Used Cayenne experts?

[brainz01]

Originally Posted by speeder

When I jumped in it, the dash display was reading, "Chassis Failure" and the ride height would not adjust from its lowest setting. Maybe just a minor issue, maybe not but not a harbinger of great things in a complicated, feature laden used luxury car. The salesman let me drive it anyway and in hindsight, he probably should not have. The ride was truly awful, not merely too firm but it bounced over any undulation in the road like it had no shocks. Some malfunction of the air suspension, I guess, because they could never have sold one of these new if that was the normal ride.



It was powerful but not particularly responsive or fun in any way. It reminded me of a Bentley I've put some miles on, another powerful, heavy turbo vehicle that is not fun. I was expecting a rocket and it was a dog until you sunk your foot into it, at which time it displayed its massive lungs and would probably pull forever. Just like the Bentley. I want to say that there was something wrong w it but there were no CELs displayed, just the chassis warning.



All that said, I still haven't given up on them. In the lot where the turbo was, they had a slightly scratched-up black Cayenne diesel the really intrigued me. I sat in it and it was less complicated but still plenty luxurious enough w leather, heated seats, etc. It turned out that it was a dealer car that they used as a shuttle, parts runner, etc. Low miles, (41k). I made a cash offer for it on the spot that was plenty fair and he called the boss right in front of me but alas, it was not for sale. That is the model that has my interest at the moment; 400+ lbs. of torque @ 1700 rpm and ~30 mpg highway sounds like a love affair. I'm hunting the classifieds.

1) Sounds like the one you drove was riding on the bump stops, i.e., that example had a failed air suspension. Could be a leak in the air suspension, worn compressor, failed sensor or even just the calibration. Fairly easy to troubleshoot with a good Porsche specific scan tool, and likely not terribly expensive to fix (unless actual air strut is bad - - that's more expensive due to labor alone).

2) As mentioned above, the Cayenne has an adaptive transmission - - drive like a Grandma and it shifts like a Grandma. Drive like you stole it and it will get much more aggressive and hold higher revs/lower gears to keep boost more accessible (at the expense of fuel economy) and feel sporty. To get a better feel of how they can drive (with better/appropriate adaption), consider using the manual mode on the trans and shift your own gears. If you shift at 3000 or 3500rpm, the car should figure out you're being sporty and adapt after a few minutes. Manual shifting will also give you a better sense of performance potential. Keep the rpms above 2300 and the boost is quickly available and responsive. Depending on the model year, there's also a sport button that will help. But otherwise the transmission will keep revs low for economy sake.

3) I've not driven the diesel, but they have a big/loyal following. While not as fast as the turbos, the high torque likely makes for a nice city driving experience and the fuel economy is remarkable. Good luck on the hunt.

[fintstone]

If you drove a Cayenne Turbo and it did not handle very well and accelerate like a rocket, it was broken. Although not a 911, you should be able to stoplight race older mustang v-8s or take them in twisties easily. As far as non-Turbo versions, at least those the same year as mine ('04) seemed like a typical SUV or station wagon performance-wise to me...as they had smaller tires, smaller brakes and not a lot of power for a 6000lb vehicle.

My Continental DWS tires last about 25-30k which seems low (plus I seem to get a lot of nails where I live and often replace them sooner/do not wear them out). They do wear evenly, but v or z-rated tires just wear quickly and 275/40/ZR20 are not cheap.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Denis I would strongly recommend you drive a GTS if given the chance. They feel substantially more responsive and sporty, even in normal driving. I’m sure the TT is massively fast but it will never feel as responsive as the NA V8. Add in all of the sport options available and it’s a much different experience.

[James Brown]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Just curious in your opinion why is it such a tire eater ? Is it just the raw power ? Or performance alignment ? Too soft a tire compound ? If I understand your statement in 51k you have gone through 3 sets of tires , that seems excessive to me . But maybe not .

the Michelins are a 20k mile tire, nice and and soft. Put its THE POWER!! 500 big ones, 0-60 in around 4 seconds 70 to 100 in a hurry!! skid pad better than a ZO6 corvette.
it does try my patience but a heck of a lot of fun. going down the freeway a lot of Subbies approach me and stay even and just try to creep past without disturbing the black giant...... Fun to play

[RKDinOKC]

On the X3 sport it had a sticker on the windshield that said notice you will get less than 20K miles from the high performand tires. It got 13K.

[pavulon]

Wide, low-profile tires, unibody, and German engineering makes the big girls dance like every day is Oktoberfest.

Will be interesting to see if GM has taken any notes with their new IRS equipped Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban.

[David]

There’s no getting around that a Cayenne is still a tall 5,000 lb SUV. So it’s never going to feel like a sports car but compared to pretty much any other SUV it has better suspension, engine, brakes, and seats. Add to that a pretty luxurious interior and it’s hard to find a suitable alternative.

The turbo acceleration can be a Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde personality. Sometimes it has just good acceleration but other times when the speed, rpm, and throttle position are just right it accelerates like a scalded cat. Insane highway speeds are easily attained without much drama.

I like the driving feel of the Macan better but the couple inches less rear seat room and cargo space mean I won’t be shopping for one.

Here’s how easily my 62cm bike fits in the back of the Cayenne:

[James Brown]

did someone say brakes? the turbo (not the turbo S) brakes are stellar. on the moterweek test, it did under 100' on the 60-0 test. great for a 5500lb truck.



(NO donuts were harmed in this photo)

[stealthn]

I had an 05 Turbo and loved it! Great for road trips, pulling a trailer, and all around fun to drive. I did all the work myself and never had anything major go on it in 3 years of ownership. Traded it in on a full sized truck as with a family of 4 and a dog needed more room for camping.

Get a 2011 or newer and you’ll be fine.

Hated driving the truck so sold it and got a 2010 Panamera Turbo, love it too