alexb76

Thanks, I am definitely not getting the older gen, they are not only ugly, but also very heavy, and if I wanted older cars would have 100% pick Touareg over Cayenne which looks way better IMO.

What's LCA guys? I was gonna skip the 14-point seat, but is it really that much better?

tmack2012

http://www.porsche.com/canada/en/mod...ge-assist-lca/

Lane Change Assist (LCA) monitors the area behind the vehicle and the blind spot using radar sensors. At speeds between 30 and 210 km/h, the system alerts the driver of a vehicle in the blind spot or approaching quickly from behind via a visual signal from the exterior mirrors. This enhances comfort and safety, particularly when driving on the motorway. However, LCA does not actively intervene in the controlling of the vehicle and can be deactivated at any time.

Optional for all Cayenne models.

Also, power steering plus is not a given, absent on my previous cayenne loaners. Probably wouldn't notice its absence if I didn't have it on my car.

tmack2012

re. 14 ways, I could have been fine with 8 ways. I like the 14 way thigh extender support. 8 ways, you will never have custom lumbar support should you or any other driver require it. Like I said before, 8 way seemed narrower, but I got used to it with my loaner over the past 2 weeks.

mudman2

+1

TomF

+2

Cheers,
TomF

visitador

Seems that some of the "purists" poo poo the electronics. I can just say that LCA helps me a lot. More than once I noticed the lights going on without me noticing a car on my blind spot. Lo and behold there is a smaller car below my rear mirror vision.

Also, I wish the adaptive cruise control would be standard. A lot of Cayenne owners drive long distance. It just makes life easier on American interstate highways.

TGED

4-zone climate control, you get extra air vents and a secondary air cond unit, it will cool the vehicle much faster. And without the rear control panel, you get an empty slot behind the front console which looks incomplete and kind of cheap. And the price for the 4-zone is actually quite reasonable comparing to the costs of some other Porsche options.

alexb76

What does 4-zone even mean? Like separate zone front to back and left to right on both seats?

Mtea

I have had my '14 diesel platinum edition for a few weeks now after driving a '13 cayenne base for about three months. I can tell you that the diesel is waaaay better than the base six. I love everything about it except the 5,000 mile oil change. Don't even think about the base model. As to options...I agree with the 14 way seats so you can get the seat ventilation. I've never had it before and it is really nice to cool down on a hot day or keep you fresh on a long trip. The lane change assist is well worth the money. The pano roof is fairly impressive. Also, the 19 inch wheels give the cayenne a much more sporting look. Didn't think it would, but it does. I was unsure about the two tone interior on the platinum but now I like it. Get the trailer hitch, particularly on a diesel. It is super for pulling a trailer and a lot of people will buy the diesel for that purpose. The diesel is also nice if you want to feel superior around your greenie friends who probably drive a gas car or SUV.

visitador

As what it says, each seat (front and back) has its own individual climate control switch (which can be overridden by the driver/captain, of course). This feature is not available in the diesel.

Also not available in the diesel is the auto start stop. Some owners do not like this feature.

alexb76

\Thanks, what is so much better about Diesel vs. Base V6? Apart from MPG ofcourse.

Also, what is included in the Platinum edition? It's hard to say from the website, apart from the two-tone interior and a cpl of packages included. Is it cheaper to get those as part of the Platinum edition or one can just option it out the same way?

philg3

The Diesel has more torque, doesn't shift as much as the V6 going up and down mountains -- holds the gear better -- good cruising vehicle. Nothing wrong with the V6 -- has decent power, but the Diesel feels faster -- have one of each.

From a maintenance standpoint, the V6 oil change is time consuming and messy as you need to remove panels below the engine to access the oil filter, and when you remove the filter housing, oil goes everywhere no matter what I do -- even when removing the filter drain with an allen wrench -- problem is filter housing is up high, and there's stuff below it. Some have suggested removing the filter drain plug, and catch the oil with a zip lock bag -- good luck with that approach. Also, if you choose to drain oil with the drain plug (versus using an oil extractor -- I use an extractor), the drain plug shoots the oil to the side versus going down. On the Diesel, everything can be done just under the hood -- filter is there, isn't messy, and oil can be extracted. No mess, and 1/4 the time required versus the V6 from my experience. I know some of you don't like the extraction method, but it's my method of choice -- use an air powered one.

One other thing -- no spark plugs on the Diesel; the ones on the V6 are not easy to replace as the coils need to be removed for access.

Nugget

One benefit of buying the Platinum Edition is that you stand a better chance of recapturing some of the cost on eventual resale. I love the flexibility of Porsche's a la carte optioning philosophy but one of the downsides to their approach is that used car prices seem to flatten out irrespective of the options that were chosen when the car was new.

A Cayenne with hardly any options and a Cayenne with $30,000 in options will converge to very similar used car prices after a few years.

The Platinum Edition serves as a trim level would for other marques and stands to help you on resale or trade where the individual options probably won't.

visitador

It was my understanding from my local salesperson that you can only order the Platinum edition now. You are right, it mainly includes some of the packages as base (such as the seats, Bose and the more expensive optional 19-inch wheels). Historically, Porsche (like all manufacturers) do special editions before a re-design or mid-model change. I think it has to do with moving cars given that consumers know there is a new or re-designed model the next year.

PCA1983

Mostly good advice above, but have to say my wife and I really enjoy the Bose option. Im sure the Burmeister is better, but it will set you back an extra $4k with taxes. The Bose is a good option...