Hessian

First post here on the list. Long story short, I just retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years and have decided to buy myself a retirement present...

Trying to decide between a 05 Turbo with 86k or a 06 4.5 "S" Titanium edition with 54k. Neither is CPO but both are one owner. Both carfaxes show no accidents and some maint.

I'm a huge Porsche fan; I've owned a couple n/a 944s, a 99 boxster, and o4 911. So, I know the value of a PPI and will do so with either one I deicde on but I had a few questions to help me narrow it down. (And, yes, I have trolled the list to see the common issues with Cayenne but still feel these questions are unique)

-Is there a benefit to going with a non-turbo Cayenne (reliabilty/maint)?

-How common is a failure of the turbo itself? Rough idea of cost to fix?

-I understand that the 06's have some (most?) of the kinks worked out from the 04 model... is this generally accepted as the best 1st gen to have?

-Is 86k too many miles for the turbo model? How many miles (with decent maint) can I expect to get out of it.

Please feel free to talk to me like I'm three, use crayons etc when explaining it to me... Thanks in advance for the time/info.


Duke

endless_corners

First of all... the market is flooded with good specimens so dont knee jerk on purchase... Second, figure out if air suspension is a must or not.. because most S models do not have it and it's standard on a turbo.

Failure rate of the actual turbo is very low.. most problems in first gen cayennes are shared between all the v8's. You can't really do anything to make the S go faster. The S gets out of it's own way but isnt FAST per se. The turbo hauls ***. I would encourage you to cast a wide net and search within 500 miles to get a solid guage of actual market prices. Autotrader is an excellent resource for studying the market nationwide for these trucks. Short answer is get a turbo.. even if you have to dig for the right one. What is your price target?

mchi55

I agree with the previous post above. I would definitely try to get a Turbo if you can swing it. I'm not saying the S is bad or slow,but you may regret it down the road.

I've had my Turbo S for almost an year, and besides needing to replace a few brake and turn signal light bulbs, has been flawless.

Patience will pay off, so good luck with the search

__________________
2006 Maserati Gransport
2007 Porsche Cayman, manual, Tubi exhaust
2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, twin turbo, 520hp/530 lb-ft torque
2013 Chevy Suburban
2008 Jeep Wrangler X

Hessian

Thanks for the info. My budget is about 25-30k. I've been looking for several weeks now on autotrader etc. I've seen turbos for as low as 19k but with 100k miles on them... Trying to find that sweet spot between price and miles but I confess I've shyed away a bit from the turbos due to fear of increased maint costs.

Regarding the coolant pipes that usually are replaced... are these the two plastic pipes in the front of the engine or are these pipes somewhere else?

I'm going to test drive an S in the morning and see if it's what I'm looking for. I must confess however, I like going fast... so I'm not going to do anything until I drive a turbo.

endless_corners

honestly you are looking at about the same probability for repairs.. go for the turbo. I bet very few people on this board (knowing your budget) would recommend a 955S. For $30k you are starting to get into the 2008 S territory which is faster than pre-facelift S's. What is your neck of the woods?


case and point...


Also this is what the switch gear for air suspension looks like.. (ignore the red circle that is the advanced offroad package which is rare on all models) the switches/buttons on the right will be absent on most S models. The settings on the right are for damper stiffness and ride height relating to air suspension.

Hessian

Thanks for the info! I was also a bit leary of the air suspension because I've heard that is another area for concern.... ?

I live in Virginia so I like the idea of the adjustable height since it does snow a bit here. Speaking of which, can anyone comment on the cayenne AWD vs. 4x4 in snow etc? I currently drive a Ram with 4x4 and it does great.

mtnrat

I have a 05 turbo I got this fall. I live in big snow country and the cayenne with dedicated ice radials works great. My other car is a 97 landcruiser and I daily drive the cayenne this winter. Over four feet of snow and counting.
As for the coolant tubes they are under the intake manifold. Check the sticky about them at the top of this forum.

Hessian

So, just drove a 06 Cayenne "S"... 47k just serviced with new pads/rotors. Is there anyway that I can give Porsche the VIN and they can pull the service records? Is Porsche service linked through some database or is it just localized at that particular dealer?

As far as the drive/ride it was very nice again, I drove the 4.5 V8...but I can't believe that they make these in a V6... how does a V6 power this beast? It felt very sure footed but heavy!

I'm looking for a turbo to drive next... just to compare. Most turbos in my price point seem to be 04s... Should I go for the new 06 "S" in place of the older 04 Turbo? It would seem the 04s have more issues overall?

My only point of concern was when I took off the oil filler cap. I found some creamy/milky substance at the top inside of the cap (see pic). I've also attached a pic of the inside housing. The salesman told me that it wasn't a coolant/oil leak as there was no frothing on the dipstick (there wasnt) but is that a surefire sign that there is no issue? He also said that the creamy substance is from over time the condensation builds up in the cap...
In any event, I took the pics below to post for opinions.








Thanks again for all the help.

Duke

Dennis C

You'll have to drive the turbo before you can make your decision. The turbo has a huge power advantage over the S, there's no doubt about that. When comparing a 2004 vs. a 2006, service records become important. A well maintained 2004 car has probably had all the common issues addressed. If you find one that hasn't had a major item addressed, such as coolant pipes, then you can deal with this in the price negotiations. Unfortunately Porsche dealers aren't linked together for maintenance, only for TSBs. If you are lucky enough to find the dealer that performed all the service on a particular car, they might and they might not release the records to you. Every one is different. Personally, I wouldn't buy a used Cayenne without all the maintenance records.

The creamy goo on the underside of the oil cap is quite common, especially for cars driven for short distances in colder weather. On short drives, the engine doesn't get hot enough to burn off moisture in the system. Condensation occurs under the oil cap and in the oil filler tube, and the oil residue there emulsifies into the goo seen on the cap. It's not something to worry about. A good PPI should turn up any issues with intermix/coolant.

Hessian

Thanks for the info Dennis. I have the name and number of the servicing dealer... I'll try them.

Also, what year did the Cayenne start having bluetooth capability? I saw the phone buttons on the radio head unit but when pressed it said "internal phone unavailable"....

Dennis C

None of the first gen Cayennes had bluetooth. The phone buttons indicate that the car has the "phone prep" option, which allows you to connect a handsfree phone kit. There are several aftermarket options that will work in a Cayenne if it has the phone buttons on the PCM unit, like Mobridge, Dennison and others.

Cuba

Congrats on retirement! I've had an 05CTT for a little over a year and just rolled over 80K miles. My advice, get the turbo. Not that the S isn't great but it's a totally different experience. Turbos have almost all options as standard including air ride suspension, they are easy to add some power to, and are a blast to drive every day of the year.

williamr91

Well I cannot speak for reliability as I just took delivery of my 06' CS yesterday. I can say it is quite a nice SUV. It has a presence and I've noticed people stair...I don't like that. I'm a pretty private guy but oh well lol. It could be a young looking chap in a suit that just happens to be driving a Porsche.There are 4 dealers with in a 30 minute drive any direction so it isn't like they are uncommon in my area.
This is Porsche number 3 and number 2 currently. I love the brand, heritage, and history, the Cayenne really is a great ride. It will get me through anything I toss it's way (my assumption) has a bit of pick up for passing and merging, rides comfortably, and looks fine when I park next to clients homes and or offices/cars.

Any ways if it wasn't for the insurance I would have gotten a Turbo. I think that is next, once a few points fall off, because I already have the mod bug...however there isn't much I can do So I'll just drive it and maintain it, it will get me by for a year or so, and it doesn't show anything but minimal wear both inside and out, the navi is nice, heated steering wheel was a pleasant surprise this morning and the turning head lights are amazing.

Thanks for the service, and good luck with the new car, you'll find a gem and yes yes yes to the Turbo or even a Turbo S?

Hessian

Okay, I think I found one. It's a ways away (up in NY) however it's a one owner 2004 Cayenne Turbo with all books and maint recpts and has both key fobs. Has 49k on it now. Asking price is 28k so it's within the budget.... Originally bought at the Beverly Hills CA Porsche dealer, it was always maintained at the dealer and has since relocated to NY where it was also serviced at the dealer. I'm a bit concerned about buying an 04 model but this example only averaged 5k per year and judging from the provided photos appears to be superbly maintained... I talked to the dealer today and he was able to really go over the vehicle with me. They deal primarily in higher end cars and he seemed knowledgeable. In any event, I plan on calling the Porsche dealer there to see if they will release any of the previous service details about the vehicle. Fingers crossed...

Here is a partial listing of what's been done/intervals. How does this look to you veteran Cayenne owners?

CARFAX

As always thanks for the help/advice.

Dennis C

I hope it works out well for you. The PPI will be important, as you know.

I wouldn't worry about the 2004 model. They get a bad rap because they were produced in large numbers and they did have some problems. Once the problems are addressed, they are quite reliable. I'm about to turn 120,000 miles on my 2004 CS, and it is one of the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned.