mooty

all cayenne prices drop like crazy. just drive the damn thing.
my 22 month V6 pepper had 65,000 miles when i traded it in.

speed21

Some a lot more than others. Out here where you're having to unload 200K + on a decent Cayenne (S or GTS) which historically could be worth 100k less the moment you drive it off the shop you tend to consider resale and the model you saddle yourself up with. The diesels out here definitely hold the prices vs the petrols going by the stats. The GTS and Turbo are historically the big bath machines....and i mean big big.

I do agree with one thing though, and that is drive it whenever and wherever you can. No one ever seems to pay you adequate compensation for saving it up for the next buyer. Low mileage cars may be easier to offload but not worth much more than higher mileage cars sub 80,000kms. Over that they all drop like stones.

kocsis

For all of you who already have the GTS: can you turn off the Symposer and still use the Sport button to get the more aggressive suspension, shifting, etc? I'm sure my passengers will not want to hear the exhaust sound (though I will when I'm driving alone), but I still would like to be able to have the sportier drive setup.

Manifold

The suspension setting is seperate from the Sport button. The Sport button turns on both the sport exhaust and more aggressive shifting, so those two have to be on or off together. If you want to be stealth, sport suspension setting with the Sport button off works well, and you still have the option of using the trans in manual mode with the paddles or stick. The symposer is the sound piped into the cabin, and I'm not sure whether that's controlled by the sport button.

kocsis

Thanks. I believe that the Symposer does turn on with the Sport button.

speed21

I hear these V8 S's have a big thirst for oil. Any feedback on the GTS 8...or is it in the same boat as the S ?

Mike in CA

My 2011 V8 S uses virtually no oil. In almost 2 years I've added less than 1/2 quart (outside of an oil change) in 8K miles. I've discussed the subject with the dealership service manager and his experience is that improper break-in is an issue with the V8's he's seen that use oil. I'm sure there are exceptions to that, but based on my experience, at least all V8's don't have a thirst for oil.

500

How did you do the break-in?

speed21

I hear you with the running in but it does appear there are quite a large number that use an inordinate amount of oil. Are you suggesting hard break in to aleviate that? Not a trick question but more so an insight on how you felt you achieved a good outcome for your car.

Btw, just as a separate question to an S V8 owner, if you had your time again, with both v8 variants available, which would you choose? Your optioned up S or the GTS?

Btw i have a standing order on a V8 diesel (well optioned) but drove a GTS today and am now unfortunately somewhat distracted/torn (dammit!!) over the look of the GTS car and the attractive package it represents. As well as GTS drives, I cant overlook the feeling it doesn't feel to have the ***** or seat of the pants shove the turbo V6 diesel has in regular driving situations.... Buying one of these cars is proving to be a confusing exercise in making a final decision i'm comfortable with sticking to. Sheesh. It's a toughy. Those GTS looks or that V6/V8 diesel seat of the pants power....sigh.. Decisions were never this difficult when choosing between a Carrera S or TT...sigh again.

kernelofwisdom

I've got a 2013 S. Did the first oil change at 10k miles (had planned to do it earlier but had too much travel going on). Now it has 12k miles. I haven't had to add oil at all. Just before the 10k oil change, it read just below the totally filled mark on the oil graphic, if I recall correctly.

Mike in CA

I did a "modified" manufacturer's suggested break-in. I religously kept the revs under the recommended 4200 for the first 500 miles using part throttle as much as humanly possible. From 500-1000 miles I'd get on it every so often, but still kept max revs to around 4500. From 1000-2000 miles I drove moderately but wasn't afraid to give it some throttle when required and gradually increased my rev limit to 6K. (There may have been a couple of runs to redline in there ). No lugging, full warm-ups, minimize short trips, vary revs on long ones; the usual stuff.

I wouldn't call that a "hard" break-in by any means as I know there are people who advocate nailing it out of the dealer's parking lot. I think what sometimes happens, though, is just the opposite; these SUV's get sold to owners who drive them as everyday grocery haulers and don't run them the way a high performance engine is designed to be run. The service manager at my dealer told a story about a woman who brought her V8 in several times complaining of excessive oil consumption. He suspected incomplete break-in, and finally she left the car at the dealer and let the SM drive it for a week. He put some vigorous miles on the car and returned it to her. She's had no issues since.

OK, so that's just one anecdote, and I'm sure there are people out there with V8's that have been run in properly and still experience high oil useage. It's also true, however, that it's not unusual for people to be more vocal in forums and elsewhere when they have complaints, than when they don't, so the reports we read of V8 oil consumption may not be representative. I have nothing to back up my opinion except my own experience. Maybe I was just lucky. I just know my V8 doesn't use oil and people are free to make of that what they will.

speed21

I'd agree these engines need to be driven. Nothing wrong with applying a bit more than what the book recommends as mileage increases. Odd though how so many of these engines are reportedly using excessive oil. It's hard to attribute it all on too easy or too hard a break in as there are many factors involved with these types of consumption issues. Good to hear that not all of them are chewing it though.

And on my other question? No comments?

Mike in CA

Sorry, missed that the first time. You asked S owners whether they would have bought a GTS over an optioned S, assuming both had been available when they bought their car. I posted this earlier in the thread, and you may have missed it, but I spec'd out a 2013GTS and a 2013 S with the same options as my S. The GTS was about $9K more than the new S. I honestly don't think I would have paid that much extra for the body kit, trim bits, and 20 more HP; harder to justify when I already have a "special" car in my Carrera S. But for someone who wants something more unique than a normal Cayenne S, a GTS might be hard to pass up, even at that premium.

speed21

After driving the GTS i'm inclined to agree with manifold that the presence of these two options would surely be hard to detect during 99% of driving. I found the car very well composed, if anything possibly a bit firm for an SUV but that said this particular versions intent is sports after all. Nice car and very well packaged. I did find the regular S pasm more to my liking but don't think the additional firmness of the GTS would be a deal breaker. I was expecting the additional bolstering to be an overkill but found them to be very good altho they were 18 way jobs. I think if you can get the GTS with 18 way i wouldn't miss that opportunity.

Sorry your'e right. I went back and i had asked a few questions there, most which were answered. It was as you had bought your S prior to GTS that i wanted to know if you had your opportunity again would have you gone the same way? Your car does look to be very nicely optioned indeed so i'm sure it's no big deal anyway.

I personally find the main attraction of the GTS over the S to be the more aggressive front end and overall body kit. The car certainly has that look. Its hard not to like. I liked the GTS's Alcantara hoodlining as well. That is a very nice feature that i wouldn't be prepared to pay 5K for in an S....as is the case with the body kit at 11K. Both priced at a point high enough to walk away from. The seating in the GTS i drove had the alacantara inserts but they had another GTS with the 18 way and leather inserts which i prefered much more. They just looked better and felt better....classier. Also prefer the convenience of the multifunction wheel of the S even though it doesn't have the awesome look of the Sports wheel. If I got a GTS i'd personally have the leather inserts, 18 ways and swap out with a multi wheel...

The main thing i did notice with the 8 CS and GTS was the power delivery was not as satisfyingly urgent as i'd hoped for in comparison to what the diesel 6 delivered in trafficable situations. It definitely felt like the TDI 6 had that real seat of the pants shove when and where you really needed it VS's the 8 having to change down all the time and rev to get the same result. And it's in that spit second it can affect the outcome of the driving manoeuvre. The 8 is certainly much more rev reliant whereas that TDI seemed to have the immediate shove when called upon. The V8 cars were smooth to drive with no traffic and i'm sure the 8 would be the pick at any circuit....not that i could imagine myself taking it to a circuit....i have a 911 for that. I found on empty backroad environments during sporty driving the V6 diesel could be caught off boost during fast on off throttle movements (going through tight esses e.g. ) leaving for a much less smoother weight transition of the body. The 8 would have it in those in those situations. Both great engines, but I can't deny the TDI is the pick for whenever traffic is around. It just shoves the car through or into gaps with far less fuss than the 8.....much less conspicuous...

This is all not making my decision any easier...damn....but i do like the look of that GTS.

speed21

OK. Just got back from back to backing a V6TDI (non pasm), a V8 "S" (with Pasm) and, GTS. I had to clear a few things up to be 100% sure on my decision making between these cars. I think i'm wearing the dealer out LOL.

Driving impressions:

TDI V6. Hard to fault really. Engine has that no fuss low end urge underfoot. The ride is compliant, quiet and smooth. Handling is progressive and predicatble and pretty well as good as you'd expect for an suv of this size and weight. Handles great. I really liked the car. Great all round package except for missing stuff like the bose sound and other standard equipment in the other two....but you can option up etc.

S V8. Power delivery of the V8 is more linear than the turbo diesel but requires more revs to do what the diesel does on the go and with less fuss in general traffic situations. The V8 feels smoother and faster than the diesel (if not by much) from the get go and doesn't have any on/off throttle issues as with the V6 TDI when in a sportier driving environment. So after second drive i'd have to say my initial impressions have changed a bit....but not a lot. Agreed the V8 is a more rounded engine than the TDi diesel although not as punchy at low revs and I still feel in some traffic situations the TDI would work better (excepting the GTS). I also like the V8 note in the S although it's very subdued and imo possibly too quiet unfortunately.
Suspension settings: Comfort is too floaty. It could make the passengers car sick after a while. It's as if the shocks are switched off and the car is riding on the coils only (soft coils). Normal is better but also a tad floatier than what i'd personally accept given the way i drive but its still quite good enough to set and forget if it wasn't for having sports mode. I think the shocks need tweaking a bit in normal mode and maybe then it would be 100%. Sports is without doubt the best setting as the shocks and coils are working in symphony. Sports feels and handles similarly to the hydraulic suspension on the base diesel but the pasm sports setting is even more resolved. So it's better and feels a bit more rounded than the hydraulic for sure. Still nice to have the other two settings to choose from though but would see myself swapping between normal and sports modes rather than normal and comfort modes. Probably wind up leaving it in sport after a while.

GTS. Power is distinctly better than S's V8 and the V6 diesel. No dead spots or lag. Has nice grunt too. Pulls very cleanly and with enough authority. This is a nice engine....much much better than the S. It's got the punch of the TDI too. Sorry S guys but it's noticeably better everywhere. And, wow love the V8 note. In normal exhaust it's quite subdued (maybe a touch too much) but it's just noticeable enough to know there is a V8 engine there. It's nice and luxurious...not noisy at all. With the louder sports exhaust on....wow! It sounds truly awesome yet not obnoxious or annoying in any way. In fact it would have to be far louder before it would start working on either you or your passengers. Its there but not obtrusively there. It's actually so good you could pretty well leave the sports exhaust on all the time and not have it bother you or your passengers and still enjoy your sterio.

To the member who said he tired of it and found it got "old"after a few months, are you sure you are talking about a GTS? How could you possibly not love this? Sports exhaust mode is probably much like a C63 from the inside volume wise, and that is not annoying. Porsche has done a sterling job with that exhaust note. Can't see any passengers ever complaining of the engine note in either setting... even old fogeys. And the rear seat not fitting in 3? Agreed the rear door seat positions are better than the middle due to the bolstering, but the middle seat is actually the same shape and width as the regular rear seat so where is the problem again? The rear seat separates the passengers better imo. At least that way they won't be sliding into one another if you want to get sporty. I think if there was three passengers there would always be a fight for the window seats even in a regular cayenne.

The handling is really good in this GTS car. Noticeably better than both the S and Diesel. It's a very controlled, resolved and well connected car yet without being fidgety in sports/sport pasm mode. I'd say normal is probably the better setting to stay in for around town (although sports would also be fine) and would be even fine for rougher back roads imo. Comfort is also good too if not a tad bouncy. I put that down to the car having firmer coils than the S and with the shocks being more neutralised in that mode has the firmer coils making for a bit more bounce than float. Much as the S behaves in comfort except its very floaty as if the car is just riding on the softer coils with little to no assistance from the shocks due to the valve settings being open.

Verdict. The GTS is unquestionably the pick of the bunch. It simply drives better in every way and on every surface. Its definitely the better drive. There is also no disputing it is the best looking out of the bunch and it's superbly packaged notwithstanding its higher price tag. The only down side is the fuel consumption but i suspect the same would apply with the V8 S. I did a check on my return and it was averaging 21.5 litres to 100. Gulp....although that said it had apparently been subjected to sporty test driving by those before me so i was later told. I'm thinking/hoping this car would see @ 18 litres to the 100 during regular round town driving...maybe a bit more given the car behaves so well it's tugging at that leash....although that said yet still comfortable and relaxing to drive for a car of this type. It would probably do better on straight highway along with being driven gently it (may) produce it's claimed numbers, but i wouldn't count on it.