Hello all!

I often post these types of threads on other forums, especially the BMW ones since my BMW was in the shop a lot. It's always fun to post impressions from a comparable, yet different, car.

However, this time, I got the same model, only newer. Drove up in the 2014 Cayenne Diesel and drove out in the 2016. Very, very, lightly optioned. Only options were heated seats and panoramic sunroof. Really, that's it. Oh, and metallic paint.

My first impression was that my God, I wanted to trade in my car immediately! I'm not sure what Porsche has done with the refresh, but it's noticably faster off the line and, even more importantly, shifts much better. The upshifts are quicker, and the downshifts are as well...but the car is also much less reluctant to downshift. Even moderate throttle inputs will get you from 8th to 7th, etc. It makes the car much sportier. But the power, it's like it's there all the time in the lower rev band, and the car loved to rev up to about 4k (ironic saying that, but this is a diesel after all). I felt like I was in a turbo gas engine.

I asked them to see if there was a reflash for the transmission, which there was not. I had them reset all the adaptive parameters, and they did, but it didn't make much difference.

I really loved driving the car. Together with PROPER paddles, it was very enjoyable to punch it and give the car a little bit of revs, instead of leaning on the torque like in my car.

When I got my car back, I started playing around to see if I could figure out the difference. I figured, the engine rating is the same power and torque at the same peak, so probably not a power increase...but maybe some throttle mapping trickery? Sure enough, if I gave the car more throttle than I was used to providing, it started to behave more like the loaner. So I don't think there's necessarily more meat under the curve with the car, just some throttle input differences. But it works.

I put the car in sport mode, and it felt similar to the loaner. But with sport mode, now the transmission wanted to hang onto gears and not upshift all the way like it normally does in sport. The 2016 did not do that. In addition, the shifts in sport mode were harsher than the ones in the 2016.

The 2016 lists the transmission as a "Tiptronic S". Anyone remember if the older cars had the "S" after it?

All in all, maybe I got a Monday morning car, or maybe Porsche has re-jiggered the transmission software to a much more enthusiastic setting, but it has worked big time. I loved the car's willingness to downshift with moderate throttle input. If I had to describe it, it would be like sport mode in my car as far as throttle and power, but without the annoying tendency to hold onto gears too long, and the downshifts aren't as aggressive. It's perfect.

On another note, love the taillights, hate the rear bumper. Can live with the front bumper and like the headlights, but not happy about the fact that the v-shaped hood has been replaced with a hood ending at the tops of the fenders. That changes a lot of the looks, IMO.

Oh, and the new steering wheel...would kill someone for this wheel!!!

 

The taillights and steering wheel, as well as the reduced 'bling' from the MY2014 LED DLR's, are some of the things that made me wish I had waited a year from buying my CD... However, I am liking the hood arrangement on the '16, looks cleaner? What was the issue with the rear bumper?

 

I do not like how the exhausts protrude through the rear bumper. Looks too fussy and Lexus like. (I own a lexus, and don't care for that part of the car).

Also, disagree with the hood on cleaner? Looks very un-porsche like.

 

I thought I read somewhere that the newest Cayennes are lighter (could be mistaken), so that could be why it feels - and probably would be - faster.

 

I wish somebody would come up with a retrofit for the new steering wheel. Want it in my 2014 SO badly!

 

I don't believe this is the case.

 

man at Momentum when I dropped off my 14 I got a POS maxima! I felt like parking it in my neighbors driveway

 

My loaners are all over the map, ranging from a base Cayman to....a 4-cylinder Camry

 

ok I feel better know LOL

 

Interesting. I have a 2014 CD and got a 2016 CD loaner for a whole week. Optioned almost the same, except the 2016 had 19in wheels and cooled seats. Other than the steering feel I like mine more. I've had issues with mine pulling a little to the right and they still have never got it right. The 2016 steering feel was great, just a like a Porsche should feel. In fact I immediately called my SR and told him what a joy it was to drive a Cayenne that actually felt like a Porsche. They still haven't got my steering corrected, it's frustrating. I've owned 4 Porsche and the one thing that really makes me love a Porsche is how it feels through the steering wheel.

Well anyway. I'm not liking the new look. Front hood, not for me. Rear diffuser seems higher off the ground but actually I don't think it is, could be how the exhaust pokes through. I also noticed what seemed like more road nice through the drivers door. It was really odd, I kept commenting to my girlfriend that I could hear tire and road noise from cars as they passed me on the highway. It was so noticeable that I actually looked for a defect in the door molding. I found nothing wrong and it seemed to be built exactly like mine. Also I know I'll get laughed at for this, but I don't like the new steering wheel . Looks really cool at first, but the more I drove it the more the appeal wore off.

The power output was identical to the 2014. There seemed to be a little more diesel engine sound but we also were headed up to the mountains and I'm thinking that was just atmospheric related because when I got home I didn't notice it. I did love the vented seats.

 

Off topic, but check your tyres. Here's the story.


My CD used to pull slightly to the left (UK). I thought it was just the fact that the vehicle was characteristically susceptible to road camber and naturally wandered a bit.


Anyway, when I went to pick up the car from my OPC after it's first service, the service manager took me outside and pointed out to me the fact that one of my rear tyres wasn't an N rated tyre. It was in fact an MO rated tyre (Mercedes).
It was the same size (295/35 R21 107Y), same make (Pirelli P Zero), and had exactly the same tread pattern. The only differences were that it was an MO rated tyre and had a 'Z' on it as it's speed rating, rather than a 'Y'.


So, somehow, one (or more!) MO rated tyres had either been mistakenly sent to Leipzig from one of Pirelli's numerous plants, or the tyre was damaged and replaced in a hurry before I collected it. I strongly suspect the former, and as a consequence, I suggest that you check your own tyres - because for all intents and purposes, for the first 18 months of ownership I was unknowingly running around with something that could have quite easily invalidated my Porsche warranty.


I didn't kick up a fuss at the time because they were worn out and due for replacement in a couple of weeks, and this is the crux of the matter. After fitting a brand new set of Michelin Latitude Sports - happy days, no more pulling.