lawjdc

I certainly agree that better handling on the road means more fun and more safety. That's why we own Porsches!

f4 plt

Had an '08GTS and now have a '11 "S" and both my wife and I like the "S" better. The"S" handles very well, the 19" wheels and tires take the road issues better and the tires wear longer and are cheaper to replace. Got 18K on the rears of the GTS and have over 27K on the "S" rears with lots left and I tow a a trailer often. As one poster says the power seats in the "S" are easier for my wife to get in sand out of than the GTS seats and in the GTS you can semi comfortably only have two people in the rear. PASM in the "S" provides a nice taught suspension that makes handling enjoyable. I had Air Suspension on the GTS and did not get it on the "S" and don't miss it. Full leather is an option on either and something I would highly recommend. The Cayenne in any form will handle much better than most would expect. I have had my "S" on the track and it is quick as long as you understand that in any form it is a high center of gravity vehicle. One of our region member at the last track day had his Hybred Cayenne out and caused lots of eyes to ope nat our Porsche only event ... he was not the slowest by a long shot.

As others have said, drive both and then decide which best fills the majority of your AND your wife's needs and desires. You will not be disappointed with any Cayenne in the garage.

f4 plt

One last thing, no matter which Cayenne you chose do include the trailer towing package and hitch in your options even if you don't tow. Having that on our GTS saved us when a kid in a suburban decided that texting was his thing as he plowed into the rear of our GTS ding about 30 mph while we were stopped at a light. By the way no glass was broken in our GTS and all doors including the rear hatch still worked and we were able to drive it the 50 plus miles to the dealer. The suburban was totaled. Yea Cayenne and thank you Porsche.

Andy E.

The GTS is a great car in all respects except for the front seating. The sport seats are extremely uncomfortable on long trips and this generally applies to anyone who weighs anywhere from 100-250 lbs. The side bolsters wreak havoc on your kidneys....

kgclark

Wish they would offer option packages on the GTS like the other models. Ordering individual options gets pretty spendy very quickly. At a minimum, it should come standard with PCM.

It's pretty hard to justify the GTS when, comparably equipped, it ends up costing more than an X5m or X6m with 555 hp.

4forme

Porsche option pricing is ridiculous. However with that said my ideal GTS specs create a $100k MSRP which is identical to a X5M. I had an X5M. Loved the looks and power, but hated the turbo lag (despite what all the BMW marketing says, yes there is turbo lag), sound and NAV was awful. Plus the resale on the X5M is terrible and will only get worse as BMW launches the next X5 this fall.

Galion

I had a 11' S and traded it for 13' GTS, I was blown away after my first test drive, the sound was intoxicating and I loved the sportier look with all the cosmetic options included in the price.
After a couple of months, my honeymoon is over, I find the ride to be very harsh even in comfort mode, I honestly cant tell that much of a difference between PASM modes, it sounds fantastic from the outside but the interior sound symposer gimmick is getting on my nerves and it cant seat my three boys comfortably in the back, none wants to seat in the middle.
Maybe the US/Canada- spec is less stiffer than the Euro version due to its marginally higher ride height as standard, my "S" was definetely a much more comfortable but very controlled ride.
I am kind of dissapointed with my GTS as a DD, I already have a 911 so no need for an SUV with sport manners, I am letting this go and get me an S or diesel with the GTS appearance SportDesign Package as a must option, I'll just wait until the facelift is due.

Manifold

Sorry to hear that. I just got my GTS, and am hoping not to repeat your experience.

On the ride harshness issue, a big factor is the roads driven on. My local roads aren't too bad, so the ride quality in sport mode is fine for me. But I can see how the ride quality might not cut it in any of the modes if typically driving on bad roads.

GTS 6 spd

Disagree on the comfort of the seats over a long trip. Every summer we drive a 1000 miels to Colorado from California, and the last years we've added an excursion to Idaho for river rafting. The first time I made the trip in hte GTS I never felt so refreshed after the trip. Granted the prior vehicle was an '01 Pathfinder, but the difference was astounding. And this past summer was no different - I felt great with no exceptional fatigue - other than from focusing on the radar detector from blasting along the back roads. I love the GTS!

Mike in CA

For grins, I just spec'd a '13 S equipped just like my '11 S which has A/S, PDCC, PTV, PASM, PSE, Premium Plus package, full leather, Bose, and a few other odds and ends. I also spec'd a GTS with the exact same equipment. Yes, it comes with some stuff standard that is extra on the S. But since the GTS is it's own package, you can't get Premium Plus which includes a number of goodies at a pretty decent price advantage over picking individual items.

The bottom line is that equipped similarly to my car, the GTS comes at a $8.7K premium over an S ($104,310 versus $95,560). I'm not saying the exclusive GTS body pieces, lowered ride height, and 20HP aren't worth the difference, but it's not really a bargain compared to the S. It just depends on what you want. FWIW, I couldn't be happier with my Cayenne.

kocsis

I am thinking of optioning the 14 way seats for the GTS. However, I am very concerned that the ride quality is harsher - on cr*ppy Massachusetts roads that is a problem. I am also concerned about the rear seats - are they different from the S seats? I'm pulling the trigger tomorrow, and will test drive both cars; however, I'm nervous that a 10 minute test drive in each won't reveal the tru character of the cars (Ive driven the S before, but not the GTS).

kocsis

Mike in CA - in my case, the difference is over $10k.

Mike in CA

kocsis, it obviously depends on specific options, but I certainly believe that the difference could easily be $10K+. BTW, with regard to the 14 way seats, I have them and they provide nice bolstering yet are very comfortable with easy access. I really like the adjustable thigh support, and with the Premium Plus on the S they came with ventilation which I never would have thought to get, but is great. Good luck with your test drive!

kocsis

I just drove the GTS again - awesome. The left and right rear seats have a bit more bolstering than the standard, but the rear middle seat is the same as in the other versions - hard and not much of a seat. The full leather and the contrasting Carmine color stitching is gorgeous - but costs $7,105 (GTS Interior Package and Cayenne Interior Package). Ridiculous. The ride is just as comfortable as the S, but more sports car like. I switched from S to GTS because I couldn't resist. Though spec'd out identically except for the GTS standard cosmetics the cost differential is $10k.

Chris from Cali

Mike, I'm sure your Cayenne is great. I wasn't really looking at it as a bargain, more of "Gee, I specced this base Cayenne to $82K - why not look at the GTS?" I tried to do a base Cayenne (or diesel Cayenne) in the mid-to-high $60Ks, but I couldn't hold back from the options. At that point, the GTS makes more sense for the money (even if it's not cheap).