2008 Porsche Cayenne Review

Specifications

Never in the history of automobiles has a vehicle been as vehemently hatedas the Porsche Cayenne. Insults were hurled at it for every reason under the sun, as if it were the cause of the bubonic plague or something as devastating, and for what reason? Its appearance might not have appealed to many – we can name worse offenders – nor its performance, especially in the original base model, but did it ever surprise and convince for its on- and off-road ability. Who else dared to make a 500+ horsepower, twin-turbocharged large SUV capable of shaming authentic performance machines, but Porsche? As far as brand values go, the name Porsche may have previously seemed incompatible with anything but a sports car, but then again, no one seems to have felt as deeply injured by the Lamborghini LM002. Personally, I never saw Porsche developing an SUV as a terribly bad thing. After all, its dedicated engineers perfected a drivetrain that technically shouldn’t work according to the laws of physics, so making a large, off-road capable SUV that drives and handles well should, within reason, be an acceptable pet project. This is the sort of lateral thinking that ought to be welcomed, not shunned. Fortunatelyfor Porsche, despite initial criticism, the critics that matter, i.e. buyers, welcomed it with fervor.

It’s hard to believe that the Cayenne has already been around for six years, and what’s even harder to believe is the success that Porsche has had with this SUV. For a concept that’s apparently so revolting to the mainstream masses, the Cayenne has sold incredibly well, hitting the 100,000 mark in its early years, and besting the 150,000 unit barrier more recently. Like most large, heavy sport utility vehicles, sales have been declining ever so slightly, but the Cayenne is still a fundamental part of the Porsche product range. Which is why after being absent from the lineup for model year 2007, it’s back for 2008, refreshed and ready to win more friends to its side (such as certain members of this office’s staff).

The changes are more methodical than anything rash, made only to improve the performance and efficiency of the vehicle. Take for instance the styling alterations to the front end, the result of which now gives theimpression that the ute is grinning contemptuously at the common folk as it passes them by. Its new, larger mouth is present to help the engine cool itself better, however, and it looks more aggressive in the process. The new body panels are slipperier to the wind as well, aided by aerodynamically-tweaked side-view mirrors and a rear tailgate spoiler. Buyers will also appreciate the new LED taillights, which react quicker to input, and the slick look of the tailpipes which have been integrated into the lower rear valance. Such changes don’t do much for the actual performance of the vehicle, but they look good. Overall, the new Cayenne appears as if it’s been through a yearlong regimen with a personal trainer, and has lost some of the bulges and arguably ungainly curves that afflicted the old model, while still retaining the general shape of the vehicle.

The Cayenne you see here is equipped with optional 18-inch wheels that have been borrowed from the V8-powered Cayenne S, and despite being an inch larger than the stock shoes, they give the impression that this majestic SUV is set on a supermarket shopping cart’s castors, which is created by the large wheel well height from the fixed setting steel springs. With so much by the way of exterior customization, the only way to tell a regular Cayenne apart from the S model is by its black scripted designation appliqué (which can be deleted at no cost), and its black brake calipers.

Second to looks, the most important thing about the new ‘08 Cayenne are the engines, especially considering that all are more powerful than before. It might be easily argued that the V8-powered S and the Turbo didn’t need any extra go, but their powerplants are both larger and more advanced. The vehicle that needed the biggest power boost was the base model, which, despite still having only six cylinders, is now sufficiently strong. Growingfrom 3.2 to 3.6 liters, every last number related to this engine shows an improvement in performance. If that number looks familiar, indeed, it’s the same basic engine that can be found in either Audi’s entry-level Q7 or the base Volkswagen Touareg. At 11-degrees, it maintains a narrow-angle configuration (a Porsche VR6?) but has been modified in the same way that the old car was for power differentiation. These new engines also featured DFI, the first application of direct injection on a Porsche.

With an increase of 43 horsepower to 290, and a maximum of 273 lb-ft of torque afoot, the new base Cayenne is very respectable. That’s more power than any of its direct V6-powered rivals, bar the Acura MDX. Besides being quick on its toes, the optional six-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission delivers seamlessly smooth shifts that are perfectly timed. Acceleration is an area where the Cayenne is no longer wanting, pulling stronglyin town and on the highway. Though the vee layout isn’t typical to Porsches, the Cayenne’s motor makes a convincing replication of the trademark flat-six sound. Fuel consumption on the Cayenne is decent for a vehicle of its size and weight too, at 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.

Contrary to the powertrain or the exterior design, the interior of the Cayenne has been left alone, and what’s left is a bit of a mixed bag. We found the build quality to be superb, with a solidity and tightness that few luxury SUVs can match, plus a clear and easy to use layout. The commanding view of the road around is matched by a slightly oversized steering wheel, and somewhat uncomfortable seats that were too padded in the upper regions of the seatbacks, exacerbated by headrests that were mounted too far back to be effective for actually resting the head. Being classified as a large SUV, the legroom in the second row was tighter than we expected, while thecargo bay was smaller than expected when the seats were in their upright position. The Cayenne did get bonus points for featuring a power liftgate, however. Just the same, for a vehicle of this caliber and price, the Cayenne’s interior was quite dark and on the plasticky side, worsened by the deep grain on the dashboard and door trims. Lined up next to the ML 350, or BMW’s new X5, the Cayenne feels less expensive. Fortunately there’s a rather expensive leather package available to dress it up, dash, console and all, and if you’re willing to spend the money it’s well worth it. On an unrelated note, be sure to check out the Cayenne key before slotting it into the dash (on the left, remember). It’s actually shaped in the form of the SUV, complete with headlamps and a semi-accurate profile. Way cool …

But these minor details regarding the interior don’t seem to matter, especially if you’re dialed into the driving experience, an area where the Cayenne truly shines. The weighting of the steering is true to asports car, as is its sharp reaction to input thanks to an extra quick steering ratio, though feel is decidedly lacking for a Porsche, a characteristic necessitated to enable its off-roading abilities. The standard steel sprung suspension is quite comfortable over most surfaces and resists roll fairly well, but the ultimate in comfort will require forking out for the air suspension, which also increases the SUV’s off-roading capabilities. At the end of the day, concessions were made in order to enable it to go 4×4ing with the best of them, but this is by far a vastly more competent machine than it often gets credit for. All Cayennes have a rear-biased all-wheel drive system, with 62-percent of power being directed to the back tires under normal circumstances. They also comes standard with a real bull-low gearing ratio and a sophisticated, off-road optimized driveline, enhanced with electronic traction control and Porsche Stability Management (PSM), so few trails are too tough for your Porsche to handle.

If there are any complaints to be made with regards to the new Cayenne, it’s got to be price, and the price of its options. Its Aisin 6-speed automatictransmission with Tiptronic is good, but not $3,000 good, especially when it comes standard in the Q7 and the Touareg 2. A big thumbs up has to go to Porsche for keeping with tradition and offering a manual transmission as standard equipment, mind you. And why does it cost $4,750 to get navigation AND a reverse camera? There are also features that ought to be standard, such as heated seats and automatic headlamps. Yes, Porsche charges extra for these. This modestly equipped SUV, and I do say modestly, came to $68,625, which is quite a large chunk of change for a V6-powered sport utility vehicle, especially when you consider the base price is $43,400. For this price, a person could get a Q7 loaded to the gills with every single option fathomable, including a V8, but our nearly $70K suggested price was nowhere near the amountthat one can option a V6 Cayenne up to. Don’t go into a dealership wanting it all, as you’ll pay dearly… how’s $104,000 for you! That’s almost $58,000 worth of options on a $44,000 SUV! Our sincerest apologies if whatever you were drinking or eating has ended up all over your monitor. Oh, and metallic paint is also an extra on all Cayennes, bar the Turbo.

Being branded as a Porsche has its ups and downs. This vehicle is desirable because of the badge, but the vehicle also happens to be undesirable for what it is, rather than what the brand stands for. It seems that everything Porsche engineers is excellent. Strangely enough, several staff members mentioned that they felt bad for liking the Cayenne as much as they did, and admittedly, if it were badged as anything but a Porsche, it would’ve received nothing but accolades. It’s amazing how a name and an image can be so worthy yet so damning. Name aside, the base V6 model isn’t as wondrous as the Turbo model, but for those looking for a decent performance SUV without the V8, the Cayenne maintains a credible buy in an increasingly competitive segment - just watch the options.

Specifications (Porsche Cayenne V6):