My dad's considering getting a Cayenne S and I need some ammo to convince him to go with it vs other options such as an FX45. Any other worthwhile SUVs that are comparable as far as performance/handling in the $50-65k range? From reading on here, the reliability of the Pepper appears to be fairly good. Keep in mind he will be keeping it bone stock. How's the resale value?

 

Resale value sucks, although I don't know if it's worse than any of the others. There are plenty of leftover '04s and with the '05s out, dealers will be giving them away. Frankly, I'd get an '05 and hope that Porsche has straightened out some of the electrical "annoyances" with the Cayenne.

 

I purchased MY04 CS 6 months old, 8900 miles $74.6 Sticker... $59K Resale sucks! Unless you are the buyer at this point in time. I love my CayenneS! Good luck with your search my only advice is don't buy new and get one loaded up. There are some options you just can not live without especially on a $60K vehicle.

 

Wow, that is some crappy resale...which would benefit us if we buy it used, which will take some convincing (my dad's always been wary of buying used and hasn't ever done so before). I was thinking about an '04 w/ hefty discounts but if there are a lot of problems that may be sorted out w/ the '05s... What major issues have you guys had?

-A

 

What are the 'cant live without it' type options for a Turbo? How are the thermal glass, 4-zone A/C, and Porsche Entry & Drive? My local dealer (newport beach) says they NEVER order cars with these options because they are bad options and they dont sell, but to me these seem like awesome options!

 

4-zone A/C
I think this is an excellent option to have! They had a Gold CTT at the Huntington Beach show so that is BS!

 

I love parking assist and never would have thought so...one thing we can do in NY is park!

get a loaded up new 04....maybe I should have gone that route. I got a little over $5K off my 05...

 

Ok, what do you guys think about these options:

Tire-pressure monitoring (he'll be sticking w/ the stockers)
Cold-weather package (is it worth the $$?)
Air suspension (I'm thinking a definite yes on this one)
Sports Tailpipe
Panoramic Roof (seems cool, have to see it in action)

If the discounts on the turbos are that much more than the S, the price difference on a fully loaded S vs. Turbo really diminishes, doesn't it?

 

I love my FX45!!! If your not going off road it would be my choice... Better performance than the S also. Also, my wife's V8 Treg has been nice and cheaper than the S also. Fully loaded around 53 maybe.... Same range as the 45. You can deal on the 45 and Treg maybe not as much as the Peppers.. The 45 and Treg boards will help you find dealers and what to expect off.

 

Ok, what do you guys think about these options:

Tire-pressure monitoring (he'll be sticking w/ the stockers) must have IMO - actually almost every car in 06 will have it?? good safety feature!
Cold-weather package (is it worth the $$?) good thing to have it if u're in East coast
Air suspension (I'm thinking a definite yes on this one) worth it the $. much better ride.
Sports Tailpipe u don't need it. for the price get something else, or get the Techart tips from me
Panoramic Roof (seems cool, have to see it in action) i'm not a open top person. could be cool but waste of $ IMO.

If the discounts on the turbos are that much more than the S, the price difference on a fully loaded S vs. Turbo really diminishes, doesn't it? yes & no. however, u might be getting 4~6k more off on Turbo compare to S, but from S to Turbo is still a big jump. yes if u want a fully loaded (air suspension, nav, parking sensor...) u might consider the Turbo.

 

I test drove 2 different CTs yesterday and I must say that it is the most fun I've had in a car other than my 996TT.

One test vehicle was an '04 with tire pressure monitor and the system was going Berzerk!! That tire pressure monitor would drive me nuts because if it's off by as little as 1 PSI it sounds what seems like an 'all hell is breaking loose' alarm. The Tire Monitor on the Vette is much better, and only chimes after there is a difference of several PSI.

The other test drive was in an '05 model. No difference in handling or power, but it had sports tailpipe and I must say that it looked awesome!

Dealer hinted that the max discount on an '05 is in the $3K range, but I'm sure that's their lame starting point.

 

Anyone who has or has test driven the '05s, has the throttle hesitation issue been fixed?

 

We were deadset on getting a pepper. Now we are not so sure. We drove the new Infinity QX56 and that thing is very nice. Very, very nice inside. Tons of standard stuff on it. Rear backup camera, GPS, Full leather, DVD, air leveling susp, tons of room, confortable rear seats (one thing I hate about the Cayenne's) and the big plus for me is that it tows 9000 pounds! The thing is solid and MSRP loaded is $54K. Thats a $21K difference in MSRP (Cayenne S with the options we wanted) That extra cash will be a great race trailer with a living area!

 

What else did you guys consider when you looked at your Cayennes?

997, seriously...

 

NO!

I have an 05 and am very aggravated by the lag, lurching and odd transmission shifts.

I strongly warn anyone considering the purchase of a Cayenne to consider these problems have not been fixed since introduction, are difficult to reproduce during a test drive and may make you very unhappy with your Cayenne.

I hate to say it but I do not think this problem will ever be truly fixed.

Check out rennlist.org in the Cayenne area for many many topics on this issue.

I waited to get an 05 and did not buy one sooner because I hated the problem on my friends 03.

Little did I know that everytime we go out in traffic we are playing throttle roulette and never know when I beloved Cayennes are going to lay down and die for a couple (EASILY) SECONDS.

Maybe when someone is nailed by an oncoming train will Porsche take this problem seriously.

You have been warned.

Mark