Trip Report and 2,500 mile update (longish)
05-03-2003, 12:17 PM
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Trip Report and 2,500 mile update (longish)
Last weekend we drove the Cayenne to Tampa from Charleston, SC - about a 400 mile trip each way. The C was loaded up with my wife, our 1-yr old son (car seat mounted in the middle of the back seat). We folded the driver side back seat flat so that our 2.5 yr old Golden Retriever could stretch out and see us during the trip. I used bungee cords to secure our luggage and baby gear in the passenger side of the cargo area.
We got just over 15 mpg averaging 80 mph (according to the trip computer). We did notice that, when I made a conscious effort to drive conservatively, we got about 18 mpg. Each way, we almost made it on a single tank of gas, but not quite. The C is wonderfully stable at highway speeds, if not quite as confidence inspiring as my 996 C2 was. The suspension, which some feel is overly firm for daily driving around town, was well suited to most of I-95. We travelled at night (leaving at 7-8pm) and my son slept through the majority of the drive.
Cargo space was a little tight because we took the dog (not out original plan). When our second baby comes late this summer, I'll definitely be looking into roof- or hitch-mounted cargo carriers. I still prefer having a somewhat smaller vehicle and adding cargo capacity only when I need it rather than having a larger vehicle and wasting the excess capacity most of the time.
Because we travelled at night, we didn't get a lot of attention on the road. This was probably a good thing as we get a lot of looks and waves around town. There was one X5 (a 4.4 I think) that followed me through the better part of our leg in Florida. I never did get a look at the driver as we exited a ways before we reached the down town area.
Most of I-95 through Georgia was under construction. There wasn't any work going on when we went through, but there was a dense cluster of speed traps. A string of 4 patrol cars spread out with maybe 5 miles in between them. There was no instant-on and my V1 worked very, very well.
On a very long, straight, flat stetch of I-10 in north Florida, I opened the C up a bit. I took it up to 110 (about as fast as I car to go with my wife and child in the car) for just a few minutes. There was absolutely no drama. The C would be happy to travel at those speeds for as long as you'd like.
Those monster windshield wipers did a better-than-average job of getting the bug splatter off. I did, of course, need to give the front end and mirror housings a good scrubbing at the end of each leg for the sake of the paint. The driver's seat was tremendously comfortable. I drove the entirety of each trip and never got the least bit uncomfortable. My wife was delighted to discover that the passenger seat reclined all the way back to a flat position and she was able to get a fair amount of sleep.
The bi-xenons were really helpful on those long dark stretches of empty highway. If you haven't bought your Cayenne S yet, I'd strongly recommend that option. The 3-blink turn signals really came in handy on the highway as well.
Overall, the Cayenne is a great vehicle for longer trips. Plenty of room, plenty of passing power, and oodles of comfort.
We got just over 15 mpg averaging 80 mph (according to the trip computer). We did notice that, when I made a conscious effort to drive conservatively, we got about 18 mpg. Each way, we almost made it on a single tank of gas, but not quite. The C is wonderfully stable at highway speeds, if not quite as confidence inspiring as my 996 C2 was. The suspension, which some feel is overly firm for daily driving around town, was well suited to most of I-95. We travelled at night (leaving at 7-8pm) and my son slept through the majority of the drive.
Cargo space was a little tight because we took the dog (not out original plan). When our second baby comes late this summer, I'll definitely be looking into roof- or hitch-mounted cargo carriers. I still prefer having a somewhat smaller vehicle and adding cargo capacity only when I need it rather than having a larger vehicle and wasting the excess capacity most of the time.
Because we travelled at night, we didn't get a lot of attention on the road. This was probably a good thing as we get a lot of looks and waves around town. There was one X5 (a 4.4 I think) that followed me through the better part of our leg in Florida. I never did get a look at the driver as we exited a ways before we reached the down town area.
Most of I-95 through Georgia was under construction. There wasn't any work going on when we went through, but there was a dense cluster of speed traps. A string of 4 patrol cars spread out with maybe 5 miles in between them. There was no instant-on and my V1 worked very, very well.
On a very long, straight, flat stetch of I-10 in north Florida, I opened the C up a bit. I took it up to 110 (about as fast as I car to go with my wife and child in the car) for just a few minutes. There was absolutely no drama. The C would be happy to travel at those speeds for as long as you'd like.
Those monster windshield wipers did a better-than-average job of getting the bug splatter off. I did, of course, need to give the front end and mirror housings a good scrubbing at the end of each leg for the sake of the paint. The driver's seat was tremendously comfortable. I drove the entirety of each trip and never got the least bit uncomfortable. My wife was delighted to discover that the passenger seat reclined all the way back to a flat position and she was able to get a fair amount of sleep.
The bi-xenons were really helpful on those long dark stretches of empty highway. If you haven't bought your Cayenne S yet, I'd strongly recommend that option. The 3-blink turn signals really came in handy on the highway as well.
Overall, the Cayenne is a great vehicle for longer trips. Plenty of room, plenty of passing power, and oodles of comfort.
05-03-2003, 01:48 PM
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Hey Jim..!
Nice write-up..!!! But - you know I just "haft'a ask" - any pics??! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> As well, if you don't mind, can I copy this post and put it into the new site as a "User Review"? Of course - this thread will remain here as well...
Jim - thanks again!!! Excellent Road report!!!
Nice write-up..!!! But - you know I just "haft'a ask" - any pics??! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> As well, if you don't mind, can I copy this post and put it into the new site as a "User Review"? Of course - this thread will remain here as well...
Jim - thanks again!!! Excellent Road report!!!
05-03-2003, 02:11 PM
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Great Post Jim!
I am so much looking forward to the trip to Isle of Palms, Wild Dunes now. The fiasco with the TT I ordered is still out there but they have found a similarly equipped TT that I should take delivery of next week!
How many times did you stop, food, restroom breaks? We will probably have to stop multiple times on the 904 mile one way journey.
How has the cornering light feature worked out in your opinion? Is it noticeable?
I am so much looking forward to the trip to Isle of Palms, Wild Dunes now. The fiasco with the TT I ordered is still out there but they have found a similarly equipped TT that I should take delivery of next week!
How many times did you stop, food, restroom breaks? We will probably have to stop multiple times on the 904 mile one way journey.
How has the cornering light feature worked out in your opinion? Is it noticeable?
05-03-2003, 03:36 PM
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John, don't really have any Cayenne pics from the trip. I'm sure you've seen the ones linked to in my sig. You can certainly publish the content wherever you like. I would only ask that it remains attributed to me.
Dawktah, glad to hear you're getting a TT soon. Despite my wife being 6 months pregnant, we actually made very few stops. Leaving after dinner, we didn't take any food breaks. And we combined fuel/restroom breaks to reduce the odds of waking up our little one.
My wife loves the cornering light feature. It's better suited to city/suburban driving at night than highway lane changes. It does make a difference when you're turning onto an unfamiliar street.
Dawktah, glad to hear you're getting a TT soon. Despite my wife being 6 months pregnant, we actually made very few stops. Leaving after dinner, we didn't take any food breaks. And we combined fuel/restroom breaks to reduce the odds of waking up our little one.
My wife loves the cornering light feature. It's better suited to city/suburban driving at night than highway lane changes. It does make a difference when you're turning onto an unfamiliar street.
05-03-2003, 06:47 PM
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If you happen to see anyone in a Ti TT the last days of May and first days of June it will be me! I need to be at the range hitting golf ***** so I don't look like Gerald Ford!
05-04-2003, 07:44 PM
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Hey Jim - excellent post!
I noticed that you have a second baby on the way and sold your Carrera. I have a couple of kids and a '97 993 Targa. I love the Cayenne and can definitely use the extra room BUT I really like my Targa. I will most likely be purchasing a Cayenne in the next day or two and selling the Targa. I am curious to know if I am not the only family man considering trading in a Carrera for the Cayenne?
Thanks,
Frank
I noticed that you have a second baby on the way and sold your Carrera. I have a couple of kids and a '97 993 Targa. I love the Cayenne and can definitely use the extra room BUT I really like my Targa. I will most likely be purchasing a Cayenne in the next day or two and selling the Targa. I am curious to know if I am not the only family man considering trading in a Carrera for the Cayenne?
Thanks,
Frank
05-04-2003, 08:09 PM
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Frank - PMFJI, but as a family man needing extra space for two kids already owning a Porsche and facing the need to trade it for something more practical, you are exactly the target market that Porsche is aiming the Cayenne at - I very much suspect you are not alone.....
The company will be hoping that in a few years time after the children have grown up, you'll be back in line for a 997 having never left the marque....
The company will be hoping that in a few years time after the children have grown up, you'll be back in line for a 997 having never left the marque....
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05-04-2003, 09:54 PM
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Dawktah, hope you have fun at Wild Dunes. Maybe we could grab lunch at the Marina while you're in town. I haven't had the privilege of riding in a C-TT. Let me know if your schedule allows, and I'll send you our contact info.
luxuryguru - I think the scenario of trading a Carerra in for a Cayenne will be oft repeated by our particular demographic. I imagine we represent a signficant portion of the 12K vehicles Porsche hopes to sell in the U.S. during its first year.
I miss my C2 terribly. The only mitigating factor is that I'm working out of my home at the moment, so I'm doing very little driving. I'm planning to lease some commercial space early next year and I'm debating between picking up an Audi RS6 (have a deposit on one schedule for early next year) or another C2. The RS6 would certainly be more practical, but I think we could get away with just using the Cayenne for that. Still, I consider myself absurdly fortunate to be facing such a dilemma.
luxuryguru - I think the scenario of trading a Carerra in for a Cayenne will be oft repeated by our particular demographic. I imagine we represent a signficant portion of the 12K vehicles Porsche hopes to sell in the U.S. during its first year.
I miss my C2 terribly. The only mitigating factor is that I'm working out of my home at the moment, so I'm doing very little driving. I'm planning to lease some commercial space early next year and I'm debating between picking up an Audi RS6 (have a deposit on one schedule for early next year) or another C2. The RS6 would certainly be more practical, but I think we could get away with just using the Cayenne for that. Still, I consider myself absurdly fortunate to be facing such a dilemma.
05-10-2003, 05:06 PM
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I just pciked up my Pepper S. Absolutely awesome! I can not say enough about the car. Much more fun that I expected and extremely happy with the purchase. Thanks for the help and advise.
05-11-2003, 03:59 PM
#11
Thanks for the post on your trip.
I think you're already seeing it, but I'll reinforce the point that with "passengers" any SUV becomes cramped. Even mini-vans end up a jumble of bags and toys (for the babies and the adults) and once those babies turn two or three, they'll want their bike or their toy golf clubs, not just a colouring book and a soft toy...
I recommend the "packasport" roof box -- it's painted fibreglass so it's not the eyesore of the plastic Yakima/Thule boxes, it's light even in the largest size that, on my car, is almost the same area as the entire roof of the Tahoe and yet doesn't effect fuel consumption. The only real downside is the extra height if you want to go into a small parking garage. I'm building a second garage and will make sure the doors are tall enough for any configuration -- even a bike standing on the roof racks.
Just my experience, but bike racks off the back of the car (on the car or on the tow bar) are a pain in the petunias. At least, the way we work, whenever we stop, we want to let the dogs out and pull out a toy or whatever, so having something blocking the rear door is a bad compromise. Then again, the Cayenne has to carry a full size spare on a rear swing arm (if anywhere) and that might be the ideal solution for carrying the bikes -- there's a bike carrier that bolts onto the spare carrier at the studs.
By the way, I've travelled by renting all manner of SUV -- even a Suburban ends up loaded to the roof if you don't use a roof box.
I think you're already seeing it, but I'll reinforce the point that with "passengers" any SUV becomes cramped. Even mini-vans end up a jumble of bags and toys (for the babies and the adults) and once those babies turn two or three, they'll want their bike or their toy golf clubs, not just a colouring book and a soft toy...
I recommend the "packasport" roof box -- it's painted fibreglass so it's not the eyesore of the plastic Yakima/Thule boxes, it's light even in the largest size that, on my car, is almost the same area as the entire roof of the Tahoe and yet doesn't effect fuel consumption. The only real downside is the extra height if you want to go into a small parking garage. I'm building a second garage and will make sure the doors are tall enough for any configuration -- even a bike standing on the roof racks.
Just my experience, but bike racks off the back of the car (on the car or on the tow bar) are a pain in the petunias. At least, the way we work, whenever we stop, we want to let the dogs out and pull out a toy or whatever, so having something blocking the rear door is a bad compromise. Then again, the Cayenne has to carry a full size spare on a rear swing arm (if anywhere) and that might be the ideal solution for carrying the bikes -- there's a bike carrier that bolts onto the spare carrier at the studs.
By the way, I've travelled by renting all manner of SUV -- even a Suburban ends up loaded to the roof if you don't use a roof box.