hi everyone,

I am looking to custom order a 2014 Cayenne (or S) in the next month or so and do european delivery early next year. I have read hundreds of posts here and indeed have learned a lot from this forum. After digging into all the options that Porsche offers, I am debating between the Base Cayenne and CS. I have a budget of $75k which would be about $82k after the heavy tax in CA. With that money, I can either get a light-optioned CS as spec'ed below or a base Cayenne with more performance options. The price difference between the two models is about $16k, with which I can get almost all the good performance stuff (AS, PASM, PDCC, PTV Plus), PDLS and Bose on a base model. The last option, get a light-optioned base model and save the extra $13k towards a future 911

CS options ($7.6k in total)
Jet Black Metallic
Standard Interior in Luxor Beige
8-speed Tiptronic S
SportDesign Steering Wheel with Paddle Shifters
ParkAssist (Front and Rear)
Panorama Roof System
PASM
20" RS Spyder Design Wheel

I live in SF bay area. The car will be used mostly for commute to work (less than 20 minutes each way) and drive to places neary (santa cruz, napa, yosemite) during weekend. I do drive spiritely sometimes but most likely will not take it to a track. I am considering the CS is because I quite like the extra power (who doesn't..). Will go to the dealer this weekend to test drive the V6 and V8 back to back I know the choice can be very personal and different but I would like to hear your thoughts on this. Which would you choose if this was your budget?

 

Definitely CS.
Not that the V6 is a bad choice, but without some decent power, why do you need those performance options for? I don't see the point.

Another comparison is whether to get a heavily optioned CS vs a base GTS or turbo. The answer should be very obvious.

 

Thank Targa Tim and everyone voted. I went to my local porsche dealer for a test drive yesterday. First they found a 2014 CS for me to test drive. My parents were with me. All of us were standing in front of car while the salesperson turned on the engine. I have to say that we all were astounded by the sudden burst of sound of the V8. I became excited instantly, although my mother described it as scary Then they had a 2012 base Cayenne for me, which feels dramatically different from CS. Since my current dd is a stick-shift bimmer, I always have the power and torque when I need it by going high rev. We were also test driving the E350, ML350 and 328i at nearby Mercedes and BMW dealers. Both the base Cayenne and ML350 had the same soft feel on the gas pedal. I had to push it rather hard to accelerate when changing lanes or overtaking a car. On the contrary, the CS drove nothing like a SUV. The handling and the power were all perfect. So, after the test drive, those two 300hp are basically eliminated from my list. CS looks like the best choice for me, although it is $13k more. It is the car that gets me excited and smile Targa Tim's comments now make perfect sense to me. Actually I used that to explain to my parents why I am going for the CS

The salesperson said 5% discount if I order right away. But I haven't finalize the options yet. I am also considering the european delivery program which sounds like it is going to be a very good experience. Some forum members have mentioned discounts from 3% to 6%. Is the discount applied to the MSPR or the total with options?

One more question about the wheel. I am thinking about the 20" RS Spyder wheel and the turbo wheel which would cost me $3-5k. Are there many good and cheaper aftermarket options if I just get the standard 18" wheel? Thanks!

 

congrats on CS decision.

check out ebaymotors or wheel shops for OEM take off wheels, or stay with name brand aftermarket wheels. Don't buy replica wheels. Good luck.

 

You could get a CPO Turbo in that price range. That's what I did when I realized it was less than an optioned S or GTS. Got all the goodies and 500hp. Plus 6 year/100K warranty.

 

can never go wrong with a Cayenne Turbo.

 

Decision. Decision. And Decision.

I wanted a brand new one because I really like to do the european delivery program. I can imagine that is gonna be an awesome family trip touring europe with a Cayenne (even non-turbo). Plus I haven't really owned a new car. The current bimmer is 8 years old when I bought it. So I guess I will go for the CS this time. Thanks for the tip though.

 

So did you end up going with a CS then?

 

I've decided to go for the CS but yet to finalize the spec. I was also trying to finalize the travel plan for european delivery before ordering. Maybe you guys can help me and comment on the two options below.

1. What are the differences between PDLS and standard headlight? My understanding is that for low beam PDLS is xenon with some cute features and standard is halogen. I have aftermarket HID headlights on my current bimmer which I like a lot. Does it make a big different for the cayenne too? It would be great if someone has pictures comparing the two options.

2. Does 4-zone climate control cool the car faster than standard? As I live in CA, the summer could get quite hot so faster cooling would be very helpful. If it just provides temperature control for rear seats, I see no needs to spend $1k on this for a budget CS.

Thanks!

 

A quick update: Went to another dealer today and I was told they can't do european delivery with loans. It has to be fully paid 30 days before picking up at the factory. And the banks won't finalize a loan without the title and VIN. I have never realized this and am quite frustrated.

 

They can still do a European delivery. They will have the vin # when it is scheduled for production. The loan paperwork requires the vin, and they will have it. You then fill out all of the he paperwork, and sign everything. The dealership will get their money and you can do your European delivery.

It sounds to me like your dealer does not want to do a European delivery. They probably want to sell you something from their dealer stock.

 

This is great to know. Thanks so much, OmegaMan. I am gonna call their sales manager and ask again.