Overview & Reviews

Porsche raised the public's collective eyebrow when it decided to enter the sport-utility vehicle business in 2003 with the bulbous Cayenne. However, despite the grumblings of purists, this midsize luxury SUV has proven itself worthy of the vaunted Porsche name over the course of two generations.

With a lineup that stretches into six-digit territory when new and engines that range from a hybrid V6 to a twin-turbo V8, the Porsche Cayenne isn't your typical midsize SUV. Nor is it the most practical or family-friendly. Indeed, the Cayenne's relatively small cargo area, high load floor and lack of a third-row seat option limit its real-world functionality.

But in terms of spirited driving, there are few better. Thanks to its all-wheel-drive system, razor-sharp steering and superb brakes, the Porsche Cayenne demonstrates surprising dexterity around corners. The current generation isn't quite as adept off-road as the original Cayenne, but it's also lighter and more nimble, a trade-off that most shoppers will likely appreciate. New or used, a Cayenne is one of the best luxury SUVs you can get.

Current Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a five-seat midsize luxury SUV with numerous trims that correspond to engine choice. The base Cayenne features a 3.6-liter V6 that produces 300 horsepower, along with all-wheel drive and a novel six-speed manual transmission. An eight-speed automatic is optional with the V6 and standard on everything else. Stepping up to the Cayenne S gets you a 4.8-liter V8 that gets the party started with 400 horses. The Cayenne Turbo rocks a turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 rated at 500 hp, while the Turbo S ups the ante to 550 hp. Should you care more about efficiency than performance, the Cayenne S Hybrid produces 380 hp but beats the base V6's fuel economy, while the Diesel's torque-rich 240-hp V6 uses even less fuel and still delivers authoritative thrust.

Inside, the Cayenne employs an enveloping, cockpit-style layout reminiscent of the Porsche Panamera, with ample standard features and as many options as your bank account can handle. The center console, adorned with upwards of 50 buttons, rises rakishly to meet the dashboard and its large touchscreen display. As with other Porsches, the Cayenne's interior boasts sumptuous materials and excellent build quality. The sculpted rear seats not only recline but slide fore and aft as well. Maximum cargo capacity, however, is more in line with compact crossovers at just 62.9 cubic feet.

In reviews, we've been astonished by the current Porsche Cayenne's athleticism. It can be hustled along a curving road with gusto, yet the ride manages to stay supple, even with the optional active dampers in their most aggressive setting. And although this Cayenne isn't meant for serious off-road use, it can still hold its own in light-duty applications. If we were making a list of the most capable vehicles across all driving scenarios, the Cayenne would be right there at the top.

Used Porsche Cayenne Models
The current, second-generation Porsche Cayenne was introduced for 2011. It may look smaller than the SUV it replaced, but this is actually an optical illusion created by the new model's lower nose and raked roof pillars. In reality, this Cayenne is fractionally longer, wider and taller. Pleasingly, though, it's about 400 pounds lighter thanks to the deletion of the dual-range transfer case (meant to permit serious off-roading) and the use of lighter-weight body panels. Besides this trip to Jenny Craig, the second-generation Cayenne benefits from sharper driving reflexes, invigorated engines and a new interior with better materials and more luxury features.

The current Cayenne has received a few notable updates during its run. The 550-hp Turbo S model didn't arrive until 2014, but from 2012-'13 a Power Kit was offered for the regular Turbo that increased output to 540 hp. Also, the Diesel and GTS models weren't introduced until 2013, and a Platinum Edition package (including special silver exterior accents and added luxury features) was unveiled for base and Diesel models in 2014.

The first-generation Porsche Cayenne was produced from 2003-'10 and came equipped with a heavy-duty all-wheel-drive system that included low-range gearing. At heart, though, the original Cayenne was all about on-road performance, just like the current model. It was considered one of the best-handling SUVs of its time -- not to mention one of the fastest in S, GTS and Turbo guises.

Inside, the driver sat high above traffic in comfortable bucket seats, facing a three-spoke steering wheel and a center-mounted tachometer that paid homage to Porsche's sports cars. The ignition was even mounted on the left side of the dash in classic Porsche style. Materials quality was generally very good throughout the cabin, but the advanced electronics controls weren't especially user-friendly. The original Cayenne wasn't the most spacious midsize SUV either, lacking the cargo and rear seat space of some similarly priced competitors.

Originally, there were only Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo styles. The S model's 4.5-liter V8 produced 340 hp, while the turbocharged version of the same engine pumped out 450 horses. A six-speed automatic transmission was standard. A 247-hp 3.2-liter V6 base model arrived in 2004, and its standard transmission became a six-speed manual for 2005 (the rest of the Cayenne line stuck with the auto). That year also saw the addition of a few options, such as a panoramic sunroof and a Turbo Power Kit that boosted output to 500 hp and upgraded the brakes. For 2006, the range-topping Cayenne Turbo S debuted, producing a monstrous 520 hp that whisked the Cayenne to 60 mph as quickly as a 911 Carrera of the same era.

The Cayenne was not produced for model year 2007, but the following year brought major changes. The styling was given a welcome face-lift, the suspension was revised for sharper handling and every engine gained more power. The base V6 now produced 290 hp, the Cayenne S's V8 385 hp and the Turbo an even 500 hp. The Turbo S was put on hiatus. The Cayenne GTS model also arrived for '08, featuring a 405-hp version of the S model's V8 along with a six-speed manual transmission, 21-inch wheels, an active air suspension and a lower ride height. The Turbo S made its return for 2009 packing 550 hp.

User Reviews:

• 

  comfortable, but painfully slow - 2017 Porsche Cayenne
  By matt - January 22 - 11:00 am

  This is the base model. The interior build quality is very good but materials are plastic.

• 

  2012 Cayenne Turbo - 2012 Porsche Cayenne
  By mgustaplay - January 21 - 5:35 pm

  Self-admitted, car-research guy. Brought this beast in Mar 12. Traded 08 911 4s; needed 4 doors and back seats (3 teenagers and complaining wife). Ubmer, two-tone leather, 21" turbo whls, sprt, premium, steel skids, Burmester - $130k (4% dsct off MSRP). Mixed impressions. The Good: Super fast, sounds great, corners like no other, beautiful interior, roomy enough for four (five is tight), pano roof is awesome, sport mode changes character of car. The Mixed: oil leak first week (bad "o" ring in mftg build); the breaks squeak when coming to stop (not subtle squeak; very loud; service says it is a reality of these cars); Exterior styling is just OK. For $130k I want only positives.

• 

  Cayenne Turbo - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By ecies - January 6 - 2:00 am

  Fast, Fun and an all purpose car!

• 

  What a fun Porsche - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Rich - December 27 - 7:36 pm

  This is a great vehicle. It goes through snow and mud as easily as an asphalt parking lot. It looks pretty good, a little fat. To me, this is not a gussied up VW Touareg, nor is the VW a downmarket Porsche. The Cayenne S is the best balance of the 3. The Turbo is just unbelivably fast, but the suspension seems to have a difficult time handling all that power; even feeling a little torque steer. The V6 is just that, a V6. Go for the S. It is plenty fast for US market, and affordable when you run the numbers on a lease. Porsches hold their value, and this is a better deal than many other SUVs in this price bracket. If you know how to amortize the payments, this is the way to go.

• 

  7,500 Miles, so far, in My Cayenne Turbo - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Ginger - December 23 - 10:16 pm

  It is faster than my older Porsches, but does not handle as well as a 911. On the other hand, it can cut through esses on ramps better than any vehicles other than the exotics and Porsche sports cars I encounter. The Turbo can be a little explosive, like the old 930s, but the large engine with the 457 ft pounds of torque at 2200 rpm really hides any turbo lag. I wish they would let me use it at a PCA track event.

• 

  Great vehicle - 2016 Porsche Cayenne
  By Banx - December 6 - 10:39 pm

  We traded in our 12 Turbo (500 hp) for this used but certified 16. Both the 12 and 16 had/have the sport chrono pkg. The buttons on the center console area are very easy to use. This vehicle has been fantastic to drive. With 520 hp, it accelerates 0-60 in about 4.2 seconds and there is zero turbo lag at any time. One big advantage of this model is the buttons on the console that allow the climate for driver or passenger to have air flow exactly as they wish in any combination of air flow outlets. The Bose sound is very good, way better than the Harmon Kardon in our two Mercedes cars (wagon and CLS) that have the weakest bass sound ever. The navigation system works well - this car doesnt have voice control (Mercedes nav is horrible). Heated steering wheel is very comfortable in the winter. The 15.8 mpg over the 5300K miles Ive been tracking it on a spreadsheet is 0.3 mpg less than what the trip computer has calculated. The EPA, which always overstates mpg, has it rated as 14/21 for city/hwy. It requires 93 octane like all Porsches, so if you live in an area where 91 octane is the highest available, the ECU will not nearly give you the acceleration performance that this car could give you. Reliability has been fine so far (expect to pay about $2K when the front brakes (rotors and pads) are replaced). There is no oil dipstick; once the car has been driven around 10 miles, a dash view of oil level can be seen in a submenu. This has averaged needing a half-quart of Mobil 1 5w-40 added every 1015 miles, which is normal for their twin turbo V-8. Cargo space in the rear is fine for us - it carries a few golf bags, etc. and has WAY more trunk capacity than the Macan or Audi Q5. While Id love a Macan, theyre just too small in the cargo area. One problem with Cayennes is removing the retractable cargo cover shade entirely out of the bracket that holds it in place. It is a ridiculously tough chore! This 16 has the sport exhaust option and the sound is quite exciting outside the vehicle, but you barely hear it inside - it sounds much more thrilling on this V-8 than on the Cayenne V-6 loaner I got. While we have a locking differential control, weve only used it a couple of times while clambering up a snowy, pine-covered trail to a camp. If you really need that go anywhere capability, Id guess the Range Rover would be the one to get. This came with summer tires - as soon as it got cold I took them off and put on all-season tires on the 21 inch wheels. The ride would be a bit more comfortable on rougher roads with smaller wheels. The LED low beam headlights have a sharp cutoff - Id prefer them to light up more of the road in front of us. There is an extremely annoying start/stop function - even though we turn it off, the 16 resets itself to "on" each time the engine is turned off. That split second when you dont realize the start/stop is functioning and youre turning left while seeing oncoming traffic and youll understand what I mean. Youre saving a few cents a week in gas but the starter is being used 20 times a day - whatll that Porsche starter cost to replace after the warranty is up? This has parking sensors front and rear that work very well (those in our Mercedes are useless), and the blind spot monitors are good too. Fortunately, the cruise control is NOT the adaptive option - I do not like those. Heated and ventilated seats work very well in front - the rear only has the base heated seats. Transmission has worked flawlessly so far.

• 

  Like no other - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By carfan - November 19 - 2:00 am

  7th SUV owned and while the Cayenne costs lots more,you get lots more. Sports car performance and handling highest of "tech", great utility and one of kind looks. Being able to light up the tires on a 6000 pound vehicle is well......fun.

• 

  Very Disappointed - 2013 Porsche Cayenne
  By dante - November 14 - 1:34 am

  So, let me see, after less than six months of ownership and less than 3,000 miles of driving, this is what has gone wrong with my new 2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo: after bringing in my car for loud clanging noises when I backed the car up, they replaced my entire catalytic converter. Ten days later, due to different clanging noises, they replaced all of my muffler tips and replaced my electronic key fobs as the car was not recognizing them. Are you kidding me? I should have bought the Range Rover Sport for $40,000 less from the dealer less than a mile from my home. My neighbors who have bought Range Rovers have reported no such major repairs and certainly not to a brand new vehicle.

• 

  V6, still sounds like a Porsche!! - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By J-DUB - November 13 - 2:00 am

  This car is sooo sweet.. Love the exhaust note, sounds like a Porsche..haha.. Interior is classy and well built. Overall car is wonderful.. Well worth the price. Lots of standard equipments. Very fun to drive.

• 

  Porsche - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Fifth Porsche - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Having previously owned 4 911s, I had some trepidations about buying a "Sport Truck"...Pros: incredible brakes, awesome exhaust sound, tremendous handling, comfortable and functional interior, nav system easy to read maps, sound system referred to a rolling nightclub by one passenger (14-or 15 spekers and in excess of 300 watts if memory serves), nice roll-up luggage or pet screen for rear cargo space plus screen..Cons: crappy gas mileage (11 mpg), nits include no automatic headlights, (although the bi- zenons are cool especially cornering lights) limited legroom in back seat and uninspired exterior design