I test drove a 2004 Porsche Cayenne S the other day. Thinking of adding it to the GS in the garage because I need something to pull some jetskis I just bought. It was black with about 34,000 miles on it. Dealer is asking $37,999. Just wanting to see if anyone here has any experience with these cars, both GOOD and BAD. I've never owned a Porsche but heard maintenace costs can be SCARY.

Thanks for any input!

 

Porsche is generally reliable. If it's a coupe.

The Cayenne is the one vehicle in the Porsche line-up that is bringing down the brand name in terms of quality and reliability (because of its VW-ness). However, as far as performance is concerned, the Cayenne is hard to beat.

If you are planning to use it as a weekend vehicle, that's great. Otherwise, I wouldn't use it as a daily driver...

 

yeah like philip said, because Cayenne is based on VW Toureg (one of the worst engineered SUVs), reliability isnt so porsche like

but the Cayenne is as impressive off-road as it is on the road
on the road, it handles like a sedan, not an SUV
it is a quick one too
off the road, it is quite capable as well

if you want something reliable, you are better off staying in the lexus/toyota family
ie. LX or GX

 

Not wild about the looks of the prior (1st) gen, but that is one capable veeehickle.

 

We have a turbo in the garage and it handles frickin crazy. Also goes like a maniac.

 

Thanks for the replies. Anyone else have any input?

 

do you really need a cayenne to haul some jetskis, there are less expensive alternatives if that is the primary purpose

 

Of course I don't NEED a Cayenne just to pull jetskis I want the utility of an SUV (more cargo space than the GS for those Costco runs and all wheel drive for those winter drives over the mountain), but I don't want something like an Escalade or Suburban. I want something a little smaller and sportier. This would be more of a "fun" vehicle and would not replace the GS as the daily driver.

 

I rode in a Cayenne S the other day and boy was the ride harsh. The rear legroom was horrible. As a rear-seat passenger my legs were sore and my back felt stiff after a 15-minute ride. Recommended only if you wanna bring your "SUV" to the track.

 

That's odd. The Cayenne I drove had the optional 19" wheels. The ride was smooth, more smooth than my GS which has 18's, Koni shocks, and Eibach springs. Either way, thanks for the input and keep it coming

 

My Explorer V8 would fit your needs nicely and with the market you could no doubt get one at invoice price or better even. 6 speed auto, 300HP V8, very quiet interior, plenty of room, great factory tow hitch and towing capacity, etc.

I realize a Ford is no Porsche though!

 

The X5 drives better. Trust me, I test drove both. Body roll and steering feed back(Same as the VW Toureg) does the Cayenne in.

See for yourself

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eIRAu9n6Gp8

 

because u own one pssh . how can u stand the videos? its all german lol.

 

I look for the biggest grin on the test driver's face