In the market for a bigger car to add to my 997, and today I test drove last gen vs. new gen of Cayennes.

First drove a fully loaded 2009 GTS, felt fine, some good power, and air suspension was cool, the interior looked extremely bland, very un-inspirsing, good brakes, good cargo room.

Then right after, drove a Cayenne S, with obviously less power, but lighter car, etc...

To me, there was absolutely NO COMPARISON, the new gen Cayenne S is simply in another league! It felt much faster, better throttle response, significantly nicer interior, much better handling, and overall better fit and finish. It felt A LOT MORE like a car, than GTS did! I really didn't expect to like it as much, and I was actually there more for the old gen. but I seriously wouldn't even consider one now.

The ONLY thing that the old car has over the new is better cargo room, the entry to the tailgate on the new CS is simply too narrow, and I'd say it's more of a grocery getter than a proper SUV for hauling stuff around.

At this point, I am actually leaning towards a Touareg, and that might be the car I get at the end. Just thought folks like to know... probably old news.

 

Keep in mind the current gen touareg doesn't come in a v8 like the '11 S and its not available with air suspension. Also one other reason someone may want an older one is because its better off road with a full low range transfer case. The old one is more suv/truck the new one more wagon/car. That was the tradeoff porsche made. Its the direction that most suvs have gone.

 

Yes, exactly. It's also exactly the same for Touareg I was testing, identical situation, their new AWD system doesn't have anywhere close to old SUV capabilities. Btw, the new Cayenne S also had Air suspension, so not sure which model is not offered with Air?

 

Im saying current gen touaregs do not have air suspension.. All cayenne's can be ordered with it.. but many non turbos didnt get built with PASM.

 

@alexb76: Its interesting to see your assessment. I am in the same quandary..2009 Turbo or 2011 CS. I actually like the older version for its more brutish styling which befits its Jekyll and Hyde personality vs. the new one which looks too cuteish. However, the interiors of the new one are a whole another league. Did reliability factor in your decision process?? Would love to hear your opinions.

Finally the Touareg was also in my consideration but no air suspension is a deal breaker. I had it for the first time in my Range Rover and simply loved it. It takes the ride to a whole new level

Decisions..Decisions..sigh

 

I've driven new and old (have 09S), a HUGE part of the difference is throttle response, which was abysmal with the old. A $300 Sprintbooster cured that and the pig feels vastly lighter and more sprightly.
The interior appointments are another story however, and that area is definitely improved.

 

I went thru the same thing comparing an older GTS vs a new S. The new gen was better in almost everyway: handling, ride, response, and interior. Also the power was similar- GTS 405 vs CS 400. The salesperson also mentioned that new one gets better mileage.

Youre right about the cargo space and opening. The curves takes away some of that space, unlike the Toureg where its more angular and as a result you get slightly more vertical space.

The VW is a good car, and IMO a bit underrated. Its a little heavier and slower.


I bought a '11 CS

 

Do the base 2011 CS come with the PASM and ability to lower the vehicle? And is the suspension that improved on the 2011 CS to match the sporty feel of the 2009 GTS?

 

The 958 is naturally going to feel faster primarily becasue of the 8 speed transmission, and 500 fewer lbs doesn't hurt.

Disappointed to hear of the loss of cargo space, really makes me want to buy another 6 spd GTS and store it since we use all the space on family camping wit the dog.

And to mr2sc, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but my understanding of the Sprintbooster is it simply delivers more throttle for a given input. A 25% input is resulting in say 60% input, so nothing is really gained other than you reach a larger throttle input fractionally faster than if you mashed the pedal further yourself. Just like the sport button on the GTS - it bumps up the % of throttle, but does not deliver more power.

 

I actually like that the 955/957 & 958 are so divergent in focus.. because it gives much more choice. They are different vehicles. Where the 911 is relentless refinedly.. Porsche is still trying to figure out exactly what the rules of engagement are for their suv's. I find it interesting that Mercedes came out swinging with a much more purpose built, body on frame, suv for the first gen ML and then went full on cross over by this generation there is zero DNA. I think the bottom line is most luxury buyers are not taking these things off road.

 

Reliability sucks across the board! All Cayenne, Touareg, Q7, Range Rover have poor reliability, newer ones supposedly better, but then they're *newer* so who knows down the road? Reliable SUV, is Lexus, Subarus, and actually Expedition (father in law has one with 200K miles, no issues)!

To me, if I wanted to get a Cayenne, I wouldn't even consider last gen, you buy Cayenne for the performance, handling, and refinement and the new gen is in absolutely in another league.

For Touareg, it's a bit of a different story, it's more of a utility car, larger, more cargo room, and is not meant to handle like Cayenne... so, the older gen which has Air suspension as an option might be a good compromise (they also lost weight and improved handling in new gen)... so I am in a tough position choosing between Touareg 2 vs. T3, the latest is lighter, better handling, but with less capable 4WD (for offroad), and no Air!

 

There is ZERO reason to get the last generation touareg over a cayenne. The egg is no more reliable and it does not drive nearly as nicely. Also the overall utility is about even. The fact that current generation TDI touaregs can be had used in the $30's makes them a really attractive buy to me.

 

I am between old gen Touareg TDI vs. new Touareg TDI, but in 30s. Cayenne is 20K+ more and no TDI in last gen.

 

I would get a current generation 2011 tdi or a last gen cayenne turbo for fun.

 

Yes, I hope I didn't infer that it gives more power. But, the problem is (was) that on my 09S the throttle was unbelievably lethargic. In other words, 60% input only gave 25% result...slowly.
Not at all linear, like on the 958s. Using sport mode instead, is not an option because then it starts in 1st, holds the gears too long for normal driving and actually doesn't go into top gear. So, this makes it feel normal again, without the 1/2 second delay...almost like a throttle cable used to be. Glad to see that Porsche finally got it right with the 958s.

While on the topic, another glaring miss on the 958s are the mirrors...useless for towing, and that the rear hatch window doesn't flip open is a deal breaker for me. I carry my pooch around with me and I need this for access without opening the tailgate.