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When it's all said and done, it is what it is--an SUV. It isn't light and it isn't a sports car. In fact, it isn't even a truck--it's a compromise, a mash-up that doesn't do anything particularly well. Small SUVs are a branch of the automotive family tree that is currently fashionable but that history will probably look at with a humorous "what were they thinking?" perspective.
When I want to have fun, I drive my 997 and it does what it's supposed to do. When I want to take the family to the lake and pull a boat, we pile into our Suburban and it does what it's supposed to do. You can't complain that a tall, heavy, gussied up wagon "feels heavy". It's designed to appeal to a broad market and is intended to bulk up Porsche's bottom line more than its racing or performance cred. It makes perfect sense for Porsche because...capitalism.
Is it the sports car of SUV's? Possibly. The SS America was the sports car of ocean liners, but it wouldn't do very well at VIR.
And don't try to say "if you can only afford one vehicle, you need a small SUV". If you can afford a Cayenne (even a used one), you can afford a cheaper SUV or sedan, AND a cheaper sporty car. Only a small subset of owners have a single spot in a city parking garage and really can only own one car. Why compromise when you don't have to?
When it's all said and done, it is what it is--an SUV. It isn't light and it isn't a sports car. In fact, it isn't even a truck--it's a compromise, a mash-up that doesn't do anything particularly well. Small SUVs are a branch of the automotive family tree that is currently fashionable but that history will probably look at with a humorous "what were they thinking?" perspective.
When I want to have fun, I drive my 997 and it does what it's supposed to do. When I want to take the family to the lake and pull a boat, we pile into our Suburban and it does what it's supposed to do. You can't complain that a tall, heavy, gussied up wagon "feels heavy". It's designed to appeal to a broad market and is intended to bulk up Porsche's bottom line more than its racing or performance cred. It makes perfect sense for Porsche because...capitalism.
Is it the sports car of SUV's? Possibly. The SS America was the sports car of ocean liners, but it wouldn't do very well at VIR.
And don't try to say "if you can only afford one vehicle, you need a small SUV". If you can afford a Cayenne (even a used one), you can afford a cheaper SUV or sedan, AND a cheaper sporty car. Only a small subset of owners have a single spot in a city parking garage and really can only own one car. Why compromise when you don't have to?
There are a thousand vehicles out there to choose from. Here's our story of how we came to our Cayenne. We had a big family hauler SUV - an Infiniti QX56 and it was my wife's car that she drove as her DD from 2004-2013. We liked it so much, and didn't like the rounder redesigned version that we decided she could continue to wear that one out, but didn't know what we'd buy to replace it, or we could get her a less expensive than a new higher-end SUV to use as her DD that was better on gas, easier to park, fit both young kids in the back, and was more fun to drive, and use the QX only for family vacations or when we needed to transport more than 5 people somewhere. That's when we bought her 997 C2S, which has been her DD since. In 2016, at about 150,000 miles, the QX started to have nagging issues - driver's side window motor wouldn't work, tailgate release motor and lifting motor would only work occasionally, ECU wouldn't always communicate with the chip in the key, which would result in a non-start event (it always eventually started, but seemed risky), and we found that it was really a larger vehicle than we actually needed for our trips, so we started looking for it's replacement. Being Porsche people, of course we started looking at the Cayenne, and decided that it was just the right size for what we needed and once we drove a Turbo, that was pretty much that - the hunt for our next SUV started with a very specific options list, as we knew when we were buying it that it was going to get a color change and a widebody kit. We had limited our search to the 957 as that's our favorite generation from a looks perspective - still looks like an aggressive SUV, has more utility/storage behind the rear seats with the shape of the roofline and that generation being a few years old was a known commodity as far as what needed to be fixed to lower the chances of ending up stranded somewhere. Wanted the touch-screen PCM, low mileage since we keep our vehicles a very long time (more than 10 years), a Turbo S since I can't ever leave well enough alone and knew I'd be saying "I should've ...." a year down the road, which also made PDCC a standard feature. The only thing I wasn't able to find was PCCB brakes, but that will be remedied as part of the widebody build.
For what we want in a larger, but not huge, SUV, it fit's the bill perfectly. It is absolutely the best driving SUV I've ever driven and I rent cars frequently. Power from the TT motor is impressive, handling with PDCC is amazing, it's nice and smooth on the highway, fits all of our stuff (we have a Yakima cargo box on the roof rails for the longer trips when we need more stuff, like going to the beach with chairs, boogie boards, etc) and really couldn't be happier with it.
Is it an all encompassing vehicle - no, but for us it doesn't need to be as we have the other cars to drive, and a pickup for tow duty, trips to the home improvement store, bad weather, etc
It's 4 years and 60,000 miles later on her 997, and my older daughter especially, has now outgrown the back of the 997, so she's moved to the front seat and my son is still in the back, and we're considering what we'll do for her next DD. It will probably be a Macan, but she's now also unwilling to give up her pink pearl 997 (can't blame her), and we'll use the Cayenne, and the truck more, and see how it goes.
No one is going to mention the adaptive transmission likely contributing to it behaving like a dog? When commuting in a Cayenne, it behaves like a commuter. Flog it for a while and it will come to life.
OP - If you want it to replace your 996 (or whatever it is you drive) with a cayenne, pony up for the turbo with the sport package and enjoy the luxury the 911 doesn't even try to provide. Let your jaw hit the floor when PDCC lets you toss this 5k lb pig around a corner without the slightest of body roll.
Or don't. Go buy an appliance like a 350 and be so excited it weights 1000lbs less.
LOL... had no idea there are so many fanboys here... WTF! Did I insult your precious high school sweetheart?!
This is your reaction after two posts? Over react a bit much? Sure seems like you came into this looking for a fight and responded a bit too quick me thinks....
Originally Posted by alexb76
Yeah right! Someone with 2yrs more on Rennlist and 2000 more posts than you?!
Come again?
Originally Posted by alexb76
Sorry for asking question and for NOT LOVING the Cayenne I drove today.
I'm not a big fan of the Cayenne either, for similar gas mileage I prefer my Denali XL, tows more and carries 7 people in comfort (9 if we are not going too far). Also much cheaper to fix.
But I at least understand why some people do like them, I have the luxury of owning and having the space for multiple vehicles so my "truck" is going to be the biggest one I can reasonably buy (it's too bad the Excursions are long gone). Some do not need something as large as my Yukon but still desire more than a typical sedan....hence the mid-sized SUV's were born.
So yea, I agree with some above posts, this is nothing more than a trolling expedition. Did a Cayenne run over your foot or something?
A 2012 S should have a 0-60 time of about 5.5 seconds and 1/4 mile time of about 14 seconds. The 08-10 series Cayennes start in second gear on purpose in normal driving mode, this does make the vehicle feel sluggish, but that's intentional for people who want an around-town mode that's less sharp-edged. I'm not sure if the 2012s also start in second gear in normal driving mode or not, but if they do, that would explain a lot of the feeling of heaviness. But as others said, you don't have to like them. Personally an S model saved me from being bored to death driving some more pedestrian SUV... my wife insisted on getting an SUV this time. The shopping was SO depressing until we ran across a Cayenne S by accident.
Thanks man, that may explain it. I may have to drive it much longer to understand the handling characteristics. Will go back to drive a V6TT and another one to see how they differ. Interestingly found out the new V6 Turbo is actually even heavier which is crazy to me. I am sure it's all the safety gear crap adding to the weight.
You need to find one that has PDCC and I'd also recommend a turbo or at least a GTS. I can tell you that my 09 Turbo S may actually be faster than my wife's mostly stock 997 C2S - it's not going to touch my silver RUF 997, but that's not a fair fight. The handling with PDCC is unbelievable for a heavy SUV and will absolutely change your opinion after the first high-speed turn. Check out a slightly different Cayenne animal before making your decision, then come on back.
Thanks, I'll see if I can find one with PDCC, I never questioned the 0-60 or power, just the fact that the car felt very heavy into corners (which it is), and just driving around town. Could also be a tired suspension, the car wasn't the cleanest example. More tests are needed.
Also, I am NOT looking for the fastest SUV, at all. I am looking for a nimble larger than Tiguan SUV, that is fun to drive and carries more ppl and stuff. Turbo is a bit too much for me, so I am sticking to S models for now.
I say try a few other Cayennes to make sure it wasn't just something with this one. I had been really into the GTS but I drove several and wasn't that impressed - either too harsh, or too bouncy, or too loud - but I kept coming back to the great looks and awesome sound. I gave it one more shot with a 14 GTS that my local dealer took in on trade and it was a totally different experience - smooth, quiet, fast, comfortable - everything I had heard about the Cayenne but the first time I saw it for myself. Bought it on the spot and haven't regretted it yet.
You never know what kind of life a car has led, so if you still think the Cayenne might work for you, go drive a few more. There are plenty out there, and while the RX might be 500 lbs lighter, it will bore you to tears every time you drive it.
Length of time here and number of posts qualifies you how, exactly?
The Cayenne isn't for everyone. Neither is the 911.
A troll is someone who comes to a comment or forum and makes a point to rile ppl up or **** someone off with no real question or experience on the topic... that's NOT ME! I AM in the market, and asking legitimate question... maybe I had to word my question or headline better not to "offend" Cayenne folks, but the reason was my actual shock of how that "one car" felt yesterday. It might as well be a one off example.
When it's all said and done, it is what it is--an SUV. It isn't light and it isn't a sports car. In fact, it isn't even a truck--it's a compromise, a mash-up that doesn't do anything particularly well. Small SUVs are a branch of the automotive family tree that is currently fashionable but that history will probably look at with a humorous "what were they thinking?" perspective.
When I want to have fun, I drive my 997 and it does what it's supposed to do. When I want to take the family to the lake and pull a boat, we pile into our Suburban and it does what it's supposed to do. You can't complain that a tall, heavy, gussied up wagon "feels heavy". It's designed to appeal to a broad market and is intended to bulk up Porsche's bottom line more than its racing or performance cred. It makes perfect sense for Porsche because...capitalism.
Is it the sports car of SUV's? Possibly. The SS America was the sports car of ocean liners, but it wouldn't do very well at VIR.
And don't try to say "if you can only afford one vehicle, you need a small SUV". If you can afford a Cayenne (even a used one), you can afford a cheaper SUV or sedan, AND a cheaper sporty car. Only a small subset of owners have a single spot in a city parking garage and really can only own one car. Why compromise when you don't have to?
Agreed, I guess due to all of the reviews and raves I had an unrealistic expectation specially around how it may feel which is different than how fast it maybe. Also, I have a Tiguan now, which is way underpowered compared to Cayenne, but it feels very light and nimble in comparison and again I had an unrealistic expectation to have a similar feel in a much larger and much more powerful SUV.
I so wish Macan had a larger trunk, they ruined it with aggressive angle on the rear tailgate, cutting the storage to even smaller than Tiguan otherwise I wouldn't even consider Cayenne.
No one is going to mention the adaptive transmission likely contributing to it behaving like a dog? When commuting in a Cayenne, it behaves like a commuter. Flog it for a while and it will come to life.
OP - If you want it to replace your 996 (or whatever it is you drive) with a cayenne, pony up for the turbo with the sport package and enjoy the luxury the 911 doesn't even try to provide. Let your jaw hit the floor when PDCC lets you toss this 5k lb pig around a corner without the slightest of body roll.
Or don't. Go buy an appliance like a 350 and be so excited it weights 1000lbs less.
troll.
LOL... I have a 997, good one trying to insult 911 drivers who's a troll now?
This is NOT to replace my 997 at all, this is to replace our Tiguan which is now a bit too small for us.
I have never see Hacker-Pschorr before and he has 10 million posts - where have you been hiding?
He hides in the 928 Forum with some of the rest of us.
Alex, the air suspension likely makes a big difference to the handling as well. Not sure if all of the Ss have it, some, or none, but the GTSs do. I think you may just be limiting your search to a model of Cayenne that isn't suited to exactly what you're looking for it to be.
This is your reaction after two posts? Over react a bit much? Sure seems like you came into this looking for a fight and responded a bit too quick me thinks....
Come again?
I'm not a big fan of the Cayenne either, for similar gas mileage I prefer my Denali XL, tows more and carries 7 people in comfort (9 if we are not going too far). Also much cheaper to fix.
But I at least understand why some people do like them, I have the luxury of owning and having the space for multiple vehicles so my "truck" is going to be the biggest one I can reasonably buy (it's too bad the Excursions are long gone). Some do not need something as large as my Yukon but still desire more than a typical sedan....hence the mid-sized SUV's were born.
So yea, I agree with some above posts, this is nothing more than a trolling expedition. Did a Cayenne run over your foot or something?
Fine, I don't care what you think. I test drove one because I wanted to BUY ONE, it didn't feel right and didn't match the RAVES of every Cayenne driver and review. So, I posted my experience and then wondered if something was wrong with the car, the setup, the age, the engine (V8), etc... JUST to be ATTACKED by of all ppl, a moderator whose ego was bruised. Give me a break!
There has been helpful posts above that I will use to help me find the right Cayenne or another comparable SUV. Thanks for nothing!
11-07-2017, 02:18 PM
who's a troll now?