Glenncal1

Ok guys help me out, looking for a low miles Cayenne. Trying to decide between the base 3.6l gas or the 3.0 diesel. Have not driven a diesel yet, but hope to today. Would the fact that the Diesel is a 2014 and the gassers I am looking at are 2016's influence your decision? Thanks for your help.

P.S. I will be looking at a 2014 Diesel today that I won't purchase because it is white if anyone is interested I can point you to the car.

Edit-please see post 27

KBell

2016 is the refreshed front and rear design.
It depends on which design you like. 958.1 or 958.2

Then decide, gas or diesel.
Both are great vehicles.
The diesel is more a long haul, highway cruiser.
Gas is better for around town.

Good luck.

vwbrd

be sure to check out the sticky before buying thread.

if you look through my post history you can find some posts I’ve made about my shopping experience 2 years ago & why I picked the diesel. Both are good, the base is very reliable (just the transfer case which should be checked or replaced), but the diesel is just unique.

christallon

I just bought a white CD and love it. As stated above, very unique to be driving a Diesel P-Car/Truck. Mines a 2014 as well.
I think part of the appeal is the relative rarity.

Ken968

I think it boils down to what your purpose for the vehicle is. If you plan on towing frequently or are concerned with fuel economy the Diesel wins hands down. If that is not your concern then maybe go for the newer 2016. Performance wise I would say the diesel is a quick SUV but by no means a rocket or anything like that. If speed is your concern a turbo may fit the bill better. Just my 2 cents

Ken

PJ Cayenne

We had a '14 CD for 6 years. Pretty troublefree car over the years and it rode really well. Here are a few thoughts:

• Great fuel mileage and cruising range on the highway would commonly be 700 miles or more.
• Feels more powerful than a base gas motor. We compared it the Cayenne S before buying and liked the Diesel. Fuel was expensive when we bought it back in 2013, so the efficiency was important.
• Diesel needs an oil change every 5,000 miles, I think the gas interval is 10,000. Oil changes are expensive on the Diesel, The fuel filter requires regular service on the Diesel, so add that to the maintenance expense.
• Highway cruising was simply amazing, with the engine effortlessly maintaining really high speeds. I used to love long uphills, you'll pass everyone, torque, torque and torque.. Revs past 4,000 rpm (or less) dont do much.
• Warm up times take very long, do not buy a diesel if you take a lot of short trips.
• Diesels tend to pass some vibrations to the steering wheel and cabin at idle. Some are worse than others.
• Thoroughly test drive- ours was an outlier and didn't take well to the emissions update- We traded it as we didn't care for how it ran after the mod.
• Drive both and see how you like them.

sclemmons

Diesel fuel is way cheaper than Premium. It gets much better MPG. Comparable in town and much higher MPG on the highway. It is plenty sporty. Get all the fixes and you will be very happy with it. I got a 2015 right here on Rennlist. It has 35,000 miles today. Everybody who sees it wants to buy it if they know what it is. I just had a service and drove a new 2021 Cayenne for a day. I am sticking with the diesel for as long as I can.

8KaboveMSL

Totally agree w/ previous posters on:

• fuel economy
• better if you take long drives
• you will not get passed going up steep hills, especially at altitude
• handles great at highway speeds
• It is a beast for towing, if you have that need
• minimal maintenance but oil changes more expensive

I had a 2014 CPO Cayenne Sport Diesel that I sold in early 2020 largely because the emissions mod really tamed the launch experience. It may have actually improved high end torque, but it was definitely slower getting off the line. I traded up to a 2017 Cayenne S ehybrid and the performance difference was night and day. Then I bought my first 911 and realized that I really missed the long drive characteristics of the CD, the 700+ mile range. I live in the west and like to take road trips and the CD is the perfect car for that. I drove my 17 CS ehybrid from Denver to Lake Tahoe this past summer and was disappointed by the mpg I got and realized the CD was the perfect vehicle for those kind of trips. If you don’t need the performance (e.g. you have another car in your stable that allows you to scratch that itch), the CD is a good bet. Everyone’s situation is different so take the recommendations in context and best of luck finding the car you want!

You may change your mind after owning it and driving it and that is OK too. Part of the process. I am now embarking on process of selling my S ehybrid and looking for a Cayenne Diesel to replace it with. . .

GrandPaJohn

Had my CD in for service and they gave me a 2021 Cayenne base loaner with the 3.0 supercharged engine. Nice vehicle and what I noticed the most was the exhaust sound. Miss that in the diesel. If it wasn't for my towing and cruising capabilities of the diesel, I'd switch. As others have said, if you will be doing mostly short trips and don't need towing or care about mpg then get the gas.

Glenncal1

Drove the 2014 CD and 2016 Base yesterday. Was very impressed by the CD definatly different than my old Ford 7.3 . Too bad the CDs are so hard to find and they seem to sell fast. The Base seemed a little mushy in regular mode but tightened up quite a bit in sport mode.

mafpolo

Drove a base and CD a long time ago. Decided that the base was under powered, and decided I wanted a diesel. Then dieselgate happened, and I couldn't buy one. As soon as the issues were resolved and dealers could sell them, I bought a 2015 CPO (23,000 miles when I bought it, and now have 36,000 miles) from a dealer who had used the vehicle as the general manager's demo. I love the torque and performance. I don't like the price of oil changes, but for me that's once a year. I also like the fact that my resale value is holding nicely, as I do get emails and messages if I would like to sell it, and have even had some offers that aren't bad. I have driven the newest Cayenne, and I don't care for it at all. I like my buttons and switches. It is cheaper to manufacture cars today with touch screens, but I can do a lot by feel with the buttons and switches. Bottom line is that I am partial to the diesel.

christallon

Is it easy enough to change the oil as a DIY? Is there something difficult about any part of the process?

TIA
Chris

Falcondrivr

I do all my own maintenance on my diesel. It takes longer to remove the under trays than change the oil. Fuel filter is simple. I actually really like the way the power is delivered around town. My wife is the primary driver. She likes it better than the Range Rover we had for her before. Our current plan is to keep it forever.

Sudar

CD is also nice cause it super easy to change oil and filter with extraction pump. Oil change and fuel filter takes like 30 minutes with basic tools and no lift

lml999

The oil change on the diesel is a piece of cake. The oil filter cartridge is easily accessed from above and a good oil extractor will get virtually all of the oil out of the engine block. 30 minute job, including cracking open a beer at the end.