4ess

Hi all we're 911 drivers for the past 13 years and are considering ordering a Cayenne GTS to replace our aging X5 4.8i. Would you all please give us advice on the following in the context of a 2016 GTS which will be a daily driver in Chicago with frequent trips to/from Michigan and occasionally farther? The car will see potholes, slow speeds, sudden starts, stops, rain, snow, salt, plus highway driving. No towing, no real offroading, but we do need cargo space for light cargo. We typically keep our cars about 8-10 years and tend to "load them up" with options on ordering. Here goes:

(1) Are the following worth their price (and are they reliable) in your opinion:
PDCC
PTV Plus

(2) What exactly is leather and alcantara on the standard GTS "leather interior with Alcantara / Seats Alcantara" package? And what's plastic-y? Is the dash leather in the standard package?

(3) Are any of the leather packages (Leather Interior Package or Extended Interior Package, Dashboard Trim in Leather) worth it in the context of the GTS already coming with some leather?

(4) What is Piano Black Interior package? Does that substitute piano black wood for otherwise aluminum trim?

(5) Is Bluetooth connection to a cell phone included? I saw a separate Bluetooth thing but wondering if that's for the integrated cellular.

(6) Any experience with Thermally and Noise Insulated Privacy Glass and
Heated Windshield?

(7) Is Bose/Infotainment included in Premium Package Plus?

(8) Anything else we missed or should miss?

Thank you for your advice! Promise to post pics if/when we get this puppy.

RESP

Hello 4ess,

From my Cayenne experience - a 2012 V-6 heavily optioned.

(1) No experience

(2) Not sure on the Alcantra. The standard interior dash is the less then stellar plasticky surface. (see 3)

(3) The full leather interior is worth it. We have over 175,000 Km and 4 solid years in this Cayenne with the full leather. Every drive is a little more enjoyable because of this. Have driven several Porsches with the standard dash and am glad I paid the extra for the extended leather. Has worn very well through 90 degree summer heat, -40 degree winter freezing.

(4) Piano Black is the inserts in the dash and door between the upper and lower sections. It is standard and is replaced by the wood, aluminum or carbon fibre inserts. See the configurator to see where it goes. We have the Piano Black in our Cayenne, and am happy with it.

(5) Bluetooth connects on our Cayenne. We have PCM and Bose. Works great!

(6) No experience, have read in the forums with mixed reviews.

(7) If it isn't listed in the 'Info' button as part of the package, it isn't. Last configurations I did, you had to add Bose to get it. It was part of a package in 2011 though.

(8) Our use is likely very similar to yours, but colder in the winter I use the PASM and Air Suspension quite often in the snowy winter and through the city potholes and highway frost heaves it is nice to have some more options than steel springs offer.

(9) Bonus question and answer - have you considered European Delivery? It was a great experience for us!

Looking forward to seeing the pictures!

4ess

Yeah I don't see PDCC and PTV plus on too many....thank you RESP. Re: leather, I think GTS comes with some on the dash & doors. Mix of alcantara and leather.

Gages

2) IMHO mixed feelings on the Alcantra seats. Looks great, but you don't slide on them like leather. Not sure I would do again.

bweSteve

I'll chime in with several things (coming from ownership of 2012 CTT)...

#1) PDCC & PTV - You did not mention any spirited driving expectations for this Cayenne. If you are only really using it for a daily driver on city streets, cargo hauling, and family trips,. then PDCC & PTV are probably not worth the money for you to spend. Spend it elsewhere since they are NOT cheap. I personally LOVE both those options, but then again I have a 25 yr old 964T that we drove the **** out of for 10 yrs, but now has reserved back into a Concours type machine (no more on-a-whim meaningless drives like we used to). So now I get my kicks out of driving this CTT hard.
You're call on that one. But I can say for certain, you would DEFINITELY get a kick out of hitting exit & entrance ramps HARD with those two options. :-)

#2) Alcantera Seats - Personally I would never do the cloth {cloth anything, even Alcantera) on the seat centers. I love my air conditioned leather seats (but I live in the Mid Atlantic & summers get toasty). Go with leather, since I would also think you'll have heated seats. They warm up quick,... and you'll appreciate the leather in the summer (even in Chicago / Michigan).

#6) Noise Insulated Glass - If you value the use of a "Easy Pass", and don't want to hang it out the window every time you go through a toll plaza, then do NOT get this option. The transponders do not work through this glass.

Also, I can say with confidence that even without that special glass, my Cayenne stays nice & cool. I have the Pano roof (which I love), and when I am parked outside in the heat, I always make sure the screen is pulled over it, and the rear door privacy screens are up. I get in, and within 60 - 90 seconds the car has cooled off (of course the A/C seats really help speed how quickly I get cooled down).

Just a side note regarding your #7. I am a audio aficionado, and absolutely LOVE the Burmester sound system. If you enjoy your music with gusto,... take the time at a dealership & listen to both Bose & Burmester.

Re Interiors - I have the Yachting Mahogany option with two tone Espresso Cognac. Maybe it's because I'm near the Chesapeake Bay / Annapolis area, with tons of boating,... but this combo puts a smile on my face even before I turn the key to start it up. I had never seen any Cayenne's with this yachting light maple insert stripping inbetween the deeper Mahogany. But now that I have it, I love it. If you want to see a pic of this dash, there is a good one on Page 31 of the Exclusive brochure...

http://www.porsche.lv/image/data/mod...%20Cayenne.pdf

Also Btw, my CTT has the Sport Design exterior aero package, which makes it look like a GTS, and to me that makes a world of difference in how sporty this SUV looks. Go for it!!

Enjoy this journey of picking it out & making it your own!
Let us know what you end up with!!
=Steve

Rennaissance

Compliments for picking the GTS. That would be my first choice also (see below).

1)
PDCC - yes, it is worth it. It enhances the overall comfort or sportiness of the chassis settings, so its application is not limited to curves and accell/braking. Somehow comfort with PDCC is more comfortable and sport is more sporty. I drive my 2012 CTT on Comfort mode and the PDCC allows the car to stay comfortable without losing any control.
PTV Plus - I don't think it is worth it. Should you add the cost of tyre, brake and rear differential wear? If it's worth to you slightly less than its total cost of ownership, are you going to skimp on a few hundred dollars? I wouldn't fret over this one either way.

2)
Alcantara seats are a deal-breaker for me, because they exclude ventilation. Ventilated seat is a must in the Chicago summer.

3)
+1 to bweSteve: it's all about putting a smile on your face. With the Cayenne, it starts the moment you walk up to it, open the door. Unlike the X5, this is a car which can wrap you in wood and leather all round, almost RollsR-style. A full leather interior with hardwood is a must IMO.

I have wooden handles - feels and looks incomparably better than leather; the added bonus being resistance to sweat in the hot summer months. They're handles, after all.

I only wish my CTT came with natural leather (in my color combo) and more leather items, like the extended leather dashboard or rear view mirror in leather. I find honesty in material and worksmanship therapeutic.

6)
I have the insulated windows. They complete the comfort experience. Smaller cars passing me on the freeway are almost inaudible; my hearing is acute.
I don't know about the GTS but on the Turbo, the front windshield and the tailgate window are insulated as standard. The option only affects side windows. I would think that this is the same for the GTS.
So the difference to toll transponders is none. I have full, apparently unaffected mobile signal in urban and rural areas.

8)
Try and compare the 14-way seats to the 18-way. Some people can't stand one or the other.
The painted key is very stylish.
The illuminated aluminum door sill guards will lift your spirits every time you open the door. On the GTS, the illumination is in two colors; all other models are white only.
More is less when it comes to the steering wheel, IMO. Single function Sport wheel is preferable to multifunction steering wheel. Try and compare.
Heated windshield? Good for winter but some owners complain about the interaction with air ventilation.

My favorite option of them all is the adaptive cruise control, ACC. It transforms my commute on so many levels. I don't even check my phone anymore without the ACC being engaged. The ACC on the 2015+ models also looks cool from the outside.

When I was in the market for a used 2011-2014 Cayenne, the GTS was my preferred choice. I could not find a single one for a reasonable price with all of: full leather interior, PDCC, and what was then the Comfort package Plus (rear AC, panoramic roof and adaptive cruise control). That's because the dealers who order these cars sell to people who don't understand the options. The few GTSs that did meet my specifications actually sold at 10-15% lower discounts to their respective MSRP than the non-equipped models. After a two-month long search, I had to "settle" for the Turbo, where full leather is included as standard. If you can hit all of these options, your car will be one rare beast.

I realize how costly these options are; getting them all might even seem irrational, given that the barest base Cayenne is already a great car. But it is equally irrational to devalue a car - and your impressions - by leaving out the one or two concluding pieces to the puzzle.

Gages

Better question, has anyone figured out what the "compartment" in front of the shifter is actually for???

Greg81

There are obviously mixed feelings about the alcantara interior. Personally, I love it in my '13 GTS with the sport seats. I also have it on the steering wheel. It gives you a real sense of grip and looks different than standard leather you see in every other vehicle on the road. Avoid the insulated glass, not necessary. You should also consider adding roof racks and/or a tow hitch on the build. At some point, you'll want one of these and much easier to do now. PDCC/PTVplus...I don't have either and I'm very happy with the performance. Light years ahead of previous 2011 X5 and my wife's 2014 X5. If you don't mind the added cost, PDCC does make a noticeable difference in hard corners.

The only other thing I would consider as an option for a new GTS build is adding in NA V8

4ess

We dig alcantara too.

DWPC

If it's available, I'd strongly suggest getting the entertainment system with CarPlay, which allows use of phone apps on the dash screen. In a few years, it'll be the standard.

bweSteve

Agreement on your #1 & #2 Rennaissance.

#3 - Also agree on the Grab Handles - I have the wooden Mahogany grab handles too & love em. Glad you brought that up (forgot to mention how nice it is to grab those).

Re: #6 Insulated Glass (Transponders). Strange that you can get your Easy Pass to work through this glass. I test drove a '11 CTT with it, and tried TWO Easy Passes, and neither would work (funny that the seller was fine with us going through a local NJ toll without getting the "Paid" notice. He probably dealt with that later )

#8 - Love the illuminated door sills too. Only downside there for me, was that I went with the WeatherTec mats, and it slightly covers the illumination, so I don't get that full bang-for-buck when I get in&out at night.

Oh, and re: total cost of options - When I was figuring out which direction I was going with this Cayenne purchase,... I wanted new, & the ability to configure one the WAY I WANTED,... but was open to CPO/used too. Once I tallied up all the options I would LOVE, verses those which I could live without,... I started to feel like, if I am going to get one of these, it really SHOULD be loaded up to my satisfaction. But damn it was going to be expensive for new.

So when my CPO/Used search uncovered a 16k miles, 3 yr old CTT with $150k total MSRP, and a sale price of $77k, I jumped. Wow that's a lot of depreciation for the guy ahead of me. But they are out there.

couple pics in support.... (Btw we towed the 964 22hrs round trip w/ no issues at all. This vehicle rocks.)...

Rennaissance

The dark rich mahogany looks intoxicating next to the warm cognac! Talk about DUI
The first owner might not have been financially prudent, but sure did a great job with design

I was similarly endowed with the previous owner choosing the rare discontinued umber / cream (not Luxor beige) interior with walnut. It's an aesthetic godsend. Handles in classic grains work great in the Cayenne. I'm just not sure about olive.

I did not say that the transponder works in my car. I actually haven't tried it. In the SF Bay Area you can get by with registering your license plate. I do seem to have unaffected mobile phone reception.

Besides, there are cutouts in the metallic foil where you can place the transponder.

My point was that the insulated glass option refers only to the side windows. The windshield is unaffected. The source of this information is Porsche Conshohocken, who in April '15 tried to sell me a 2011 CTT with undisclosed frame damage!!! The panels scraped against each other when being closed. Fortunately, the good guys at German Auto Specialists caught this at the beginning of the PPI and called me immediately. But that's another story. Anyways, I intended to have the car upgraded to insulated windows. The dealership's technician said that only the side windows needed to be replaced.

So in every CTT, and probably also in the GTS, you already have double pane windshield. The insulated glass option is good against wind noise from mirrors and street noise. And of course against sunlight from the side. In the winter, the side glass reflects body heat back at the neck and arms.

Consequently, transponders should work just the same in cars with and without the option. I guess that some of the complaints are due to heated windshields (another metallic foil).

As an anecdote, I needed to flag down a police car the other day, post Baltimore riots. It did not stop after a honk and flashing, so thinking they can't hear our horn, I honked & flashed a couple more times. I was convinced that our horn was so silent. When they finally stopped, they were pulling guns at us! They assured me that our horn was loud and annoying enough. That's to illustrate how quiet our car can seem And that street was walled on one side.

A nice detail is that insulated windows are more shatter resistant, which is great for peace of mind when moving through bad areas.

All in all, this is an option I would pick again. I see no downside to it, the price is not exorbitant and you only have one set of ears. Somewhere I read that there is a 2-3 decibel reduction in cabin noise - that's half the noise amount attenuated.


Congrats on the great purchase decision and I completely understand your pricing dilemma.

Porsche engineers are great, but they have nothing on Porsche price strategists. Those guys know how to juice one's wallet. The logic is: I'm about to spend $1xx'000 on a car so how can I not add another 1% to the total cost? And so the 1xx'000 keeps growing and the next option is an even smaller percentage of the total cost. Cognitive bias exploitation par excellence.

OP: Every time someone asks about config, the entire forum congregates with "you need this" and "can't be without that". It's like going to Europe for 12 days and besides London, Paris, Prague, Bratislava and Rome deciding also between a corrida in Sevilla and opera at La Scala. Can't go wrong with either, can't die without either but can't do both either.

In the end, you need to know what is therapeutic to you. Not having to touch synthetics? Not being burdened by a high maintenance interior? Not having to leave your bikes at home? Not having to cringe road imperfections? There's a relief for each.

bweSteve

Ahhh, I knew there was a good reason your handle was "Rennaissance"!

Much enjoyment reading the post. Good luck to the OP!!

JOZO200

item 2) - The main reason i wanted the GTS over the S was the Alcantera seats, roofliner, pillars and doors. To me the interior looks much better in the GTS than Turbo/S. And no sliding around.

Also the stitching on the dash and seats is great.

I cant speak for US models because we in Australia get more options included in our Porsches. I.e- leather dash is standard in a GTS, as is air suspension and myriad of other things.

4ess

I think the sound insulating glass is a pass. Being able to hear around you is important for safety. I don't want it so quiet that I'm oblivious. It sounds like the standard glass i the Cayenne is already quiet enough.

Also seems like the heated windshield is problemmatic with glare and RFID devices.