Hi guys. My Great Dane has grown and I am in need of a SUV type car to cart her round. Of course my preference is to add another Porsche to my garage. I however do not want to spend a fortune and am therefore looking at 2004 model Cayenne S, 4.5 v8, tip, with 100k miles at my local dealer. Please chime in with some advice. How reliable, what to look for, running costs etc. I am worried I would be buying a money pit. If there is a different model you recomend please go ahead. Greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

 

If it were me I'd probably opt for at least a 2006 model or newer so you know at least some of the design kinks were worked out. Regardless, if you go for anything older than a 2008 at a minimum make sure the coolant pipe upgrade had been done to change them from the inevitable exploding plastic to the more reliable aluminum pipes. Either way, you'll end up driving it more than any of your other vehicles because it's such an awesome SUV!

Edit: Wait - you have an Aprilla? Never mind... :-) Any pics of the bike to share! Those are fantastic!

 

A well-maintained 2004 Cayenne S can be a wonderful vehicle. That being said, it can also be a money pit. Be careful and do your research before you buy it. The good news is that by the time the car has 100K on the clock, it has probably had all the major issues addressed. The bad news is that the 2004 model was pretty early in the production of Gen 1 Cayennes, especially if you get one that was produced in 2003. Later models typically have fewer bugs. If you go up to a 2005, you'll probably have fewer problems, and you'll get the DVD-based Sat Nav, which is superior to the CD-based unit.

A few things to look for:

- Maintenance records from the prior owner. Oil changes at the recommended intervals or before are important in Cayennes. Skipping or delaying them can cause a host of problems, like a CEL for cam position sensors and other problems.
- Coils. They've probably been changed, but you never know.
- Coolant pipes. You'll want to make sure you get the new, aluminum coolant pipes. If you have the original plastic ones still in place, it's a ticking time bomb.
- Fuel pump(s) and water pump. If these haven't been replaced, then you'll probably be replacing them soon.
- Cardan shaft. These fail regularly on early Cayennes. I'd look to see if it has been replaced.
- Cayennes EAT brakes and tires. If the brakes haven't been replaced lately, then you'll probably be doing that soon too. Mine generally last 40K miles at best.
- Battery. If the battery hasn't been replaced, I'd plan for that. Some Cayennes have two batteries - one under the driver's seat and one in the rear cargo area. If your new Cayenne has two, I'd replace them both.
- Options. A Cayenne S can be very sparsly equipped or it can have all the options that a turbo offers. The ones that I think are a must have are: Soft ruffled leather seats (they have worn much better than the standard leather in our C4S), PASM and air suspension, full-leather interior if you can find it and the comfort lighting package. I believe all the S models have HID headlights as a standard feature, but I'm not sure. You'll want to get those if you can.

My Cayenne S is a 2004 model with a build date of May, 2004. It has been a wonderful, reliable vehicle and a pleasure to own. Since it was new in 2004, it has averaged 4,245 miles between service appointments with an average cost of $501.64 each time it visits the shop. As with any car, maintenance costs tend to increase as the car gets older. I had my coolant pipes replaced this year as a preventative measure at a cost of $1,863.69. For all of 2011, I've spent $6,318.75, which includes a new set of winter tires.

Good luck on your decision and have fun looking!

 

I would go with the rule of buying the newest Porsche you can afford. That said, Dennis has put a nice list.

Which year is your Ape? I have a 02 Falco R.

Good luck in your search for the Cayenne.

 

I'll still point out that the issues with the 2004 are hugely exaggerated due to the number produced. There simply are way more 2004s than 2005/2006.

Any repairs or service bulletins done on a car with 100k likely updated to newer part numbers than even s lower mile 2005/2006 may have. There simply we're no "major" revisions from 2004-2005-2006.

 

Thanks.

Here are some pics of my ape!