Hey everybody! This is my first post so take it easy on me...

I just sold my Dinan 5 BMW 540i and am looking into getting a 2004+ CTT. I've done a TON of research here and on Rennlist so I know about the cooling issues, electrical gremlins, driveshaft issues, etc. but had a few other questions and am looking for some opinions as well.

First how DIY friendly is the CTT? I did EVERYTHING on my BMW (including intake manifold gaskets, valley pan gaskets, suspension, diff, etc.) and anticipate probably doing the same on the CTT. It is just another big air pump right

Second I'm looking at two cars right now.

Car 1: 2005, 65k, CPO through mid-2011, 1 owner, clear bra, most of the "usual" options plus 4-zone and burl-wood, new brakes and it is $30k (I know a stupid good price...). My issue with it though is I'm a little weary of the dealer. He seems legit from reviews and research I've done but I had to ask him about specific scratches and marks (the car is at Porsche now so he is going to get back to me on others...) and the front tires need replaced (cupping on the shoulders of the front; common it seems). Now he didn't not disclose these but you'd like to think he would take better/more pictures of those items and be up front about it. None of it is major and only looks limited to the front and rear bumpers ($400 to have re-sprayed) but it still is a concern.

Car 2: 2004, 75k, NO WARRANTY, 3 previous owners, better wheels but it is only $25k. It looks MUCH cleaner without the knicks and scratches but might need brakes soon and doesn't have the 4-zone. It DOES have sport seats though where the former has the "comfort/soft" seats.

Car ?: Hold out, drive the E30 until I find the one I can't pass up!

So is it worth the extra $5k to get a year newer with a short warranty but need to replace 2+tires immediately and possibly fix some scratches/marks or save the $5k on the '04 for maintenance, issues that may come up (which I anticipate being able to tackle, so just parts costs...) and maybe some mods (chip, bypass pipe, DV's, intake, etc...) plus have better wheels and the seats I want?

Thanks for your time and help fellas! I look forward to being on here MUCH more in the future! I have 1200+ posts on bimmerforums and look forward to doing that here as well!

Just to show how much of a car enthusiast i am below are a couple pics of my now sold 540i (I did shed a tear...) and my $250 E30 track/DD

If I'm reading this right, the first car is at a non-Porsche dealer but has a CPO warranty.

If so, i would check and double that the warranty is transferrable. I paid extra to CPO an '06 CTTS from a Porsche dealer in FL (a dealer I would never do business with again or recommend) and I'm pretty sure that I was told by a great dealer in MN when I traded that vehicle in that the CPO warranty didn't transfer anyway.

Go with the newest you can afford. I've read that electrical gremlins had been ironed out starting 2005.

The Porsche CPO warranty is only transferable through private sales, if your buying the vehicle from a non Porsche dealer then the warranty is gone!!

Just an update, I bought the '05 and will be picking it up Thursday! I can't freaking stand it and am like a little kid at Christmas who secretly watched his mom wrap his presents and know what he is getting! Once I pick it up I'll be sure to post up a new thread about it!

Thanks for the feedback! I checked with both the dealer AND my buddy who works for the local Porsche shop and he said it DID transfer and he gave me all of the records he could get ahold of. Big item to have the warranty for sure...

Well that is good to know because I'm picking her up Thursday

I talked to both the dealer and my buddy at Porsche who said it transfers so I hope they're both not wrong! If the dealer is wrong then they'll be ponying up for a GOOD third party warranty. I just hope I'll never need to use it!

i went the 04 ctt route and could not be happier.

Wait and look for another deal!

Congratulations! Keep us updated, and pics when you get it. BTW, I just helped fix up my brother's beat up E39 540i that he had been driving since brand new. It looks very similar to yours now.

I have an 04'CTT and couldn't be happier. However knowing now if I had to go back in and buy I would hold out for the 06' CTT/S (better overall 955 series) or less expensive 08' (larger engine) and the majority of the kinks worked out. If budget doesn't permit than the newer one of the two.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2006-...US_Cars_Trucks

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2008-...US_Cars_Trucks

Congrats! Glad to see another potential DIYer enthusiast with a CTT.

Post up pics!!!

That is great to hear! I wasn't at all "putting down" the '04's as I was really close to picking one up but from what I've heard hear and just about everywhere else is "buy the newest you can get"...especially with a warranty!

Thanks! I will definitely post up some pics and "reintroduce" myself once I get the car!

I would love to pick up a '06 or '08 but there seemed to be a MAJOR price gap between the '05's and '06's by anywhere from $10-20k! Besides if the bug stikes I know what to look for in a few years

Thanks Cole! Are you a major DIYer? How do you find working on the CTT? It doesn't seem to be too bad maybe just a bit more cramped in certain areas?

Well, I love building cool cars and motorcycles. I could overwhelm this thread with things I have built. Some magazine and poster vehicles.

I have only had my 04 CTT for a few months and have not done much to it yet. Just catching up on the maintenance items first,(aluminum coolant pipes, air compressor rebuilt, Turbo S lower control arms, leatherique leather restoration, some carbon fiber vinyl bits, some alcantara interior bits, 22" forged wheels, FM modulator, painted some trim black, hardwired the V1 and mute switch, and have LOTS more bigger projects in mind) This thing is easier to work on than my Audi S4. Nothing overly complicated about the Cayenne at all.


I have 2 thoughs on the Cayenne for you.

First, I think that they older ones have come down in price enough that you will start to see more enthusiast DIYers starting to buy them. Which should lead to more cool things being done to them.

Second, I think all the talk about the 2004 Cayennes being more quirky is only partially true. I think that Porsche sold more 2004 model year Cayennes than any other year. So there are simply more 2004 Cayennes with more miles on them. This larger sample size is what gives the impression of the 2004 being less reliable.

Looks like sales slowed enough in 2005 that Porsche started introducing "Special editions" to stimulate sales. This is a very common move by car makers to try to breath life into a model. By 2006 they had their "turbo s" version out and finally had to do a facelift to keep Cayenne sales up.