Fun comparison - 2002 996 Cabrio vs. 2011 Cayenne Turbo

Apologies for not truly being a technical thread but among friends I thought you all might enjoy my compare/contrast of the two Porsches we own. Needed a new family car recently so instead of making the sensible choice I decided to look within the Porsche family. Yes I was one who thought Porsche was crazy to introduce an SUV years ago and never even imaged I would give it a second look. But with the new generation it looks more sleek and since we need another car why not? Being a family car I didn't really focus on power but more so conveniences. But then unfortunately I made the mistake of driving a Cayenne turbo. All logic went out the window and that takes us to where we are now. So how does an SUV compare to a 996? Power I've always considered the 996 to be adequately powered. Sure it felt REALLY fast when I first got it but after over 8 years owning it, it just feels quick but not exactly fast. But I never had an issue with the power on it and it always gave me an excuse to hit higher RPMs to hear it roar. The Cayenne has 500 HP on paper. The PO installed an IPD intake plenum and a Fabspeed performance exhaust. Whether this adds or subtracts power I don't know. What I do know is that the automatic takes a split second to react (which is what irritates me about not having a manual) but once it builds boost it can literally push you into your seat. Yes I was shocked the first time it happened as I didn't expect something this big to move so quickly. Straight line winner - Cayenne, perception of speed (because of engine noise and how close you sit to the ground) - 996 Handling I've got the ROW M030 on the 996 and I've been through several track events with it. I know it handles great and I know its traits. The Cayenne has the auto-everything air suspension which is surprisingly awesome. The 996 feels like a go kart but the Cayenne feels solid and gives a little more confidence in corners somehow. It even gives off the impression that it has less body roll than the 996. Not sure how that is possible but it sure feels planted. 996 because I know it can handle, but Cayenne sure helps you feel confident in the corners Exhaust Sound I've got the Fabspeed x-pipe and PSE exhaust on my car. It howls like a GT3 and I love the way it sounds. The Cayenne has a Fabspeed exhaust that barks and burbles like a V8 should. The first time my wife started the Cayenne and I was working from my home office I ran to the garage because I thought she had hit something. Nope, it was just the car starting with a loud sonic boom of power. It shakes the dishes in the cabinets and pictures on the walls. From the outside the Cayenne wins, but it's too quiet to hear from the driver's seat. From the inside of the car the 996 lets you hear all mechanicals in full volume! Interior Oh boy this is where the two have the most contrasting styles. The 996 has a radio and AC controls and THAT IS IT! The Cayenne has more buttons than the space shuttle and touchscreens, dials, switches, and who knows what else. I actually had to read the user manual to figure out simple things. Granted it is better than other cars where everything needs the touchscreen but there is still a learning curve trying to figure things out. The leather on my 996 only covers the seats, parts of the door panels, and the shift boot. The CTT being the top of the line is covered in leather everything so a bit of an unfair comparison there. The 996 is a cabrio so the roof material is fabric while the panoramic roof on the Cayenne is surrounded by alcantara again making it a very nice place to drive in. Advantage for daily driving - Cayenne, for no-nonsense focus on the road and enjoy the car - 996 So what to make out of all of this? Well believe it or not Porsche made an SUV that contrasts very nicely with the 996. I'm glad I have both as I don't have to decide which I like best because as most things in life it does depend on what you're looking for in your driving experience. To anyone considering one as an addition to your garage, do seriously consider it, but don't give up the 996 in the process!

Great write up. What an awesome pair of contrasting p-cars. I've been trying to get my wife in a CGTS. No luck yet but I haven't given up.

A friend of mine has the original 955 Cayenne Turbo. Holy wow is that thing fast. 2.5-ton SUVs just shouldn't be able to move that quickly. Cayenne is a bit too big for me though. Once the Macan has been out for a few years and demand settles down a bit, I think it'll make a fantastic second/utility car.

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Thanks! My wife didn't really care for or about the Cayenne at first. Then we test drove one and she became a little more receptive. Now that she's been driving one for the past few weeks she's a fan. Still doesn't drive a manual so I'm not able to show her just how awesome the 996 is! My wife previously drove an SUV about the size of a Macan so we were purposely looking for something with a little more space. It is big but not outrageously so like some of the full-sized American SUVs. And once you're behind the wheel it doesn't feel that big anymore either. We take a lot of road trips so the extra space will be welcome. Otherwise I would have probably looked more closely at the Macan myself. But going from driving one P-car to the next is pretty shocking for the senses because they are so different.

Great post. I recently had my 02 996 C4 Cab in for WP and coolant tank replacement and they loaned me, or should I say my wife a Cayenne and let her keep it for 2 weeks. Impressive vehicle. Once she drives the wheels off her VW Jetta, I know where we are headed!!

Good comparison. Both complement themself without taking away their intended purpose. A 911 is a 911. End of story. Everything else isn't.

I was the opposite view on the P!g and liked the idea when they first came out. I just didn't like the price and felt they were too big for what I needed. 12 years after buying the 996, however, along comes a kid and my old Escape wouldn't cut it for hauling him and 3 dogs on road trips. I still didn't want to spend that much, but they released the diesel in the middle of my search and in the last 33.5 years there has not been a single time I have driven it where I didn't utter "God I love this car". For me I like the P!g better, but I found with my Escape that I'm just an SUV person. As much as I love it, there are a few things that irritate the hell out of me. Rear seats don't fold flat (impacts traveling with the dogs), rake of the D pillar kills usable space (impacts traveling with the dogs), all those fvcking buttons, and the hatch glass doesn't open. You'll chew your tires up, but I suggest taking the CTT to a PCA AutoX event (school if you can). I did that and even on steel springs with 18" high wall tires (I hard to over inflate them to keep from rolling onto the sidewalls and kill the under steer) the thing was a beast out there. Much like making a car with a great hunk of metal behind its rear axle do impossible things, Porsche applied that magic to making a 5500lb truck handle in ways that it has no right to do. The Cayenne is certainly no 911, but you'll be even more impressed when you see what it can really do

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One of the perks of having the dealer service your car. Last time they had my 996 for a while they gave me a new Cayman to hold me over. Very true! We kept our old SUV too so that'll be the "dirty errands" car from now on. I did notice that for such a big storage area the opening is quite small. Again hopefully not a big deal as we don't plan to haul anything too big there. Good point on the window not opening, I didn't notice it at first but then it struck me as odd since that seems to be standard on every other truck I've seen. The buttons I've learned to appreciate because it offers a shortcut to certain functions, that's a good thing when driving. Not sure if I'll do any performance driving in this one honestly because it really is my wife's car. But yes I imagine it would be fun just to see what it can do on the track. Maybe I'll convince her to take it herself and we can share the car over a track event. Yeah, that's the ticket!

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Go with the safety aspect of learning how it handles in an emergency situation