My first Cayenne - HELPFUL ADVICE REQUIRED!

[terywall]

I'm looking to buy a second hand Porsche Cayenne soley because it looks amazing, although know very little about them.

I'm a little apprehensive so I would only like to spend in the region of £10k (£12k max) on the 3.2 litre version which I guess would get me a half decent one on a 54, 55 or if I'm lucky, a 56 plate and with approx. 50-60k on the clock. Ideally, it would be equipped with satnav, multi function steering wheel and heated seats. It may be wishful thinking but that's what I would want in the car.

MY QUESTION to you proud owners
What should I look out for when viewing vehicles, what should I be wary of and from your own experiences, what would you say I should take into consideration when buying this magnificent beast of a car??

Any advice / suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I was really hoping to find a decent UK review on youtube about it but rather surprisingly, I found nothing about a 3.2 on a 54-56 plate that went into any decent level of detail on pro's and cons.

Many thanks

 

[Stu_No1]

I don't own a cayenne but have done lots of reading. Advice would be to save a bit more and buy a facelift 2007 onwards 3.6 litre.

The 3.2 got bad reviews for being underpowered and constantly hunting through gears. Also the pre 2007 face lift models have a fair few known issues. Some of which can cost 1k to fix such as coolant pipes cracking. Also something about water filters clogging and water ingress in to the car and porsche charging hundreds to clear the affected area.

There is a good bit of info on this site.

Stu

 

[terywall]

Thanks Stu

I had considered the 2007 plus models... but there's a significant difference in the costs. I don't mind general maintenance and have put plenty aside for this, but if I stretch out and get something newer than the 2006 version, then I may have to wait a lot longer than I would like to. Sadly, I'm very impatient which can be my downfall at times! On the flip side, I will have the upgrade to look forward to!

Would be great to get some feedback from anyone who has owned any 3.2 models on Cayennes aged 2004, 2005 and 2006. I have owned a BMW 325i sports for the past 6 years so it's time for a change. As it stands, for someone that's never had a porsche before, it seems like the Cayenne will be a luxurious purchase - suffice to say that I would be getting a lot of car for my money.. right?

 

[Stu_No1]

I know what you mean and you will be getting a lot of car for your money either way, yes.

I would get a bigger engined model pre 2007 and also have a look to see what options you would want. They are petrol guzzling motors with high tax so really a buyers market given the economic climate.

 

[pwebb]

In fact the V6 is not significantly better on fuel than the V8, and the latter is a much better car. Most Cayenne S were better specced than V6s too, so you get more bang for your bucks. Main worries are the coolant pipes, coil packs and electrical gremlins. Oh, and early cars had leaking rear washers. So get your purchase checked over and look carefully at the maintenance book. Proper records are important. As everyone says, they're terrific value for money, but the cost of ownership is still that of a £60k plus car.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Tan]

Hi

I have a 2004 Cayenne 3.2 which I have owned this for coming up to a year.

I am a spec junkie and at the time that I was buying it came down to a decision between a 4.5 Cayenne S and the 3.2. I chose the 3.2 as it had lots of toys including, Bose, Xenons, Memory seats, sunroof etc.

My advice to you would be to get a 4.5 S, as MPG is virtually identical to that of the 3.2 and the 3.2 is under powered.

One major issue with the earlier Cayenne's is that the gearbox can suffer from hard downshifts due to an issue with the valve body, this happened on mine and the replacement was about £1000 fitted.

The 3.2 does not suffer with the coolant pipe issue. but its so well documented now the upgrade is relatively routine and not something that would put me off buying one.

 

[kisbee]

Hi Tan, I have a 3.2 with what sounds like the same gearbox problem that you mention. Was the repair carried out at an OPC or a local garage. Other than that its agreat car if slightly underpowered. Still enjoy it every day.