I am planning to purchase a 2012+ model Cayenne GTS or Turbo by year end. I would love to get input on few topics

1. Currently I lease a 2012 X5 50i. BMW offers incredible lease value. Porsche is significantly more expensive. I have received advice that it is better to purchase a Porsche than lease one. Is it a fair assessment?

2. I am mainly looking at 2012+ Turbo or GTS in that order. Would like to keep the price around 90K max. Should I put some cap on mileage, say 30K or less? What kind of maintenance is needed as the mileage increases?

3. When I search on autotrader.com, lot of interesting results show up. Would you purchase a pre-owned vehicle from a dealer on opposite coast 3000 miles away? Or am I crazy to even consider that?

4. Many of those vehicles comes with 21" wheels. They look really nice. Are they practical from ride and longevity point of view vs 20"?

Thanks in advance for the input.

 

We have 22" wheels on our 2012 CT, the ride is fine as long as you have PASM. I doubt if any Turbo or GTS come without PASM.

 

Folks, any more feedback?

 

The 21" wheels on my GTS are great. Drove the family from Charlotte, NC to Daytona for the Rolex 24 last January. Very comfortable on the "normal" suspension setting. I also drive in "sport" mode quite often with no complaints.

I had a set of Forgeline 20" wheels made to put my "winter" Conti Extreme Contact DWS all-season tires on--winter tires don't make sense here, but summer tires can be a problem in the middle of winter, so I use all-seasons for a while in the middle of winter (there are no 21" all-season tires available for the Cayenne). I much prefer the feel of the 21" Michelin Latitude summer tires. They go better with the essence of the GTS, for lack of a better term. The 20" DWS's are noticeably squishy by comparison, which is somewhat predictable, but I was surprised by the difference.

If I had $90K, I'd be looking at a very slightly used GTS instead of a higher-mileage Turbo. But I'm partial to the GTS. Killer vehicle!

LP

 

"I am planning to purchase a 2012+ model Cayenne GTS or Turbo by year end."

Why not a 2011 Turbo?

As far as the 21s, if you live up north they are not suitable for cold weather and the 19"ers with all season tires are probably your best bet.

 

I have a 13 GTS with 21" wheels. It has a bunch of options and wa 99k new. Fast, handles well and is comfortable. I run mine in Normal and the low suspension setting. It's never at a loss for power. I don't see paying extra for a turbo.

 

I love the GTS, but have you ever driven a turbo? Imagine the GTS with even more power...

Cheers,
TomF

 

Our turbo has increadable power compared to an S or GTS. If you drive a GTS and like it do not try a turbo after it, you will not want a GTS.

 

The cayenne serves a utilitarian purpose for me. I have other things to go fast in.

 

I can go fast in an M5, Panamera Turbo S, Bentley Continental GT Speed, SL63 AMG or S600, but the only SUV I can go fast in is a Porsche Cayenne Turbo. So in the SUV category the Turbo is better than the GTS. And I agree that they both have good utility.

 

Interesting discussion, thanks for the feedback! I have driven all of S, GTS and Turbo. All of them are excellent choices. Turbo is ultra-special and makes the experience so much more exciting. F10 X5 50i is incredibly fast too. The M version is almost an year out which should be a very amazing vehicle. However, I have to decide in the next couple of months. Would you please provide feedback on the other questions in my post?

1. Currently I lease a 2012 X5 50i. BMW offers incredible lease value. Porsche is significantly more expensive. I have received advice that it is better to purchase a Porsche than lease one. Is it a fair assessment?

2. I am mainly looking at 2012+ Turbo or GTS in that order. Would like to keep the price around 90K max. Should I put some cap on mileage, say 30K or less? What kind of maintenance is needed as the mileage increases?

3. When I search on autotrader.com, lot of interesting results show up. Would you purchase a pre-owned vehicle from a dealer on opposite coast 3000 miles away? Or am I crazy to even consider that?

 

Don't know about BMW vs. Porsche leases. I would just do the math.

As I mentioned above, I'd go with the GTS at least partially because it would give me lower-mileage alternatives to choose from--not because I think 30K miles is too much, but because I like my vehicles relatively unmolested. As far as I've read, the 4.8L V8 in both of these vehicles is a well-built, well thought-out motor. The air suspension and other gizmos are going to be where you are likely to have problems with age. The solution is a warranty, of course.

The other coast wouldn't be a problem per se. You have to figure the shipping into the price. Or, if you are like me, you might use it as an excuse to take a 3,000 mile maiden voyage.

LP