Thinking of buying a Cayenne S

[Laconian]

So I have an appointment set up later in the week to see this Cayenne and look at some others they have. I do take your comment seriously, especially the concerns, and will be asking the questions, reviewing the history, and if I do get it I'll make sure the extra warranty package will be adequate.

Doug DeMuro paid $3,700 for a warranty on his used Range Rover. The warranty payout over the car's life was $21,276. You should get that policy.

(Holy shit Rangies are POSes)

[Laconian]

I wouldn't trust any German car with air springs past warranty.

Though FWIW, my aunt had a 2005 Touareg that made it to 100k miles with no major mechanical issues (she sold it so I don't know how long that lasted for).  My moms old Range Rover (circa 2009) made it to 140k miles with a similarly good mechanical history.

Reliability is a bell curve. You can always find anecdotes from people who lucked out on the right hand side of the distribution. On the left hand side you have people like MX793. My friend's used Mini Cooper S put him on a first name basis with the guys at the repair shop. No mechanical issues, but the electrics are awful - a window that forgot how to wind up all the way, sensors failing, failing sensors which sense for the failures of other sensors, TPMS failures.

[MexicoCityM3]

With an extended warranty and a willingness to accept the occasional week of downtime for repairs it's a no brainer

[Soup DeVille]

WTF is he on???

That dude shows up in my youtube suggested list constantly and he's literally unwatchable.

[12,000 RPM]

So here's the scenario... cash on the hood for a badass luxury SUV to drive like a baller for 2-3 years, $15k maximum. Looking at Range Rovers, Audi Q7, BMW X5. Anything else? No Cadillacs/Lincolns. This 385 hp V8 Cayenne S is the best I found so far.

ryanreynoldsbutwhy.gif

This is like the friend zone of Porsche ownership. All the headaches and costs of owning a 10 year old Porsche w/absolutely zero of the upsides. I mean, compared to a Honda Passport, this thing is no faster, ancient in tech, and 40% more thirsty

15K will get you a 996 C4 that's likely had a much better life and actually delivers on the promise the Porsche brand makes

Just my opinion

[Payman]

ryanreynoldsbutwhy.gif

This is like the friend zone of Porsche ownership. All the headaches and costs of owning a 10 year old Porsche w/absolutely zero of the upsides. I mean, compared to a Honda Passport, this thing is no faster, ancient in tech, and 40% more thirsty

15K will get you a 996 C4 that's likely had a much better life and actually delivers on the promise the Porsche brand makes

Just my opinion

Honda Passport? I think you're missing the entire point of this purchase. Why buy a 996 911 when I can get a Civic that has newer tech, is more reliable, and gets better gas mileage?

[Payman]

With an extended warranty and a willingness to accept the occasional week of downtime for repairs it's a no brainer

Thank you! I think you get it. 

[MX793]

Honda Passport? I think you're missing the entire point of this purchase. Why buy a 996 911 when I can get a Civic that has newer tech, is more reliable, and gets better gas mileage?

I think part of the point was that buying an SUV from Porsche is like going to a 4-star steakhouse and ordering chicken.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I think part of the point was that buying an SUV from Porsche is like going to a 4-star steakhouse and ordering chicken.

[Payman]

I think part of the point was that buying an SUV from Porsche is like going to a 4-star steakhouse and ordering chicken.

Is that the same for a Bentley Bentayga, Rolls Cullinan, and Lambo Urus? Do we throw in the Merc and BMW SUVs as poseurs as well? Jaguar and Volvo too?

[MX793]

Is that the same for a Bentley Bentayga, Rolls Cullinan, and Lambo Urus? Do we throw in the Merc and BMW SUVs as poseurs as well? Jaguar and Volvo too?

Lambo - Yes

Bentley, Rolls, BMW, Jag, Volvo and Merc - No.

[Payman]

Lambo - Yes

Bentley, Rolls, BMW, Jag, Volvo and Merc - No.

Lambo actually has legit SUV history with the LM002.

[cawimmer430]

I think the Germans can assemble a car just fine.  I question the longevity of the parts and materials they use.  Like the headliner adhesive on my Jetta (and something I've seen in multiple Jettas of similar age) that simply gave up after 10 years.  Or whatever paint/coating material they coated the switchgear with that started to blister or turn sticky/gooey and essentially flow off of the switches.  Or the plastic (not rubber) washer fluid lines that got brittle with age, especially when it was cold out, and snapped near the hood hinge (multiple times on my car).  Or the rear springs that broke with only 76K miles (a co-worker with a Golf-platform car had the exact same thing happen at similarly low miles).  Or the plastic radiators on maybe early 2000s (and possibly later) BMWs that fail after 75K miles because they become brittle and crack/split.  And then there's the electronics.  As far as I can tell, the only difference between Bosch and Lucas is that the stuff from Bosch will at least work pretty well for the first 4-5 years before going to pot.

I believe some of the parts you guys want to last forever are considered wear and tear parts here. Maybe it's the variety of harsh temperatures in your country which affects their durability. I have no idea.

Then there is also the draconian EU with their wide variation of regulations, the biodegradable wiring being one of the most famous examples. Whatever the EU decides, it HAS to be adopted by member states and their industries (if the law affects them). Remember, this is a governing body which has explicit rules on how much a banana can be bent or how to properly prepare a Pizza Napoletana - no joke. This means that their material laws have to be followed by all companies within the EU, for good or for worse. Just a thought.

[Soup DeVille]

I believe some of the parts you guys want to last forever are considered wear and tear parts here. Maybe it's the variety of harsh temperatures in your country which affects their durability. I have no idea.

Then there is also the draconian EU with their wide variation of regulations, the biodegradable wiring being one of the most famous examples. Whatever the EU decides, it HAS to be adopted by member states and their industries (if the law affects them). Remember, this is a governing body which has explicit rules on how much a banana can be bent or how to properly prepare a Pizza Napoletana - no joke. This means that their material laws have to be followed by all companies within the EU, for good or for worse. Just a thought.

Without exception, I want all parts to last forever. Obviously that doesn't happen, but when Car A has problems with parts before Cars B,C,D or E the problem and fault lies with Car A, not my expectations.

[Soup DeVille]

Lambo actually has legit SUV history with the LM002.

Legit off road history with the Lamborghinetta, the L33, the DL series, the R2 DT and a bunch of others too.

[autokomppania]

With an extended warranty and a willingness to accept the occasional week of downtime for repairs it's a no brainer

What he said! Just take your time finding properly maintained car and then have fun with it!

[SJ_GTI]

Wouldn't a Q7 be a better deal or option?

I sort of dig the original BMW X5's.



That being said I am not an SUV person. If I was in your shoes I'd probably be look at a honda passport or honda ridgeline.

[MX793]

Legit off road history with the Lamborghinetta, the L33, the DL series, the R2 DT and a bunch of others too.

I consider Automobili Lamborghini as a distinct entity from Lamborghini Trattori.  Trattori was sucked into a larger conglomerate in the early 70s while Automobili was still independent. 

[12,000 RPM]

Honda Passport? I think you're missing the entire point of this purchase. Why buy a 996 911 when I can get a Civic that has newer tech, is more reliable, and gets better gas mileage?

Because a Civic isn't a rear engined RWD performance car with nearly 60 years of motorsport pedigree that sits in a class of its own?

Meanwhile the 9PA Cayenne is literally just a fancy VW, and is priced to reflect that.

[MX793]

I believe some of the parts you guys want to last forever are considered wear and tear parts here. Maybe it's the variety of harsh temperatures in your country which affects their durability. I have no idea.

Then there is also the draconian EU with their wide variation of regulations, the biodegradable wiring being one of the most famous examples. Whatever the EU decides, it HAS to be adopted by member states and their industries (if the law affects them). Remember, this is a governing body which has explicit rules on how much a banana can be bent or how to properly prepare a Pizza Napoletana - no joke. This means that their material laws have to be followed by all companies within the EU, for good or for worse. Just a thought.

Why don't I hear about these degrading material problems on Opels, Saabs, or Volvos?  Or even Euro Fords?  Do they not need to also adhere to EU regulations?

[shp4man]

Soy based wiring insulation? Rats love to chew it!

[Payman]

Wouldn't a Q7 be a better deal or option?

I sort of dig the original BMW X5's.



That being said I am not an SUV person. If I was in your shoes I'd probably be look at a honda passport or honda ridgeline.

I like the Q7 and X5 as well and they remain a possibility. Mainstream SUVs are not on my radar, and I'm not really an SUV guy either. BUT, I need a good winter vehicle with decent room and excellent towing capability. That's the rational part of what I'm doing. If I went fully rational, I'd be looking at a Tahoe or something similar. But after 15 years of building up to this point in my life, paying off stuff, saving for retirement, taking just one vacation, buying cheap used toys (Miata and Cabrio), I want a little irrationality. I want to drive a baller Porsche branded gas sucking SUV that cost 6 figures when new, with full ball massaging leather and baby seal killing efficiency. I want to park at work and have my co=worker go "ooooh, Nick's doin a'ight". Totally irrational. I wear hearing aids due to 30 years of Air Force service, and it took 3 long years to get this money. A small chunk of it, $15k, is funding this irrationality. I've been wanting a Boxster for years, and can finally and comfortably get one now, but really the Miata happily fills the summer fun car role, as does the Cabrio. So I thought, hmmmm... I do need something practical and I do need to tow my ATV trailer and maybe in the spring I'll get a small boat. But I still want something with a Porsche or other premium luxury badge on it. Just because. I'll never afford one of these new and I'd never buy one of these new if I could. Just some once in a lifetime extravagance.

[giant_mtb]

Anecdotal VW product observation:

My mom's Q5 has about 90k miles on the clock.  Absolutely nothing is wrong with it.  Only work that's been done on it is oil changes, summer/winter tire swaps, and two light bulb replacements.  For cripes sake I think it still has the stock brake pads.

I was happy to be rid of my A4 at ~65k miles before it got to a point where it was gonna start needing work (and I wanted a truck anyways), but I've been really impressed with mom's Q5 and its reliability.

[FoMoJo]

I like the Q7 and X5 as well and they remain a possibility. Mainstream SUVs are not on my radar, and I'm not really an SUV guy either. BUT, I need a good winter vehicle with decent room and excellent towing capability. That's the rational part of what I'm doing. If I went fully rational, I'd be looking at a Tahoe or something similar. But after 15 years of building up to this point in my life, paying off stuff, saving for retirement, taking just one vacation, buying cheap used toys (Miata and Cabrio), I want a little irrationality. I want to drive a baller Porsche branded gas sucking SUV that cost 6 figures when new, with full ball massaging leather and baby seal killing efficiency. I want to park at work and have my co=worker go "ooooh, Nick's doin a'ight". Totally irrational. I wear hearing aids due to 30 years of Air Force service, and it took 3 long years to get this money. A small chunk of it, $15k, is funding this irrationality. I've been wanting a Boxster for years, and can finally and comfortably get one now, but really the Miata happily fills the summer fun car role, as does the Cabrio. So I thought, hmmmm... I do need something practical and I do need to tow my ATV trailer and maybe in the spring I'll get a small boat. But I still want something with a Porsche or other premium luxury badge on it. Just because. I'll never afford one of these new and I'd never buy one of these new if I could. Just some once in a lifetime extravagance.

That being said, the Cayenne fits the bill perfectly.  Just do it.

[SJ_GTI]

I like the Q7 and X5 as well and they remain a possibility. Mainstream SUVs are not on my radar, and I'm not really an SUV guy either. BUT, I need a good winter vehicle with decent room and excellent towing capability. That's the rational part of what I'm doing. If I went fully rational, I'd be looking at a Tahoe or something similar. But after 15 years of building up to this point in my life, paying off stuff, saving for retirement, taking just one vacation, buying cheap used toys (Miata and Cabrio), I want a little irrationality. I want to drive a baller Porsche branded gas sucking SUV that cost 6 figures when new, with full ball massaging leather and baby seal killing efficiency. I want to park at work and have my co=worker go "ooooh, Nick's doin a'ight". Totally irrational. I wear hearing aids due to 30 years of Air Force service, and it took 3 long years to get this money. A small chunk of it, $15k, is funding this irrationality. I've been wanting a Boxster for years, and can finally and comfortably get one now, but really the Miata happily fills the summer fun car role, as does the Cabrio. So I thought, hmmmm... I do need something practical and I do need to tow my ATV trailer and maybe in the spring I'll get a small boat. But I still want something with a Porsche or other premium luxury badge on it. Just because. I'll never afford one of these new and I'd never buy one of these new if I could. Just some once in a lifetime extravagance.

Total get it, its not that different from me buying a Z3 instead of a Miata (which probably drives as good or better and is cheaper to own).

At the end of the day you should get a car you will enjoy (IMHO). If its the Cayenne great, but I do think its worth driving an X5 and Q7 first.

I'd actually suggest an X3 and Q5 if they fit your towing needs, but they probably won't. Plus the X5 (and I think the Q7) have V8's. 

[MrH]

This is a terrible idea all around, and I fully support it.  This place needs some excitement

[Eye of the Tiger]

V10 tdi Touareg

[Payman]

This is a terrible idea all around, and I fully support it.  This place needs some excitement

I'll be sure to post my adventures and rage filled conniptions.

[Payman]

V10 tdi Touareg

GTFO. I'm irrational, not retarded.

[12,000 RPM]

It would be worth it to get an independent inspection on that thing.