Buzz Killington

Hi all,

I've read as much as I could about typical issues here and have devoured many of the "should I buy" threads to educate myself. Just looking for some informal thoughts.

I DD a 2000 911 C2 around 18-20k/year. Great car. Almost at 102K. PO did lots of work to it. I have put a fair bit into repairs recently (AOS recently, coils and plugs before that)...the regular maintenance stuff I DIY and the PITA stuff I let the shop handle. Sadly that has been to the tune of $1200-$1500 the last two trips. Now the RMS is starting to weep again. (Was replaced a few years ago.) Otherwise the car runs great (knock on wood).

I do, however, have some really tall teenage kids who are starting to despise my car because they fight over who has to sit in the back.

By chance I stumbled on to a '04 Cayenne S at a dealer. Lower mileage (mid-80s) and some thoughtful mods that made me think it had been enthusiast owned. By some careful sleuthing I tracked down the PO a few states away who very kindly confirmed my suspicions. He was "car guy" and among other things had done the following on the '04:

- Synthetic fluids
- Upgraded aluminum coolant tubes
- Upgraded ignition coils, cardan shaft, battery, water pump, brakes/rotors
- Recent transfer case replaced
- LED tail lights
- Liftgate shocks
- K&N filters / Cabin filter
- 20" wheels/spacers
- Custom Magnaflow/Techart exhaust

I'm sort of on the fence about losing the 996, but this seems like an opportunity to get a bigger vehicle with a relatively high degree of confidence.

I guess this is more of a gut check - should I go for it?

Thanks,

Dave

rpm's S2

Sounds like an interesting car... but it is a 12 year old Porsche. No guarantee you won't wind up in the same position, just with more back seat room.

I was really glad when I was able to park the 996 and get a more modern, reliable DD. Now the 911 is purely for fun - as it should be.

gnat

You could always keep the 996

There is a lot of crossover between the 996 and Cayenne owners.

mrmadd

I did the same thing -- traded my 2000 996 for a 2008 Cayenne GTS. Kids had outgrown the backseats on the 996.

Here what I learned: they are NOTHING alike. Other than the brand name glued to the back, they are absolutely nothing alike.

The Cayenne is a very nice SUV, but it's not a Porsche. Sure, the engine growls at startup, but every kid at a stoplight can outrun you (the Cayenne is heavy!). The experience is totally, radically different. My 996 was speed yellow. You get looks. The Cayenne pretty much blends into the crowd. And the drive? The 996 drives like what it is -- a lightweight, low-slung sports car with minimal frills and a tiny frunk. The Cayenne is really comfortable, the cabin is quiet, and there's plenty of space for stuff.

If I had the garage space, I would have kept the 996 for fun, but I don't. I miss the 996 on those (pretty rare) occasions when I'm driving by myself on open road. But otherwise, the Cayenne is far more functional and fits my life -- I can fit a stroller in the back, pick up stuff at Lowes, etc.

Good luck with your decision.

mhollack

Thats why you buy a Cayenne Turbo and surprise the heck out of everyone when you pull away from them.

If buying an "older" Cayenne, if budget allows, Id stick with an 06 and newer and a GTS or Turbo.

gnat

Anyone that says the Cayenne isn't a Porsche is someone that hasn't driven it as it was designed to drive.

It's certainly no 911, but it won't embarrass itself at a DE or AutoX. Damn impressive vehicles.

The 958s are arguably even better (no question for the base V6 model) with the weight reduction that occurred.

FRUNKenstein

Ya don't say?

tigger1197

I was one of those. I had a 00 996 C4. Sold it to buy a 958.2 S. There was something always in the back of my head with the 996 that it was going to break and it wasn't going to be cheap to fix. Don't get me wrong I still think the car was a blast to drive while I had it, but I do sleep better now.

mrmadd

You're embarrassing yourself. No one is bad-mouthing the Cayenne -- I love my GTS. But the OP was specifically asking about the transition from the 996 to the Cayenne. And there simply is no comparison.

You can drive your Cayenne "as it was designed to drive", on a track or anywhere else, and I could embarrass you with quite a few cars in the $30K range. And I could humiliate you in a 911. That's because the Cayenne is a tank that weighs 5,000 pounds! It's just physics.

Again, I love my GTS, and I chose it over the X5, etc., because it's a great SUV. But it's not a 911. Totally different experience.

FRUNKenstein

Oh that ship has sailed, my friend.

Long, long ago.

gnat

Sorry but you have that backwards. I indeed said it is no 911, but you specifically said it is not a Porsche. It has all the classic characteristics of a Porsche that has made the 911 stand out as a great among much more powerful cars.

The Cayenne handles incredibly, especially for its weight and that it has a high center of gravity.

The Cayenne brakes far better than it has a right to and better than any non performance oriented car (and better than some performance cars).

Those are the key things that make any Porsche a Porsche and the Cayenne has them in spades.

You are the one trying to compare it against something it's not and deeming it "not a Porsche" because it doesn't stand up. The Cayenne is every bit as much of a Porsche as deserving of the badge as any other car that has ever worn the badge.

And for the record, my lowly "non-Porsche" has no trouble hanging with and beating 996s at AutoX. And that's even on steal springs with high wall 18" tires and no performance goodies.

The 911 and Cayenne are two different cars that excel at different things, but not being able to match the purpose of the other in no way negates the value of either.

Torre

Actually there is a video on YouTube were Autocar pits a 958 Turbo against a 997.2 C4S on track, and the Cayenne comes within 1 second of the 911 .

But it's true, the Cayenne is designed to be able to drive on track, not to drive on track. The only Cayenne that is 'fast' is the Turbo, anything else will struggle to match a Golf GTI in a straight line (at least from stand still). Regarding reliability - If the bills are racking up on a 911, a Cayenne is definately not your solution, at least not a 955.

rpm's S2

The Cayenne is, and this is pure marketing-speak I know, the Porsche of SUVs.

And yet it is true. I remember the first time I drove a 955 V8 on track at a Porsche event soon after they were launched. I kept thinking, "nothing this big should be this fast."

Second gen cars are even more capable on the road after Porsche dropped the pretense of competing for off-road prowess with Range Rover. A good decision as 99.7% of owners just don't need two feet of low range wheel articulation in the grocery store parking lot.

Shawn Stanford

Go for it. You should be able to get it for a song.

J'sWorld

Not a 911 but I have to agree with gnat. The turbo with the 21x10's has some pretty high limits. It's really strange to drive like that in the SUV but once you get used to it....... the Cayenne has shocked the crap out of me. It's very predictable. It is big and heavy, but so is a Veyron. Maybe it's not as flickable as a 911 but it IS a Porsche. Put yourself in a car with the same power to weight as the CTT and likely you would be embarrassed.