Stirs

I currently own an '01 911 C4, '03 BMW X5 and and an '03 Cayenne "S". While the X5 3.0 is my wife's daily driver I do drive it frequently enough to make some comparisons. The Cayenne obviously has far more power than the X5, but does not downshift as quickly as the X5 without significant accelerator input -- hopefully they will correct this with a software upgrade in the future. From a quality of interior standpoint they are very similar (premium package on the X5 and dark burr wood package on the Cayenne). They are both solidly built but the Cayenne feels more stiff and responsive especially when it comes to steering. The X5 exhibits far more body roll than the Cayenne and is a bit more "bouncey". The price difference between the two is almost $15K but then again there has always been a Porcshe surcharge for wearing the badge =). I got the X5 for $1,500 over invoice and the Cayenne for $2,500 over invoice so markups were not an issue. From a fun to drive standpoint the Cayenne is the clear winner as you feel secure driving it in all conditions and at remakably fast speeds. The X5 is a better bargain but if bargains are what you are looking for wait for the Touareg. Neither one comes close to my C4 though . . .

Matt Vaughan

Saw an S at the dealer the other day. I can't say that I was impressed. I can't imagine the Turbo looks any better, just faster. My wife drives an X5 4.4, and I have to say I still think it's the THE best SUV out there. I know I will never own a Chili Pepper, and will most likely upgrade to an X5 4.6, given the opportunity.

Jim Lamb

Congrats, Stirs. I looked at a used X5 4.6 last year but was really underwhelmed. The cargo area in the X5 is pretty much useless. I couldn't even fit my dog in there. We test drove one of the first 4.4s in LA when they first came out (at Cutter in Santa Barbara) and the steering was so heavy my wife couldn't comfortably drive it. I like the looks of the X5, but that's about as far as it goes.

I have to agree with you when it comes to comparing the Cayenne to the 911. I traded my C2 for the Cayenne (2nd child on the way). Mostly I miss the manual 6-speed and the sheer agility of it.

beemaze

Jim,

Congrats on your Cayenne S purchase. I just visited your web page and like the pics. What color is your cayenne? In some pics it looks like the Titanium Metallic and in another, the Jarama Beige.

Would those be the 19" wheels? What kind of tires came with it? Porsche has been advertising the Michelin Diamaris as standard, but I've seen other brands.

I see yours came with the PCM navigation and Xenon headlights, did you have any other options?

I'm considering a purchase, but am stuck on whether or not I should get the Turbo or stick with the S which is quite adequate and add several options.I've driven both back to back and am still undecided!?

DJF1

Jim, it looks like you got a full leather dash from your pics. It certainly looks nice and how Porsche should have done it in the first place..
Enjoy your C!

Jim Lamb

beemaze: the exterior color is Jarama Beige. We didn't really care for any of the dark colors. The contrast with the aluminum trim was just to much. Someone posted earlier that Porsche should offer a piano black trim option and I'd have to agree. The aluminum trim seems to work well with the beige and silver colors, IMHO.

Ours does have the 19" wheels with Pirelli P-Zero reds. These are strictly fair weather street tires, though they do quite well in the rain. We'll likely put 18's on with all seasons for our trips to the mountains this winter.

Besides PCM and Xenons, ours came with "Entry & Drive," moonroof, variable assist power steering, trailer hitch, electric comfort package, heated front seats & steering wheel, and the beige smooth leather.

With regards to the Turbo vs. the S - I haven't driven the Turbo, so take my comments for what they're worth. For us, the C is our family vehicle, replacing a Honda Odyssey (which we still use occasionally as a hauler for trips to the beach, etc.). My wife is far happier driving it on a daily basis. And, I vastly prefer it to the other SUV alternatives we considered - primarily the GX 470. The main difference between the Turbo and S is the powerplant and the S has plenty of power for what we use it for. My wife doesn't even like when I stomp the gas on the S - which is rarely and more often by accident than not. You can easily option out an S so that it's essentially identical to a Turbo for far less money.

DJF1 - The C we first test drove had the "embossed leather" which we didn't care for at all. The smooth leather interior is much nicer IMHO. I would have opted for the supple leather seats if they had been available on a vehicle they had in stock (had them on my 911), but they weren't. We had been planning to wait for the Touareg, but my wife really liked the Cayenne, so I decided to strike while the iron was hot.

Stirs

My Cayenne is the Lapis Blue with stone/steel gray intrerior with PCM, heated seats/steering wheel, moonroof, dark burr wood package, park assist, trailer hitch, tire pressure monitoring, roof carrying system and trailer hitch. There is a significant contrast between the aluminum and lapis blue which takes some getting used to and I am still deciding whether to keep the roof carrying system on or off. I currently have them off.

Jim Lamb

Sounds nice. My 996 was midnight blue - always loved the darker blues. Mine didn't come with the roof carrying system. It's interesting that mine also came with something called "Launch correct" on the sticker. I can't find any mention of it in the brochures or any of the other Cayenne pricing information available on-line.