Buying Porsche Cayenne - 3.2 V6 or S ? Help needed
Discussion
Hi all,
Im new to this so go easy on me.
Ive decided i want to buy a cayenne 54/55 reg upto 90k miles and budget £8-9k
Wife is now pregnant so need to sell the SL320 (1996) for family car. Wanted to know is there much difference between the 3.2 V6 or the S version? In terms of fuel, we do about 4-5k miles a year, and its all town driving mainly (london)
SHould i be worried about the fuel, or expect the same as my SL 320 ?
I know this has probably been done a few times in the forum, and ive read bits and bobs, but just wanted your expert views if possible.
Go easy on me guys....im new here. But im gagging to become a porsche owner.
ALSO - other then coolant pipes change, is there anything i should look out for?
Thanks
Im new to this so go easy on me.
Ive decided i want to buy a cayenne 54/55 reg upto 90k miles and budget £8-9k
Wife is now pregnant so need to sell the SL320 (1996) for family car. Wanted to know is there much difference between the 3.2 V6 or the S version? In terms of fuel, we do about 4-5k miles a year, and its all town driving mainly (london)
SHould i be worried about the fuel, or expect the same as my SL 320 ?
I know this has probably been done a few times in the forum, and ive read bits and bobs, but just wanted your expert views if possible.
Go easy on me guys....im new here. But im gagging to become a porsche owner.
ALSO - other then coolant pipes change, is there anything i should look out for?
Thanks
I've heard a few people say the V6 can struggle a bit with very little benefit in fuel economy so I'd be looking for an S (and in fact, that is what I've had for a couple of years now).
For me, air suspension was a must and I'm glad I bought one with it. Front heated seats were also a must have for me.
Coolant pipes are the main thing, and noisy / clonking drive shaft too so watch out for that. One thing you don't read much about - but I found out the hard way - is that when the coolant pipes split, they dump coolant all over the starter motor. So even if you buy a car that's had the coolant pipes done (I did) you may find that your starter motor is on borrowed time.
Fuel consumption is appalling to be honest. I think I get around 15mpg around town - before the prices dropped, it would cost me about £120 to fill up. Now it's more like £80-90, and that will generally only manage 200-250 miles. Long journeys are better although the difference is less significant than most cars.
Having said all that, I love mine - it's a fantastic car especially in winter. And if you flick the suspension to sport and use manual gear change it's a surprising amount of fun on a twisty road. Despite its size, it drives very much like a normal car. I'd buy a newer one if it wasn't for the fact that there isn't really anything wrong with the one I've got - except the amount of fuel it drinks, and that isn't any better with a newer model!
ETA : See of the boot lid stays up - they often don't, and need the struts replacing.
For me, air suspension was a must and I'm glad I bought one with it. Front heated seats were also a must have for me.
Coolant pipes are the main thing, and noisy / clonking drive shaft too so watch out for that. One thing you don't read much about - but I found out the hard way - is that when the coolant pipes split, they dump coolant all over the starter motor. So even if you buy a car that's had the coolant pipes done (I did) you may find that your starter motor is on borrowed time.
Fuel consumption is appalling to be honest. I think I get around 15mpg around town - before the prices dropped, it would cost me about £120 to fill up. Now it's more like £80-90, and that will generally only manage 200-250 miles. Long journeys are better although the difference is less significant than most cars.
Having said all that, I love mine - it's a fantastic car especially in winter. And if you flick the suspension to sport and use manual gear change it's a surprising amount of fun on a twisty road. Despite its size, it drives very much like a normal car. I'd buy a newer one if it wasn't for the fact that there isn't really anything wrong with the one I've got - except the amount of fuel it drinks, and that isn't any better with a newer model!
ETA : See of the boot lid stays up - they often don't, and need the struts replacing.
Edited by davek_964 on Friday 10th April 12:17
Thanks dave, yes the fuel of course is a problem but seems like most owners disregard it considering the enjoyment they get.
So you think the S is the one to get then with very little fuel difference ?
otherwise generally. a strong reliable car then i imagine.
any problems to look out for at 80-90k miles? When does coolant issue need addressing?
So you think the S is the one to get then with very little fuel difference ?
otherwise generally. a strong reliable car then i imagine.
any problems to look out for at 80-90k miles? When does coolant issue need addressing?
I don't think the coolant issue can really be predicted - if you buy one that hasn't had it done, knock some money off and get it done.
They are getting on a bit, so things do / will break. I needed a starter motor, which was pricey to fit. My passenger and driver window regulators snapped at different times, and they are also not easy to fit. My aux belt snapped quite soon after a service, which was quite scary when I got to a bend and found I had no power steering!
Engines do have reputations of bore problems, but I don't think that is anything like as common as the 996 model 911s.
I must admit, for my first 18 months of ownership I don't think I would have called mine reliable - however, I know that I wasn't terribly careful when I bought. In the last 6 months or so it seems to be behaving itself.
When I bought mine - despite the positive forum comments - I thought it would bore me to death and wouldn't be kept long. I was very wrong about that!
They are getting on a bit, so things do / will break. I needed a starter motor, which was pricey to fit. My passenger and driver window regulators snapped at different times, and they are also not easy to fit. My aux belt snapped quite soon after a service, which was quite scary when I got to a bend and found I had no power steering!
Engines do have reputations of bore problems, but I don't think that is anything like as common as the 996 model 911s.
I must admit, for my first 18 months of ownership I don't think I would have called mine reliable - however, I know that I wasn't terribly careful when I bought. In the last 6 months or so it seems to be behaving itself.
When I bought mine - despite the positive forum comments - I thought it would bore me to death and wouldn't be kept long. I was very wrong about that!
I've contemplated buying one of these around 10-12k mark but just can justify the amount of fuel they drink.
A lot of vehicle for the money though and great road presence.
I used to own a diesel VW Toe Rag and that thing cost an arm and a leg to keep running so dread to think what the Cayennes like........
A lot of vehicle for the money though and great road presence.
I used to own a diesel VW Toe Rag and that thing cost an arm and a leg to keep running so dread to think what the Cayennes like........
I've got an '06 Cayenne, had it since new. It's the 3.0 v6.
The only issue I had was water coming in and ruining the main wiring harness, around 2.5k from OPC Edinburgh.
Aside from that it bounces along at c134k miles. Likes its Tyres and fuel, but aside from that its wonderful, so much so that I will get another one.
I get 20MPG normally, bearing in mind she's an old girl now with nice mileage.
Personally I'd plonk for the larger engine, 5mpg is neither here nor there.
The only issue I had was water coming in and ruining the main wiring harness, around 2.5k from OPC Edinburgh.
Aside from that it bounces along at c134k miles. Likes its Tyres and fuel, but aside from that its wonderful, so much so that I will get another one.
I get 20MPG normally, bearing in mind she's an old girl now with nice mileage.
Personally I'd plonk for the larger engine, 5mpg is neither here nor there.
Edited by JohnJNR on Friday 10th April 14:26
I'll have had mine 3 years in August, bought at 107,000 miles, now on 120,000. 2006 S with air suspension and lots of other options (sunroof, heated seats front & rear, adaptive xenon cornering lights, heated steering wheel, CD changer, folding mirrors, parking sensors, privacy glass).
After a year or so towing the front brake discs warped so I had to get them replaced.
The tyre pressure monitoring system warning light would come on, presumably due to a sensor with a flat battery/faulty - I simply had the system coded off on a Porsche tester, which I would have had to do anyway as I changed from the 19's it came with onto used 20's that didn't have sensors.
The engine management light comes on sometimes - an OBDII reader shows the fault code for "warm up catalyst below threshold" for bank 1 and/or bank 2. Resetting it with a cheap OBD code reader turns it off but sometimes it goes off all on its own - it can weeks or months before coming on again. The frequency hasn't got any worse in the time I've had it, I ignore the light now and wait for it to turn itself off again.
After about 18 months a front wheel bearing got noisy so was replaced and I had the oil and air filter changed too at the same time as it was almost 2 years since it had been done. I think the total bill was under £700 (inc bearing & fitting).
Everyone will tell you they eat tyres - I've not found this to be the case. I even ran winters all through the year when I was towing the race car all over the country - I've probably done 10,000 miles on them and from virtually new they're now probably down to about 6mm all round (I did have them rotated when the brakes were done though).
I find it amusing that to get the average mpg display takes 10-12 key presses on the right hand stalk (using the toggle on the end, the push button on the underside, the toggle again, the button again etc) - compare that to a Touraeg where you just use the toggle button and get the info with 1-4 key presses. I measure my mpg based on milometer distance and fuel receipt - it's always at least 10% below what the dashboard says. The last tank I got 370 miles out of, but it was *very* low on fuel at the end (read: silence in the car as I nursed it along hoping to find a petrol station after my girlfriend thought I was stupid for not stopping at a Murco when it was showing 15 mile range). I always use Shell V power and get 15mpg round town and 21-22 on a decent motorway run, or 16-17ish towing a 2+ tonne trailer (meaning it was the same towing as my previous Audi A6 3.0 V6 Quattro petrol - the Cayenne is a much nicer, faster car).
I have no idea if the coolant pipes have been done or not.
The tailgate struts do need replacing, which I'll do myself when I get around to it (saw a youtube film and it looks pretty straightforward).
The parking sensors sometimes stop working, presumably down to one faulty sensor, but it usually sorts itself out again before I've had chance to look at it and determine which one's at fault.
I'm also planning to fit a reversing camera - one integrated into a replacement number plate light, together with a wireless kit (so I don't have to run the cable through the car) cost about £50, plus another tenner for a video adaptor lead. It'll then need coding on to the car on a Porsche tester. It would have been more useful when I was towing a lot but I wasn't sure how easy it would be, but I've been in touch with someone who's done it and he's been very helpful.
I'm also planning on retro-fitting cruise control - bought a set of all the stalks for £32 delivered from eBay, I'll be using the guide on www.jackals-forge.com to fit the cruise stalk which again looks pretty straightforward and will then need coding on.
If you go in to one with your eyes wide open and get a good one I think you'll find it a superb car. I don't use mine a lot and don't really need it at all, but I can't see me getting rid of it anytime soon.
After a year or so towing the front brake discs warped so I had to get them replaced.
The tyre pressure monitoring system warning light would come on, presumably due to a sensor with a flat battery/faulty - I simply had the system coded off on a Porsche tester, which I would have had to do anyway as I changed from the 19's it came with onto used 20's that didn't have sensors.
The engine management light comes on sometimes - an OBDII reader shows the fault code for "warm up catalyst below threshold" for bank 1 and/or bank 2. Resetting it with a cheap OBD code reader turns it off but sometimes it goes off all on its own - it can weeks or months before coming on again. The frequency hasn't got any worse in the time I've had it, I ignore the light now and wait for it to turn itself off again.
After about 18 months a front wheel bearing got noisy so was replaced and I had the oil and air filter changed too at the same time as it was almost 2 years since it had been done. I think the total bill was under £700 (inc bearing & fitting).
Everyone will tell you they eat tyres - I've not found this to be the case. I even ran winters all through the year when I was towing the race car all over the country - I've probably done 10,000 miles on them and from virtually new they're now probably down to about 6mm all round (I did have them rotated when the brakes were done though).
I find it amusing that to get the average mpg display takes 10-12 key presses on the right hand stalk (using the toggle on the end, the push button on the underside, the toggle again, the button again etc) - compare that to a Touraeg where you just use the toggle button and get the info with 1-4 key presses. I measure my mpg based on milometer distance and fuel receipt - it's always at least 10% below what the dashboard says. The last tank I got 370 miles out of, but it was *very* low on fuel at the end (read: silence in the car as I nursed it along hoping to find a petrol station after my girlfriend thought I was stupid for not stopping at a Murco when it was showing 15 mile range). I always use Shell V power and get 15mpg round town and 21-22 on a decent motorway run, or 16-17ish towing a 2+ tonne trailer (meaning it was the same towing as my previous Audi A6 3.0 V6 Quattro petrol - the Cayenne is a much nicer, faster car).
I have no idea if the coolant pipes have been done or not.
The tailgate struts do need replacing, which I'll do myself when I get around to it (saw a youtube film and it looks pretty straightforward).
The parking sensors sometimes stop working, presumably down to one faulty sensor, but it usually sorts itself out again before I've had chance to look at it and determine which one's at fault.
I'm also planning to fit a reversing camera - one integrated into a replacement number plate light, together with a wireless kit (so I don't have to run the cable through the car) cost about £50, plus another tenner for a video adaptor lead. It'll then need coding on to the car on a Porsche tester. It would have been more useful when I was towing a lot but I wasn't sure how easy it would be, but I've been in touch with someone who's done it and he's been very helpful.
I'm also planning on retro-fitting cruise control - bought a set of all the stalks for £32 delivered from eBay, I'll be using the guide on www.jackals-forge.com to fit the cruise stalk which again looks pretty straightforward and will then need coding on.
If you go in to one with your eyes wide open and get a good one I think you'll find it a superb car. I don't use mine a lot and don't really need it at all, but I can't see me getting rid of it anytime soon.
You see thats the problem....i dont want to buy this car and 2-3-4-5 months later have some mad garage bill of £1.5-2k !
thats whats scary really....
However u cant have it all i guess when buying it used.
Dealers tell me its 6 month warranty, but is that really worth anything? Will they repair any of these kinds of probs?
thats whats scary really....
However u cant have it all i guess when buying it used.
Dealers tell me its 6 month warranty, but is that really worth anything? Will they repair any of these kinds of probs?
gallmoney said:
You see thats the problem....i dont want to buy this car and 2-3-4-5 months later have some mad garage bill of £1.5-2k !
thats whats scary really....
However u cant have it all i guess when buying it used.
Dealers tell me its 6 month warranty, but is that really worth anything? Will they repair any of these kinds of probs?
Honestly I think you are looking at the wrong type of car if you are concerned about MPG, and low maintenance costs.thats whats scary really....
However u cant have it all i guess when buying it used.
Dealers tell me its 6 month warranty, but is that really worth anything? Will they repair any of these kinds of probs?
Nearly 10 year old heavy 2 tonne plus 4x4s loaded with extras and all kinds of electronics and motors to go wrong (and will go wrong) will mean you will be forking out on repairs, there is no doubt about it.
You will get good months and bad months, but make no mistake it will cost you.
I would recommend you look at another tpe of family car, like a Merc or BMW diesel with lower miles and slightly newer to try to mitigate on running costs. I ran an old X5 for a few years, and whilst not a Cayenne (I believe the Cayenne to be a lot more reliable) the running costs were astronomical. Everthing went wrong, and whilst it may have been a friday car even half of the problems were still a heavy burden for your wallet.
These cars are not made like old SL mercs which are carved out of granite as a comparison. They are made on a budget and with modern manufacturing methods so ultimately have higher failure rates/costs to run. Consumables when you are lugging 2.5tonnes around will also get hammered, tyres/brakes get eaten.
I'd hoestly look at something like a 630d/530d, or CLS if they are within your budget. Whilst they are also not the most reliable, they will be better than a 4x4 IMO, less to go wrong etc, and much better on fuel.
All IMO, but I'd save yourself the potential hassle and bills if I were you. If you are buying one cheap and are happy to pay the higher costs to run it then fine - they are a great car, but don't buy one on a budget is my point!
S1MMA said:
Nearly 10 year old heavy 2 tonne plus 4x4s loaded with extras and all kinds of electronics and motors to go wrong (and will go wrong) will mean you will be forking out on repairs, there is no doubt about it.
I can see where you're coming from but look at my post above. In 32 months I've had to replace a wheel bearing and have an oil change done (routinely due every 2 years). If I hadn't warped the front discs from towing a lot of weight they wouldn't have worn out even by now. So, brakes aside I've had one £700 bill in February last year - and 31 other months with no bills at all. @ TheGoose - this is the type of luck id be hoping for. and i appreciate Simmys comments. All very true - its a car where u have to expect things to go wrong and be costly.
Maybe my SL is just as you say, made out of Granite.....5 years, never any problem and on 121k miles. just service every 7-8k miles and thats it.
of course will still probably buy the Cayenne, as it seems SOOOOO much nicer then the second alternative being the ML350 cdi 2006 reg.
Maybe my SL is just as you say, made out of Granite.....5 years, never any problem and on 121k miles. just service every 7-8k miles and thats it.
of course will still probably buy the Cayenne, as it seems SOOOOO much nicer then the second alternative being the ML350 cdi 2006 reg.
- open up a can of worms now* lol
Just remember those points when you buy, and buy carefully. Consider a PPI.
It might seem overkill for an £8k car but to put it into perspective : I had a very expensive Ferrari service last month - major with belts and lots of additional stuff too. More than 20 hours of labour and a fair chunk of change for parts. It was still cheaper than the first service I had on my Cayenne, which I bought without properly checking (and I paid £8k). That Cayenne service is still the most expensive service I've ever had.
But if you buy carefully they are great cars. The fuel does get a tad annoying though
It might seem overkill for an £8k car but to put it into perspective : I had a very expensive Ferrari service last month - major with belts and lots of additional stuff too. More than 20 hours of labour and a fair chunk of change for parts. It was still cheaper than the first service I had on my Cayenne, which I bought without properly checking (and I paid £8k). That Cayenne service is still the most expensive service I've ever had.
But if you buy carefully they are great cars. The fuel does get a tad annoying though
gallmoney said:
Wow. You cayenne cost more for cayenne then your ferrari ?! Tell me. For 8k what did you buy?! Was there no service history? Or many owners ? Or what exactly needed doing ?
Overall the Cayenne costs less - at least for the same mileage - but that one service cost more.From memory : the suspension wasn't quite level which meant a new part at the front. Think that was about £1k. Needed a water pump. Needed brake pads and discs all round. Needed tail gate struts doing. Some other stuff I can't remember. The bill was about 2/3rds the cost of the car.
Had I looked properly I'd have seen virtually all the problems but there were reasons it was a snap decision.
On positive side, even with that negative start to ownership I still love it. I have no desire to buy a newer 911 turbo if I sell mine but I'd happily have a newer Cayenne!
Strangely I went from a SL320 to a 2004 Cayenne S !
I've owned it for about 5/6 years now. In that time it's had routine servicing by Indies and recently by a competent local garage(far better). The running costs are moderately high but the returns are outstanding, it's a great way to travel.
Last year I had a big expense, Coolant pipes, drive shaft and discs/pads all in a short space of time. Think I spent about £2.5k in total. Fairly painful but that has been the only big bill in 5/6 years.
Tyres seem to last about 10,000 miles (conti sportContacts) and are fairly expensive (£750 the set). As I now use the car for just running around locally, no motorways, I've changed to a set of Acceleras with a lower speed rating(150mph) but still the correct load and weight ratings. These are about £325 the set, we'll see how long they last.
I recently went to p/ex the car, it has air suspension, full leather, huge list of extras as it was a dealer demo car originally and I was offered £5k for it. Hence it'll be kept and used. There's not much this side of a £40k car that can better it.
One of the most surprising things is how hard wearing the interior is. The leather is very soft feeling but still looks pretty much like new, certainly nearer to a 2 year old car than an 11 year old one.
I've owned it for about 5/6 years now. In that time it's had routine servicing by Indies and recently by a competent local garage(far better). The running costs are moderately high but the returns are outstanding, it's a great way to travel.
Last year I had a big expense, Coolant pipes, drive shaft and discs/pads all in a short space of time. Think I spent about £2.5k in total. Fairly painful but that has been the only big bill in 5/6 years.
Tyres seem to last about 10,000 miles (conti sportContacts) and are fairly expensive (£750 the set). As I now use the car for just running around locally, no motorways, I've changed to a set of Acceleras with a lower speed rating(150mph) but still the correct load and weight ratings. These are about £325 the set, we'll see how long they last.
I recently went to p/ex the car, it has air suspension, full leather, huge list of extras as it was a dealer demo car originally and I was offered £5k for it. Hence it'll be kept and used. There's not much this side of a £40k car that can better it.
One of the most surprising things is how hard wearing the interior is. The leather is very soft feeling but still looks pretty much like new, certainly nearer to a 2 year old car than an 11 year old one.
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