Selpo

So, I test drove a GTS SUV followed by an AMG GLE 63S. Loved the feel and ride comfort of the GTS. Obviously, the AMG has about 150+ more HP and the exhaust sound was amazing but did not feel as comfortable or confident driving it. Really wanted to like the AMG as it is bigger, more powerful and slightly cheaper but helped solidify my decision to go with the GTS. Already paid the deposit and now just need to wait till early next year to put the order in as I do not need it till June of next year. Not sure what options it had as this was a 2021 pre owned at the MB dealership and they did not have the window sticker. Decided to get the Sport chrono, PDCC and RAS, so I should be covered.

Appreciate everyone's input.

Selpo

Update- received a Feb 2023 allocation and placed the order yesterday- PP551248. Expected to be completed by Mid march and be at the dealer on June 3rd- if it all works, will be perfect as my current M5 lease ends in June.

Freeze date is 12/6, so please let me know if there is something I need to change in my build.

mgx1020

I learned the other day the turbo comes with a different front facia and very similar to sport design facia so you might not need the sport design .. but the GTS has the full sport design standard which is very attractive. I wish they would offer the 4.0 with a hybrid that doesn’t cost 170k base as the 4.0’is very desirable for this weight

rdboxster

Congrats on the allocation. Nice build not to different than mine. A couple of things to consider is the thermally and noise insulated glass plus the sport design package in high gloss black. The glass makes the cabin really quiet plus reduces the solar heat. I think the gloss black trim would look nice with the white and it’s a lower cost option. The 14 ways are very comfortable and yes the massage seats more than makes up for the less bolster support that the 18 ways give. The 14 way back seat does not fold flat. It is still raised up a bit but not nearly as much as the 18 ways.

correction: thermal glass is now standard on the GTS. It was listed as an option but I forgot in 2023 it became standard on the GTS.

another thought: the door sills are already black brushed aluminum. $1k to have them illuminated.

Rischey

I lucked into a 2022 GTS on the lot optioned by someone else. The exhaust is imo one of most enjoyable parts of the car. Sport chrono let’s you switch between quiet exhaust, softer ride, higher ride height and snorting exhaust, stiff agile ride and low ride height. Just turn the ****. It’s so cool and so fun. When heading into a town, switch to sport+ and she downshifts like a race car. Big smile.

Selpo

Thank you @mgx1020 , did notice that recently while playing with the configurator. I have decided to stick with the GTS as I like the sport design fascia and the 14 way seats due to massage function. I also read somewhere that the second row of the 14 way folds down nearly flat while the 18 way does not.

Woofman

I'm late this party since I never considered a Cayenne until late August when I bought a well optioned in-stock base Cayenne Platinum on the spur of the moment when I found out that I couldn't get the Panamera Sport Turismo I got an allocation for due to feature constraints.

Good move switching from 20 spoke wheels to 10 spoke wheels! Wiping brake dust off 10 spokes will be easier.

I see you dropped the heated windshield from your original build. It's probably not needed in central Texas but it might be nice if you spend much time further north or in the high mountains. I was disappointed that a heated windshield wasn't available on the Panamera but even more so that I didn't get it on the Cayenne since it's a cheap option. My last daily driver had a heated windshield and it was wonderful - never had to stop to knock ice off the wipers and scrape the windshield which I sometimes had to do every few miles on other vehicles. It's the #1 feature I'll miss on the Cayenne but we routinely drive north from our home in Kansas into Iowa and Minnesota.

I see that you didn't check "Thermally & Noise Insulated Glass". It's amazing at how little noise from wind and other vehicles make it into the cabin through it - less noise than through the single pane side glass on the quiet Lexus LS sedans we owned. And the thermal properties do an excellent job of blocking direct heat from the sun. On my past several daily drivers, my wife was bonkers about getting new vehicles to the tint shop ASAP but she says that she doesn't need additional tint on the Cayenne.

If you think you'll ever want roof rails, now is the time to get them since they can't be added later.

I like your build a lot but one reason is that we haven't bought anything except white since 1986 and only metallic white since 2000. My wife would have loved the black/Bordeaux instead of the all black interior we settled for on the in-stock Cayenne. If I had encountered your GTS build at my local Porsche dealership in August, I would have bought it on the spot instead of the one we bought ... but only if it had the thermal/noise reducing glass option.

My view has become: If in doubt about the value of an optional feature then get it. My attitude might be different if we leased vehicles but we buy expecting to keep vehicles at least 10 years.

You're going to love this GTS. I hope it arrives with all the features you specified.

Selpo

Great points, thank you! @rdboxster

I was vacillating on the thermal and acoustic glass- did not realize they are now standard on the 23 models. Appreciate the clarification on the second row fold down.

Crazy how expensive some of these options are! Valid thought on the illuminated door sills- hopefully all 4 are illuminated and not just the front two like Lexus!

Selpo

Thank you @Woofman, appreciate your insights! Yes, I felt that heated windshield for Texas might be overkill. Will look into the Acoustic and thermal glass, I did not consider it as I always tint my vehicle and thought I might miss out on the exhaust note but I have some posts that you still can hear it.

@Schnave has also recommended the roof rails, I just do not like the look of them in Black- would have done it if available in chrome. Instead, I decided on the trailer hitch so I can add a carrier if needed.

Woofman

Here's a link to a Porsche newsroom blurb about the thermal glass: https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/2021...401-26834.html

LOL, I'd rather have silence. I don't appreciate even the mild growl of the base V6 when accelerating hard. People are different. A friend loves the howl of his Cayman GTS but I can't stand to ride in it due to the noise.

I think I'd prefer chrome instead of black roof rails too but the black ones would at least be consistent with the other black and near black exterior features on your GTS. I gave my Porsche dealership quite a hard time recently for not ordering their spec Cayennes with roof rails and trailer hitches. I ended up spending around $3,600 to have the Porsche dealership install an OEM hitch in September which seems outrageous when the factory installed one is only $660. I don't see myself needing the roof rails but it would have been nice to have the option of carrying stuff on top.

The Cayenne is an odd duck. It's an SUV that doesn't drive or "feel" much like an SUV except for its higher seating position. When I couldn't order the Panamera Sport Turismo I wanted due to constraints, I realized that the Cayenne was like the Panamera Sport Turismo's ugly fraternal twin sister - not the best looking on the outside but very similar and quite nice on the inside. The Cayenne seems to have a tad more rear legroom than the Panamera. I still like the Panamera ST a lot but I don't know if I would buy one now that I have experienced the Cayenne for the past few months. I hate getting stuck in snow. The Cayenne would never have high centered on the snow drifts I've dug sedans out of. (Reminds me that it's time to put the folding snow shovels in our vehicles!) I particularly like that the Cayenne doesn't stand out visually from other similar size SUV's and that people could easily mistake it for something more mundane.

There are really no wrong answers - just preferences.

Selpo

Thank you for the info, upon further research, looks like the 23 Cayenne GTS only comes with thermal glass as standard and the Thermal and Acoustic glass is a $1300 option! Will think about it hard and make a decision soon.

I agree, I also test drove the X5M and X5M50i in addition to the GLE63S and the Cayenne GTS and felt most comfortable and confident in the GTS... hoping it feels the same long term.

Gwaxman34

everyone has their own preferences…but the exhaust of the GTS (IMO) is incredibly engaging. I find myself turning the music down low to enjoy it. 😊

I didn’t know the 23’ GTS came with thermal glass. Haven’t had too many hot days but haven’t had any complaints about sun or heat.

rdboxster

The standard features section of the configuration, or in your case the window sticker, should list thermal glass. It’s confusing as it’s listed also on the options list. There was a thread on the 2023 changes a while back where several, including myself, wondering if was standard or option. I looked at the OP config and it’s listed under standard features.

Woofman

It is unfortunate that Porsche chose to use the word "thermal" to describe common single pane tinted glass. I encountered this confusion in early Spring while I was discussing my Panamera build with my SA.

My local Porsche dealership apparently thinks that the double pane "Thermally & Noise Insulated Glass" option is of value since they specify it on at least some Cayenne that they order to carry in inventory. Both the Cayenne we test drove and the one we bought in August had this option. Is it worth it? All I know is that our Cayenne is almost immune from traffic and wind noise and that this is the first vehicle we've bought in a very long time that we're not going to have aftermarket tint installed on.

Will you miss it if you have never experienced it? I doubt it.

rdboxster

You have a good point on using thermal. What does it really mean? UV blockage requires laminated glass at a minimum. I would suggest discussing with the dealer as the thermal noise reduction glass is well worth the cost. This thing is really quiet which is likely due to the glass. Sorry for adding to the confusion if it’s still an option item. Here is more info: https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/2021...401-26834.html