15k: Carbonosaurus Rex: 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
The purists were just taking off their party hats in celebration of the demise of the 928, when Porsche announced the release of yet another bloated water-cooled front engined car with the Stuttgart crest. But this was no ordinary heresy, this was a full-on schism — a Porsche SUV. Riots in climate controlled garages and owners burning their timing chain tensioners in protest did nothing, and in 2002 Porsche released the Cayenne. Find this 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo offered for $15,500 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist. Tip from Fueltruck.
When Porsche engineers put their minds to something, they are unstoppable. They are the automotive engineering equivalent of a pissed off redditor — and everybody said Porsche couldn’t build an SUV. The purists, the pundits, and naysayers..they were all wrong. Porsche didn’t just build a capable luxury SUV, they also built a turbocharged version that in about 5 seconds defied the laws of physics and municipalities.
The 4.5 liter twin turbocharged V8 produces 450 horsepower and mated to a 6-speed slushbox will propel its 5800 lb curb weight to 60 mph in about 5 seconds, and to the standing kilometer in 25 seconds. That is fast for a car that provides 62.5 cubic feet of internal storage space when the rear seats are folded.
See a faster SUV? Send it here: tips@dailyturismo.com
I know I've stated it before, but these are a screaming bargain. We have the Cayenne S, and it has crossed the 100k mark with nary a problem. The big issue on these proactively replacing the plastic coolant pipes that run through the V of the engine ( a stupid design if there ever was one) with the updated aluminum pipes—do that, and you have effectively addressed the only real achilles heel of the car. Our next one will be a turbo, as they have proven to be no less reliable than the normally aspirated variants.
Additionally, and I didn't expect this, for sub-7500lb trailers, this truck is every bit as good a tow vehicle, if not better, than a Suburban and 2500HD truck we had. It's astonishingly capable with a load behind it. Just my .02, and yes, K2, I know the wiper blades are steep. 😉
Oh yeah…one other weakness—-the Cardan shaft bearing….makes a helluva racket when it goes out, but in my case I beat the seller down another $2k because of the issue and then went home and fixed it in my garage in 45 minutes with a ingenious fix from Vertex auto.
Thank you for writing this, FTB. I've been wondering how these have been doing as used cars and I'm happy to hear your experiences have been positive. Sounds like this may be a great way to get into the most useful P-car ever.
BTW, for all my hatin' talk, my dogma got hit by a karma. Don't worry, he'll be alright but I realized I needed new wiper blades on my V70. So I dropped by my local auto parts store run by helpful, yet slightly robotic and needlessly testosterone-filled employees one night on my way home from work. They directed me to the aisle where the wiper blades were and when I got there, I plugged in the data on my car to find the right size on the little electronic doodad that doods dat. Finding the correct length, I grabbed two packages and then realized that there were several brand options at different price points, one of which was Bosch. The employees eyed me nervously as I started to laugh out loud.
Guess what I bought? How could I not…I bought those bad boy Bosch wiper blades! I never stopped laughing even as I was swapping the new ones onto my car in the parking lot. I'm sure they thought I was insane. Maybe I am, maybe I am. Or maybe I'm the last sane person alive in a mad, mad world.
Now my car is just like the German autobahn burners. You betcha. Bitchin'.
FTB@ Beating down a seller two grand…………you're my hero!. I am curious what sort of mileage these beasts get in day to day driving.and also whether thay came with a 5 or 6 speed.
@Woodie—sorry I missed this. We average about 18 mpg in ours, which has the 340hp V8, and my wife has a heavy foot. You had two options for a manual, both rare. The early V6 models had a manual transmission option, and so did the later (2008-2011 or 2012 if I remember correctly) Cayenne GTS variant. GTS's are just plain awesome, but they have really retained their value due to higher desirability.
Had an '04 Cayenne S (with the n/a V8) as well back in the day. Had zero issue in almost 3 years and 50k miles. Still dig 'em!
I've never had a Porsche. My dad had a 944 in the late 1980s and I think I only drove it twice before he got rid of it. I'm not a Porsche fan boi in the least. I like the 911 with the huge whale tail even.
But it still irks the heck out of me for some unexplainable reason that Porsche has an SUV, or that other monstrosity they built – Americana or whatever it was.
No it's not logical so I have no defense for it. I just don't like it.
Speaking to your illogical point, having been a P-car owner, been around plenty and probably the loudest complainer about German car parts prices here on DT…I believe that all enthusiasts should own a P-car at least once in their lifetime. Just about any P-car will do (the exception being the 924…why buy one when you can just buy a 944). And that includes the bulbous peppery Goliath and the 914, there's one that meets every budet.
I ain't kidding. It just must be done, logic be damned.
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"Anybody see my coffee mug?" said Mr. 924.
K2, even the 924 Turbo or 924s with the 944 engine?
I didn't like the Cayenne when it came out. But I liked the cars that its sales profits funded.
PhiLOL; I wouldn't laugh and point at anybody that liked either of those cars, unlike just about everybody at my local P-car "club" (I use that term loosely, it's more like a rich b@sterd borefest). But, my reservations about the fragility of the 931 would have a tendency to try to steer anybody who just wants a little taste of the P-car experience away from that particular model. There's still much to like about it, but those 170 turbocharged horsies don't always want to come out to play at a reasonable cost. And while it seems like a step backward in power, I still contend that a plain ol' 944 with just 150 hp is just fine and a lot more reliable and cheaper in just about any way you look at it. Yeah yeah, I can hear it now, every owner can replace the turbo with a something you made out of popsicle sticks for free in five minutes or less…oy! Most the world are not car mechanic magicians like the vast majority of DTers. You know what I mean
The same goes for the 946. If you love that smooth body style, then why not! But to me, the blistered 944 fenders make it something special. Same interior, same body.
Personally, I liked the newer interior that my 951 had. It was so important to me that I didn't even consider anything without it.
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Just my opinion, of course. You got what you paid for and there are no refunds.
I appreciate the owners' perspective shared here. With baby #3 on the way, the wife is moving to a minivan and I need to sell my E46 ZHP for something that can accommodate three car seats more easily for the occasional carpool. I had a distant dream that it might also be something still mildly fun to drive. Any other suggestions in comparison to the Cayenne? Trying not to overspend as I do still want a separate sports car in five years…maybe better just to save the money for that purchase? Ugh, adulthood.
There are tons of great options for you out there. You will need to provide more specs and this needs to be a feature.
For 3 kids you need 3 rows, or a backseat that is 54" wide, since most car seats are 18" wide.
This peppered Porsche doesn't seem to have either feature. If you can get 3 across in the back, buckling and unbuckling is messy and then there is the chorus of "she's touching me" under way.
In my family of 5 we have the van for when everyone goes, or the sedan for less than 5 with a booster seat in the front and 2 car seats in the back.
In the fantastic television show "Big Love" (awesome cast!), there were a couple of scenes that featured a Subaru Outback with baby seats in the way back, facing backwards just like my V70's third row. That always cracked me up, since there never was a seat back there offered by Subaru (at least in the States). It's as if they just tied those seats back there like it was a BRAT or something.
Bozatwork — I'll put this on the main page as a Mid Week Match-Up on wed. Expect to be impressed…or something…
-Vince
More likely repulsed and horrified. Or, you'll end up being the Wired exec editor. Whichever comes first. Both will result in night sweats and incessant tinea pedis.
Thanks, El Jefe! This could be a fun one. Or, a bunch of….
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Thanks guys! Looking forward to seeing what the hive mind brainstorms. It's very hard to look in that $10-15k price range and decide between boring practicality and fun enjoyable driving. I wonder if I go cheaper with something ultra boring (Honda Pilot?) if I can drive it every day until it dies and meanwhile bank money for a 911. For what it's worth, I've also recently changed jobs and gone from a 40 mile round trip commute to less than 10 miles round trip. I'm excited for the peer pressure to get something fun.
k2 — I've got a follow up story on the Wired car — stay tuned.
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Looking forward to it, El Jefe!
Lemme share a car loving parents secret….this car seat. Seriously safe, and with the narrower profile we had 3 across in our old X5 with no problem. I'm convinced that the reason the average car seat these days is the size of a miniature throne is due to marketing (bigger must equal safer, right?) rather than any actual safety benefits.
amazon.com/Diono-Radian-Convertible-Seat-Storm/dp/B005MQRAXM/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1434381100&sr=1-2&keywords=sunshine+kids&pebp=1434381107951&perid=66D7BB35E6934C79AFD3
FTB — got two of those in wife's RAV4 (with a big mother car seat in the middle) and they are excellent. If you are trying to find them used, they were previously branded as Sunshine Kids. Good stuff!
-Vince
Yeah, mine were Sunshine kids too…..I'm a few years removed from needing one, so it took me a little Amazon searching to realize that Diono had bought them. I remember recommending these a few years ago on here as well to a guy who was looking for a 4 door M3….just thought I'd bring it to the top. 🙂
Yeah, mine were Sunshine kids too…..I'm a few years removed from needing one, so it took me a little Amazon searching to realize that Diono had bought them. I remember recommending these a few years ago on here as well to a guy who was looking for a 4 door M3….just thought I'd bring it to the top. 🙂
It might also have to do with the rampant obesity that we suffer as Americans.