Cheap Cayennes

There was an interesting discussion started on another thread about older Cayennes starting to come on the market at around the 20 grand mark. That sounds like a bargain for any family man interested in V8 Powered Euro Truckster. We also know the newer cars are harder to work on yourself and annoying little things tend to go wrong with them that often require a visit to a specialist mechanic. So own up, who's gone and bought an older bargain Cayenne and how has it worked out?

AC78, I can't speak from ownership, but as a parts supplier I can tell you that they seem to be pretty robust trucks. They're big and heavy, but they are called upon to go - and stop - like go karts. So they use up brakes. That's just physics. There are two wear items in the cardan shaft - a support bearing and a rubber flex disc. Both are replaceable, but replacing the support bearing is a non-trivial task. New OEM cardan shafts are available, and are a straightforward swap out. I'm starting to see demand for front suspension arms, as the bushes get flogged out. Again, the bushes are available (although not the ball joints) and OEM replacement arms are also available. No surprise, as the oldest Cayennes are now 12 years old. Early V8 Cayennes had plastic coolant pipes in the "valley" of the V. These pipes split and leaked water, and if not attended to at the first sign of trouble, the water caused smoke leaks in the starter. The fix is to replace the plastic pipes with the alu pipes from later V8 Cayennes. At this stage, most Cayennes will have had this upgrade carried out.

Good post there James. The forum is lucky to get that sort of insight!

Thanks Q Have a laugenwecken for me.

Owned an early 04 turbo a few years ago, did the coolant pipes, then starter motor went so inlet manifold back off again, had to do coils, then alternator went which was under exhaust manifold... nav system is all but useless as CD based and heavy on consumables. Went like the clappers though, only about 350 ks around town sensible driving (wife's car) Sold it for a tdv8 Vogue, best family car ever owned..

While I haven't got one of the "cheap" Cayennes, I got my 2007 S on the lower end of things - 45k, with 95,000km. I work in Civil Construction and needed a 4x4 with low range that could comfortably do 9-10 hour highway runs if needed. The overwhelming majority of those around me either use dual-cab utes, prados or landcruisers (depending on their pay packet), but I wasn't overly impressed with any of them...especially considering the number of recalls we've had on our toyota fleet over the years. So, I was on the lookout for something else, and after going backwards and forwards between the RR Sport and the Cayenne I settled on the Cayenne. It's brilliant! I've had a minor service done without issue and was told the next one would be a big one, to include brakes etc. That was to be expected, but due to the number of km I'm planning to do (maybe 5000 this year!) the cost isn't really going to bother me. That said, I have traditionally worked on my own cars, including engine rebuilds, so this is one of the first times in my life that I've had someone else do the servicing. I was also pleasantly surprised with the fuel economy, getting around 10l/100km on long trips. It's better than I was expecting. So, some things that have done wrong? - The back footwell filled with water in a storm recently, but some google searching revealed the drains clog. A few minutes with a screw driver and socket set had the drains unplugged and no more water. - My bluetooth streaming doesn't work. I have some complicated black box installed that makes the phone work (and it does), but it won't stream music. No big deal. - The ventilation fan has started making a bad noise. It goes away when you turn the fan speed up or down, but it wil lneed looking at eventually. - A headlight globe blew, which led to the simplest possible headlight globe change I have ever experienced! (although it's now fogged over on the inside - I may not have sealed it correctly) That's it. Admittedly I've only had it for 5 months, but I've done close to 15,000km in that time. Thankfully my long-distance driving should be at an end for the next 12 months, so it's just doing the run to work and back each day. I love it, and I'm very pleased I went down this route. I commented to someone just before picking it up that this could go really well or really, really badly, but I'm very happy so far. The wife has even conceded she likes it, and she was dead-against the idea in the first place!

Thanks for the feedback Grungle - very few Cayenne pilots seem to frequent this site so you never hear anything about what these cars are like to own.

Why is that? Where are they? The Touareg forums are full of people doing weird and wonderful things, and even they seem to get excited when they spot a Cayenne with all-terrains or looking even remotely like it might have once gone off road. Mine gets used somewhat frequently off road. It won't for the next 12 months, but the first 3 months of my ownership had it doing about 60km of posted "4x4" tracks a day to get to and from my work site. I said most of this in the "introduction" thread, but mine has done some decent, rough off-roading in the short time I've owned it. Suspension all the way up, low range type stuff. Not rocky, but often wet and VERY steep. There were no ill effects other than some premature tyre wear and a lot of dust in the cabin, which was to be expected I guess. The tyres are cheap(ish) MOMO 20's that were put on before I bought it. For all the abuse they've taken they have done quite well, but you can tell they're not made for it. Never got a flat though. Once these go I'll likely put some 18 inch wheels with all-terrains on. I have also discovered a short-cut on the way home from my current workplace that involves a short section of an often muddy, wet trail through some bushland. It's only about 200m long, but it saves me 15 minutes sitting in traffic. I'm not as impressed with the seals on the car. The road I was on (when it was dry) had quite a bit of bull-dust, and there were often signs of infiltration through sections of the the window and door seals, and a LOT onto the rear quarter panel. While it still works, the CD stacker is full of red dust. It's not something I noticed on my previous car (a jap-import Nissan). It has done some towing too. Nothing spectacular, but it towed a fully-loaded dual-axle trailer over the blue mountains and back a few times. Fuel economy wasn't markedly affected - maybe from 10.5L/100 to 12.5? I have also towed a portable toilet through town with it - I got a few interesting looks and comments that day... Honestly, I'm using it in exactly the way most people would use a prado or land cruiser, and many have told me I'm crazy for buying something so "exotic". I have previously had japanese imports (except for a couple of years with a 3 series BMW), parts for which are virtually impossible to get in australia, so I see this "exotic" as being a significantly less risky proposition than those. At least I can go to a dealer and ask for parts! If anyone has any specific questions I'm happy to talk more about my experiences.

In my street about 80% of the residents drive a land cruiser of some type. I was talking to a neighbour about a new family car and they said 'why not get a land cruiser'? I said I prefer used German cars and they told me how crazy the depreciation is on those. It's true that cruisers have fantastic value retention as a new car. I had to tell them that buying used after depreciation was the whole point. Why not get a great car at knock down price instead of paying through the nose for someone else's bush-bashed cruiser? Still, I am worried by the trend that German cars are not living as long as they once were. It's not the engines or the body construction, but all the stupid brittle plastic that goes into them nowadays.

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It's all those soft plastics that give it that "premium feel" that have a tendency to deteriorate with hard use, there is nothing wrong with them, they just need the owner to be mindful of this and a little bit of extra care. I guess an analogy is that a Hugo Boss suit has that premium feel too, but you wouldn't be rolling around under your car or doing yard work in it.

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It's not actually in reference to the interior bits, though those can be a worry, but if you treat them fine as said they are fine. No, the plastic bits are the plastic radiators, plastic water pumps, plastic brackets, plastic windscreen washer pipes, plastic intake manifolds, plastic headlight brackets, plastic plastic plastic freaking everywhere. Even gearshift linkages made from plastic. Look inside an air cooled car and the only plastic bit is the air cleaner. This is why they are still going and easy to fix.

Great daily drivers and offer an experience well outside what an SUV should in the agility and handling dept.  I had an 09 Diesel and it was a great blend of torque, economy, comfort family duties etc.  Would like more poke for sure (S Diesel would be perfect) Towed brilliantly and did light offroading.

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Oh, I'm picking up what you're putting down... plastic coolant pipes is quite woeful, but I know they had a TSB on those and went steel pipes later? So I guess you have to ask yourself if you want a premium SUV OR a truck? As mush as I love the Cayenne, if you want a German SUV that will withstand an apocalypse get a G class.... The on road manners of a Cayenne are about 100 x better mind you! But that's not the point. There isn't a more solid unit out there than the G, no not even a land cruiser, they're like a RAV 4 in comparison.

I wasn't talking about cayennes or even Porsches but just German cars from the last 10-15 years in general. 50% of my DIY work in the last few years has been removing and replacing plastic parts or electronic parts that died. IMO every single one of these parts could have been replaced with a better quality part without affecting overall function, but increasing overall reliability (all systems not just the engine) Maybe the cars might have been a bit more expensive in the first place but they are paying in resale as tales of fickleness spread. Lots of people will recommend a 20-30 year old merc as a great car. How many say that about a ten year old one? Every ten year old BMW is due a new radiator. How obviously avoidable is that? I think the problem is EU recycling laws but I can't say that for certain. Maybe it is planned obscelesence or maybe it is cost cutting. Whatever it is, it dims my enthusiasm for some great cars and it shouldn't be like that. The cayenne is squarely in that camp. Vw development and already tales of pipes dying makes my very gunshy.

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Honestly, its largely for cost purposes.  Every manufacturer is guilty of it. '

If all is well I will have my hands on a 3.6 petrol '09 for the wife in the next fortnight. low kms example and one owner. Really wanted a diesel but couldn't refuse the petrol one that came up. Anyone here owned the V6? Not brutally slow are they? It will be a town commuter and maybe tow the GT3 to the track every now and then. Will the V6 be up to the task?

I have a 3.6 petrol but in the next/current gen.  It is vastly different to drive than the previous model.. I drove one of them and had zero interest in owning it, just a bit "blah" - it confirmed to me it HAD to be a V8.  Then got drawn towards the current shape, took another look at the V6P and was very happy...and would choose it over the diesel.

^^^ What makes the difference Trev? Is it the same engine? If it were for myself Id probably hold out for an S or the diesel but wifey won't know the difference putting around town. Just don't want it to be super slow, which I can't imagine it being.

I've got a 955 Turbo I use as a daily I picked up about 5 years ago with 50k on the clock.  Its just ticked over 120k and its been great, I'm not getting rid of it i anytime soon.  It has all the modern comforts of a newer car that were standard on the turbo when it was released. In that time i've just driven it and serviced it, the only thing I've done is just put a set of brake pads all round on it (70k for the fronts and 120 for the rears).  The rotors still have life in them (were replaced when I bought it), and I put a set of tyres on it after 40k. If you can stretch the extra 10k and get the turbo I think its a better bet as they have all the options standard (extended leather package, front/rear heated seats/climate control), air suspension etc etc.

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If it were my own car I thought the same, gotta be the bent 8...  The V6P is quicker than the diesel, sportier sound & feel, not as 'agricultural"...yes the 8 would be great, but in the newer shape was about another $20k. Current diesel V6: 0-100 = 7.8, 8 speed trans Previous diesel V6: 0-100 = 8.3, 6 speed trans Current V6P: 0-100 = 7.5, 8 speed trans Previous V6P: 0-100 = 8.5, 6 speed trans Current V8P: 0-100 = 5.9! Previous V8P: 0-100= 7.2 So for me the current V6P was almost previous V8 performance in a way more modern car that will hold it's age well in to the future.  But it also drives & "feels" very different to the previous V6. Any of them are pretty damn good family cars!

A quick update on a minor problem I had recently on my 2007 S. On my most recent trip over the blue mountains the cabin ventilation fan started squeaking. It stopped when you turned off the fan and got faster as you turned the fan up. It got progressively worse until it became somewhat embarrassing (not to mention annoying) and I cracked it. This afternoon I removed the panel under the glove box with a torx bit, then unscrewed the ~7 screws holding the fan in with a 4.5mm socket (who has one of those sitting around!? me, surprisingly!). It was pretty dirty so I gave it a clean and sprayed the bearings with some CRC. Squeak gone! A very worthwhile 10 minutes. The fan had a VW stamp on it...

Nice work Grungle. That would have been a new fan and half days labour at the dealership huh? ;-)

I would have thought so. It was heavy too, so I'll bet it wouldn't be cheap. Really easy to access though - it's right above the passenger's feet. As long as I don't need to dig very deep to find the issue and I don't need any special tools I'm happy to poke around myself for a while, and at least narrow down the list of possible causes. This was a lot cheaper and easier than I expected, but I've learnt a little more about how it works and saved myself some money for now. We'll see how long it lasts...

If all is well I will receive an MY 2009 Cayenne for the wife to drive early next week. QLD car, 1 owner with 49K on the clock. Unfortunately not a diesel but my wife is not likely to benefit any more or less given it will be a city driver for 99% of the time. Seemed like a much better option than a Jeep

Nice one Spiller. I know Dr Ed on P.F is still very happy with his Turbo. I've been eyeing off a 05 "S" with good klm's for sale not far from my place. My Wife drives a 80klm round trip each day that's 78klms freeway. Might not be a bad option for us.

So.... If I wanted a big SUV to tow a caravan around Australia. Would a Cayenne do? Instead of the standard Land Cruiser?

I've done some towing with mine without issue (other than the LED lights on the dual-axle trailer causing problems). I'd happily tow a caravan with it. The only problem you might have is finding one with a tow bar - there weren't many around when I found mine. I used to see a few Touaregs towing things around when I lived out West, so I can't see why the Cayenne would have any problems.

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A big part of me wishes it was a turbo or at least an S but I couldnt justify the extra coin for either given the odd joy ride ill get once per month . Granted the earlier model turbos are great bang for buck if you can get one that's been looked after properly. From what Dr Ed says, they're rocket ships! I wouldnt think the S is that great on fuel economy but I doubt the 3.6 petrol is much better in that department to be honest. Freeway driving should be all sweet though? I havent bothered to check consumption figures. I have heard transmissions need servicing at least every 50K if towing (not a big deal). I assume there are aftermarket towbars available?

think I'd rather buy a cayenne without a towbar and install one myself. Car with a towbar already, no idea what kind of towing torture it's been put through.

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My 2007 S gets down to 10l/100km on the freeways, and was doing about 11.5-12l/100km over the blue mountains towing a loaded trailer. It wouldn't have been as heavy as a caravan, but I thought it was pretty good. Generally 13l/100 between home and work, which is 15 minutes at 50-70km/h with 10 or so sets of traffic lights. No idea about extra servicing for towing, but thanks for the heads up! I think there are tow bars available, but they're not cheap. I didn't look into it in detail but I saw prices ranging from $800-$3500, but I think the $800 was for supply only. The majority of the cost seems to be in the wiring, which is why I wanted to go for a factory tow bar. I'm not sure on the details but I think it either integrates with the factory ECU or has a stand-alone ECU, so it's not as simple as just bolting it up to the factory mounting points. I had a globe blow on one of my trailers and it flashed an alert up on the dashboard to "check trailer lights". I guess it depends how much you trust the seller. The 3 I talked to seemed pretty honest. One said he had towed a caravan around Australia with it (this was the VW), one said he towed his boat to the ramp every few weeks, and one (the one I bought) said he had never used it. A quick inspection of the receiver and and hitch revealed if it had been used it wasn't for very long, and was packed up in it's little bag again immediately.

Quick note on tow bars. There are no aftermarket options (in Aus) for the 1st gen and facelift Cayennes. Expect to pay around $2,500 for it. If your trailer has LED lights, you need some sort of resistor installed also. Installation isn't a job for your local Pedders shop. They really need to know what they're doing as the wiring is integrated into the ECU as mentioned above. I tow a 1,600kg ski boat and you forget it's there on the highway.

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Absolutely - My '10 Cayenne Diesel was awesome at towing and still often returned 12lt/100km when pulling a 2T Jayco.  Happily overtaking on the highway safely too Orly? Try here: http://www.towbarsaustralia.com.au/towbar-kits/cayenne-0 That said - for the same reasons as Grungle mentioned I had a factory one fitted to mine after I bought it - was $2500, but the ECU is then reconfigured for stability control, reverse sensors and trailer light monitoring (and is LED light compatible)  Unsure how much of this you get on the aftermarket versions (but they do come with a plug-in wiring ECU module)

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Having already read about the possibilities of botching the install, I spoke to these guys but didn't feel confident that they new what they were doing or that their generic module would work properly. Then there was the issue of getting someone to install down here in Melbourne. My mechanic outsourced the job to a specialist and I ended up paying $2,100. I tried to reduce the cost by getting a second hand bar, getting a VW Toureg or Audi Q7 bar but the installers would only install a brand new Porsche bar for warranty/guarantee reasons. The whole process was very frustrating knowing the VW bar was half the price. In the end I just added it to the total cost of the car so it's not that much in the scheme of things.

Fair reasoning and similar to what I did, but my point being there are aftermarket options - these guys ship to Aust as well http://etowbars.com/au/Towbars/Porsche/Cayenne/Porsche-Cayenne-Invisible-Towbar-2003-2010 and say thier E-kit is OEM spec and CANbus compatible For install - sometimes try a body shop.  e-kit should be plug and play

LOL so just to update this. I've just bought one and drove it home. Now to park it in the shed and clean it up. Should make an ok mothers day gift

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It's mother's day not wife's day , geez don't raise the bar that high for the rest of us!

You've stuffed yourself for next year!

You could well be right but, it's fathers day before then so I'll leave the ball in her court...

Oh and the cars nice to drive. 2 owner 04 with full service history had the extended warranty etc. Black on Black with 2 sets of wheels. I wanted Silver but took Black as it was in the best condition of all the cars I'd looked at.

That was quick lol. I bought mine three weeks ago and still haven't seen the thing! Well done Uncle, did you end up getting the S?

BTW anyone on here had experience with eBay wheels? Ours has the ugly 17s which are way too small for the car, have been looking at these 20 inch knock offs. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/251888419113?redirect=mobile

Yep it's an S.

Congrats gents, looking forward to hearing what these vehicles are like to own over the long term, maintenance and cost etc.

Yeah I'll keep you posted. I'll get the log book service done at an independent and do all the other stuff my self so I'll keep you posted. Looks like this. Only plans for me are some black wheels. If you're going to own a massive pain in the rear colour you might as well embrace it completely.

Needs my old 22's on it

Check out the note at the bottom of this description about what he would swap for. Classic! http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Porsche-Cayenne-S-2005-128-500kms-Located-2745-/301627417960?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item463a652568

LOL fair call.

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I think I remember reading these were knock offs boxer? How did you go with the tyre pressure sensors? Uncle that looks mint. Take it from me black is a PITA, no matter how careful you are it will swirl up each time you wash it. Looks the business when clean however.

Yeah I've had a few black cars. I know the pain well. That photo is after 3 hours of cleaning. It needs a buff badly.

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Love it! Not a bad looking car either!

Nice, looks like my twin (other than mine having the updated lights and engine). Same wheels too, assuming they're 20s. Where do you service yours Uncle? I took mine to AutoWerks on the Central Coast as it's only a few minutes from me, but interested if there are other options around. Mine needs a major service next (with brakes) so I want to be confident about where it's going. I'm going to start a thread on wheels - start getting some technical stuff in here.

A good mate owns Newcastle All Wheel Drive Dyno. Whilst he is not Porsche guy as such he is about the only other person local to me I trust with my cars. Autowerks is about the only other option. Nathan my mate has been a mech for 30 odd years and works on a lot of race cars including open wheelers etc. He whilst being a little grumpy at times is as honest as the day is long and just tells is like it is.

So many cheap Cayennes out there (under $25k)! I want a 928 but probably need a Cayenne more.... an ideal world both! http://www.carsales.com.au/cars/results?cpw=1&sortby=%7EPrice&limit=12&q=%28%28%28%28%28%28SiloType%3D%5BBrand+new+cars+in+stock%5D%7CSiloType%3D%5BDemo+and+near+new+cars%5D%29%7CSiloType%3D%5BPrivate+seller+cars%5D%29%7CSiloType%3D%5BDealer+used+cars%5D%29%26Price%3Drange%5B0..25250%5D%29%26%28Make%3D%5BPorsche%5D%7B%26%7DModel%3D%5BCayenne%5D%29%29%26Service%3D%5BCarsales%5D%29

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Sorry missed this earlier - yep knock offs (the Genuine ones are 21's, mine were 22's - cheaper tyres in that size)  I thought they were heavy when I collected them, but then found they were only 2kg heavier than the factory ones (incl tyres). Never had an issue with Tyre pressure monitoring as mine did not have that option fitted

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Yeah I went through the same dilemma regarding the 21s, I like the look of the 21s best but difficult to get tyres without paying through the nose as you said. I didnt realise tyre pressure monitoring was an option - I need to check the codes in my service book to work out what mine actually has. I love the way the sport button brings the throttle and gearbox to life on these cars. I've never owned a car with any sort of electronic trickery before so its a nice surprise.

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And new wheels fitted Pretty happy with the GTS knock offs, quality of the finish is good.

Boughtn y cayenne turbo three years ago, second owner, still love it, and no issues other than regular service.. ( touchwood)

Some nice pigs in here! It's still a tempting proposition......

We have racked up about 1,000klms now and I'm still happy with it. Only problem is now I've sorted out the change to NSW rego I'll have to give it back to her. Hmm maybe I need another for me to use?

^^^ good excuse for a turbo! Getting wheel alignment done on ours tomorrow, noticed the old tyres were all worn down to bald on the outer shoulder, so quite uneven wear. Google tells me its a common issue, not sure if any of you who've owned them for a while can comment on this?

Tyre wear on mine was always even, but I also did have it aligned properly

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Uncle with a turbo cayenne....look out!  I can see where this would end up going...

I'm a good boy, honest.

Could some kind soul in VIc check out a Cayenne turbo for me at weltmeister porsche for me?

So just a little update on this. The wife and I did a dash to the snow last weekend. The old bus ate up the klm’s with ease and had no drama at all and was just generally a nice place to be. We saw some -10c temps on the Sunday that had more than a few cars in trouble. Some of them would of been less then 2 years old. I’m so impressed with the ease this thing goes about things I really do want one for myself. We have clicked over about 15,000klm’s so far and it’s been great. 6am icy roads ahoy! Too cold for no pants outside the car. Parked up at Perisher before getting a snow cat over to Charlottes Pass to catch up with some Family and put a couple of turns in on the mountain. The only “hobby” I like more than cars is Skiing. I just can’t get enough of it. I’d picked up some new Nordica Boots and Ski’s so it was a get time to give them a run.

Nice one mate, they are great tourers indeed. Ze Germans built them well. We drove ours over to Melb for the June long weekend and had a great trip. How many clicks are you getting to a tank? The V6 is thirsty around town, never get more than about 520kms but managed 750kms on the open road which I was pleased with.

What does 520 kms tank mean in litres/100?  I'd like to build the case for one but I think I would tire of feeding it and tyre-ing it.  They are a screaming deal used for what was a very premium priced product new.

Mine currently indicates an average of about 13l/100 over the last 15,000km. Highway is down around 10.5l/100. My 15 minute run to and from work is around 13-14l/100, depending on traffic. It's not fun watching the fuel efficiency climb up toward 22-23l/100, but I'm generally only in bad traffic for 10 minutes or so. This is from the 4.8L V8. Tyres seem to be as expensive as you want them to be. I currently have a set of 20s that I believe the previous owner picked up for around $250 each. They're not very good, but they've done 15,000km so far (including a lot of dirt and high-speed gravel) and they're still ok. A tyre shop recently quoted me $750 a corner for the "OEM" tyre. No thanks. My next service will include front brakes, so I might be less cheerful about it after that one...

We see around 14.2 mixed on a constant basis. 13.2’s hwy cycle were it spends most of it’s time. My wife’s 80klm round trip commute is 99.9% 110 zone and maybe 3klms 80 zone with 2 sets of lights. This car was a suck it and see if we like it kind of deal. Now we are really happy with the big bus I’d say we will sell it for a newer low klm jobbie.

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my calcs tell me it's about 16L/100 kms (tank is 90L but I guesstimate there is usually about 5L left in it when we fill up). This is city driving in Adelaide which doesn't have many freeways so it's a lot of stop start. One thing I have noticed about the gearbox is it seems to hold gears for quite a long time when on any sort of ascent, even if it's a mild ascent. It's a bit annoying and definitely doesn't help economy but you could always flick the button on the steering wheel to up shift it.

Great cars, been saying it all alongh and I thought my diesel was awesome - good tow rig too.  Unfortunately couldn't afford a new model at the end of my lease, but kept it in the family with an A6 Allroad with the same diesel donk.  Goes even better And just this week have purchased a Touareg with the same engine for the missus.  As far as she can tell its just like the Cayenne (dynamically not quite the same, but build and practicality etc very similar)

I am in the process of trying to find and buy one - probably up to about an 06 model V8. There are a few about with varying km, what would people say is a good km range for a used one? Trying to keep km as low as possible, but many up to 200000km now... Thanks

We just picked up a '10 diesel for client pickups from hotels etc.  Drove it home from Melbourne and within a couple of hours I was very impressed.  It's probably the best mile eater I've ever owned.  I wanted to hate it but just couldn't - it's too good at what it does.  Will be doing a father & son trip to the snow in a couple of weeks and very tempted to take it down (much quieter ride than our Deafen der).

Have noticed a few over the past couple of weeks at $20k or below and they do not seem to be selling that quickly. I think they are still heading south in pricing.....

Thought I’d update this thread. We have clicked over 30,000klms now and I’ve just done the only job it’s needed. The rear drive shaft centre bearing gave up on us so I just replaced the whole shaft and bearing at the one time. Cost was $750 and I did the job myself. Easy job really but that was with the floor hoist. Would prolly be a pain in the rear on stands alone. To be honest it took longer to undo the exhaust bolts than it took to fit the shaft. While I was there I fitted a new set of 19” wheels and tyres I’d bought a few weeks ago as it was getting due for tyres. Much quieter and the slightly higher aspect 50 series tyre seems to give it a smoother ride. I went with Goodyear Eagle F1 SUV tyres. The might not be as flash as the P zero’s that it had on it but so far after a short TD they seems pretty good. This is a good guide. I was fairly relaxed about the whole thing and took it easy. Total work time was about 3hrs. I’d expect a workshop could do it in 2. http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/cayenne-955-957/300061-cayenne-cardan-shaft-replacement-03-06-all-sub-models.html

So nearly 2 years on, how are the Cayennes going? Looking at some at the moment...

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Our 2007 S hasn't skipped a beat. Coming up on 3 years of ownership. First service was $1,100 but included $460 for tail gate gas struts. $550 for the next service then $600 for the next service. Last service was $1,500 including front and rear pads, don't really know why the rest of the service was more expensive. Michelin Tyres were bought at some point for $2,000, ouch! I couldn't tell you what mileage we got on tyres and brakes but given my wife's driving style, I'd say not much out of the brakes. Tyres seem to wear even and definitely isn't excessive. If it wasn't for the little shits that sit in the back, the car would present just as well as it did when we got it, whoever eventually details the thing has their work cut out for them. Overall we're very pleased with the experience so far.

Good to know.

We have owned our '08 Cayenne for nearly 2 years now and absolutely love it .... No issues at all and would recommend one to anyone ..... We have just listed ours for sale but not because we don't like it or because it's given us any trouble .... just because we don't drive it enough .... only 2,000 k's in the last 6 months ....

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And thats why your selling?

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If you had bothered to read the next paragraph, the answer is hidden within .....

Oh i read it

Sold my wife's 2010 V6 about 6 months ago. It was a beautiful car to drive, just not up hills. Something not right about revving the tits off a V6 in a large SUV. Would do a diesel or turbo next time. I am going to need a tow car to pull a GT3 cup when I get my hands on one and I would definitely consider getting back into one for myself and double it as a daily. Either that or a ute and whilst the ute is more practical, it's just not me. I love a previous gen GTS or turbo but they're still quite expensive for a car that is getting rather old.

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I can confirm that the standard 4.8L V8 is plenty powerful enough for any situation ... Put it in sports mode, and it doubles as a racing car as well .... I had my doubts regarding a V6 which is why I didn't buy one .... although I have never driven one.

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what was the fuel consumption like?  Bad because needing to floor it?

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I seem to recall reading that fuel consumption for the V6 was up there with the V8 because it had to work so hard to keep it moving. Don't know how true it is.

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I like the sound of that. Plus the GTS looks tits. Just checking prices though...50-60K for a 9 year old car is difficult to justify. Yep, 600 kms to a tank around town. 90L tank = 15L/100 kms. Our diesel Jeep is a bigger, heavier car and gets 11 plus it has enough torque to pull down the great wall.

Sounds like the Toyota Kluger a friend of mine bought under wifely urging of needing space.  After retuning 20l/100 around the city  he flicked it on principle.  Might have been the 'stomp and go' driving style some, ahem, people have.  Easier to swap the car than change the driver.

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The update 4.8L (2007 and on) can be had for under $40k ...... that's a lot of car for the money ......

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Higher kms I'm assuming? Now that sort of money I can justify. From what it seems, the GTS is the "top of the line" of sorts? Seems to be higher spec than the turbo just not as much power? Or have I got it all wrong?

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I've never really understood the GTS thing .... I believe it is higher spec'd but I'm not sure of the exact specs of it so I really can't comment ..... When you say higher k's ..... everyone has a different take on that. We just advertised our car with 113,000 k's ...... to me that is hardly run in for a 4.8L V8 .... to you that may be high .....

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These things will do hundreds of thousands so I agree with you. I think the market has another idea of though. Our old V6 had 70K on it and felt new.

Thought I’d do another update. Our Cayenne has now clicked over 240,000klms. Jobs done. The wife replaced the rear door gas struts,the AC blower fan and reg and the fuel pump since last update. All easy jobs just the fuel pump needing a (cheap) porsche tool. She did them herself just asking me to check her work every now and again not that she needed it. Other than that I’ve just serviced it and it keeps eating up the miles. We are going though a car change around here right now and I’m tossing up on updating it.

Hi Uncle, Just joined the Cayenne club with a 2005, 146,000Km buy. This forum gave me a bit more confidence to go shopping and I found a local one and took the gamble. Happy so far and am really enjoying the comfort factor and view compared to previous sports cars. Gradually getting used to the size and weight.                    I also am needing to replace the 4 rear struts. Can you tell me where you found the best place to buy them from, 'cause they are quite pricey?

She got them off eBay Rob. Not sure if that was the seller but you get the idea. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/gas-strut-tailgate-Porsche-Cayenne-955-7L5827550G-/381295644764?hash=item58c6fdd05c:g:CJgAAOSwo4pYUCAx

Had the first near fail to proceed last Thursday night. As my wife was driving up our longish driveway it when into limp mode. She reversed back down and I put my diagnostic tool on it to see if it was throwing any codes. Yep, right bank cam sensor and crank sensor. As it happened my father in law was planning to see a patient almost next to Autohaus so I asked him to pick me up two cam sensors ( If one fails the other is a matter of time) and a new crank sensor and inlet manifold gaskets from James. Pelican parts has a reasonable tech write up of how to do the job and recommend removing the inlet manifold in order to gain access to the cam sensors at the back of the motor. On Friday night I thought I’d make a start on the job and get it stripped down and sensors removed so it was just a matter of fitting them back in once my FIL dropped them by on Saturday. After looking at it I decided not to spend 6 hours removing the manifold and simply removed the air pumps at the back of the motor. This gives you juuuust enough room to get to the cam sensors. Its a fiddly job but not impossible and won’t take 6 freaking hours to do. I had the PAX bank out in 20 minutes and the drivers side is a little harder and took about 40 minutes. Its mostly just getting the bolt that holds the sensor out. Crank sensor is dead easy to get to and once you have the PAX side air blower out you can get to the plug without issue. Again Pelican recommend pulling the manifold off your to get to the plug. Don’t it would be a total waste of time. Use a mirror to get a look at the plug reach down and undo it. Total time 5 minutes. I had stuff to do on Saturday so left the car apart till Sunday. Cris was keen to get stuck in and get her hands dirty so I get her the simple task of refitting the cam sensors. Also a little easier for her to do the job having smaller hands makes it much easier to get the bolts back in. Once done I cleared the error codes and and its running better than ever. Clearly the cam signal was weak before and the engine was pulling timing out of it under load. For a car with 240,000klms now on it it still drives like a new car. I whilst I was under it doing the crank sensor (It reads off the ring gear in the back of the engine) I had a look at the suspension bushes. Everything is still like new. Best birthday ever lol. Cam and crank sensors. Oh and I found this bit whilst I was doing the job. Clearly some Porsche tech is down one lol.

Nicely done Uncle....I'm not too good with mechanical stuff but I do like to have a go at the stuff that's on the surface and not elbow deep in the internals. Good to see that the safe practices of towel and high vis clothing were in use :-)

High vis sure but that long hair waiting to get caught!  Someone call oh&s!

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good catch....hair net or pony tail!

Must be a keeper, Uncle.  Has she got a sister?

on the few Cayennes i looked at I kept seeing the cam sensor issue, and apparently it was pretty common didn't know it'd stop the vehicle completely though :/ cleaned out your roof drain yet? apparently it's what causes issues with the amp and is my next 'project'

A word of experience .... Our 2008 Cayenne was just written off by our insurance company due to water damage .... We aren't 100% sure of the cause but the likely culprit is blocked drains causing the rain water to well up and flow back into the car .... caused a river of water to flow out of the passenger side once the car was driven on to the tow truck  .... from there it was mold city! .... didn't help that we had 3 weeks of torrential downpours either ... Clean out your water drains people ....

Another update. 270,000klms on the old bus now. I had some shed time on Sunday so I spent some time replacing the gearbox ECU. The old ECU was slow to change down gears requiring you to manually down shift every now and again. Not a show stopper but a little annoying. I bought a 2 nd hand ECU out of the U.K for the grand sum of $77AUD ages ago but just hadn’t gotten around to doing the job. I had other more pressing stuff and the every now and again lack of downshift just didn’t read all the high in the list but after towing the 911 a couple of weeks ago I thought I really should get onto it. Overall it’s an easy job. The ECU is mounted under the drivers side seat so all that is required is for you to unbolt the seat move a little stuff out of the way and swap it over. I guess it took me about an hour but I was helping my wife work on her ’73 Charger at the same time. Upon test drive it seems to be shifting much smoother and feels better to drive. I’m not sure if that’s because I’d just gotten used to it being lazy before or if because the replacement ECU is out of a later build date 955 and has updated hard mapping in it. Either way I’m glad I got around to doing the job. Also it looks like this has become my car now so I’m thinking it needs a rear muffler update and some all terrain tyres. I’ve been doing a bit more deer hunting / camping so it makes sense to get some tyres more suited to the job. Edit: Anyone know the minimum wheel size for the standard brakes? I assume 18"?

I always find this website handy when searching for any wheel info. http://www.alloywheelsdirect.net/porsche_alloy_wheels/cayenne_9pa_955_alloys V6s had 17s I believe.

How is the cayenne for coolant and oil leaks. Currently daily X5 has cured me of bmws and their incessant need to leak oil from oil pan, oil filter housing and rocker cover gaskets, as a prelude to exploding coolant tanks and radiator housings. i thought the first one was bad luck, the second was maybe a pattern and the third BMW in a row with these issues I have reached my patience limit.  At 100,000 kms it's ridiculous that the engine cannot hold fluids anymore.

@Coastr After I asked around a few owners and Porsche mechanics, the earlier ones have a problem with a particular coolant hose, yet swap that out for a later model one and they're pretty well sorted. I've not been told about any particular/normal oil leak problems

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Pretty much what I found when I was looking to buy one. I bought a Merc ML instead which I am very happy with!

Our car had had the steel coolant line update before we got hold of it. In answer to your question I can only say that our car has zero leaks.

I had the same issue with my Cayenne although not too difficult to fix...generally it was a reliable & not super expensive to service. I’ve also owned the ML which is a great 4WD but doesn’t feel as dynamic as the Cayenne to me. Having said that I’ve never driven the ML63 which I suspect could trump them both on everything but fuel consumption & towing capacity. Does anyone know why the Cayenne & ML300 both have a 3500kg towing capacity & some of the early ML63’s have only 2260kg ? Completely off topic....apologies in advance !!

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My first ML (both have been W164s) had 17s and was a bit floaty, current one has 19s and handles very well (for an SUV), I don't see nay major difference in the handling of the two. ML to me has a better interior. Lower towing capacity would be down to tyres I would have thought, and possibly suspension too.

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I use my ML500 as a tow car, and it has never skipped a beat. I have towed my massive lunk of a trailer with car on it from Adelaide back to Sydney, and it sat at 120 the whole way, no matter the hill. Not sure why the ML63 would be so much less, but I think @ANF may be onto it.

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It is similar with XR and SS utes, they have a lower payload due to tyres.

New member from WA - G'Day. Had a 928 in the UK before I emigrated. Just traded in my 05 955 S with air suspension I've had for the last five years for an 09 957 GTS after a long search - this one is a keeper. One owner full dealer history. Older Cayennes are nothing to be afraid of if you know what you're doing, what you're up for and can find stuff on Rennlist/6speedonline/pelican parts/ECS tuning. But.... and here's the clincher, you must be able to do a little spanner work yourself. Labour rates from people that know the cars and are servicing the vulnerable are extortionate. It's a 150-250k vehicle, parts are not going to be the same price as a 10yr old falcon. The 957 GTS has a number of differences from the S, it sounds and drives differently, and sounds and drives differently from the turbo too. Basically its a more road orientated car - closer ratios, 295/35 on 21s, more camber, stiffer roll bars, reduced final drive, lowered. The prices for the S and Turbo seem to be continuing down and some bargains are out there - the GTS seems to be bottoming out a little higher than these. Perhaps this is because people think an older normally aspirated donk is less risk than an older turbo. The seats in all of them fit me like a glove so I find them all superb long distance cars. The V8S drives like a big limo (and I think the Turbo drives like a superfast big limo) but to my butt the GTS drives a lot more like a sports car. Think of a 928S2 vs a 928SE if you've ever driven them. The GTS is just a bit sharper. Powerflex are doing some great poly bushes to correct some of the suspension concerns. The plastic coolant pipes let go on mine and the fix took me 10 hours. Parts were cheap from the UK, but a couple of the pipes were a real PITA to get out of the housings. If I had to do it again I reckon I could it in 6-ish. Everything comes apart and goes back together i.e. no bolts are made of cheese and never encountered a seized bolt yet (did I mention the plastic pipes were a PITA). There are a few issues that can be addressed by preventative maintenance easily. The driveshaft bush for one - grab some window weld and fill up some of the gaps around the original rubber when you get the car and it won't let go. I didn't do that and went down the vertex carrier route changed in 2 hours. It's easy on a driveway to work on the car because  if you fully raise the suspension there' heaps of room under it. Or you can do the 'jimi fix' on Rennlist if you want - but seriously window weld it. And while you're at it put some on the top mount from the engine strut or update it with a powerflex insert. Put some JB weld around the thermostat housing pipes to avoid them backing out if the factory glue fails. All easy DIY stuff to be honest. Drop links are 50 bucks each. Stabilus rear hatch struts are about 200-250 bucks and about 3 hours to fix (research before you do it tho as there is some nasty black glue you don't want to get on the headlining). Keep the drains clear. Use a CTEK battery charger in the lighter socket if you're not driving it. Brakes/Tyres are big and cost a bit too - but are you really going to resent paying for that when you have to stop a fast 2 and a half ton machine in a hurry? Paintwork is superb on the car so with a clay bar and polish they come up a treat. Stainless steel exhaust. Used genuine wheels on gumtree are super cheap and the plentiful 19s with bigger tyres ride better than 22s with rubber bands - but everyone seems to put on 22s? The variable valve solenoids get sticky if they've only had a 15k service interval due to oil varnishes gumming them up. Sounds like a top end piston slap as they tend to stick slighly advanced if they're going to do it. Don't change them initially - do a few oil flushes and changes and actuate the solenoid through both full ranges with a 9v pp3 battery every time it sticks and it'll generally sort itself out. You can tell I'm a bit of a fan-boy - but honestly the cars are built superbly well, parts and expertise is readily available and if you can navigate the web you can get them at good prices too. Stick your head under the car and look at the size of the anti-roll bar to get an idea of how heavily built these things are. I'm even thinking of getting an old one and putting in some drawers and making a bit of a camper conversion - there a bargain right now and cheaper and much nicer to sit in than a troopy after all..... Happy to help out on here if anyone has any queries, but browse through Rennlist for the real tech advice. Rich.

Thanks for those tips . Did you get & use 3M Window Weld in Australia (or UK?). Was it hard to find here?

What are thoughts on the going rate for a 04-06 Cayenne S with 120,000 to 150,000km? Seem to be a lot on the market for c$20,000 but they also seem to stay there. Test drove one yesterday with an asking of $13,500 but was in need of new brakes, the boot struts had gone, there was a loud noise coming from the fan and some other issues. Seller was prepared to take less than the asking but wouldn’t hold it pending a PPI

I'm beginning my hunt for a Cayenne S 957 now. From my research the 2007 models seem to be well priced

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I was offered one privately months ago at $9500 that had full service history and just needed tyres but was a nice car. Her indoors wasnt a fan of driving a  Cayenne though. Neither was I to be honest. Offer them under $10k or walk away

Do they have a tendency to start leaking oil?  Because I am so freaking tired of cars that leak oil once they are a few years old.

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I hope not, I too HATE oil leaks! Or any leaks of any kind really

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Are they made by landrover? Sorry @tassieman. 😆

Went and saw an 09' Cayenne S today... had to walk away, didn't even test drive it. Was already started when I got there... hurmm why? Had an oil leak that was quite constant and making a mess on the concrete, has a "chassis suspension fault" error and the air suspension didnt work, air con needed re-gassing and it had very cheap tyres. Also was advertised as black rather than metallic black - deal breaker.

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My Land rover doesn't leak oil. Because it has been buttoned up correctly and is maintained as all old cars (& people) should be. Now if you mentioned old 911s...incontinent, you have to put a pad under them... Though mine is as dry as...because... Buying an old cayenne is every bit as scary as buying an old 928. In fact , even scarier. Sooner or later your house will look like a pelican colony.

I have a vested interest in this topic as I am putting my '04 Cayenne S on the market. I must qualify by saying I have owned a standard '89 3.2 Carrera, a 1975 or therabouts bitza track car with a  3.8 motor and all the other trick bits and a standard '86 944.                    All were great cars, that did their jobs incredibly well, including the Cayenne. The Cayenne is comfortable, safe, solid, luxurious (by my standards), practical, and reliable. It has never let me down.                                                                                                    The paintwork is high quality and the interior durable and comfortable. The whole car is built STRONG. Everything on it works properly! Since owning, the gas struts for the tailgate needed replacing. Not too bad, but I did swear a few times.                                                                                                                                    The steering pump was replaced and the cardan shaft, and the rear brakes. And yesterday the battery. I would say all these are just routine maintenance. Buik Motorworks did the hard stuff at very reasonable prices with no fuss. Regular servicing was straightforward. I cant vouch for other Cayenne's but my ownership journey was relatively pain free. (Fuel "economy"excepted) I even did some spirited club runs through the hills and some follow the leader laps at Tailem Bend and had no trouble keeping up, the chassis, steering, brakes and power are quite impressive for a heavy car and AWD helps. I hope I can be just as happy with the 986S I have just bought. Any other positive Cayenne stories out there?