beachfront71

Thanks in advance.

I am in the market for a preowned Cayenne and thought I would jump on to get some feedback in general.

Looking at a 2011/2012 and the S is not out of the question yet...
Car is for my wife but will also be what we use on road trips both short and long.

Regarding the 11's .. were there any upgrades or major fixes when the 12's came out for the base model (I seem to read a lot about engine vibration on the forums)?

Anything in particular I should be aware of or look out for?.. most likely not going to purchase from a Porsche dealership, just looking for decent price w/ less than 35k miles.

Base model is most realistic for what we end up buying but every once in a while an 2011+ S pops up on one of the auto sites at a fair price.

Appreciate the time.

N

steve_Cayenne

Cayenne is a great multipurpose vehicle, and you wont go wrong with this choice! Nice performance and handling, good carrying capacity, good for towing, can drive nicely when the road runs out, great for winter with proper tires, etc. It is probably my favourite vehicle for long road trips, always handles nice and taught, you don't feel the speed whatsoever, and is very comfortable quiet and roomy.

As for the S, you will like it better in every way. Even the fuel saving with the v6 does not justify the smaller motor. Every way that is except for the price .... a more basic v6 is actually a very good value for what you get, and performance is still plenty depending on your expectations. (Puts on flame suit) ... except when you say "for the wife" ... save your money and get the V6, she wont appreciate the difference If you are on the fence, test drive new ones at the dealer ... and there are many threads on this forum about "v6 vs S" ... dig them up and read lots of opinions.

Cayenne is pretty much the same vehicle between 2011/2012/2013 ... like every car Porsche regularly made running quality changes, and added "standard" options. Many not noticeable, yet some are. For example they improved the V6 brakes in 2012 to the same ones in the S, improved the lock/unlock switch placement in 2013, even added a dash clock, and then improved the reliability of the clock in 2013 as a running change! So basically the later the better.

As for vibrations and rattles, yes Cayenne has them aplenty if you are unlucky. I got a new 2013 Cayenne V6 a year ago ... was rock solid at first and then started vibrating and getting rattly. Being persistent till all the nit picks were repaired under warranty, my car is now more solid feeling than ever without making a peep. Make sure to buy one under warranty, so you can have everything resolved to your liking ... dealer service will go out of their way to make you happy (mine at least).

When buying used, try and find a well equipped one. Porsche options cost a fortune on a new vehicle, and then depreciate extremely rapidly ... so to your advantage when used.

AdMan21

Go turbo or go home.

Overdraft

Adman21 rightly points out that the TT is a special machine. I have a 2011 Turbo that just turned 60,000 KM (+- 37,000 miles). It has been a magnificent vehicle in every sense. Couple of goofy little electric things - although the transfer case was changed under warranty now that I think of it - but overall really pleased with it and likely to buy it out at lease termination in 6 months.

Shawn Stanford

Get a good PPI! The PO might have abused it.

McQueen993

I am very happy with my 2011S and recommend it. Biggest changes from 2011 to 2012/13 are cosmetic - clock on the dash (was an option in the 2011) and lock buttons on the front doors versus just a single one in the center console. There might be some new software in the 2013 that I am not aware of as well.

I have almost 25,000 miles on my CS and only one issue has come up - a rattle in the front passenger console that quickly isolated and dealt with under warranty.

Good luck.

endless_corners

I am a big fan of the S but given the weight loss of the current generation and the price disparity.. I honestly think getting a better optioned base model will likely make your wife happier. You will have a bigger pool of vehicles in your price range and the base model is plenty peppy. It has more bhp/ton than the first generation v8.

In general, the 958 cayennes ('11+) have proved quite reliable.

RESP

What everyone has said above +1

We have an early build 2012 V-6
- it doesn't have the door locks in the inside door handle or the dash clock.

It has 106,000 km of excellent service through 2 full seasons, including many long drives through rough winter weather, mountains and prairies.

No rattles, no squeaks, no issues.

You do notice the difference between the V-6 and the V-8 when you compare them.
Once you've made the choice, you can justify the difference either way.

I look at the price difference between V-6 and V-8 as the reason I have more options which keep my wife and me happier on those long 13 hour drives.
Especially the drives which put a smile on my face

beachfront71

Thanks to all for the replies.

I have not driven the new V6 but drove an '11 S this weekend.

We are swapping cars due to me traveling down to San Diego 4-5 x a week for work.
I am taking her GS430 and its 25MPG and she took my SUV (RRS).

So the challenge was find an SUV (have to have one in the household) that she enjoys driving as well as she actually liked the pep in the GS.

Never owned a Porsche but this is what stood out to me on the test drive for better or for worse:
1. Pretty tight up front, not good or bad but def do not feel like your in an SUV.. Car looks way smaller than the inside actually is in terms of space in the back.
2. The S is plenty fast and sounds awesome .. Cant figure out how that V8 gets the same gas mileage as the V6 ..
3. For some reason I will never own a car that does not have a touch screen nav and have no clue why this wheels and buttons are still an option with other manufacturers .. this is almost a deal killer in itself
4. Never been in a car that shifts the way Porsche does, cant explain it but totally different than anything else I have driven .. this really stood out during our drive especially when slowing to a stop.

Hoping to find a 11/12 base to drive as well but West Coast seems limited on inventory when you scan the online sites..

I was also looking for some performance stats but for some reason they seem hard to find ..
(IE 0-30,30,50 of the base and S) like others have said, 80-100 times dont really matter in the real world.

Thanks again.

endless_corners

Does the current generation v8 really get the same fuel economy as the base? I thought with the weight reduction that wouldn't hold true and only pertained to last generations. What is your budget btw?
According to carfolio the v6 is lighter by a few hundred pounds and is quite a bit "slower". Btw, you may really like PASM (air suspension) and should try to find one with it.

v8 specs
v6 specs

endless_corners

Also I was looking on autotrader and you are right there are a lot less on the west coast. I wonder if thats because they all get shipped to china/abroad where they command huge price premiums. You may want to consider an East Coast CPO and get it shipped. There seem to be both base and S models in the $42-50k range.

jtpsocal

I concur with go turbo or go home..its an amazing car. I previously had a 2009 Cayenne Turbo S and the comparison is..well there is none. It might be more than your looking for but my 2011 Cayenne Turbo with ceramics just went up on autotrader today

endless_corners

I'm sorry but nobody is gonna argue with turbos being the bomb. But i honestly think OP has a lower budget so its more cheeky and less helpful.

beachfront71

Unfortunately yes ... I have a budget .. Looking to stay around 50k not including TTL.

Looks like I can find a an S at that price but .. it wont be from a P Dealer and will be purchasing site unseen as California Cayenne prices are through the roof..

They were asking $65k for the S I drove over the weekend.. Some dealers in back east are offering CPO s for low 50's...

I think for the extra 5-8k the S is worth it both on the performance side and the resale? Agree?

beachfront71

Unfortunately yes ... I have a budget .. Looking to stay around 50k not including TTL.

Looks like I can find a an S at that price but .. it wont be from a P Dealer and will be purchasing site unseen as California Cayenne prices are through the roof..

Local dealer was asking $65k for the S I drove over the weekend (28k miles).. Some dealers in back east are offering CPO s for low 50's...

I think for the extra 5-8k the S is worth it both on the performance side and the resale? Agree?