I am considering a used Cayenne, I have done a few searches, but the forums I've read dont involve much do it yourself information.

I have come across piston ring breakage and water pump failures in some engines
but haven't seen any high mileage cars out there to see how they hold up.

My wife had a hard time keeping her Lexus on the road this winter, and my autistic son's favorite car is the Cayenne. I would like to get one and get a personalized plate with his name on it, if I can find the right car for the right price and there not considered piles of crap.

I would use it to tow the 914 around to events and she can drive it the rest of the time.

Any input and advise would be appreciated.

I thought that they had an abnormal amount of problems that required warranty work - mostly electrical stuff. Definately would want to be careful and if you can find one with warranty it might be worth it. I would just be scared of the price of repairs off warranty.

I've seen a couple of Cayenne's at the dealer with engines removed due to porous engine block castings but that these were early models.

Get a Toureg. In the long run, you'll be a much happier camper, and you'll be out a lot fewer bux. I know people who've had Cayennes, and one guy had to switch drivers every couple of hours on a cross country drive because the seats were killing his back. Long time Porsche owner, brand new car, er, truck, took it to the Parade.

Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong ................ The Cap'n

The only time I remember Crusty being wrong was in 1823.

Twystd1

I am pretty capable when it comes to repairing and maintaining cars. If the engines turned out to be crap an LS6 conversion maybe in order. The cars have been around for awhile now so there should be a good track record of what to buy and what not to buy. I think the Cayenne S with the V8 is suppose to be the better of the vehicles.

Good point, the wife likes comfortable seats, she has complained about the Lexus seats ever since we sold the town car.

I wouldn't get any of them, but I definately would not get the VW Golf-engined V6 version that does 0-60 in 10 seconds.

My daily driver is an '04 CTT that was a lease return car, I have had it a year and have had zero warranty problems. The only maintenance item so far have been new front brake rotors, not cheap! Its been a great vehicle, very very fast but quite thirsty and BTW it handles amazingly for a machine of its size.

You could join up here:
http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

and ask your Questions from actual Cayenne owners!

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - In Consumer Reports' most recent survey of vehicle reliability, the top of the list is, once again, dominated by Japanese manufacturers.

Lexus, Toyota's luxury brand, is ranked as the most reliable nameplate, followed by Honda and Toyota's Toyota brand. Of the top ten brands ranked by predicted reliability, according to Consumer Reports, nine are Japanese.

Only one U.S.-based brand, Ford Motor Co.'s Mercury, made the top 10. Mercury ranked eighth. In last year's survey, Mercury had ranked 16th.

Not all Japanese manufacturers did so well, however. Infiniti, Nissan's luxury division, dropped from eighth place last year down to 28th place in Consumer Reports' reliability rankings this year. The Infiniti QX45 was the most unreliable vehicle among all new cars.

Among overall brands, Porsche ranked as the least reliable based entirely on problems with the Cayenne SUV.

Consumer Reports' reliability predictions are based on an annual survey the magazine conducts of subscribers to its magazine and Web site, ConsumerReports.org. This year, Consumer Reports said, the magazine collected survey data on more than one million vehicles. Each survey respondent can supply data on one or two vehicles.

The survey asks owners to report major problems -- meaning problems that cost a significant amount to repair or that took the vehicle out of service or caused a safety risk -- within the past 12 months. The survey covered 1998 to 2005 model-year vehicles.

In recent surveys, reliability has not been improving as quickly as it had in the past, Consumer Reports said. While Japanese brands still do best and U.S. brands are improving, all have seen the rate of problems per 100 vehicles stay relatively flat since 2003.

Should You Buy This Car?

Good question. Here's the deal: We like the Cayenne and think it's the perfect second-car for the household that already owns a Porsche or any other equally zippy-yet-impractical sports car. That being said, there are some things to bear in mind before you plunk down your money.

First, while the Porsche is undeniably fast and sporty, it might be just a little too much so. As mentioned before, even in Comfort mode, the ride can be a bit harsh for passengers. For families with children, the smoother ride of a Land Rover Range Rover--which is certainly as prestigious as the Cayenne and, if one opts for the $90,750 Supercharged version, even slightly more expensive--might be more welcome. Moreover, one does not need to spend so much money to get a perfectly good SUV. The $67,395 Lexus LX 470, the smaller though pleasantly fast $71,100 BMW X5 4.8is and the virtually identical $44,750 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI are all worth a look.

And of course, one might decide that they don't even really need an SUV as a second car when a wagon will do just as well. If that's the case, it is definitely a good idea to check out the Mercedes-Benz E500, BMW's 5-Series wagon and Audi's $48,600 S4 Avant.

Then there is the question of vehicle reliability. Consumer Reports raised a red flag about both the 2004 and 2005 models (the 2006 model has not yet been rated), saying that its reliability was "much worse than average," scoring low in the "power equipment," "body hardware" and "electrical" categories. To be fair, most European luxury cars tend to score pretty badly with CR--although the 911 was rated among the most-dependable luxury cars by JD Power. (To find out which other high-end cars score well, see: " The Most Reliable Luxury Cars 2006.")

When one is shopping for a $90,000 car, reliability should be a factor--but it is unlikely to be the dominant one. This is a car that should be an indulgence, a reward, a treat. The Cayenne Turbo is all of those things. And practical too. Best of all, it's a Porsche.

No dude... I have seen Crusty. And he is just wrong...

Be advised... I tow my 914's on an open trailer behind a Supercharged 4Runner. It has about 270HP which just about matches the Cayenne S. I consider it (the 4RunnerSC) to be just adequate and that is all.

I have an LR3 ride and set comfort is fine. No Reliability issues and I will let you know how the towing is after I pick up my Teener in CO.

A good freind of mine has the S, and would agree wholeheartedly with the above statement. Especially the amazing handling part.

Hey, I may not have a 914 right now or even a Cayenne, but I do have a 2004 Touareg! I have the V8 with just about everything you can get it with: suspension upgrade, stereo, heated seats/mirrors/nozzles, GPS.

The engine idles kinda rough, supposedly waiting for some software upgrade.
The dash is peeling. The black on the radio buttons is coming off and revealing white underneath. Same on the door panel and dash. I have never, ever seen a car molt from the inside out!
The electronic warning system hates the cold, sometimes it just hates me. I will get intermittent messages about defective wheels (when they're fine), low tire pressures (when they're not), lights not working (when they are), transmission "clinics" that need to be completed (when they don't) and so on.
Two years ago the battery would mysteriously drain down to zero, they had to tow it to the dealership and did some kind of software upgrade. That fixed it.
The automatic-"you're holding the key and it opens when you touch the door" feature didn't work when I got the vehicle, is now fixed.
CD player sometimes won't go on when you start the vehicle.
I think the stereo sucks even though it's their monster mondogigawattjobbie but I'm picky in that regard, stereo/music is my other passion.
Has had other even more minor problems like an ill-fitted driver's door, defective seat belt retractor.
All in all, these are a lot of small, petty problems.

However, when it is running (and it only had me stranded once), it drives well, can easily get out of its own way, is comfortable and is a world class vehicle. Is the Porsche worth 20 or 30 or 40 thousand more? I haven't driven one but I will agree that it is the Touareg's prettier sister, up to the individual to decide. Not worth the price premium to me.

These glitches do have me thinking of selling it when the 4 year warranty is up at the end of the year. Part of my problem is that the nearest dealer is 40 miles away so I gather these frustrations, allow them to simmer and bother me for months at a time. That's what I get for living in a small town and driving a "fancy" vehicle. We do get a lot of snow in the winter and the 4-wheel drive is a lifesaver.

Paul

So like anything some cars have problems and others may not. I am not a fan of German auto electronics which seems to perform like vintage Lucas stuff. But that said My son Ollie is a huge fan of the Cayenne and the wife says its the only SUV she likes the looks of. Used turbos could set me back 60 grand and an S around 40, and the V6's can be picked up at auctions for around 25. All are considered a lot of money compared to the teener, and a new Cayman could be had for the price of a used Cayenne.
I drive an old Jeep Cherokee and am plenty happy with it, but this is more for my son than anything. Ollie is going to be 21 this week he will never legally be able to drive a car and cars are everything to him, the Cayenne is tops. I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, his responce was Smoke a Cigar, Drink Beer, Porsche Cayenne in that order. How do you say no to that.

local paper had a article on them this weekend.....the turbo has gone to 500 hp for 2008

Steve @ Rennsport can reflash the CPU on a regular CTT to get 521hp without any mechanical changes. I have thought about it but have come to the conclusion 450hp is plenty, anything over 2000 rpm this thing pulls like a freight train.

IMO the best Cayenne hangout is at Rennlist.

6speedonline Cayenne peeps are more interested in mods and putting huge wheels on their rides.

Marv, are there any negetives about your car your willing to share or all positives at this point.

In my searches on Cayenne forums it dosent appear there are any DIY's that work on these cars, all the problems are hauled off to the dealer.

The positives are that its a great vehicle, IMO it does not have a bad angle when looking at it. It drives like a luxury car, my prior daily driver was a hot rodded F150 lightning, fast, loud, rattly, and nervous handling when you push it on a twisty road. The Cayenne at 7/10s is unnerved and is confidence inspiring, roads that I drove with the lightning that caused it to dance all around were like like ho, hum for the Cayenne, it deals very well with uneven pavement at speed. Yeah it may be smaller than some SUV's but I have not found it limiting in my useage at all.

The negatives, right now there are two minor things that need to be looked at. Number one the early cars (my included) have a design flaw in the pencil coils for the spark plugs, they crack where thay attach to the plug, this causes a rough idle, sometimes, mine comes and goes. This is a known problem and there is a Service bulletin to repair, which is a warranty item.
Number two is that the key fob has a mind of its own, and only unlocks the drivers door in my case. This is a known dealer service issue and is also a warranty item.

If I were you I would be looking at 2005 and later, as the earlier Nav used CD and 05 and later uses DVD.
I would also recommend a CPO vehicle.

Also IMO you are in the right region to get a good deal. I ended up purchasing from Luxury Motors, near Chicago because the same vehicle same mileage was 6 to 8 thousand dollars less expensive there than west coast pricing.

I don't own an SUV. Quite honestly I think of them as station wagons on steroids. If I were in your shoes & aquiring an SUV there would be a battle in my head between associating the word Utility w/ Porsche & the pure snobbish joy of saying my SUV is a Porsche . If she's in good shape & you can afford her I say go for it !!

My Jeep will serve as a beater for hunting and my trips around town, the Cayenne would be my wifes bad weather car up here in Minnesota, her Lexus is fine for her daily driver. I would use the car for towing the 914 to events, and the wifes winter driving to and from work and shopping.
She wants to drive one and I think the uncomfortable seats i read about may be the main reason this wont be the car for her.

Can aftermarket coil pack systems be used instead of the factory ones say a MSD?

Is anyone able to compare the Cayenne's seats to WRX seats?
They're not the most comfortable, but they're bearable, and that's what I'll be replacing, maybe with a Cayenne.

Aftermarket coil pack, I don't know. This is a well known service issue and there is a PCNA TSB (Porsche Cars North America Technical Service Bulletin) The newer next generation coil pack does not crack and simply replaces the earlier ones, this is taken care of at the dealer as a no charge warranty fix.
I will get mine taken care of at my 40k service when they also change the spark plugs. It's not a big deal.

FWIW, I don't own a Cayenne but have spent several thousand miles in them as a result of my occupation, andhave driven all versions, inluding all 2008 models.

I'll keep my thoughts to the eariler cars, as that is what you are looking for.

Upsides:
-Phenomenal on-road performance for what it is (just drive a Cayenne, then an X5, then an Explorer and you'll see that the jumps are equal between all three)

-Good interior space

-Perfectly acceptable ride quality (FAR better than X5 4.4i or higher)

-Comfortable seats for long drives (at least this is my opinion)

-Excellent off-road ability (so long as you swap the tires)

-A certain "Porsche" feel to the proceedings (having to do more with engineering than soul, however)

-Superb ABS and braking

-Fantastic PSM

-Cayenne S V8 is a particularly sweet-sounding engine.

Downsides:
-Heavy (5,500-5,800 pounds, at the minimum)

-Lack-luster styling (again, my opinion)

-Both the V6 and the V8S are kinda wimpy in a straight line, with both merely "adequate" around town and the V6 getting pretty borderline on any kind of a grade at freeway speeds with just me on board....

-Iffy quality in the 2003 models, probably getting better each year after that and making a noticeable leap for 2005 and 2006.

-Serious complexity. I think there's something like 53-54 computers on board, including one in each door just to regulate the power windows. And those get slammed hard every time a door hits the striker plate... Chevy V8 conversion would probably be a nightmare to integrate with OBD II and PSM. Unless you work for NASA, I wouldn't try it. And probably not even then.



A good friend and Porsche mechanic bought one and now has well over 60,000 miles on the car. I think it's a MY 2004. The only problem he has encountered has been paint chipping along the upper seams of the bumpers (gap was too tight). He loves the thing.

As for all the horrors reported in the Touareg, I'm sad to hear them and would take them as a precautionary tale at some level due to the amount of stampings and systems shared by the VW and Porsche SUVs. Then again, VWs are known for HORRIBLE electronics while Porsches generally seem to escape this fate.

So, given your son's emotional connection to the Cayenne, I think I'd go for it, buying the newest one you can get and making sure to get it CPO'd.

Hope that's helpful...

pete

Post pics of the cigar and beer! Best wishes on the 21st!

For an SUV, it's tough to beat my 2004 GMC Envoy XUV (not many of them out there tho). 300 hp 5.3 liter V8, LSD, Combo of 2WD, AWD, 4WDL, 4WDH, and tow mode w/ all wheels disconnected, all from a switch on the dash!
Put it in AWD and go embarrass any Vette up to 350HP.. absolutely NO wheelspin, just flat GONE! And still gets 18 mpg around town/ 22 an the 4 lane.

Split Passenger/Luggage compartment so less noise, but a drop window/panel and seats if you need it all... fits a 4 x8 sheet of plywood, drywall lying flat!

Sunroof, AND the rear half roof slides forward to hold the "big ticket" items, like that old french armoire your better half just had to buy at the furniture consignment store. Don't ask.

Hauls a 24' Wellcraft Center Console, or a dual axle 18' car hauler, loaded with an assortment of various Porsches, with absolutely no issues whatsoever, and still delivered 15 mpg under tow.

Seats are super comfortable for a 6'4" driver to go 1,600 miles in two days (MI to the FL Keys, with boat in tow).

40K, and all I have done is change the oil and a new set of front brake pads (yes, I know, should have done the rotors, but they are fine!).

The best part? I was waiting to make a left turn, in a center turn lane. Some nitwit bimbo in a 1997 Nissan Maxima, coming the other way, looked down to find her cigarette lighter, drifted left, and hit me head on at 45 mph. Blew her air bags, buckled her hood in half, crammed her radiator into the engine, busted out all of her lights.

The Envoy? A few scratches on the bumper... honest to God, it never even popped my air bags. After the local constabulary got thru, they said "Do you think it's driveable?" I said "I'll try it", started right up, backed away from the Nissan, and drove off... no mechanical damage! Still running great, five months later!

Look one up on eBay... chances are you can find a very nice one for $20K or less! Peel off the GMC badges, stick on a Porsche Crest, and the kid will be none the wiser! You can alwasy stick on some 20" bling blings if that will help the image issue! ;>))

He's autistic believe me he will know the difference, He could tell me your cars an Envoy from a few blocks away coming straight on in the dark.

I am keeping my eye out for the right car.

my wife has had her cayenne for 3 years, not one problem (but she only drives about 5000/year) I think we are going to get a 2008 which has been facelifted.

I work with three guys that have early model Cayennes, two turbos and one S. The guys with early Turbo Peppers seem to always have problems. The guy with the S hasnt had as many issues.