I got my ‘24 Base Cayenne Coupe off a lot in January, and loved it so much I had to upgrade everything I “missed out on”, so I now have a ‘24 Turbo E-Hybrid all custom config I ordered on a ship about 2 weeks away! Anyway I have some current experience and some recommendations for your wife that may be helpful:

Definitely get the air suspension. I didn’t get it on my first and it gets nothing but raves for the ride quality.
I have the same 21” Exclusive Design wheels. They’re fantastic and I spec’d them on my next one. Consensus is don’t go to 22” to keep the ride quality soft.
You might like the tech package. The passenger display is totally an indulgence but gives the passenger so many toys to play with and completes the seamless screen look of the dash. It’s much better than just a gloss blank piece of plastic reflecting the passengers face. And it’ll let you navigate, run the entertainment, or see how many G’s she’s pulling.
HUDs are one of those things you never need until you try one. I can’t live without one now and it helps you keep your eye on the road.
Someone recommended sports exhaust, but even when off it’s a louder exhaust. Definitely not for someone that’s not about the performance and wants a quiet, soft ride.
Cayenne interiors can be VERY dark. Headliner and seat surrounds and dash all default to black. The black leather shows every spec of dust and my wife’s skin creme leaves slight white marks on everything she rests an arm on. I got the chalk+black interior on my base and tried to lighten it up even more on my Turbo with a Kalahari headliner and colored seat belts.
I couldn’t get the insulated glass on my Turbo because it was sold out but it also gets great reviews.
All the exterior cosmetic options are personal taste. Look at real pictures as much as you can though as the configurer is hit & miss on the color renderings.
The Burmeister audio is crazily priced, but most reviews say the base audio is terrible and to go for the Bose. I got the Bose and if you up the bass level, it’s decent.
The HD Matrix headlights in black are a very slight cosmetic tweak for the money.
Everyone raves about Rear Axle Steering for both parking and cornering. I love it on my wife’s SUV- makes it feel like a much smaller car.
She might like massage seats. I had it on my Audi, and miss it on my base. Had to get it on my Turbo.
Innodrive adds lane centering to Active Lane Keeping, which is pretty sensitive and beeps a lot even at the lowest setting. I spec’d it for the lane centering and improved stop-and-go traffic cruise control.

And while cosmetics are always personal taste.. go for the Porsche logos on the headrests. It’s just that “finishing touch” that makes it look as expensive as it is. ;-)

Hope that helps!

 

Yes, that wheel and trim combo is how I would spec it. Subjective, I realize.

 

The Algarve looks stunning with Neodyme wheels, consider those! But with the gold wheels, I’d do gloss black window trim.

We have air suspension and it makes a huge a difference. I would not get a daily SUV without it.

If you have any chance of towing anything in the future, get the factory tow package. It is almost impossible to add aftermarket.

For us, insulated glass is also a must, it makes a huge difference in a daily (no engine or exhaust sound needed).

 

If you could get only one option it should be air suspension. It transforms the ride of the car to be substantially more comfortable in comfort and sportier in sport mode.

After this it would be rear axle steering. It is night and day vs not having it. The car maneuvers in and out of spaces like a much smaller car than it is. Highly recommended.

As for aesthetics as others have mentioned get the sport design front fascia. It will eliminate 80% of the cheap black plastic that has no place on these vehicles and you get a more aggressive front end as a bonus.

 

It looks more like a color you might see on a 580SL or other luxury boat. Go with a color that is somewhat alive on a Porsche but colors are totally subjective and a matter of taste. Hope it works out for you guys but I would wonder as another poster in this thread has why you would go with a the Porsche brand if there is no interest in performance but its your money. Even the base Cayenne starts life as a driver oriented ride and handles like a sports sedan. Those handling and general performance capabilities come with a sig premium over other SUVs.

 

The Cayenne even in base form handles extraordinarily precisely and is quite enjoyable and even fun to drive when pushed. The Lexus LS sedans I drove daily for 24 years were wonderful in their own way but as far away from fun to drive as one could get. The last one I drove - LS460L with air suspension - was like driving a cruise ship ... a very plush and comfortable ride ride but zero fun driving.

Lots of good suggestions in this thread.

If the cost isn't important, my view is to get optional features if you even think that you might find value in them.

I feel fortunate that the in-stock 2022 Cayenne I bought had the easy to clean 21 inch 10-spoke Exclusive Design wheels instead of the 21 inch 20-spoke Spyder wheels that are so difficult to clean although I would have been satisfied with the standard 20 inch 10 spoke Cayenne Design wheels which are what I use in winter.

The Cayenne air suspension is very nice if only for it's load leveling properties. I've owned several vehicles that sagged very badly when loaded with passengers, cargo and bicycles on a rack attached to a receiver hitch. It's great not to deal with that on the Cayenne.

The double pane glass option is pretty wonderful for both its noise reduction and heat rejection properties. Our Cayenne is the first vehicle we've bought in decades that doesn't need additional aftermarket tint to be comfortable on hot sunny days.

InnoDrive is useful if only for its all-speed Active Lane Keeping Assist (lane centering) which is also nice in mind numbing traffic jams since it allows the Cayenne to drive itself with no steering input. The regular adaptive cruise control (I've used several times in loaner Macans) also works well in traffic jams but requires the driver to do the steering. The speed adaption feature of InnoDrive is less useful but using it has helped avoid speeding tickets in rural areas where communities rely on speed traps for revenue.

I like the HUD a lot but I'm farsighted. I'd have to wear bifocal glasses if I had to rely on the instrument cluster and I don't like doing that. I rarely look at the instrument cluster ... mainly to check tire pressures and oil level.

The all black interior of my Cayenne is my least favorite feature. It looks dreary. I also don't like dark exterior colors but that is more because of the documented better safety of light exterior colors - especially white and yellow.

I would have got several additional features if I had ordered instead of buying in-stock. I would have definitely got the inexpensive trailer hitch since I spent vastly more having the Porsche dealer install one. I also would have ordered the front massage seats with rear seat ventilation, the power rear side window shades and all-wheel steering if only for the better low speed maneuverability it provides.

 

Your comment regarding performance oriented cars is exactly right. My wife is not a performance oriented driver, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care how a car handles or whether or not a car is fun to drive. Her first comment about the Cayenne was that she felt safe and secure in it. I believe this is because it's designed for high performance handling. You can feel this even when driving leisurely. The car is nimble, responsive, and sure-footed on the road. Engine performance is also important, even from a safety standpoint. Excess torque when you need it can get you out of tricky situations. Yes, you can get good engine performance from the Japanese SUVs. But, nothing handles like a Porsche. Even I was surprised that the base Cayenne exhibited this characteristic. FYI, we also drive Mercedes GLC and GLE. The base models didn't handle as well as the Cayenne.

My main point was that the base level Cayenne has the level of engine and handling performance that suits her. Moving up to the S and/or adding the more driving enthusiast oriented options would be for me, not for her. I usually drive when we go places together, especially on road trips. But, this doesn't happen often. And, if comfort would be compromised too much, it would be the wrong direction.

As for the suggested options, it sounds like the air suspension and insulated glass are universally considered good ones. I'll think about the others.
I have been looking at the rear axle steering and am intrigued by it. I need to look into it more.

Thanks!

 

As I said in my other response, those characteristics of an SUV that handles like a sports sedan have value even if someone isn't pushing the car hard.

 

Honestly, consider the X5 as well if your wife isn't as attuned to the sporty element. it's roomier, has much better infotainment, much better bang for the buck, has a better engine than the base Cayenne, and still handles pretty sporty.

My wife drives our Cayenne as well. When we got our 958, the Cayenne was leagues better than the X5. When we got our pre-facelift 9Y0, we wanted the hybrid and again, the Cayenne was a class above. With the X5 facelift, BMW has substantially closed the gap. I rented an X5 30d in Germany last summer and drove it 1,200 km. With base suspension and base wheels it handled the autobahn and fast back roads with aplomb. And that was the base diesel (there is a 40d) and the base suspension on winter tires! Based on our previous Cayenne, she wanted to stick with another but I'll be honest, I'd like to drive a facelifted X5 back to back with the facelifted Cayenne. It's definitely worth a look even if you stick with the Porsche.

RE your build, IMO ditch the black wheels. That fad is over. You can get black wheels on a Pacifica. If you want dark, go with the gray.

 

Sorry to throw in another opinion. I would strongly encourage getting the RAS, it is well worth it.
I also think the 18 way sports seat are a great option for 420, they look great and have some functional advantages. Lastly the tow hitch is only $660. The cayenne has amazing towing capabilities and if you sell your car many buyers will only consider cayennes with the hitch. I use mine for bikes. Apologies for spending your money. One way to save is to downgrade your wheels to the regular 21” Rs spider wheels (1300 less). They look great and there is a risk you may get tired of the black ones. I think you can also cut down on the appearance options (leaving black window trim, however) to leave room for the RAS. Lastly without the upgraded glass the Cayenne is still a hell of a lot quieter than an x5. Of course I do not really know what I am talking about so don’t be afraid to go with your heart, you just asked for a critique. You would probably enjoy your build as is.

 

Thanks. Yeah, the X5 is definitely worth considering. The first issue is that she doesn't like the way the x5 looks. Coincidentally, we're on vacation right now and will be renting an x5 for the day on wednesday. So, we can get some experience with it. It may end up being a 2023 though. Not sure how different that will be from a 2025. I know the infotainment system changed. Based on pics I've seen, it looks a little "bolted on" to me. I will say that I like how customizable the Cayenne is. It's nice to be able to get precisely wha,t you want, if you're willing to wait for (and pay for) it.

 

Focus on seats and suspension.

Get those 2 right and the rest gravy.

 

i like quite a few of @Woofman input points.

I would add, I like to prioritize anything that has to do with what I touch or use to operate the vehicle first, i.e. the human interface elements. So if you want HUD, a particularly interior look/feel, or comfort feature like the massage seats, prioritize all that #1.

Then, I would prioritize performance keeping in mind the cost to add items after the fact if you think you may change your mind. I bought my car off the lot, swapped out the steering wheel, 2500$, and I want the porsche sport exhaust (will be another 5000$ to add). cost to add those items originally would have been half.

You, or someone replying originally mentioned the acoustic glass. Also consider that glass is supposedly harder to break according to elon musk, so that feature could also be considered a safety feature as well. and I don't see adding that after the fact as easy, so I would definitely say do that glass. I don't have it, wish i did, but i'll live.

a lot of it depends on how long you plan to keep the vehicle. if you are a new every 2 person, missing something isn't a big deal. if you want to keep the thing say 6 years, then i would air on the side of adding the features, and thinking about things more.

For your car/things i wish i knew before I got my car:

• I saw you had the headlights w the hello/goodbye animation. If you add the exclusive design taillights, you'd have the hello/goodbye animation in the front and rear of the vehicle vs just in the front.
• minor, but the GT wheel has the exposed bolts for a more industrial look, and is slightly smaller in diameter which allows you to see the start/stop and gear selector more whereas the standard steering wheel is larger in diameter hides those items - GT wheel has a few ascetic options: carbon or race tex or leather etc if you have an ascetic preference on that end they have the options available.
• Like someone else mentioned, if you go w the club interior, you get the fancier cross stitched top seam, and the leather is a bit nicer. My car has club and i like it, but i was told it CAN show wear more than the std. leather. So far, i have 10,000 miles, and no issues.
• deviated stitching is also an amazing ascetic, w a black interior, and I have seen several cars with it. however, the cost for it is high and I would say it'd be something for someone who is really enthusiastic on fashion, or really wanted an interior that pops. if you were getting a 911 i would say it is a no brainier, on a cayenne, meh, depends on the buyers passion for that kind of detail.
• if you generally like exposed stitching, be aware that the grab handles do not have it, unless you select the "interior grab handles in leather" option. they will still be leather w your full leather interior, but they don't have exposed stitching if you don't select that option.
• if you don't select one of the sport chrono options, you will have the blank center dash w/o a clock, and you will not have launch control. people seem to expect the clock, and having the launch control is cool, so consider that.

shows the cross stitch top seam, which will be on all 4 doors and the dash if you get the club leather

note the top center of your dash is just flat, no clock, which means no launch control.

these are the 3 short chrono options. i just have the 1100$ one. knowing what i now know, i wish I had the compass or subsecond unit. it is kind of a nice elegant convince to have the clock on the dash. i could see a wife liking that. my girlfriend points the clock out to everyone when they get in the car.

 

Hey, more opinions are better

Interesting point about the tow hitch. We are unlikely to tow anything. But, for resale, you may be right...
RAS is definitely becoming more interesting to me now.
This is the latest build:
https://configurator.porsche.com/porsche-code/PS5GQGC3

Wheels aren't all black and I got rid of the black trim.

 

Meh, tow hitch for resale is highly overrated. We got one on our Cayenne Diesel and have never ONCE used it. I omitted it on the hybrid as we're completely unlikely to ever tow with it, and if we do a hitch mounted bike rack, we still have the diesel. Or I'd get a roof rack. Plus it looks fugly.

People go on about the RAS and air suspension being "must haves" but I've driven the Cayenne with air and other cars with RAS (not the Cayenne so can't comment) and honestly I like the purity of responsiveness with the steel suspension and PASM dampers just fine. And honestly, I've never had an issue parking or steering the Cayenne without RAS. Given your car is shorter on options and for your wife....you can skip both to be honest. Spend money on options you look at and touch every day.