Porsche Cayenne

Servicing – Since ceasing to have our Cayenne serviced by Porsche "Technicians" instead having it carried out at the local Goodyear agency we have experienced very few problems, apart from occasionally having the onboard computer reset[ as accurately predicted by the Dogs & Lemons publication] Show details

Excellent 4WD with some caveats – So my car is the original model 2004 cayenne turbo. AMAZING performance for an old, heavy 4WD, bu massive fuel consumption of 18-20L/100km is the penalty. The plastic coolant pipes to the turbos burst, and this cost several thousand to rectify at a mechanic. Other issues I've been able to fix myself, like failing rear hatch struts, leaking coolant… Read more

expansion tank, and a centre bearing support. Japanese/koreans cars are definitely more reliable, however I still feel this old monster is a great drive.

Stick with Japanese – Family Transport ,approx. 2 days per week.Log Book servicing 12 monthly. Since my last review the electronic hand brake seized & needed replacing,& the we had 4th EGR module replaced at great expense, all this on a car with fewer than 100,000 km on the clock.The 2nd & 3rd EGR were begrudgingly replaced by Porsche, who had to rely on Audi for… Read more

repair information. Shouldn't take much longer to run it into the ground & may even consider a Korean vehicle to get something reliable!

Lives up to its badge – I have the Cayenne S Diesel and it is an epiphany of motoring pleasure. The size is generous, the luxury and comfort outstanding, the handling and performance as you'd expect from Porsche engineered in the form of an economical (all things relative) SUV. Show details

The best car I have ever purchased – The experience you get while driving a cayenne is unmatched by any car, just having the porsche logo on your steering wheel makes you feel pride with your purchase. The cayenne requires bare minimum maintenance and is built to last. It has the best features such as PCM (porsche communication management), clearest reverse camera, Led lights all over the car, tiptronic gear change, Aux Bluetooth, Touch screen management and many more!  Show details

Best car ever – My Turbo is so nice to drive compared to 911SC i had for 9 yrs. Cayenne Turbo has smooth power delivery just hold on tight. Everything just works & beautifully finished, love love love it. Only one problem is 21in wheels & low profile tyres don't like gutters ( ouch ) expensive tyres. I drove the GTS before the Turbo - BUY a Turbo worlds apart a… Read more

true Porsche performance.

Press Sport switch and melt into your seat with the purrfect exhaust note & enhanced tuning & lowered suspension.

Extremely amazing car – The driving experience for this porsche is amazing it has incredible acceleration, not very noisy and very easy to handle while driving especially the reverse camera is very useful the best part about the interior is you get a small map on the dashboard and then all the cabin controls i.e, A.C, music, bluetooth etc. are very easy to use. It isn't very expensive to run and does not require very much maintenance  Show details

Its gone – When you spend $140k on a new SUV you have some high quality options: Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5, Audi Q7, Mercedes ML, Lexus. You also have expectations of high quality build, high quality materials, very comfortable, quick, quiet, safe, nice to drive and RELIABLE. For the best reliability reports go to "jdpower.com" and select the category of cars… Read more

you want. You will find Lexus always tops the tables and Porsche comes close second. For local horror stories look at the reviews on this site, very revealing.

I bought this car at Porsche Gold Coast and have it serviced there. It was a showroom car and had a number of extras that I wanted. Had I spec'd the car myself I would have added Bi-xenon lights and 18 way seats. I bought the Ceyenne because I wanted sports car handling and performance in an SUV. I tried the Benz ML but it was slow and sloppy, the lexus was soft and boring, the BMW and Audi had too many horror stories to contemplate buying.

FIRST THE GOOD NEWS My Cayenne has now done 90,000km and feels, drives, sounds and looks like new. No rattles, nothing fallen off, nothing has come loose, no signs of wear inside or out. The doors still close like a bank vault and It is still a great drive.Only two problems, see "sort of bad news". It handles and performs like a sports car.

BUILD QUALITY in a word "faultless". Exterior panels and finish is superb, interior is high quality and durable and comfortable. All controls are solid and nice to use. Seats are comfortable (14 way), I have tried the 18 way seats and they are well worth the extra cost.

CONTROLS All controls are easy to use and solid to the touch. Aircon is great, sat nav and touch screen are great. Controls on the steering wheel are easy to use. All in all very nice to use.

DRIVE / PERFORMANCE I have not been disappointed with the drive. The steering is firm and direct, the throttle response is instant, the brakes are strong and effective, the suspension firm. There is none or the vague steering, bouncy ride and roll in corners you find in most SUVs, this thing corners flat. On the motorway it is like low flying. Overall this car gives the feeling of indestructibility and complete competence in any situation.

COMFORT / CONVENIENCE The front seats are firm but comfortable. The back seats are usual bench but with recline function. The load area is big and dropping the back seats is easy. The tailgate is push button up and down.

THE COSTS Over a mix of suburban and motorway driving this thing averages 8.9lt/100km. On long motorway stretches it gets down to 6.8lt/100km. Not bad for a 2 tonne truck!

Services are every 15,000 km alternating between minor and major services. minor services cost about $600 plus parts, major ones about $1,100 plus parts. Porsche parts are expensive! Brake discs need replacing at 90,000km at a cost of about $5,000. Tyres (21 inch Michelins) lasted me 60,000 km and cost $550 each.

SERVICE The Porsche Gold Coast team have been fantastic, nothing is too much trouble and any problems are solved quickly. I always get a loan car (a Porsche) which allows me to try the other models in the range (no 911's unfortunately).

THE SORT OF BAD NEWS There have been only two problems. The electric motor in the passengers side wing mirror has failed, $500 for the part. The gasket on the sump sprung a leak at 88,000 km, cost to fix about $13,000. I did not take an extended warranty after the factory warranty expired so this was a worry. However to the eternal credit of the Porsche Gold Coast service team the made a case to Porsche head office who covered this repair as a "goodwill" gesture. This is the sort of thing that makes "the Porsche difference". I couldn't be happier.

OVERALL Driving nice comes at a price. This drive is very nice and costs accordingly. If you want a less expensive SUV to buy and run get a Toyota and accept the vague steering, floaty ride and roll in the corners. If you can afford something really special get a Porsche Cayenne or Macan. The Macan is too small for me but is a real hoot to drive. What will I replace this Cayenne with eventually? Either a Cayenne S diesel or a GTS.

ITS GONE AFTER 11 YEARS AND 173,000KM This car gave me driving pleasure for 11 years. It gave no problems beyond those noted above. In the end it looked and performed as it did when it was new. The body and interior showed little sign of wear and everything worked. Nothing had broken or fallen off, there were no rattles and the doors shut with a solid thunk like new.

WAS IT WORTH THE COST? Apart from the costs mentioned above (substantial) the costs are the same as with any other car: Rego $1,000 PA, Insurance $2,000 PA. You can calculate the cost PA and per KM yourself. The biggest cost???? DEPRECIATION. I paid $145,000 and sold it for $22,000, a loss of $123.000. Thats $0.71 per KM or $11,100 per year! That proves the theory that it is better to buy a good used car than new and let someone else take the initial depreciation hit.

What did I replace it with? My wife's health has deteriorated and she can no longer drive and she needs a car with soft seats and soft suspension so we got a Lexus (well made and comfortable but boring).

Great car – Great car considering the price tag. The handling is great and drives well in urban areas. The seats are very comfortable, and is very spacious as the back. There has been no major issues with the car for the past 5+ years whenever it has been brought to the porsche dealership for service.  Show details

Better than expected – ...and I had very high expectations. From the outset and all through the purchasing and waiting for delivery process I was really unsure if I had made the right decision about getting a Cayenne. It took me forever to decide between a Cayenne and a Range Rover. I already own a 911S (997 series 2), a Landcruiser 100 series Sahara and an Audi SQ5 (my… Read more

wife drives the Audi) What I really wanted to do was reduce the need I had for so many cars. I do a lot of outback touring and the combination of cars I had worked quite well - except that the LC was getting a bit long in the tooth and I felt needed an upgrade. So theoretically, I could have traded the Land Cruiser for the Range Rover and all would have been honky dory - except that it wouldn't really have given me the option of downsizing my fleet as I would have had to keep the 911 for the "fun drive". If you've ever driven a RR you'll know what I mean - it's hardly an inspiring drive - very relaxing but not very engaging. So could the Cayenne replace both the LC and the 911? YES! YES! YES!

I bought the Cayenne S Diesel and have now had it for several months and OH MY GOODNESS! It's quite incredible - especially where you WOULDN'T think it would be incredible - like roundabouts and in the sand on the beach. I expected it to be awesome on the freeway and road around suburbs and it met my expectations. I haven't done much corrugation yet but seeing as though I ordered it with 18 inch wheels I'm guessing that it'll eat long stretches of red dirt roads with ease. I've also been impressed with how it luxurious it feels. My worry was that it wasn't going to be a very good long distance cruiser in that it would require me to be engaged 100% of the time. But it doesn't. On the open road it's as quite and smooth as the RR (I know that's hard to believe - but I did also order it with the sound proof glass) and as the driver it's amazingly relaxing.

I am hoping to drag my camper trailer up to Mt Augustus early next year and this will be the first opportunity I have to compare it to the landcruiser as an outback tourer. I might update my review after that. After that, the Gibb River Road beckons.

Watch this space for further longer term ownership reviews.

....about 12 months/50000km worth of driving later (I do tons of driving) I have the following update.

I ticked over 50000km the other day so I thought it was time to update my last review. When I first wrote the review I had the Landcruiser, 911 and the Q5 all occupying space in my garages. I've now sold the 911 but kept the Landcruiser. It turns out that the Cayenne feels much more of a substitute for the 911 than it does for the Landcruiser (which I've decided to keep). The Cayenne is a rocket, it goes around corners and roundabouts very similarly to the speed I've have gone around them in the 911. Yes the 911 does go faster but the critical thing is that you actually DON'T go faster - because all you'd be doing is breaking the law and attracting the attention of those around you who'd take your rego and dob you in. Funnily enough, being an SUV you rarely get a second look from anyone - which affords you so much more latitude with how you drive.

I've not run into any road conditions where the Cayenne felt at sea. It is hard to forget however that I paid over 200k for the car (with options) so the prospect of damaging it off-road is something that I find difficult to shake. I'm due for a tye change and I think that my choice of tire best reflects where I'm at. I had full intentions of putting on the new BFG A/T's on the car but honestly, I just can't do it. My Landcruiser has BFG's and it seems pretty bombproof so it didn't make sense to turn my Cayenne into a complete bush basher - at least quite yet.

Having said this, I've done deep sand tracks, gravel corrugations and rutted roads - even with the performance tyres. Never once did I worry about the car - all I worried about were the tyres.

I've fallen in love with the SUV offering from Porsche. So much so that I've got the Macan Turbo on order to replace the Q5. I doubt I'll ever get rid of my Landcruiser but lets face it, the Cayenne isn't trying to be the car that can wear a massive steel ARB roo bar to bump annoying roo's and small trees out of the way as you carve a fresh path from Warburton mission north into the Tanamai desert and onto Rabbit Flats.

One of the things I do find annoying is the auto stop/start feature. I also enjoy the car much more in sports mode. Unfortunately, each time you turn the car on it defaults to the economy mode where start/stop is activated. If you press the sports mode the start/stop thing becomes deactivated however, the suspension stiffens up and the car levels up to the middle height. I also like the car on the setting that sits one setting lower than the normal height but when you press sport mode the car moves to the normal height and suspension to sports. Basically, when I start the car I automatically press Sports then I press "Comfort" suspension then I pull the switch to make sure the car stays in the lower height setting. I wish Porsche had the option (like the Q5) where you could set the car up like you like to drive it and then with the press of one button (or with key recognition) the car immediately moves into the setup that you most like.

None of this however dampens my enthusiasm for the car. I'm really looking forward to the next gen of Cayenne. I think I'm a Cayenne lifer!

Great handling and performance for a large vehicle – Porsche cayenne s I purchased my my Porsche Cayenne S several years ago and from the moment I took it from the showroom I have been impressed with its handling and performance. This car sticks to the road like squashed koala. The car feels solid and has great acceleration for a vehicle of its size. I have managed to do 97000 kilometres without… Read more

any major problems.

Some of the non essential controls were a little complicated to get used to first that's why Porsche give you a lengthy hand over when you purchase a car from them. They explain the whole car and and teach you how to use every function. I was not interested at the time, I turned up to the dealership a few days early unannounced and insisted on taking my car. They reluctantly agreed and tried to explain as much as they could to me in the 30 minutes I had available. After leaving the car yard the tips they explained to me in that short period of time were invaluable. I now have respect for these salesmen, they are trained well and they do know the product they are selling.

There are several drawbacks owning a Cayenne S, because of the weight of the vehicle at 2.3 tonnes they chew through tyres and brake pads every 20000 to 30000 kilometres . The tyres alone cost around $750 each. They also chew through petrol driving in city traffic at about 18 - 23 litters per 100km. The replacement parts are expensive. The spark plug's coils fail causing the motor to misfire. The coils can be purchased for under $90 each from a Porsche dealer. The plastic cooling pipes under the inlet manifold can fail due to a design fault, these can be replaced with aluminium ones that are trouble free. The gps is difficult to use and is ridiculously expensive to update. I was quoted $600 from my Porsche dealer. The rear hatch struts fail and cost over $500 to replace and install.

The fuel cap holder is a terrible design, the user must balance it from its plastic retaining string over a small lug on the fuel flap.

And finally the worst downside of all to owning a Porsche Cayenne S is that they are ugly and look like a Hyundai SUV to the untrained eye.

Overall the Porsche Cayenne S is safe, reliable and a real pleasure to drive. Reliability, performance