Fang911

Fellas,

I'm looking to retire my ol' 04 Lex GS300 with a new daily driver, which I hope to keep for at least 6-7 years / 100K miles - about 40-50 miles a day evenly split between highway and regular streets. Although usually driving alone, will have to take wife and kids (2) on wkends, etc, so need some space / storage- but family trips will be in the wife's Odyssey. Also have an 07 GT3 for DE's, wkends, etc. Budget is $50-55K. Live in Chicagoland area.

So far, have narrowed list to:

1) Stripped new '14 Cayenne V6 / Diesel - literally no options except metallic paint. No need for Bose, 18 way seats, nav, or any electronic gadgets- also prefer to avoid fixing things later that I would never use to being with. Would order next month.

2) New '14 Lexus GS350 AWD F-sport - with Mark Levinson audio as only option- again no need for gizmos, ventilated seats, etc. The base GS is significantly better equipped than the base Cayenne, though.

Both have plenty of space, drive well, look good (imho). Any pros / cons of either? I know this is a Cayenne board, but perhaps some of you considered other cars before going all in on the 958 . Any other options I should look at?

Thanks -

gnat

BMW's x5 was the main other option for me, but I also looked at Land/Range Rovers as well. The Asian cars are just soulless to me so they didn't make my radar for serious consideration.

If you already have a Minivan do you need an SUV? Will a sedan fill your needs instead?

I'm biased, but given your commute distance I'd recommend the CD of the Cayenne's. It starts at the end of your budget though. Another plus would be that if you want to tow your GT3 to events, the CD will do it like there is no tomorrow (but order the hitch from the factory).

philg3

My wife went from a 2007 GS350 to a 2012 CV6, and couldn't be happier (CD wasn't available back then). We also considered an X3 back then with the larger engine -- cheaper than the "C", and comes with nice maintenance package. We had the Mark Levinson sound system on the GS350, and didn't think much of it -- we wondered whether we actually got the system or just the emblems.

With your budget, it might be worth looking at the X3.

RESP

We have an RX400h and had traded in an ES in on that SUV.

We had been fans of Lexus and BMW until we owned the Porsche.

If you enjoy driving, there is very little comparison.
As gnat says, most Asian cars are soulless.
You will certainly get more standard features in a Lexus than a Porsche, but you won't get the enjoyment of driving a better vehicle from Lexus.
And if the "features" aren't something you would pay extra for, why even pay for them in the vehicle?
A Toyota would get you a similar car without any of the items in the Lexus (which will also likely go wrong )

Comes down to what you will enjoy most on that 40-50 miles a day.

We are at 80,000 km and 20th month of ownership. I have had a smile on my face for every mile

steve_Cayenne

I have a "stripped" 2013 Cayenne, and no regrets. You can read my thoughts, and followups here:

https://rennlist.com/forums/porsche-...-review-2.html

Since you are cross shopping two very different vehicles (SUV vs Sedan) and (Lexus vs Porsche), if you have not already: go test drive them both ... should be opposite ends of the spectrum, and one or the other should appeal more to you!

And you may want to take a step back, and narrow down between SUV or Sedan for your lifestyle, and you will have much more focused options. SUV is rarely the "best choice" if you need none if its virtues: Light-offroading, towing, high ground clearance, unploughed roads, tall trunk, and in some cases roomy interior. If you don't need those, you will be burdened with: Higher fuel consumption, higher centre of gravity, heavier vehicle, higher step in, more road noise (due to open trunk and bigger tires), heavier handling, and less sprightly acceleration for same power.

That being said, the Cayenne is quite the enigma, and downplays most of the SUV cons. And in stripper dress, is actually a good value for what you get!

Needsdecaf

Unless you have driven a current gen GS, especially the F Sport, then one should avoid the (true) statements that Lexus drive with no soul. The current gen GS F Sport is a more lively handler than the BMW 535 and Audi A6. I would definitely take a strong look at it.

As others have said, though, an X3 is also quite nice. Very quick in 35i guise.

If you want a Macan lite, try a Q5. Also quite quick in 3.0T guise. And a very nice vehicle indeed.

As Steve said, though, you need to focus on what you want...

RESP

@ Needsdecaf - thanks for the input. Will withhold my comments on the GS F till I have driven one.

What Steve and Needsdecaf said
+1

Needsdecaf

Like you, I fully expected the GS to meet the stereotypes. I was shocked to find that it did not. It's no M5 but it's definitely equal to my 535....sadly.

philg3

Everybody needs an SUV -- at least every Costco member does. Today's SUV's are very civil to drive, and the 4WD / AWD comes in handy at times -- even in heavy rain. Entry and exit are very easy -- just as easy as a sedan IMO -- actually, I think it's easier. My wife particularly likes the visibility of riding a little higher than in a sedan. When we ordered hers 18 months ago, her fall back was that I would get it if she didn't like it. She kept it, and I ordered another for myself. Almost every day, she talks about how much she enjoys driving it. Her only regrets were not getting the 14-way seats and the BOSE, so I made sure my order included them.

No longer are SUV's special purpose vehicles. Prior to BMW's introduction of the X5 in 1999, there weren't any nice alternatives if one needed 4WD. Now, there's lots out there -- competition is good. And back then when rumors of a Porsche SUV surfaced, people thought it was a travesty and would sully the Porsche brand. That didn't happen. People like SUV's and fuel economy has improved significantly, in addition to the ride. Nothing not to like in today's SUV -- especially the Cayenne.

Fang911

Thanks for the responses- most helpful. Agree that it boils down to which is most "rewarding" during the daily commute + other factors (reliability, "pride of ownership", etc). As Needsdecaf stated, the GS F-sport cannot be compared to the previous generations of GS's, or really another lexus besides the IS-F. It really drives well, sounds good, doesn't mind being pushed, looks aggressive, and has a very sporty yet lux interior- agree it is now comparable in all ways to the A6 / 7 + 5 series + E class, and should have better long term reliability. However, and maybe I've been drinking too much Stuttgart Kool-ade (but it tastes so good) - the Cayenne is also a great drive, and has a superb interior "feel" - gauge cluster, steering wheel, seats, everything - that is imho unmatched by any SUV on the road today. Love the front end looks- not entirely sold on the taillights yet, but coming around to 'em gradually. Wife isn't helping much...at this point I've worn her down and she just wants closure.

gjmattos

I like riding a little higher and like the versatilely of an SUV. I'm buying a Cayenne because I think it's an outstanding SUV. I'm trading my wife's loaded LS 460 having for four years and only the tires had to be changed. The new GSF is fantastic, I test drove one. As much as I like the GSF you can't tow or put stuff on top, will you need to? Lexus is filling a hole they have had forever, suspension, they get that right look out. While they are both good choices they don't compare. Piece of paper with needs and wants for you and your family now and the next and 6 to 7 years.

fincher

Given your budget, you have no choice but to get a stripped down V6 unless you look for a used one. There are better values than the Cayenne (Audi, VW) but it sure is fun to drive.

endless_corners

Car & Driver described the new GS350..

You can get a nicely optioned Q5, X3, ML... for your budget

LaicepsYdobon

Just got my wife a 2013 X3 3.5 xDrive. I'm not a big BMW guy but I'm very impressed with it, and my Lexus-nut of a brother agrees with me. It's in your budget, you should definitely take one out for a test drive.

Needsdecaf

If you want something this big, look into an outgoing Acura MDX.

We've had ours for about 5 and a half years. 90k miles and it's running like a champ.

The MDX is VERY fun to drive for something so big. The SHAWD system really is super...torque vectoring on both differentials, I think it may have been the first, beating the X6 to market by a year or so. You should see the thing in the snow, it's like a tank.

Hydraulic steering that has a lot of feel. Not a lot of low down torque but the big (3.7L) V6 loves to rev. When the induction runners open up at 4,500 RPM it just JUMPS to the 7k RPM redline. The newer 6 speed auto is much improved over the 5 speeder in my older unit.

Handles pretty damn well. Placed first in an older comparison in Car and Driver, beating the X5 and third in a more recent behind the X5 35i and Q7 3.0T. But not for lack of driving, just aging ergonomics really.

If you want something that won't cost you more than oil, gas and tires for 100k miles, is practical and versatile, and actually puts a smile on your face when you drive it, try it. Best is that since it is outgoing model, dealers should be discounting.

Oh, we like ours so much that instead of replacing it with the Cayenne, as was the plan, we are keeping it and getting rid of our 2011 535 instead. Yes, I like driving my 2007 MDX more than my 2011 535 with all the sport packages. What does that tell you.....