaner. I live over 40 miles away so I have driven it in town and on the interstate. I am impressed with the V6. for my secondary purpose of towing the Cs is still what i want but the V6 is no dog. the removal of almost 500 lbs from the previous generation and the new 8 speed tip make quite a package. Problem though, like its big brothers the CS and the TT the car is so quiet on the highway that you can easily find yourself well above the speed limit. Outstanding quality, and much improved mileage over the last generation . For those of you that have ordered new Cayennes with the V6 you will not be unhappy.

The V6 is the smoothest of all engines currently in the Cayenne.

All previous Cayenne owners say that when they look in the rear.

Thanks for your detailed post. Your comments about the Entry/Drive are interesting, as you're the first I've read who has it, but doesn't rave positively about it. Please do post some pictures when you have a chance.

Great to hear, esp. coming from someone who previously drove a GTS- thanks for sharing.

pics!.. went to dealer myself today to look at em again cause im sick of waiting for mine..

the three things that bother me about the Hybrid are:
-No spare
-uses rear AC vents to cool batteries
-no Offroad settings.

i would love to hear why you chose the Hybrid over the V8, solely based on gas economy? (if so, do you feel the 4mpg extra in city and 1mpg extra on highway (Rating from Porsche) is worth the added money)?

btw the 11' needs new sensors for wheels, tirerack has em 496$... thats best i found besides the 20% off porsche WAS giving.

I'm very pleased to report that my 2011 Cayenne recognized the TPMS sensors that I was using on my 2008 CS! I know that Porsche changed frequencies from the earlier models, but it looks like they are using the same sensors from at least 2008 onward.

Wow I'm sure a few here would benefit from not having to buy another set of sensors (like I just did).

You can order it however it sits in the rear compartment along the side and uses up some crucial space. The one we had in stock had this option and it turned people off instantly... until yesterday when it finally sold.

Congrats on the new car. As far as getting the "sailing" to work on the highway, I've found that you have to be going down a reasonably good incline or at a much lower speed.

i just sold 2 sets when i sold my carrera, the 09 433mhz and the 08 433mhz, ordered new for well over 150$ more than i sold old for... damn porsche.

I just discovered a very annoying quirk about the car. It seems that many of the car’s settings (seats, display, radio presets, etc.) are tied to the key and memory seats. My frustration started when I would customize the first screen on the multimedia screen on the dash only to lose it the next time I came into the car. Similarly, I spent time adding radio and XM presets only to have them wiped out the next time I started the car.

After reading a post in another forum, I saw that others had this same issue. It is remedied by saving the settings by updating the memory settings (1 and/or 2) on the driver’s side door. In a way, it is a cool feature to be able to customize virtually every setting in the car, but it is somewhat annoying to have to remember to save the settings each time something changes.

On another note, my dash-mounted compass displays the wrong direction and I haven’t been able to figure out how to reset it. The compass readings on the map and on the CAR display on the PCM are correct, so they must not be connected to each other. I will post this question separately in the forum.