I have the reverse problem. Have a Cayenne S as the family vehicle / wife's ride, and sometimes track tow vehicle. Wife doesn't think its "big" enough (i dont get how a family of 3 needs "bigger!", but that's another story), so she wants a Lexus or Toyota monstrosity. I will not part with the Cayenne, its just too good.

I thought about the M3 as a daily but got an '11 S4 instead. The thing is quick, nimble and somewhat fun, but has been multiple trips to the dealer for stupid **** in 6 months. I may trade for a BMW (if i can ever get over "3-series driver" stigma), or even a 991 (bigger back seat, LATCH, etc.).

At the end of the day, I see these as good problems to have. ;-)

But as others have said, +1 on the Cayenne. I do wish mine was a 6MT GTS, but oh well.

 

Gorgeous and as always fast. But...my number one decision criteria is responsive throttle...all reviews say same about m5 - great car but turbo lag there.

 

How about the new Mercedes ML63 AMG? I've had a few AMG cars and their throttle responses have been great. Then again... I'm still trying to decide what my first 911 is going to be (997 GTS or a 991 C2S), so I don't know how the 911 is in daily driving situations.

 

Look at the E63 Wagon. It has more interior room than the Cayenne and it drives much better. The newest models are TT. Get the NA 6.3L V8 and call it a day, but you'll find yourself in the previous generation body style. And there is always the E63 sedan.

 

Get a Cayenne S or Turbo

 

I'm not following your thread ... are you looking to replace the car you love, or the car you loathe? There are plenty of good cars that you might prefer to an Escalade .. ML, X5, Q7, LR4 / Range Rover, etc. But there isn't anything out there that can replace a 911 and seat three children in the back. Plenty of great cars for sure, but there's just no substitute for a 911.

 

I recently came to the difficult decision to sell my beloved Carrera S because the blessing of my son's birth meant that I wasn't driving the car... at all... and the reality was that I wouldn't be driving it much anytime soon as you simply cannot fit a rear facing car seat in a 997S. I offer that up front so you know I'm coming from a similar, but different, point that you are.

1) If any of your kids are in car seats the M3 sedan will not work. The backseat is small and while you can cram three kids back there, you can't do that if even one is in a car seat.
2) If any of your kids are in a rear facing car seat, the forthcoming M5 probably won't work for you either. I'm not sure how different the bolstering in the rear seats will be in the M car but the current 5 has a bigger back seat than the M3 but it's not that much bigger. As I've found out, most of today's safer, rear facing rear seats eat a HUGE amount of space.
3) We looked at the MB E63 and the powertrain is stunning. There is some lag there and I just didn't like the way the car handled. Granted, we drove a sedan (the wagon's remain special order and are nearly impossible to find), but I suspect the wagon would drive very similar to the sedan.
4) I was very excited about the CTS-V wagon until I drove it. The powertrain is stunning. But the interior materials (from the seats to the headliner0 are just awful. I want so bad to buy an American car again but fail to understandy why GM wouldn't charge another $1,000/car and put an appropriate interior into these cars. Very disappointing.
5) We think we're going to end up with an optioned up 958 Cayenne S. The TT is a whole different beast but the current V8 is more than enough as a family hauler and a significant amount less $. I personally didn't care for the looks of the original Cayenne (nor the back seat space) but really like the new model. It drives very, very well for an SUV... really like a proper sports sedan... with great steering feel, awesome brakes and wonderful throttle response. And the PSE is glorious.

Good luck.

 

Excuse my ignorance, but what does DE stand for? I'm thinking of doing the PDS in Alabama and want to make sure I get the most from it.

For the OP. Having recently got a 997 and struggled with the practicality of it, and having my wife want a 7 seater - I ended up buying a beaten up Chevy Trailblazer EXT as a beater. Seats 7, can tow, and lots of room. 4x4 for the snow. My 5 year old loves sitting in the back of the 997 though and gets a real kick when I accelerate in 3rd gear :-)

My wife is now looking at either a Cayenne or Q5 to replace her Acura RDX.

 

The Cayenne is a very nice SUV, if you are hooked to stay with the Porsche brand. I've driven the turbo and it is intense. However, it is still a big *** SUV. You've got to want to drive a big *** SUV. If you have a 911 and need more space, the M3 simply can't be beat for exotic motor, poise and versatility. No, it isn't perfect either, but it fills a niche that can't be touched by anything else. Next for entertainment would be the C63 AMG. Outrageous exhaust note, but incredibly horrible mileage and rear tires that don't even last 10k miles. Not to mention MB does wierd things to make the car more sporty, like making the suspension quite stiff and overboosting the steering. Nevertheless, it is also worth a look in the quest for more space. Ah, the 911 is also impossible to touch in its class as well. It just doesn't seat 4 people well. I got too limited when I had mine as well.

 

I sold my 997 Turbo for the same reason as you, and purchased a Toyota 4Runner. I was almost immediately unhappy once I realized what I had lost and within 6 months had purchased another 911. You are best off if you have the garage space just buying a Subaru wagon or something to use if you are pressed and keep your 911 for everything else. You will never find a one car compromise that brings the same joy as your Porsche.

 

I've patiently read all the posts herein and still don't read why you need two land-yachts. Three kids will fit in any (non-sports car) vehicle. Why not use the 911 when going solo and/or with the wife and use the bus when you go as a family? I would not give up my vehicle when you already have one family transport vehicle. Let the wife drive when you go as a family and you don't have to suffer through driving her vehicle.

 

Would like to replace the escalade...but I can't convince the wife. That said, I will have tp replace my 911, and I will likely do it with a cayenne.

 

Good question. Net net, I put about 6k per year on the 911, and about the same or more in her escalade due to what you mentioned. When circumstance prevents me from my car, we take hers.

 

I too have a 2006 C2S and a 2011 M3 (although mine is the E92 coupe). But I agree with what Johnmwosa says above. Also, the coupe has only 4 seats with a plastic partition between the rear seats - you have to get the sedan if you want 5.

The engine is arguably better in the E9X than in the 997s - it's a zinger to 8400 rpm, sounds good and is very responsive. The steering is above average but does not compare to the almost telepathic steering of a 911. It is precise, has good weighting, good self-centering characteristics (caster mostly) and communicates back to a certain extent but just doesn't have the feel of the Porsche. It is definitely more insulated.

Handling is actually quite good - suspension is damn compliant on the softest setting (assuming you get one with the adjustable dampers) and nice and tight on firmest setting. Middle setting is great for day to day driving. The car is more nimble and tossable than you might expect and easy to point and squirt in traffic or on curvy roads. It is definitely a more isolated car than a 911 though. You sit higher, there is MUCH more noise insulation (actually a good environment to do work calls from) has a lot more interior gadgetry and just isn't anywhere nearly as raw as a 997.

But I really like my M3 - which I use as a daily driver. I'd recommend a test drive but make sure you get on it a bit and rev it close to redline. If you drive it like a 328i, the M3 feels like a 328i and it won't impress you coming from a 997.2. If you drive it hard - it actually comes alive quite nicely. It's no substitute for a 911 (IMO) but it is the best 4/5 seater quasi-sports car that I could find.

 

Fabulous review...thanks for the explanation. This causes some additional intrigue around the M3 platform now...would love to hear someone's take that owns an M3 and Cayenne. I realize this sounds crazy to compare the 2, but given my decision criteria, perhaps these 2 cars not entirely too far off...

Good advice on the test drive...I most definitely drive my car aggressively now...usually hang around 4-6 RPM no matter what I'm doing.