Porsche Cayenne Diesel

[Ekona]

I know, I really gotta stop driving the oil burning versions of these cars! Not a review that will appeal to many on here, but I thought I'd share my thoughts on the car anyway.

 

 

I managed to blag a Cayenne for Saturday after asking Richard at OPC Colchester very nicely, and we picked up a fully loaded one first thing which went straight down to Costco for some shopping, and then onto seeing some family before being returned. Sorry for the low light pic, and that is indeed in comedy-high suspension mode: Look at the one behind for how they're supposed to be.

 

 

So, bad points first. It's not the most refined oil burning lump in the world, and that clatter makes itself pretty well known at high revs in the first couple of gears. The 'box seems to be a bit tardy at shifting cogs at those speeds too, and the go pedal has a bit of a dead spot of the top of travel that makes pulling away a bit awkward. The brake pedal is far more Audi than Porsche too, as it's too sharp for my taste.

 

 

And on the other hand, it's absolutely brilliant.

 

 

Now granted, this car was fully loaded with air suspension, fancy wheels and a panoramic sunroof which push the cost quite high (£45K base, gotta be £12K of options at least), but other than the above points I cannot fault it at all. The 8 speed slushbox never seems to be in the wrong gear, and shifts quicker than you might expect in manual mode, which coupled with the massive shove available from 1500 to 3500 revs means that this behemoth can really get a move on when requested. At motorway speeds, you wouldn't care that it's a V6 diesel and not a V8 petrol.

 

The ride is outstanding in all three modes too: Comfort soaks everything up but tends to wobble too much over speedhumps, Normal is what you'd expect it to feel like, and Sport is as firm as you'd want. Truth be told I left it in Sport, as it gives you a tighter chassis feel but the extra bumps just make you feel more connected to the road. Coming from sports cars, I wouldn't remotely call it hard or harsh, certainly not on the 20" wheels it was on. Throw it at a corner and there's precious little understeer, although to say you cannot feel the diesel engine tugging you through at all would be a lie. Accepting that this is a 2 ton SUV and not a lightweight track special, it's simply astounding. The steering could probably do with a little more weight at speed, but it's accurate and feelsome.

 

The interior is typical Porsche, and that's as much a compliment as a complaint. It's the 991 dials and a plethora of buttons on the centre console, some of which can be fiddly to find. No arguing with the quality though: This is top quality leather and soft plastics in here, and it feels like it would last a lifetime. Good driving position too, with plenty of adjustment in the seat and rack to get you where you want to be. It doesnt feel as big as you might expect either, certainly no bigger than my 997 feels which is peculiar. In terms of practicality, the load space is sufficient if not exactly cavernous, but the power tailgate and lowering rear makes filling and emptying the rear of the car a piece of cake.

 

As a replacement for anything sporty, forget it. As an all-rounder that can ferry folks in comfort, handle the motorway schlep but still leave you in the mood for a blast in a car with a very well composed chassis, I'd struggle to find a better vehicle. Well, actually I could, as I'd drop a V8 in it instead as for me personally, a diesel powerplant would never be my choice unless I was doing plenty of motorway miles.

[Sarnie]

These things look so much better nowadays than the first gen models

[spursmaddave]

These things look so much better nowadays than the first gen models

A bit like saying my poop smells better than your poop

[Ekona]

I'll take your word for that SMD

 

He's right though, they've got their own shape now rather than trying to look like the 911 on steroids. If you made me buy an SUV, I'd have one of these over anything from the competition.

 

Shame the Macan has been pushed back to 2014 now, as I rather suspect that would suit Jo a little better than the Cayenne, even if she'd rather have the bigger lump.

[Stew]

I like it! Not on those wheels though. They should be silver and smaller.