North Shore 911

Gents,

I've got a 2010 C4S Cab, and I just posted this in the 997 forum but I figured I should ask the Cayenne experts this question

I've been using my 2010 C4S Cab as my DD since 2013, throwing on a set of winter wheels for Nov-Mar and driving the heck out of it all winter. But with close to 70k on the odometer now, I'm thinking of getting a winter driver to give it a rest over the winter. So I'm looking for any suggestions for a fun winter car that will somehow scratch that performance itch during the snowy and nasty months of deep Winter here in Chicago

My short list is a Cayenne S, BMW X5, or maybe one of the lower-end Range Rovers. My parameters are 2010-2013 model years, less than 50k on the clock, and a max budget of $50k. There seem to be some decent choices within these parameters, but I've only driven the Cayennee once, and never the others. Any thoughts on the Cayenne, or suggestions for cars I may have not considered?

Thanks for your help!

RAudi Driver

If you want to scratch the that performance itch and you need it to perform great in the uno, I would go Cayenne or RR Sport supercharged.

Love my Cayenne Turbo so much it's my favorite car of all time.

AGARubberDuck

You should be able to find a 2011 turbo with that mileage around the $50k mark. Given the budget I'd skip the 2010, as 2011 was the model refresh and it is leaps and bounds more modern inside.

The turbo just might scratch the the need for speed better than your 911

Wisconsin Joe

Well, I don't know much about the RR or BMW, but the Cayenne will most definitely "scratch the itch." I'll disagree that it would be better than the 911, but the "fun factor" is well beyond what a 2 1/2 ton SUV should have.

The 10 was still the 957 model, the 958 came out in 11. Big improvement in a lot of ways, but smaller inside and the transfer case no longer has low range (that may or may not matter to you).

There was an issue with the cam gear bolts with the 11 (not sure of the details). Fixable under warranty/recall (I think), but major damage if it fails. Only applies to a specific VIN range IIRC.

957 has the "Water bridge" issue. Massive coolant leak if it fails, strongly suggested to fix it before it does (if it fails, the coolant spill can cause other issues).

Both will still have the usual stuff (Cardan shaft, water pump, coil packs, hatch struts and on and on).

Search through the first few pages of the forum to get an idea of what kind of problems pop up. You will also find more than a couple "What should I look for" threads.

Valkuri

Land Rover LR2 will set you back less than $30,000 for 2010-13. Drove my 2008 through everything in Chicago; still have it at nearly 110k and plan to keep it past 150k, minimum.
Older Range Rovers were by all accounts awful. Not so, the LR2. Can't speak to the other options.

garrett376

I feel the same way about mine!!

North Shore 911

Awesome input, thanks guys. I'm definitely leaning Cayenne S at the moment, and I figured you guys would probably push me over the edge!

I've started searching the web (Cargurus.com) looking for the right combo of price/year/mileage/color and hope to have something in hand before first snowfall Thanks for the great input, and please keep any and all additional thoughts flowing as I ramp up my search

RAudi Driver

Garrett, I also have a 2015 Audi Q7 Sport, a 2008 audi RS4 and a 2007 997 GT3. So saying that I love this Cayenne turbo, should really mean something.


It's a great vehicle

RAudi Driver

NS911, keep in mind that Cargurus, keeps old ads in their database.


On another note, you should only be looking at Porsche Preowned car locator on the Porsche site. The market is soft and you can garner 20k off the list price if you play your cards right.

I'll pm you my deal.

North Shore 911

Well, based on your guys' input I've now restricted myself to only looking at CPO Cayenne S's from P Dealers, and there seems to be a very healthy selection of cars out there with reasonable miles and decent prices.


Based on my daily review of the CPO selection out here, I do have another question for you Cayenne pros: How would you rate the S Hybrid versus the S? I have seen a few of the Hybrids S's at close to S prices, and I am wondering if there's a reason NOT to consider a Hybrid S as equal to - or better than - an S.


Any thoughts ?

XR4Tim

I really like the Hybrids, particularly the plug-in (2014+). Upsides to the Hybrid are: More torque than the S, and better fuel mileage, though you will see less of an improvement during cold weather, Acid Green calipers and gauge needles (again on 2014+), and longer-lasting brakes. The downsides to the Hybrid are a lack of trailer hitch and sport exhaust options.

North Shore 911

Gents,

Since I'm a fan of finishing what I started, I just wanted to close the loop with everyone on this thread. After reading everyone's feedback here and the RL 997 forum and listening to everyone's experiences, I followed some of the best suggestions that I got to the letter: I narrowed my search to ONLY CPO'd Cayenne S's and GTS's, model years 2011-2014, and I didn't even look at non-CPO cars. After a few weeks of checking Porsche's used car locator tool every day, I found the perfect 2012 Cayenne S on Monday with all the options I was looking for at a fantastic price (Air Suspension with PASM, Premium Package Plus, Tow Package, 20" Sport Design Wheels, etc.). It was even local here in Chicagoland, so I didn't have to factor in the hassles of a remote purchase or any delivery charges - and I was able to test drive it yesterday

This new-to-me 2012 Cayenne S was serviced at this P Dealer its whole life, so they actually let me look at ALL the service records on the car to confirm every bit of work on it. It was virtually perfect, and in fact they just replaced the water pump and did the full 40k service last week (including plugs and coil packs). It's got 80% left on front and rear pads, and 2 new rear tires on it 20" rims, so there should be little to do service-wise in the coming 15k miles. And given that I negotiated CPO coverage, I've got a pretty solid peace of mind on this

While it has slightly higher miles than I was initially considering, between the recent service and CPO, coupled with the fact that I'll probably put less than 5k miles a year on it as I split time between driving this and my C4S Cab, I'm thrilled to have closed it out CPO'd at an awesome price. You guys were absolutely right about the excess supply of Cayennes out there, and I was able to get a great deal. Thanks again for all of your suggestions, you guys made this search and purchase both low stress and relatively hassle free! I'll post some pics of this to completely close the loop, but I just wanted to thank you guys for all of your input and advice

carreragt2e

Congrats on the purchase!

bweSteve

Awesome story & results NorthShore. Glad to hear it went well.