Hi everyone,

I have lurked on this site for a year. This site was the best resource on the web to learn more about the Cayenne and make informed judgements about the mind-boggling number of options to consider.

I took delivery of my Cayenne S about three weeks ago.

The purchase process itself was a bit of a fiasco. At the end of October, I ordered my car from a Boston dealer. The dealer said they had a build slot in December/January which based on the information from this site struck me as a little surprising but not totally impossible. However, the sales manager and salesperson were both evasive in regards to my questions so I started getting uncomfortable with the transaction. Then in early December they told me they would not have a build slot until March. At that time I took back my deposit and found another dealer.

After visiting all the dealers in the area I ended up buying from Porsche Nashua. Nashua is only one hour north of Boston but I never seriously considered it. But then two events changed my mind. First, I took my kids to Sky Ventures (an indoor wind tunnel) that is in Nashua. My kids loved it so I could envision going back more frequently. Second, I talked to Ray who is the sales manager and he was a total straight shooter.

My experience with Porsche Nashua was great. They had a March build slot for an S. They provided updates as frequently as they were available and did all of this without prompting. The process was super smooth.

I ordered the following configuration:

BASE** Cayenne S
2T**** Jet Black Metallic
VB** **2-toneNaturLthrEspresso/Cognac
C8K*** 19" Cayenne Turbo Wheel
1BK*** AirSusp-Selflvl&HeightAdj-PASM
1D6*** TrailerCouplw/o RemovBallJoint
2ZH*** Heated3-spokeMultifuncSW
3FU*** Panorama Roof System
QJ4*** ExteriorPackageHigh-glossBlack
4GH*** Heated Windscreen
4F6*** Porsche Entry & Drive
PE5*** 14-way Power Seats-Memory Pkg
Q2J*** 14-way Power Seats-Memory Pkg
2C4*** Memory Package for Electric St
3PN*** Memory Package for Electricall
PU3*** Premium Package Plus
3Y8*** ElecRollupSunblindRearSideWind
4A4*** Heated Seats Front and Rear
4D3*** Seat Ventilation Front
4L6*** Auto Dimming Interior Rearview
6XT*** Automatically Dimming Exterior
7B6*** 12-Volt Outlet in Rear Center
7T1*** PCM with Navigation Module
7X8*** ReverCamera-ParkAssisFrontRear
7Y1*** Lane Change Assist (LCA)
8EA*** Bi-Xenon(TM) Headlights w/PDLS
9MB*** Dimmable Interior LED Lighting
PU6*** BoseŽ Audio Package
QV4*** SiriusXM(TM) Sat Radio Tuner
7D7*** Six-Disc CD/DVD Auto-Changer
9VL*** BOSE(R) Surround Sound System
QH1*** Voice Control

From an aesthetic point of view, I love the combination of the jet black metallic exterior and the espresso/cognac interior.

Not surprisingly, my favorite aspect of the car is its handling and speed. The car is just ridiculously fast. On a few different occasions I have found myself laughing out loud at how fast I am driving without realizing it. I have never owned a car that handles this well, let alone a SUV that handles this well.

The feature that has vastly exceeded my expectations is lane change assist (LCA). I pretty much bought LCA as an afterthought. But now that I have it, I can't imagine having a car without it. In that regard, it reminds me of the first time I bought a car with a backup camera. Does LCA replace attentive driving? Of course not. But it is really useful driving around Boston, particularly at night when roads are congested, not everyone has their lights on, people insist of speeding down the right lane even though the left and middle lanes are open, etc.

When winter next rolls around, I am looking forward to using the heated windscreen. I have not had a reason to test it out but I think I will really enjoy using it when necessary.

My kids love the panoramic roof. As the driver it does not do much for me but my kids say it is the coolest thing.

I am impressed with the backup camera / sonar system. My garage is tight and the top-down perspective is highly accurate.

Using the guidance from this forum, I bought weathertech mats in the front, rear, and cargo area. They fit perfectly and provide good protection.

I have only scratched the surface of the car's functionality. I still have not started using voice control but that is on my to-do list.

My only regret is that I did not start with Porche Nashua from the start. That way, I would have had the car three months earlier and I could have enjoyed it all winter. But I am thrilled to have it now.

I have included some quick pictures to show the interior and exterior lines.

Thanks again for all the great information on this forum. I really learned a lot.

Sean

 

Okay, I thought I added pictures but I guess I did not. Here they are.

Sean

 

Sweet story Sean,thanks for sharing
Nice you found a good dealer and that you and your kids are enjoying it

 

these SUVs handle like they are on tracks. one of many reasons why i can't justify switching over to non-S (or V6) model despite the appearance and better "performance."

 

Why didn't you get a cayenne hybrid

 

Thanks pepper09tt. I should have also mentioned that I really liked Chris at Ira Porsche in Danvers. He was also a very straight shooter. But his first available S was far in the future so I had to look elsewhere.

I completely agree Enilder. I was driving today and the car was accelerating into the 90s without any effort.

Awan67, there are several good threads on the forum about the pros and cons of the hybrid. Of course for everyone it is a personal decision, but for me I ruled out the hybrid pretty quickly. From an efficiency perspective its additional fuel efficiency is not significant enough to get me excited. And of course its engine is no comparison to the S. So I think if you are comparing it against the V6, the V6 dominates the hybrid and I think if you are comparing it to the S the S dominates the hybrid.

Sean

 

Congratulations on your car, Sean!
What do you think about heated windscreen? There was a thread where people were complaining about some blurriness at night. I am also curious to find out how voice control works and if it is useful or not.

 

Have you driven Hybrid by chance? If you have, can you compare S and Hybrid? I don't think V6 "dominates" over hybrid but I never driven one. I figured that hybrid is dominant over V6 based on #s.

There were 2 main reasons why I won't bother with Hybrid for the time being and I see more Hybrid sitting in the lot than any other Cayenne models:
1) Cost
2) Inefficient mpg
We all know Porsche figures are usually underrated however advertised mpg value (2 mpg difference) and cost associated with hybrid vehicles are not "enough" for me.

I am more curious about new diesel Cayenne.

 

I drove both the Hybrid and the S and we chose the S. Why? For us, it was:

1) To be quick, it felt like the engine had to work hard for it. Really hard.
2) The awkward brake feel mentioned in most reviews is real. At least for me it was.
3) The sound of the V8 exhaust is a lot better
4) Couldn't see paying more for less.


I also am intrigued what the diesel may offer too.

 

Thanks dimok. Buying the heated windscreen was my greatest leap of faith in the purchase. It was the one option I could not try out before the purchase because there were no cayennes in the area with the feature. It was also one of the features that caused me to special order the exact configuration I wanted versus trying to settle on something that was close enough. You are right that the reviews on 6speed are mixed. I just sort of took a leap of faith that the positive reviews matched the way I would view the feature. I am happy to say this is the case. If I am just in my normal driving position (i.e., sitting back in the seat) I don't notice the heating elements of the heated windscreen at all. Even in low light/dusk conditions I can not say I have noticed them. If I move forward in my seat so that my head is parallel to the steering wheel then I definitely notice the lines but I don't drive that way so I don't have any real-world experience with them being a problem.

In summary, I can understand why the reviews of the heated windscreen were mixed. If someone has the kind of eyesight that picks up the blur that could be incredibly annoying. But for me, I have had no issues even in low light conditions.

I still have not yet had time to try voice control but I am looking forward to it and will post my thoughts once I have used it.

I did test drive a hybrid and a friend has a V6. From my perspective, I viewed S > V6 > hybrid. The hybrid is the most expensive, roughly 20K USD more than the V6. That price differential would pay for a lot of gas; so for me the economics of the hybrid versus V6 are not compelling. And if I am really going to go up to the higher price point, I would rather have the fun of the S. So my view is quite consistent with gleek48.

I can imagine the diesel will be a very compelling option to consider.

Sean

 

Sean, I think you will be VERY happy with the heated windscreen.

Had a 2011 without it that was a lot car that I traded for a 2012 custom build. Included voice control, heated windscreen, cognac/espresso and burmester (as well as various other things). The heated windscreen is great especially for cold/frosted mornings as it is very quick. Also great for the time of year where the windshield will start to forg. I can use the heed windscreen without having to turn on the full blown defroster (which can make the entire car very warm even on the lowest temperature point). I love mine. Couldn't see the metallic strips at first, then looked for them and found them. They don't bother me or my vision at all.

J

 

Ray is a great guy. Bought 3 cars from him. He's "The Manager". If you want to see the manager, Ray comes out !

 

Congrats on the new ride. I almost have the same build for June. A couple added things like wood trim. I also ordered the heated windscreen. Have had it in the last two Range rovers I've had, I don't even notice the heating elements anymore and nothing beats having a frost free windshield in the morning or no ice build up from driving in the snow. Glad to hear it would similar in the CS.

 

Congrats on the new acquire! The Jet Black with Espresso interior combination is one of the best combinations out there!

To finish out the clean appearance, I would swap out those amber side markers with some European Clear Side Markers. Definitely cleans up the front end.