2005 Porsche Cayenne Review

Specifications

Fastest SUV on the Planet? Not!

Its a sure sign of the times that not only does a fastest SUV on the planet title actually exists, but also that high-end
automobile manufacturers are falling all over themselves to claim it.

A decade or so ago the only trucks on a Porsche, BMW or Mercedes lot were the ones delivering parts through the back door. Today, trucks share the showroom with sleek sports cars and in many cases command the same sticker price.

Personally speaking, the compromise created in cross-breeding a truck with a sports car makes about as much sense to me as building a reality show around an adopted kid guessing who her father is. But, as sales figures show, North Americans are sold on the idea of high-performance SUVs - as to the ratings for “Whos Your Daddy”… Im scared to look.

Keen to keep their fastest truck title, Porsche engineers have upped the ante with the 2005 Cayenne, particularly the uber-insane Turbo Tequipment model, which sees its horsepower boosted from 450 in the standard Turbo to 500. According to Porsche press notes, the Turbo Cayenne with Tequipment performance package can go from a standing start to 60 mph in a scant 5.2 seconds. For comparisons sake, the new Carrera 911 sports car, weighing in at a ton lighter than the Cayenne, incidentally, takes 5.5 seconds to reach the legal speed limit.

For those who dont need to get to the shopping mall in such a hurry, the base Cayenne offers much the same as the Turbo, save the ponies, big 19-inch wheels and massive brakes (not to mention the extra $70,000 plus needed for the more powerful version).

But there are new upgrades and options for even the pedestrian Cayenne in 2005, including a massive glass roof that features several panels and no less than 15 possible positions. Also, borrowing some high-tech gadgetry from the Japanese SUV marketplace, a rearview camera makes its debut on the new Cayenne.

As much as Im not overly impressed with the notion of a Porsche SUV — or for that matter a Bimmer or Mercedes one — it is true that the build quality of the Cayenne is pure Porsche. Interior fit and finish is excellent, and the gauges, controls and seats are of the highest quality and functionality.

Likewise, the Cayennes performance and handling are what youd expect from the German automaker. Precise cornering and great braking convey to the driver a real sense of confidence, and as I found when I took the SUV onto an off-road track, its four-by-four abilities are a pleasant surprise. Still, Im not sure how many Cayenne owners would want to scrape a tree branch down the side of their buffed ride.

Interior space of the big Porsche is comparable to the BMW X5 and the Mercedes M-Class, though not much more functional than some of the excellent sport station wagons making their way into the U.S. market of late.

In the Cayenne, Porsche has achieved the holy grail of sporty SUVs in spades, being it is a truck that drives like a car. The V6 moves the base Cayenne along at a fair clip, not neck-snapping at 8.6 seconds to 60 mph, but adequate for keeping up to and even passing highway traffic if given a long enough lead time. Its top speed is only 130 mph, which is hardly Porsche-like, but fast enough to lose your license just the same.

Probably more important to buyers of the base Cayenne is that the V6 is a smooth, quiet powertrain, again not necessarily a Porsche trademark but nevertheless appreciated in a luxury SUV.

What wasnt appreciated is the Cayennes thirst for premium fuel, especially at todays horrendous prices. This is a heavy machine, and even with a thrifty V6 uses more than its fair share.

Still, its big, bold and, well, not exactly beautiful, but it has presence if only for the substantial patch of real estate it occupies and its extremely attractive Porsche badging. Whats most important, to some anyway, is the respect it garners. It does most everything its called upon to do very well, and for that deserves credit.