Topic: Test Drive: 2016 Porsche Cayenne V6

[Autos_Editor]

Haney finds the availability of a very lightly optioned Porsche to be refreshing, but does it blend into the crowd just a little too much?
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[Noto]

Interesting... When you get loaded testers, the response is that it's simply to expensive and not what most people buy. When in base, the focus is on how pedestrian it is, despite its similar-to-the-c400-price.

Call me crazy, but there very little appeal in this base model to me.  The Macan is a better buy until the cayenne is updated, I think.

[OliverD]

Interesting... When you get loaded testers, the response is that it's simply to expensive and not what most people buy. When in base, the focus is on how pedestrian it is, despite its similar-to-the-c400-price.

Call me crazy, but there very little appeal in this base model to me.  The Macan is a better buy until the cayenne is updated, I think.

Cayenne was just updated.

I think the Cayenne is fine as the Macan will certainly be too small for most buyers. Personally I'd take the Macan unless I needed the space or towing capacity of the Cayenne.

It should be noted that the base price of the Cayenne has increased greatly since the '14 model to create some separation between it and the Macan. IIRC the '14 Cayenne was cheaper than the Macan S.

[Cadguy]

Haney, how did you find the Cayenne's ability to absorb bumps on Winnipeg's horrible streets? How would you compare it's ride quality to the Touareg? 

[tpl]

Interesting... When you get loaded testers, the response is that it's simply to expensive and not what most people buy. When in base, the focus is on how pedestrian it is, despite its similar-to-the-c400-price.

Call me crazy, but there very little appeal in this base model to me.  The Macan is a better buy until the cayenne is updated, I think.

Cayenne was just updated.

I think the Cayenne is fine as the Macan will certainly be too small for most buyers. Personally I'd take the Macan unless I needed the space or towing capacity of the Cayenne.

It should be noted that the base price of the Cayenne has increased greatly since the '14 model to create some separation between it and the Macan. IIRC the '14 Cayenne was cheaper than the Macan S.

Who are these 'most' people.  I don't believe that 'most' people need a car that big.  A certain subset of luxury car buyers who also tow do indeed.

As for the cheaper thing. I bet that most of this discrepancy will come down to when each model was priced for Canada and what the pricing people thought about the future of the loonie at the time they did it.

[OliverD]

Interesting... When you get loaded testers, the response is that it's simply to expensive and not what most people buy. When in base, the focus is on how pedestrian it is, despite its similar-to-the-c400-price.

Call me crazy, but there very little appeal in this base model to me.  The Macan is a better buy until the cayenne is updated, I think.

Cayenne was just updated.

I think the Cayenne is fine as the Macan will certainly be too small for most buyers. Personally I'd take the Macan unless I needed the space or towing capacity of the Cayenne.

It should be noted that the base price of the Cayenne has increased greatly since the '14 model to create some separation between it and the Macan. IIRC the '14 Cayenne was cheaper than the Macan S.

Who are these 'most' people.  I don't believe that 'most' people need a car that big.  A certain subset of luxury car buyers who also tow do indeed.

As for the cheaper thing. I bet that most of this discrepancy will come down to when each model was priced for Canada and what the pricing people thought about the future of the loonie at the time they did it.

Sorry, I meant to write some buyers.

Regarding pricing, the base Cayenne went up by a similar amount in the U.S.

[Minou]

Wow, I thought it would come with no steering wheel, reverse camera, paint and wheels!
Wait, the beige paint is $910, nicer 18'' wheels are extra and $2000. gets you a reverse cam and parking sensors.
Surprisingly, the standard steering wheel looks great.

I see some successfull female realtors in Vancouver or the GTA snapping up this one...

[tpl]

Now I am used to the enormousness of the Q5 I guess the even bigger Q7/Cayenne/Touareg wouldn't be a big jump.   Trouble with a Porche nameplat compared to the others is managing to resist just buying the most powerful loaded version...just because it is a Porsche!

[Kris78]

Now I am used to the enormousness of the Q5 I guess the even bigger Q7/Cayenne/Touareg wouldn't be a big jump.   Trouble with a Porche nameplat compared to the others is managing to resist just buying the most powerful loaded version...just because it is a Porsche!

Exactly! Which is why if I was shopping at this price level, I'd stick with a Q7 TDI...

[EV-Light]

Just buy a VW Touareg and save $20k


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[EDM]

Great review! It's nice to see a lightly optioned Porsche being provided for testing for a change. It's too bad that Porsche discontinued the manual in the base V6 though - that would be a fun combo.  Still, if I was shopping in that price point, I would probably go with a Macan with a few more options. I would think most potential Cayenne shoppers have done just that.

[curly]

Haney, how did you find the Cayenne's ability to absorb bumps on Winnipeg's horrible streets? How would you compare it's ride quality to the Touareg?

The base suspension in the Cayenne handled Winnipeg's punishing streets with a surprisingly competent ride quality that is appropriately firm without being too choppy. It's been a while since I drove a Touareg, but I recall it being perhaps a bit softer but firm nonetheless.

[chignectohead]

And this low-end Cayenne is better than the new Ford Edge Sport 2.7 TT AWD?  Exactly how?

Oh, I know, the diecast Porsche lettering on the rear end. It's a $25,000 standard option. There's a fair number of these actual beige nondescript Cayennes around here. You know dolts bought them because they were brainwashed into thinking a "big" Porsche SUV was something special because of the branding - luxury bells ring in their ears. But the reality is this barge. The Macan seems like a better deal if you want to be saddled with an FGCUV.

If there's one thing I learned going downmarket from a string of five new FGC's, it's that reliability increases in inverse proportion to price.  Most people go the other way from pedestrian to German, and then have to invent excuses as to why they're somehow better. Mythical stories of handling prowess from folks cornering at a tire-squealing 0.3g seem to be foremost, lol. From my POV, they're a waste of money. If you're going to get one, get a real fire-breather model so that regular folk like me can't get past the ooh-aah powertrain.

Most of the CPO BMWs seem to be 320i models, to which this low-rent Cayenne is a spiritual partner.  Leased for badge reasons only, and not particularly wonderful examples of the vehicle art.