Which Cayenne?
Discussion
Hi All,
I am considering a Cayenne as a workhorse/daily driver. Won't do many miles (3000 pa) and looking to spend up to £12k.
Looking through the classifieds there re a couple of "S" and Turbos which have caught my eye. They all have done < 80,000 miles. Do any of you knowledgeable folk have a view as to which would be the type to go for.
I am not too bothered about the difference in performance/mpg but more interested in views regarding reliability and repair costs (e.g. air suspension vs standard).
I realise the questions are a bit vague but only just started looking so don't have any particular cars in mind.
Would really appreciate any advice as new to buying this type of vehicle. Many thanks in advance.
I am considering a Cayenne as a workhorse/daily driver. Won't do many miles (3000 pa) and looking to spend up to £12k.
Looking through the classifieds there re a couple of "S" and Turbos which have caught my eye. They all have done < 80,000 miles. Do any of you knowledgeable folk have a view as to which would be the type to go for.
I am not too bothered about the difference in performance/mpg but more interested in views regarding reliability and repair costs (e.g. air suspension vs standard).
I realise the questions are a bit vague but only just started looking so don't have any particular cars in mind.
Would really appreciate any advice as new to buying this type of vehicle. Many thanks in advance.
Hi,
I have had a Turbo S for 3 years.
The N/A V8s supposedly suffer from porous blocks.
The MPG is the same for the V8 N/A and the Turbos.
My air suspension has been fine, however if want an easy life try to get a non-air spec if possible ( I think all turbos have it?).
Mine blew its rubber coolant hoses, and got replaced with the Porsche Aluminum pipes.
Make sure this has been done.
Running costs: Obviously it aint cheap, MPG is at a best 17mpg (can get 20mpg on a good 70mph run).
They all drink a little bit of oil, however I now use 5w-50w and its settled down a bit, but 1 litre/1000 miles is normal.
Other than that, its a beast for its size.
I have had a Turbo S for 3 years.
The N/A V8s supposedly suffer from porous blocks.
The MPG is the same for the V8 N/A and the Turbos.
My air suspension has been fine, however if want an easy life try to get a non-air spec if possible ( I think all turbos have it?).
Mine blew its rubber coolant hoses, and got replaced with the Porsche Aluminum pipes.
Make sure this has been done.
Running costs: Obviously it aint cheap, MPG is at a best 17mpg (can get 20mpg on a good 70mph run).
They all drink a little bit of oil, however I now use 5w-50w and its settled down a bit, but 1 litre/1000 miles is normal.
Other than that, its a beast for its size.
Personally, I wouldn't (and didn't) rule out the S. Although the running costs of the turbo are similar, at least when I was looking (3 years ago) you paid a premium of £2-3k for buying one. The S is definitely quick enough to be fun - I've never once wished I had turbo.
ETA : And although it can be pricey if it needs fixing (ask me how I know...) I wouldn't swap the air suspension for springs. The different settings transform the nature of the car.
ETA : And although it can be pricey if it needs fixing (ask me how I know...) I wouldn't swap the air suspension for springs. The different settings transform the nature of the car.
I have a 2006 MY "S" that i specced and owned from new,reliability wise it has needed usual Coolant pipes,new PCM screen,gearbox valve body,main drive shaft(these are the big things that spring to mind).When i specced the car i went for standard coils as i had a feeling i would own the car for a long time and they tend to be more robust than air.No problems with the engine and it uses zero oil at 140k miles.The car has been replaced in our little fleet so does not see daily duty anymore but i refuse to give it away for peanuts as its such a nice car and is my bike transporter and emergency/snow car.
So my input would be ,don't discount the S its a great car sounds epic quick enough for a bus, but check its had the same sort of things i have mentioned done and regular service and you should be fine,but tbh if a Turbo came up at the right money and was a nice car it would be hard to say no,i have heard they are great fun.
So my input would be ,don't discount the S its a great car sounds epic quick enough for a bus, but check its had the same sort of things i have mentioned done and regular service and you should be fine,but tbh if a Turbo came up at the right money and was a nice car it would be hard to say no,i have heard they are great fun.
davek_964 said:
Personally, I wouldn't (and didn't) rule out the S. Although the running costs of the turbo are similar, at least when I was looking (3 years ago) you paid a premium of £2-3k for buying one. The S is definitely quick enough to be fun - I've never once wished I had turbo.
ETA : And although it can be pricey if it needs fixing (ask me how I know...) I wouldn't swap the air suspension for springs. The different settings transform the nature of the car.
Hello Mr K - hoping all well with you? I wasn't aware you had one of these. It's an itch I've been thinking about scratching recently (and following us getting trundled round a field in one a few years ago at the PCGB annual do). Thanks for the input.ETA : And although it can be pricey if it needs fixing (ask me how I know...) I wouldn't swap the air suspension for springs. The different settings transform the nature of the car.
Plenty of cars to choose from 3.2 to turbo
I've got a turbo , it's had all the major faults corrected
Cardan shaft , gearbox valve body , coolant pipes , seat airbag wiring
Plenty of online help , rennlist , pelican
My sunroof is like a shower at the moment with all this rain , these cars have plenty of faults but they sure make up for it
I've got a turbo , it's had all the major faults corrected
Cardan shaft , gearbox valve body , coolant pipes , seat airbag wiring
Plenty of online help , rennlist , pelican
My sunroof is like a shower at the moment with all this rain , these cars have plenty of faults but they sure make up for it
drellis said:
hi i have just bought a cayenne turbo, i bought it with cylinders scored, a common problem by meant to be less on the turbo. the v6 isnt affected. google cayenne cylinder scoring. it effectively writes the car off. the first sign is a ticking noise. so do not buy anything that ticks
From the Evo buying guide: The big problem is the S’s Lokasil cylinder-coating failure. It starts with a sudden appetite for oil and an increasing knock, followed by a misfire as the bores and pistons are shredded. From first signs to death can take as little as 500 miles, and the problem can strike from around 70,000 miles. Turbos and later S models have a Nikasil coating which gives no trouble.Easy way to justify the turbo, surprised you had an issue.
davek_964 said:
Personally, I wouldn't (and didn't) rule out the S. Although the running costs of the turbo are similar, at least when I was looking (3 years ago) you paid a premium of £2-3k for buying one. The S is definitely quick enough to be fun - I've never once wished I had turbo.
ETA : And although it can be pricey if it needs fixing (ask me how I know...) I wouldn't swap the air suspension for springs. The different settings transform the nature of the car.
Was the air suspension fixed using the Porsche method or a good indie using the vw fix? ETA : And although it can be pricey if it needs fixing (ask me how I know...) I wouldn't swap the air suspension for springs. The different settings transform the nature of the car.
RevHappy said:
davek_964 said:
Personally, I wouldn't (and didn't) rule out the S. Although the running costs of the turbo are similar, at least when I was looking (3 years ago) you paid a premium of £2-3k for buying one. The S is definitely quick enough to be fun - I've never once wished I had turbo.
ETA : And although it can be pricey if it needs fixing (ask me how I know...) I wouldn't swap the air suspension for springs. The different settings transform the nature of the car.
Was the air suspension fixed using the Porsche method or a good indie using the vw fix? ETA : And although it can be pricey if it needs fixing (ask me how I know...) I wouldn't swap the air suspension for springs. The different settings transform the nature of the car.
davek_964 said:
It was an indie, but I'm not aware of the "methods" you mention. I had leaking air from one of the suspension points so needed it to be replaced. I assumed the VWs were all springs - didn't know they had air too.
Vw do a repair kit instead of the porsche recommend replace option, not sure of the exact limits for this. Hi, I bought a 2008 V6 3.6ltr about 4 months ago for a shade over your budget 2 previous owners 88000 on the clock full service history, with just over £14000 worth of extras spec'ed!
When I was looking my criteria was 'SUV for family transport local & motorway use, had to be interesting'
I decided I wanted at least a 2007 (facelift model) on wards & was going to be petrol as diesels started around £18000 on a 2009 back then & for the amount of miles I was going to be doing in it, petrol costs would be fine.
The model choice: Cayenne V6 3.6ltr, Cayenne S V8, Cayenne GTS V8 or Cayenne Turbo V8.
My research centred on the lokasil cylinder coating issue which Porsche seem to think is not an issue, but if you are unfortunate enough to buy a car that ends up with the issue don't expect much change from £10,000 for the new engine! The V6 with its 290bhp does not suffer from this problem, neither does the Turbo, the S & the GTS apparently do. Now reading the reviews I really liked the GTS & the Turbo but I can't afford to spend £12995 on a car & the have a potential bill for £10,000 hanging over my head. So I had to decide what I actually wanted it for, & as I said, family use was going to be its main purpose.
Reading Pistonheads everyone says the V6 is gutless & go for the Turbo, there is not a lot of difference in fuel economy. I decided to test drive a V6 & I was very pleasantly surprised (obviously). It has more get up and go than most cars that size, I had a Grand Cherokee before buying the Cayenne. That is when I decided to plump for the cheaper running costs of the V6 (a lot of parts are shared with the Q7 & the Tourag) where as the Turbo you have to buy Porsche discs etc. I am lucky because if I want that V8 experiance I also own a Corvette, but that being said if I didn't have that in the garage the V6 Cayenne with its 290bhp in 'sports mode' still puts a big smile on my face.
Good luck with your search, but ask yourself what you are intending to use it for & buy accordingly.
When I was looking my criteria was 'SUV for family transport local & motorway use, had to be interesting'
I decided I wanted at least a 2007 (facelift model) on wards & was going to be petrol as diesels started around £18000 on a 2009 back then & for the amount of miles I was going to be doing in it, petrol costs would be fine.
The model choice: Cayenne V6 3.6ltr, Cayenne S V8, Cayenne GTS V8 or Cayenne Turbo V8.
My research centred on the lokasil cylinder coating issue which Porsche seem to think is not an issue, but if you are unfortunate enough to buy a car that ends up with the issue don't expect much change from £10,000 for the new engine! The V6 with its 290bhp does not suffer from this problem, neither does the Turbo, the S & the GTS apparently do. Now reading the reviews I really liked the GTS & the Turbo but I can't afford to spend £12995 on a car & the have a potential bill for £10,000 hanging over my head. So I had to decide what I actually wanted it for, & as I said, family use was going to be its main purpose.
Reading Pistonheads everyone says the V6 is gutless & go for the Turbo, there is not a lot of difference in fuel economy. I decided to test drive a V6 & I was very pleasantly surprised (obviously). It has more get up and go than most cars that size, I had a Grand Cherokee before buying the Cayenne. That is when I decided to plump for the cheaper running costs of the V6 (a lot of parts are shared with the Q7 & the Tourag) where as the Turbo you have to buy Porsche discs etc. I am lucky because if I want that V8 experiance I also own a Corvette, but that being said if I didn't have that in the garage the V6 Cayenne with its 290bhp in 'sports mode' still puts a big smile on my face.
Good luck with your search, but ask yourself what you are intending to use it for & buy accordingly.
Edited by 97BlackC5 on Monday 1st February 09:42
97BlackC5 said:
Hi, I bought a 2008 V6 3.6ltr about 4 months ago for a shade over your budget 2 previous owners 88000 on the clock full service history, with just over £14000 worth of extras spec'ed!
When I was looking my criteria was 'SUV for family transport local & motorway use, had to be interesting'
I decided I wanted at least a 2007 (facelift model) on wards & was going to be petrol as diesels started around £18000 on a 2009 back then & for the amount of miles I was going to be doing in it, petrol costs would be fine.
The model choice: Cayenne V6 3.6ltr, Cayenne S V8, Cayenne GTS V8 or Cayenne Turbo V8.
My research centred on the lokasil cylinder coating issue which Porsche seem to think is not an issue, but if you are unfortunate enough to buy a car that ends up with the issue don't expect much change from £10,000 for the new engine! The V6 with its 290bhp does not suffer from this problem, neither does the Turbo, the S & the GTS apparently do. Now reading the reviews I really liked the GTS & the Turbo but I can't afford to spend £12995 on a car & the have a potential bill for £10,000 hanging over my head. So I had to decide what I actually wanted it for, & as I said, family use was going to be its main purpose.
Reading Pistonheads everyone says the V6 is gutless & go for the Turbo, there is not a lot of difference in fuel economy. I decided to test drive a V6 & I was very pleasantly surprised (obviously). It has more get up and go than most cars that size, I had a Grand Cherokee before buying the Cayenne. That is when I decided to plump for the cheaper running costs of the V6 (a lot of parts are shared with the Q7 & the Tourag) where as the Turbo you have to buy Porsche discs etc. I am lucky because if I want that V8 experiance I also own a Corvette, but that being said if I didn't have that in the garage the V6 Cayenne with its 290bhp in 'sports mode' still puts a big smile on my face.
Good luck with your search, but ask yourself what you are intending to use it for & buy accordingly.
Good advice especially your last sentence. Will look at the V6 as really looking for an interesting workhorse rather than a pocket-rocket. As an aside how do Porsche get away with manufacturing engines that go pop?When I was looking my criteria was 'SUV for family transport local & motorway use, had to be interesting'
I decided I wanted at least a 2007 (facelift model) on wards & was going to be petrol as diesels started around £18000 on a 2009 back then & for the amount of miles I was going to be doing in it, petrol costs would be fine.
The model choice: Cayenne V6 3.6ltr, Cayenne S V8, Cayenne GTS V8 or Cayenne Turbo V8.
My research centred on the lokasil cylinder coating issue which Porsche seem to think is not an issue, but if you are unfortunate enough to buy a car that ends up with the issue don't expect much change from £10,000 for the new engine! The V6 with its 290bhp does not suffer from this problem, neither does the Turbo, the S & the GTS apparently do. Now reading the reviews I really liked the GTS & the Turbo but I can't afford to spend £12995 on a car & the have a potential bill for £10,000 hanging over my head. So I had to decide what I actually wanted it for, & as I said, family use was going to be its main purpose.
Reading Pistonheads everyone says the V6 is gutless & go for the Turbo, there is not a lot of difference in fuel economy. I decided to test drive a V6 & I was very pleasantly surprised (obviously). It has more get up and go than most cars that size, I had a Grand Cherokee before buying the Cayenne. That is when I decided to plump for the cheaper running costs of the V6 (a lot of parts are shared with the Q7 & the Tourag) where as the Turbo you have to buy Porsche discs etc. I am lucky because if I want that V8 experiance I also own a Corvette, but that being said if I didn't have that in the garage the V6 Cayenne with its 290bhp in 'sports mode' still puts a big smile on my face.
Good luck with your search, but ask yourself what you are intending to use it for & buy accordingly.
Edited by 97BlackC5 on Monday 1st February 09:42
davek_964 said:
It was an indie, but I'm not aware of the "methods" you mention. I had leaking air from one of the suspension points so needed it to be replaced. I assumed the VWs were all springs - didn't know they had air too.
We have a Tuareg with the air suspension. Not had a problem with it yet. Well worth having.RevHappy said:
From the Evo buying guide: The big problem is the S’s Lokasil cylinder-coating failure. It starts with a sudden appetite for oil and an increasing knock, followed by a misfire as the bores and pistons are shredded. From first signs to death can take as little as 500 miles, and the problem can strike from around 70,000 miles. Turbos and later S models have a Nikasil coating which gives no trouble.
So similar issue to n/a 996/997 then - don't Porsche do any bloody R&D these days? 
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