Cayenne vs Range Rover vs Range Rover Sport
Discussion
Hi all,
Has anyone cross shopped these, and if so what made you choose the Cayenne?
I am in the market for a 4 x 4, and want one of these in 4 litre diesel format (personally not a fan of the v6 diesel noise).
I have been loaned a Cayenne by my OPC overnight and it is great fun to drive! Not quite as much of a full on 4 x 4 experience as a Range perhaps, so I am seeing pluses and minuses to both. Would welcome any opinions from those who have experienced both!
Has anyone cross shopped these, and if so what made you choose the Cayenne?
I am in the market for a 4 x 4, and want one of these in 4 litre diesel format (personally not a fan of the v6 diesel noise).
I have been loaned a Cayenne by my OPC overnight and it is great fun to drive! Not quite as much of a full on 4 x 4 experience as a Range perhaps, so I am seeing pluses and minuses to both. Would welcome any opinions from those who have experienced both!
I've just ordered a new V8 S Diesel Cayenne...backed out of buying a Hybrid ex demo Cayenne at the last minute. Agree on the 3.0 diesel...feels very underpowered (for a Porsche)...and coming from my somewhat ageing X5 with the twin turbo engine was noticeably slower.
The Cayenne is a miles better drive in my opinion than the either Range Rover. This video is worth looking at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5gq_-ErTQA
This video is about the Turbo but dynamically they're the same car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7HQD9yk4Fg
If wafting/supreme comfort is your thing the RR is your car but I actually prefer something on country roads that feels a lot more solid. My choice of suspension settings on the Cayenne for country lanes is Sport or even Sport plus. Comfort only for motorway use or slow town driving.
I am not particularly smitten with the Range Rover styling and despite the Cayenne being replaced in 2018 I think it's a better looking car (I never liked the Cayenne until the 2015 refresh). I also think the 18 way adjustable seats on the Cayenne are superb and a "must have"
I think the build quality is much better and also the RR's reputation for lack of reliability and also the service a mate had from a LR dealer on his Defender put me off (plenty of similar stories on here).
Cayenne is definitely not as big/practical when it comes to boot space but I actually think rear room is very good. Rear vision is pretty poor though...
And I'll be honest I think the RR/RRS is a but of an automotive cliche...I work in Central London and live in the Home Counties....they are friggin everywhere and quite often driven by people for the "image" nothing to do with the car itself. I like the fact the Cayenne is a lot less common on the roads. My mate loves his RRS though!
Oh and the new PCM 4.0 (in Cayenne's from a 66 plate onwards) is a massive improvement and miles ahead of the Range Rover system which is very dated.
The only reason to buy a RRS our of those three IMHO is for the 7 seats if you need it...otherwise I think the choice is really FFRR or Cayenne. Our X5 is a seven seater and we realised we barely use it and the only times we do use the 7 seats we're both around so on those very rare occasions we can take two cars.
What really sealed the deal is the wife really doesn't like the boxy look of the FFRR!
There are some decent deals around on ex-demo cars and we got a pretty good deal on a car ordered to spec.
The Cayenne is a miles better drive in my opinion than the either Range Rover. This video is worth looking at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5gq_-ErTQA
This video is about the Turbo but dynamically they're the same car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7HQD9yk4Fg
If wafting/supreme comfort is your thing the RR is your car but I actually prefer something on country roads that feels a lot more solid. My choice of suspension settings on the Cayenne for country lanes is Sport or even Sport plus. Comfort only for motorway use or slow town driving.
I am not particularly smitten with the Range Rover styling and despite the Cayenne being replaced in 2018 I think it's a better looking car (I never liked the Cayenne until the 2015 refresh). I also think the 18 way adjustable seats on the Cayenne are superb and a "must have"
I think the build quality is much better and also the RR's reputation for lack of reliability and also the service a mate had from a LR dealer on his Defender put me off (plenty of similar stories on here).
Cayenne is definitely not as big/practical when it comes to boot space but I actually think rear room is very good. Rear vision is pretty poor though...
And I'll be honest I think the RR/RRS is a but of an automotive cliche...I work in Central London and live in the Home Counties....they are friggin everywhere and quite often driven by people for the "image" nothing to do with the car itself. I like the fact the Cayenne is a lot less common on the roads. My mate loves his RRS though!
Oh and the new PCM 4.0 (in Cayenne's from a 66 plate onwards) is a massive improvement and miles ahead of the Range Rover system which is very dated.
The only reason to buy a RRS our of those three IMHO is for the 7 seats if you need it...otherwise I think the choice is really FFRR or Cayenne. Our X5 is a seven seater and we realised we barely use it and the only times we do use the 7 seats we're both around so on those very rare occasions we can take two cars.
What really sealed the deal is the wife really doesn't like the boxy look of the FFRR!
There are some decent deals around on ex-demo cars and we got a pretty good deal on a car ordered to spec.
Edited by Cheib on Saturday 5th November 20:36
We have a cayenne V6 and a V6 RRS
the RRS is in a different league when it comes to luxury, comfort and wafting
The cayenne is however a super size Golf - handles and steers much better.
4.0 V8 RRS are very rare
I've driven a few full fat RR - yet another step up from the RRS but feel much bigger, less sporty and less cockpit inside than the RRS.
the RRS is in a different league when it comes to luxury, comfort and wafting
The cayenne is however a super size Golf - handles and steers much better.
4.0 V8 RRS are very rare
I've driven a few full fat RR - yet another step up from the RRS but feel much bigger, less sporty and less cockpit inside than the RRS.
icebite78 said:
I feel the cayenne looks very dated in comparison to either RR or the sport.
Went through the same thoughts but the RR really is a much better car/4×4
It really depends on what you are looking for. Went through the same thoughts but the RR really is a much better car/4×4
Cayenne:
is faster, handles better, has a better media package, has just as much leather as a ffrr, has a better built interior, is more reliable, has better dealerships, has better servicing, is smaller where it counts (but is bigger than a rrs), he's better residuals, sounds better.
Range Rover:
Is massive on the outside, quite small on the inside
Looks nicer (imho)
Has a better image
Is better at wafting
Is better off-road.
The cayenne wins hands down. Have you sat in a 3 year old ffrr, it rattles and squeaks whereas on cayenne is still solid.
But, to be honest. I'd still chose the ffrr. But it is not the better car
I bought a 2015 Range Rover and it broke 12 times in 9 months. During that time I had a Range Rover sport for 3 weeks which was very nice. It's was quick when needed and had all the toys you'd expect being the v8 autobiography. Because of all the problems with the Range I had a look at the cayenne. Nice drive and I thought the build quality was probably better than the Range Rover. But none of those two had that special feeling driving the Range Rover has. When it was working it was fantastic. No drama no need to go quick it got you there in total comfort.
I ended up getting a new Range Rover even after all the problems with the first one. So far only one little problem but that was sorted straight away.
I ended up getting a new Range Rover even after all the problems with the first one. So far only one little problem but that was sorted straight away.
Some great feedback and thoughts here, thank you to everyone who has contributed. Very helpful.
I popped into Range Rover yest and sat in a Range Rover Sport. Asked about 24 hour test drives and the salesman looked like I had asked for an evening with his wife! Definitely wasn't a goer. Headed down to Porsche who within 10 minutes had given me a v8 diesel for 24 hours, I have bought a Panamera and a 911 Turbo from them in the past 18 months or so and the service has always been absolutely spot on.
Then managed to get back to Range today for a quick test drive, so have had the luxury of being able to drive the Cayenne to Range Rover, take out a full fat autobiography 4.4 diesel and a sport 3.0 v6, thus being able to compare all 3.
General thoughts are in many respects echoing what many have said on here to an extent.
The FFRR is like nothing I have ever driven before. It is supremely comfortable, it is more akin to sitting on a sofa than sitting in a car. It is a level of luxury I haven't ever experienced in a vehicle. The V8 has a nice growl to it and plenty enough power, the interior feels superb and there is something fairly majestic about wafting along in comfort. It is massive, but I am 6 foot 4 and have always liked a big car. You feel like king of the road driving one. Spec would be important from an exterior perspective, I am 30 and don't want it to look like I have borrowed my dads car, so the right wheels, colour, maybe black pack etc is going to be a must if I went down this route.
The RRS totally underwhelmed me. Perhaps it is because it is a dynamic, or perhaps the V6, or perhaps the fact I got out of a FFRR into it - maybe a combination of the above. I felt the V6 was constantly struggling to keep up with what I wanted it to do compared to the V8 I had driven before. The cabin felt quite cramped, which I know is an odd thing to say, but again compared to the FFRR it was night and day. It basically felt as if it didn't do the comfort thing as well as a FFRR and it didn't do the performance thing as well as the Cayenne. I guess an autobiography 4.4 might be a different matter, I have been put off the 4.4 in a RRS by a few people saying it wont hold up well residual wise as the V6 is much more popular. Not sure how true this is, however there isn't a V8 RRS in the spec I want for sale in the whole country so this might be an indication it is rarer.
The Cayenne is an interesting one. Between this and the RRS it is a clear winner for me. It is as comfortable, feels a similar size inside (bear in mind no kids etc so just from a drivers perspective). The interior is a bit busy with all the buttons, and the handles in the centre console give it a slightly agricultural feel, but with the full leather pack it feels really high end inside, as much so as the RRS I took out. The performance is a joke, it does things it simply shouldn't be able to, and beats the RRS hands down in this respect. You can drive it like a car but get all the benefits of a 4 x 4.
So looks like it is a Cayenne or FFRR which I accept are 2 entirely different products.
If choosing right now I would go FFRR. Not because it is better per se, but as someone else mentioned it just feels a bit more special. I like the size of it too. And I think the luxury of it (as its main plus) is a more relevant selling point than the performance of the cayenne as its own main plus, as the luxury in the FFRR is unrivalled whereas performance wise I have had a 911 Turbo, RS7, M6 etc - it isn't really performance I am after. However I am still a little on the fence as the Cayenne is so good as an all rounder in how it combines 4 x 4 comfort with fast car performance, plus for a lightly used model in the spec I would like it'll be around £20k cheaper, and insurance would be £700 in the Cayenne but £2400 in the FFRR
The new Cayenne with the interior of the new Panamera will be absolutely superb, that would definitely be the choice I would make if it was available today!
I popped into Range Rover yest and sat in a Range Rover Sport. Asked about 24 hour test drives and the salesman looked like I had asked for an evening with his wife! Definitely wasn't a goer. Headed down to Porsche who within 10 minutes had given me a v8 diesel for 24 hours, I have bought a Panamera and a 911 Turbo from them in the past 18 months or so and the service has always been absolutely spot on.
Then managed to get back to Range today for a quick test drive, so have had the luxury of being able to drive the Cayenne to Range Rover, take out a full fat autobiography 4.4 diesel and a sport 3.0 v6, thus being able to compare all 3.
General thoughts are in many respects echoing what many have said on here to an extent.
The FFRR is like nothing I have ever driven before. It is supremely comfortable, it is more akin to sitting on a sofa than sitting in a car. It is a level of luxury I haven't ever experienced in a vehicle. The V8 has a nice growl to it and plenty enough power, the interior feels superb and there is something fairly majestic about wafting along in comfort. It is massive, but I am 6 foot 4 and have always liked a big car. You feel like king of the road driving one. Spec would be important from an exterior perspective, I am 30 and don't want it to look like I have borrowed my dads car, so the right wheels, colour, maybe black pack etc is going to be a must if I went down this route.
The RRS totally underwhelmed me. Perhaps it is because it is a dynamic, or perhaps the V6, or perhaps the fact I got out of a FFRR into it - maybe a combination of the above. I felt the V6 was constantly struggling to keep up with what I wanted it to do compared to the V8 I had driven before. The cabin felt quite cramped, which I know is an odd thing to say, but again compared to the FFRR it was night and day. It basically felt as if it didn't do the comfort thing as well as a FFRR and it didn't do the performance thing as well as the Cayenne. I guess an autobiography 4.4 might be a different matter, I have been put off the 4.4 in a RRS by a few people saying it wont hold up well residual wise as the V6 is much more popular. Not sure how true this is, however there isn't a V8 RRS in the spec I want for sale in the whole country so this might be an indication it is rarer.
The Cayenne is an interesting one. Between this and the RRS it is a clear winner for me. It is as comfortable, feels a similar size inside (bear in mind no kids etc so just from a drivers perspective). The interior is a bit busy with all the buttons, and the handles in the centre console give it a slightly agricultural feel, but with the full leather pack it feels really high end inside, as much so as the RRS I took out. The performance is a joke, it does things it simply shouldn't be able to, and beats the RRS hands down in this respect. You can drive it like a car but get all the benefits of a 4 x 4.
So looks like it is a Cayenne or FFRR which I accept are 2 entirely different products.
If choosing right now I would go FFRR. Not because it is better per se, but as someone else mentioned it just feels a bit more special. I like the size of it too. And I think the luxury of it (as its main plus) is a more relevant selling point than the performance of the cayenne as its own main plus, as the luxury in the FFRR is unrivalled whereas performance wise I have had a 911 Turbo, RS7, M6 etc - it isn't really performance I am after. However I am still a little on the fence as the Cayenne is so good as an all rounder in how it combines 4 x 4 comfort with fast car performance, plus for a lightly used model in the spec I would like it'll be around £20k cheaper, and insurance would be £700 in the Cayenne but £2400 in the FFRR
The new Cayenne with the interior of the new Panamera will be absolutely superb, that would definitely be the choice I would make if it was available today!
Given your garage the FFRR makes sense. The FFRR's insurance will be because of all the thefts that were happening in London a couple of years ago....there were stories that insurers were refusing to cover cars parked on the street overnight. I work on the edge of Belgravia which is FFRR central...a decent amount of parked cars have some kind of additional steering wheel lock on them. I assume they've fixed the security issues now though ?
sjr-997 said:
The FFRR has nearly five year old technology on it
Most people buy them for the image. I should know as my last one was £115k
I pay zero tax and BIK for my Xc90
The money saved is going towards something british... ??
If BIK is relevant it has to be Hybrid all the way. Anything else just doesn't make sense.Most people buy them for the image. I should know as my last one was £115k
I pay zero tax and BIK for my Xc90
The money saved is going towards something british... ??
I don't just think it's the tech of the FFRR that is showing its age, I think the dash (especially the area around the Nav screen) and central tunnel really looks out of date.
Cheib said:
Given your garage the FFRR makes sense. The FFRR's insurance will be because of all the thefts that were happening in London a couple of years ago....there were stories that insurers were refusing to cover cars parked on the street overnight. I work on the edge of Belgravia which is FFRR central...a decent amount of parked cars have some kind of additional steering wheel lock on them. I assume they've fixed the security issues now though ?
Just read my post back and it sounds as if I have a fleet of cars! This will be my only car, I just happen to change a lot 
Will have had 911 Turbo, Panamera v6 diesel, RS7, M6 and then the 4 x 4 in the space of 20 odd months. Oops. Thought I ought to clarify the Range is a replacement as opposed to in addition!sjr-997 said:
Cars have a 2-3 year shelf life today before a competitor leap frogs them
I won't deny Volvo has an image problem
Give it a try if you're considering an SUV
Make sure you drive one with every toy
I didn't want to like it and was convinced a cayenne turbo was for me
Being honest I just can't see myself in a Volvo. Granted it might be a brilliant car, but yeh the whole image thing for me I just wouldn't be able to get past being brutally honest. Must admit the XC90 with R Design is really good looking.. I won't deny Volvo has an image problem
Give it a try if you're considering an SUV
Make sure you drive one with every toy
I didn't want to like it and was convinced a cayenne turbo was for me
simong800 said:
sjr-997 said:
Cars have a 2-3 year shelf life today before a competitor leap frogs them
I won't deny Volvo has an image problem
Give it a try if you're considering an SUV
Make sure you drive one with every toy
I didn't want to like it and was convinced a cayenne turbo was for me
Being honest I just can't see myself in a Volvo. Granted it might be a brilliant car, but yeh the whole image thing for me I just wouldn't be able to get past being brutally honest. Must admit the XC90 with R Design is really good looking.. I won't deny Volvo has an image problem
Give it a try if you're considering an SUV
Make sure you drive one with every toy
I didn't want to like it and was convinced a cayenne turbo was for me
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