Hi forum,

Need some advice on what will be the first SUV purchase. I’m a bit of weird guy, currently daily drive a GT350 that has 70,000 miles (including snow driving), I also own a C7 ZR1 (manual) and a 991.2 GT3RS.

The GT350 worked for the past 5 years but now my kid has grown much taller and doesnt like the back seat much (but still loves it so much that she wont let me sell it) plus we got into biking as a family so I need a hitch.

GT350 is used by my wife about 60% of the time (she puts all the city miles, I put all the highway ones).

We looked at all the SUVs and initially settled in at a GLE 450. But our factory order keeps getting pushed back and a test drive in a base cayenne kick started bunch of research/conversations where we are now considering Cayenne GTS.

The cayenne is going to be $50,000 more than the GLE. Our GLE build is at $80,000 and I configured a cayenne thats around $132,000. Maybe its not a fair comparison as they are different cars but I wanted to get some thoughts on:

- Given my current stable, with the assumption that we keep the GT350, does it make sense to pay extra for the GTS?
- I read all the comments and watched all the videos about how good the GTS is and how connected it is, etc. What I dont know is whether these comments are from people who own more normal cars and they find GTS that good or are there those of you who own similar cars to mine and gts still impresses you?
- Lastly, while I understand GLE is a totally different car, would be curious to find out what everyone thought of it if they owned one in the past.

Why I am not considering the AMG models you may ask? Thats because Mercedes is a substantially larger car and they never manage to get a sport car right. I havent ridden in one that handles or does things right. For us, they are a luxury brand and truly the multimedia, console, fit and finish are second to none. Its like they are in a different class on their own from a luxury perspective.

But…. then it rides like a boat and while we are tired of stiff riding cars and want something more comfortable, we are not sure if cayenne gts is plenty comfortable or in other words gle will be too comfortable.

Thank you

 

Porsche is a very successful car company - they charge a premium for their vehicles and contrary to popular belief people don't blindly hand over money ***** nilly and where there is no value - trust me I've tried…once someone owns a Porsche they often (not always) become a huge fan a realize there was value for the price they paid - this is a very personal decision - how to spend one's resources and for what value proposition.

No one on this forum can answer this question for you - the GTS is perhaps the most sporty SUV you will probably ever encounter, but it's still an SUV - perhaps the most sporty SUV on the market and the most driver focused...

Porsche would have been out of business a long long time ago if there was actually nothing to the hype - business realities make that a fact…I doubt you'll regret the GTS vs. the GLE - but it will cost you more than the GLE - will it be worth it? That's a personal decision.

I've always said the only wrong with most Porsche's is the money - take the money away and they are clearly the top choice in most segments in which they have an offering.

Good luck - both cars are great choices - I know which one I'd choose however - but I've had a big "sucker-4-P" tattoo on my forehead for many many years now after my 1st 911.

I went even further upstream into Porsche madness with the TurboS eHybrid - man that vehicle is a beast...in a good way - but OMG soooooo much power.

 

We have a 2020 GLE350 and 2021 Cayenne S. I traded in a GLC43 for the Cayenne 2 weeks ago. I also had a GLE53 on order before moving to Cayenne.

1. GLE53 is worth considering. It’s a great car, but since we already had the GLE350, I wanted something that felt different.

2. GLE350 is 4,700lbs. Cayenne S is 4,700lbs.

3. GLE is 194 inches long. Cayenne S is 194 inches long.

These points should challenge your premise that the GLE is a bigger car and therefore not worth considering an AMG.

With AMG, you get a lot more engine emotion. Cayenne S gives you more revs, which I preferred coming from the GLC43.

 

We did an extended test drive in a GLE 450 few months back. Its a good SUV and its very hard to argue with the value you get at $80k. However, the Cayenne is a completely different beast. If you option a Cayenne S with air suspension, PTV and RAS, it will still handle way better than the GLE and also have a very comfortable ride. However, it will still cost you a good $30k above the GLE. I test drove the GTS last week and it rode comfortably enough. Glides past most bumps in comfort mode and is an excellent highway cruiser. If money is not an issue, and it seems like it is not in your case, then I would get either the S with the right options if you prefer comfort over sport or a GTS if you are ok with compromising some comfort for a better ride.We were in the same boat until last week and were worried that the GTS's ride quality was going to be very compromised. Once we drove the GTS though, we were completely sold.

 

These are fair points. I guess what I meant to say is Cayenne we drove (and this was a base cayenne coupe with no air suspension, no other options other than premium plus) felt much nimbler and direct whereas GLE has that boaty feeling. The boaty feeling is quite nice dont get me wrong but I am just very concerned that the technology in it and the boaty feeling will get old. Driving dynamics dont get old, i.e my GT350. 5 years and 70,000 miles later, it never gets old. Nor the ZR1 or GT3RS. I am just worried with Mercedes its just another luxury suv that gets boring and you upgrade like the latest iphone. With Porsche, you can keep driving it because luxury and tech arent the primary things with Porsche, driving dynamics is. But then there is price and yes money is concern. Not because I cant afford it but because I feel like 130k might be too much for an SUV.

 

$XXXk price is too much for any car but tends to be the price point for a porsche…

 

If $130,000 is too much for you for an suv then that really ends the GTS discussion doesn’t it? Maybe a Cayenne S is a better choice. Just watch the option list as you can get within $10,000 of a GTS pretty quickly. I had a difficult time choosing between the two models.

 

Good points. I was able to keep my S under $100k since it was off the lot. My custom build was pushing $110k, and was within $8k of a similarly optioned GTS.

I didn’t drive a GTS, but I love driving the S at high revs, and the wife and kid love the comfort at low revs. It will be the comfort road trip car with them, and then the fast car when on a road trip and they’re not on the errand.

The S doesn’t need performance options or premium package plus. Mine is just fine with Spyder wheels and normal premium package. That’s pretty much all the Options on it.

Edit: surround view and front ventilated seats are also options that are necessary IMO.

 

Personally, the new GLE with mild hybrid was the shttiest SUV I have ever driven, not a single hint of sportiness. No offense.
There is no comparison with Cayenne(even the base model) that is able to mask its weight with excitement.

 

Guys,

Having issues finding a GTS allocation. A lot of Turbos however. How does GTS compare to Turbo?

 

GTS is sportier than a turbo while turbo has more power but has a softer ride. You also get a few standard features on the GTS such as sport design package and PTV which you will have to opt for in a turbo. An equivalently optioned Turbo is going to cost $15-20k extra over a GTS however.

What build date are you looking for? Porsche wont be making any new GTS's until nov-dec this year. If that works for you, try reaching out to the Atlanta or north east dealers. Lot of them had slots available as of last week.

 

I am not in a rush so those dates can work for me.

So I guess GTS is the GT3 of cayenne and Turbo is 911 Turbo?

i have 3-4 turbos available around me but none of them have the hitch and none of them have the automatic cruise control. Which are non negotiable for me

Which specific dealers in those areas I should try and reach out?

Also is upgrading the sound system worth an option? Didnt want to create a separate thread for this as well.

 

I don’t think a GTS is the suv equivalent of the GT3 but it is the sportiest and rawest of the Cayenne lineup although not the most powerful. If you want maximum straight line performance with more comfort, pick the Turbo. If you want the liveliest handling and sound, pick the GTS. In my opinion, both have more power than can be used regularly on the street.

As for the sound system, it should be easy enough to find a Cayenne model with that option and listen to it for yourself. That is what I would recommend. Personally I find the Bose adequate. As quiet as the Cayenne is, over worn concrete or asphalt a fair bit of noise makes its way into the cabin and competes with any sound system. I prefer to spend my money on home sound systems. But it’s a personal choice.

 

Thank you.

What makes GTS livelier/sportier than the S model? Does GTS have certain drivetrain components that are only specific to it? Couldnt you configure an S with PTV and PDCC etc but it would just be 100 hp less?

 

software - porsche “tunes” the GTS to be more aggressive than an “S” with the same hardware components - it’s a common ‘trick’ porsche does- you can never quite “option” one Porsche to be like another “trim” model…even with the same physical options - also slight build differences (maybe less insulation for enhanced external environmental)

while the vehicles can be made to be “90%” of one another - you can never quite close the gap with just build options - because no matter how hard you try the “S” will never have the “GTS” configuration

also mechanical setup might be slightly different - ride height choices and range of adjustability vary widely among different porsche models in the same familiy.

if you want a GTS you’ll have to get a GTS - or live with something that is “close” but not quite.