GTS 6 spd

Deliberate 1 - sorry, no experience w/ the PDCC. But if you're in a stock S4 then the GTS will be an upgrade i nhandling. I've read two schools of thought o nthe PDCC - must have for handling vs. one less thing to go wrong, especially if you go off road. The off road issue is the decoupling or deactivation of the PDCC that occurs at low speeds when off road - I beleive it was below 7 mph. I'm pressty impressed with the GTS and the air suspension so if you were happy w/ stock S4 handling, you'll be happy w/ a non PDCC GTS.

However you've almost made the right decision, find a manual tranny GTS!! Of ocurse I'm biased but I've never benn in an auto tranny that did exactly what I want when I want. I've been driving a manual for 24 of my 30 years of driving and I would not even think of getting an auto/ DSG/ PDK even though I live in the SF area and our bridges frequently have jams.

Also, as for the "premium" for a manual - I completely disagree w/ your Porsche salesman. when I was looking the ads all said "rare" 6 spd, but all that means is that there is a limited amrket for them which is in your favor, they tend to sit because not many women would be willing to drive a manual SUV - except my wife, yet another reason to love her. FWIW, I got my 08 GTS w/ 18K and 6 spd this summer for $48K. It had limited options yet somehow th esticker was $87K - GTS Red - gorgeous!, carbon trim - nice but not worht $3K, PCM nav, bixenon lights - very worth it, and bose surround - sounds good to me, sunroof and a few others I forget.

Do a search on autotrader or cars.com for a manual and I think you'll have some negotiating leverage w/ your salesman no matter which way you go.

Deliberate1

Mcb, I too was wondering if either your GTS or Turbo had pdcc?
Can you elabortate on your fondness for the GTS?
Thanks
David

Deliberate1

You got a nice deal. I have see a few manuals - mostly red ones. What's up with that? Though did see a white one.
You like the red? It is awful hard to get a sense of the color from rather crappy inventory pictures.
David

GTS 6 spd

GTS red is a deep red and a very surprising color in that it is noticable but it does not stand out. It's not a brassy red like most reds you see, yet it's not muted to the point of being a burgundy. I was leary of getting it - my wife was all for it as she loves red vehicles, because I thought it might be too much in a high profile SUV, but that's not the case at all. The color has a depth that you have to see in person to appreciate.

Do not let GTS red scare you off.

Nordic oranage(?) on the other hand.....

EnigmaWmn

^^^

+1

That red looks great in person.

yeldogt

I'm a bit confused ...... The experience going from driving a sport sedan and then going to an SUV is so different .......... I understand why people like SUV's and so we have a discussion of the Cayenne. I'm not getting the relevance.

The GTS set up with the manual is a completely different experience than driving the automatic version -- and the turbo can't be described without driving it.

They all have a different appeal and it depends on how you drive them. I have owned two 911's turbos and I like my original automatic hands down over the my manual - but if I was going to get a C2 it would be a stick.

The only down side of a CPO turbo is the fuel use -- if you are OK with that --- I don't see how you can go wrong waiting for low mile over the top optioned 06 turbo at todays prices.

mcbit

My GTS is a 09 in GTS Red with tiptronic s, air-suspension an no PDCC. PDCC did not arrive until the 957 so my Turbo also has no PDCC and is on 19" rims. On winding roads the difference is marked with the GTS making easier and quicker progress. A colleague has a 06 turbo with 20" rims and I find no difference in handling between his and mine.

Early last year I looked at replacing the GTS with an 08 Turbo with PDCC, 20" rims and 15k less km. which would have involved a net outlay of around $6k. If the handling had been as good as the GTS i would have bought it but it wasn't.

Mine is GTS red and I love the colour, I also prefer the looks of the body kit but ultimately the looks take second place to the performance.

Below, an extract from Jeremy Clarkson's review of the GTS, I agree with the first comment, and so do almost all of the reviews on the GTS which I have read. And that from a man who hates Cayennes.

Quote:

I’m afraid, however, that while I respect the engineering of the GTS – it’s by far the best of the Cayennes – and I loved driving it, I could never actually buy one because of the way it looks. This really is a car that drowned in Lake Ugly. And to make it even worse, my test car was finished in exactly the same colour as a diseased placenta.

Deliberate1

Aw, c'mon Jeremy. Tell us what you really think....

Really appreciate your feedback. The fact that you have both cars is most helpful. I have narrowed down my choice to two cars - both 2008. Both have PDCC. One is a GTS with manual and the other is a Turbo. The CTT is CPO and would likely end up being $5-7k more. I am inclined to go with the GTS just for the stick, and just set the added money aside for inevitable repairs.

Could you share your experience with fuel consumption between your two cars? Some have suggested that the Turbo can get better mileage because of the on-demand nature of the engine, while the GTS V8 is always "on." I know that the manual may get less because of the low top end gearing.
And your experience of reliability of one over the other
Thinking that PDCC would put the Turbo you tried on par with the GTS, I was very surprised to hear you still preferred your non-PDCC GTS to the Turbo. Steel springs? Body geometry? What makes the non-PDCC GTS more fun for you than a Turbo PDCC?
Again, much obliged.
David

Dilberto

I came from a 2002 Audi allroad quattro, with the "greedy" 2.7TT V6. My 2005 Cayenne S is heaven, in comparison to the maintenance-***** 2.7T Audi. Despite all the performance superlatives the allroad has...the heavy service intervals, problematic air suspension and overall parts/labor costs negate those positives enough to ditch the Audi at 198k - which I spent TWICE it's purchase cost in only four years' of ownership.

My AAA roadside membership allows four free tows per year. In the four years I have owned the Audi - I have maxed-out my free tows consecutively, each year. Buh-bye...

The Audi that melted my wallet:


The Porsche that restored my lost savings:

mick968

We had (actually still have) 2002 Audi All-Road(same exact color but different wheels) and now have black Cayenne Turbo.Always thought the All-Road was unique or rare(don't see many of them in midwest),cool vehicle that was extremely usefull out in the mountains(Colorado).I thought it had great performance as well(until we got the CTT).Holy smokes.What a difference a couple of hundred horsepower makes!Now when I drive the Audi it's like almost pedestrian.I have a Audi TT that is my DD and a modified Landrover D1 (off road toy) but the Cayenne is thrill time.Love it.


couple of Pics-one of the fleet and one of the Pig(forgot about the golf cart)(only one that is not all wheel drive)

williamr91

Had a b5 S4...tip but VAST tuned (went under) a very nice $$$ Fast Intentions exhaust and some other go fast bits, it was a blast. I still miss it every once in a while. Just because the Cayenne is too big for me (looking for a 986 Boxster S or 996 c4s or tt to add to the daily use fleet, obviously different price ranges) anyways going directly from the S4 and my 2.7t allroad to a Cayenne S (sold s4 6 months prior to get my current 951, but the allroad had the same go fast stuff) was not a great pick. I got the CS for a price reason, wished almost every day I had a CTT (perhaps it was the terrible pano roof too) it was just too different going from three boosted cars to a n/a v8.

The CTT does everything so much better than the CS. I think it makes more sense for someone who loves boost, but don't get me wrong I'd take a GTS any day, they look great. To maintain the CTT, well it is a Porsche so in my area most parts need to be ordered, but are not too much more than the audis, but they are built much better, IMO. I think the change will be good for you from a b5 s4 to a GTS.