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Which? works for you Which? Car review Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) Apr 2003 Class: 4x4s/SUVs New price: £44,447 - £108,244 Used price: From £5,625 O...
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Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) Apr 2003 Class: 4x4s/SUVs New price: £44,447 - £108,244 Used price: From £5,625 On sale:

Performance:

Ride comfort:

handling:

★★★★★

★★★★

★★★★★

Boot & Storage:

Safety:

★★★★

★★★★★

Reliability:

-

Total score:

70%

Exclusivity and flash factor.  Blistering pace and superb handling. Large, roomy cabin. High purchase cost.  Big fuel bills and high emissions. Crushingly expensive parts prices.

Recommended models in the range

Which? Car Top Choice Model Diesel 5dr Tiptronic S New price: Used price: £18,495

Fastest Model Turbo S 5dr Tiptronic S New price: £108,244 Used price: £68,000

4.5 secs

0-62mph:

Most Efficient Model Diesel [245] 5dr Tiptronic S New price: £47,660 Used price: £30,750 Combined fuel economy:

39.2 mpg

Cheapest Model to buy new Diesel 5dr Tiptronic S New price:

Overview The Cayenne, launched in 2003, was Porsche’s first ever off-road vehicle. There are four versions: the Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo and Cayenne Turbo S. The Turbo versions are extremely quick — the range-topping 493bhp Turbo S can manage 0-60mph in just five seconds. For a vehicle weighing about two-and-a-half tonnes this is breathtaking.  For a vehicle that will probably be used more on the road than off it, the Cayenne’s ride quality isn’t the best. The stiff suspension settings are great for its handling, but not so good for traversing poor surfaces. However, it feels stable and secure at even very high speeds. It’s surprisingly quiet inside – you almost expect a vehicle of such size and power to growl a bit more. The cabin is lavishly equipped, especially in the Turbo model, and there’s an air of highquality workmanship inside and out. Interior space is excellent, even compared to other big off-roaders let alone by sports-crossover standards, and the seats are superb. Apart from the fact that it drinks fuel like there’s no tomorrow, the Cayenne is an excellent, fairly comfy longdistance motorway cruiser.  Overall, this is an impressive but expensive SUV - especially in Turbo and Turbo S form. The Porsche Cayenne didn’t sell in large enough numbers to enable us to give it a model reliability rating in the latest Which? Car survey but Porsche’s overall brand reliability is average, according to owner feedback.

£44,447

Cheapest Model to buy used S 5dr Tiptronic S Used price:

£5,625

Cheapest Model to Run (new) Diesel [245] 5dr Tiptronic S New price: £47,660 Running costs: £26,049 (3 years/36,000 miles)

Owner’s View Fantastic performance, superbly comfortable and easy to drive. Covers huge distances very quickly and easily. Tows the horsebox with 2 horses in it as it it was not there. The 17mpg fuel consumption is pretty savage!

Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) 4x4s/SUVs

On the road

How we test

The Cayenne is a quick, refined vehicle, although better suited to the road than rugged terrain.

Performance

★★★★★

The 450bhp, 4.5-litre Cayenne Turbo we tested (replaced in 2007 by a 493bhp 4.8-litre) is very quick indeed. Though the Cayenne’s a very heavy vehicle, this V8 engine pushed it to 60mph from a standstill in about 5.5sec, and despite all that power, it’s also a smooth and refined engine.  Both the Turbo and current Turbo S come with a Tiptronic gearbox. This is a versatile system: the gear changes can be fully automatic or you can do it yourself using the buttons on the steering wheel or the gearstick. In automatic mode, it shifts smoothly, but at times it feels like a shift should have happened a moment before it actually does. A six-speed manual ’box comes as standard with the slower, but still quick, non-turbo models. Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Ride comfort

Acceleration (37-62mph) 3.0 secs

We use the sophisticated electronic timing equipment to record standing-start and in-gear acceleration, and repeat each test several times. Ride comfort

Rating

★★★★★

★★★★

Cayenne Turbo models have air suspension which almost completely eliminates body roll, but ride quality isn’t the best: bumps make themselves felt at all speeds, but especially on the motorway. Even setting the suspension to ‘comfort’ doesn’t eradicate this.  Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Performance

Rating

★★★★

Ride comfort is assessed by our laboratory experts who have driven hundreds of thousands of miles in a myriad of different models.

Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) 4x4s/SUVs

On the road continued...

How we test Handling

★★★★★

Handling

The Cayenne feels very stable and assured on the road, even on surfaces without a lot of grip. Electronic stability control (ESP) helps control it at high speeds, and cornering ability is also excellent. The steering is also responsive and precise, although pretty heavy. It’s as much of a Porsche sports car as its sheer bulk will allow.  The massive SUV body does make handling overall a bit tricky; driving the Cayenne on narrow roads can be pretty difficult. Off-road performance also isn’t great, partly due to the high-speed road tyres, which lose traction quickly off-tarmac. Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Rating

★★★★★

On-the-limit handling is explored well away from public roads to ensure a fair test. Our obstacle avoidance test is one of the harshest tests in the industry.. Brakes

★★★★★

Brakes

The brakes are certainly powerful, but you need to give the pedal a really good shove when braking from high speed to achieve maximum effect. Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Braking distance (62-0mph) 38.5m

Rating

★★★★★

★★★★★

Refinement and noise

The Which? Car braking test measures stopping distance from 62-0mph and is repeated ten times in quick succession to highlight any brake fade issues. Refinement and noise

This is a refined off-roader. The engines are quiet, and at high speeds you can hear only a little wind rustle. Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Cruising noise 65dB

Rating

★★★★★ The Which? Car experts use a decibel meter to record interior sound levels at common UK motorway speeds, and combine this with subjective assessments to arrive at an overall score.

Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) 4x4s/SUVs

On the road continued...

How we test Cabin and controls

★★★★

Cabin and controls

Build quality is very good, although the lack of protective rubbing strips on the doors means they’re more exposed to car park damage. The interior looks attractive; Turbo versions come with some extra refinements as standard, such as full leather upholstery, an easy-to-use satellite navigation system and a very sophisticated radio/CD.  Most of the Cayenne’s controls are well laid-out, although the ignition is hard to find in the dark, the reach- and height-adjustable steering wheel covers some of the dashboard gauges when it’s in a low position, and some buttons on the centre console are very small. Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Rating

★★★★

Visibility and parking

★★★★

Visibility and parking

The high driving position means you get a very good view of the road, and the exterior mirrors are nice and large. Turbo versions get bright bi-xenon headlights with a dynamic cornering function to improve visibility around corners, and front and rear parking sensors come as standard. On non-Turbo models these are optional. The only downside with parking is that the rear reversing lights are quite dim. Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

We penalise cars with difficult controls, and we look for things like backlit light switches and easy-to-use heating and ventilation adjustments.

Turning circle 11.4m

Rating

★★★★

Visibility is a major issue for motorists today, so each car gets a 360-degree swivel view test to reproduce the driver’s eye view and any obscured areas.

Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) 4x4s/SUVs

Comfort and practicality

How we test

The cabin is very spacious indeed, and the boot is about average for an SUV of this size.

Getting in and out

★★★★

Getting in and out of the front is comfortably easy. The Cayenne isn’t too high, and the doors open wide. The remote central locking works very well and there’s an extra button to open the tailgate window. The doors have lights on the inside which provide some illumination when getting in and out in the dark, as well as for warning other road users that your doors are open. Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Seat space and comfort

Rating

★★★★

★★★★

There’s plenty of space in the Cayenne, even compared with the largest of its SUV rivals. Even those well over 1.9m tall will find enough leg- and headroom, both in the front and back.  Seat comfort is also very good; the seats are firmly padded and ergonomically designed. The front ones offer loads of electric adjustment to help you find your most comfortable position. All models offer sports seats as an option (a no-cost option in Turbo versions). Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Getting in and out

Rating

★★★★

We take measurements all around the driver and passenger’s door apertures and note the height of the seat, door sills and step down onto the car floor. The best cars don’t require too much bending or stretching to get in and out. Seat space and comfort

We assess seat comfort subjectively, using our road testers’ expert knowledge and experience from thousands of different cars. And we measure the head-, legand elbowroom on offer in every seat, to see how well the car caters for people of all shapes and sizes.

Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) 4x4s/SUVs

Comfort and practicality continued...

How we test Boot and storage

★★★★

Boot and storage

Boot capacity is about average for the class, and the layout reasonably practical. There’s 540 litres of space with the rear seats up, but fold them down and this increases to a maximum of 1,770 litres with the load area packed to the rafters.  The rear seats split and fold, but folding them requires a bit of effort; plus, you need to remove the rear headrests first. The tailgate is easy to open, but it doesn’t open wide enough, so it’s quite easy to bang your head against it. Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Heating and ventilation

Boot space (seats up/down) 435 litres / litres

Rating

★★★★

★★★★★

Climate control is standard in all models, as you’d hope at these prices. You can set the temperature independently for the driver and front passenger in all but the base model.  The heater is powerful and warms the cabin in a short space of time, especially in the Turbo models. In these you also get heated seats and a heated steering wheel. In all models, the rear door windows only go down halfway, which hampers ventilation somewhat. Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Carmakers give official stats for boot space, but our tests are more realistic. We load the boot up with measuring blocks only as far as the rear window line, so that luggage is well secured and won’t obscure rear visibility. We repeat the test with the rear seats up, and folded down (where possible). Heating and ventilation

Rating

★★★★★

Feel sorry for the tester who has to warm each car up from a frosty -10 degrees in our climate chamber. Starting with a cold engine, we measure how long it takes to warm up the front and rear of the cabin. Diesel cars usually take longer. We also check the effectiveness of air conditioning, where fitted.

Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) 4x4s/SUVs

Running costs and depreciation

How we test

The Cayenne starts off very expensive to buy, it’s dear to run, and the more powerful the model, the more these costs spiral. Insurance is group 19 or 20 - and higher-cost than for rivals like the Range Rover Sport - and tax is top-rate, though if you can afford to buy a Cayenne, the price of a tax disc probably isn’t an issue. Servicing and parts are expensive, though at least the service intervals are long (now 20,000 miles or every two years). 

Fuel consumption Unsurprisingly, fuel costs are very expensive – the most frugal is the entry-level Cayenne, although this still returns around only 21.9mpg (manufacturer’s figure). In the Turbo model we tested, you’re looking at a real-life average of 17mpg (18mpg claimed), which will have environmentalists cursing your every journey, and the sporty GTS 18.7mpg with the manual gearbox. The diesel is said to do 30.7mpg, though its real-life return may well be lower. 

Petrol (combined mpg, claimed)

17.9 mpg - 28.5 mpg

Diesel (combined mpg, claimed)

30.4 mpg - 39.2 mpg

Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Urban (claimed/measured) 18.0 mpg/12.1 mpg

Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Extra urban (claimed/measured) 23.7 mpg/24.4 mpg

Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Motorway (measured) 17.0 mpg

Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Combined (claimed/measured) 12.9 mpg/17.0 mpg

Fuel consumption

We test fuel economy under strict lab conditions – using realistic test cycles – to reveal the facts behind the figures. Our figures rarely match manufacturer claims as, unlike the official mpg test, we measure economy with both a hot and cold engine, and on the motorway.

Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) 4x4s/SUVs

Running costs and depreciation continued...

How we test Emissions

Emissions Emissions are high across the board – of the lower-emissions models, the petrol Cayenne pumps out carbon dioxide at the rate of 310g/km, and the diesel’s 244g/km output means it’s also charged at the highest rate for VED (annual road tax). Annual company car tax (BIK) is therefore hefty, to say the least.  

Petrol (CO2, claimed)

236g per km - 380g per km

Diesel (CO2, claimed)

189g per km - 244g per km

Model tested petrol 4.5 (450bhp) automatic 5-door (2003)

Emissions (claimed/measured) -/397g per km

While testing fuel economy, we also collect exhaust gases to enable us to measure the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted. We also check whether particulate filters are effective at removing sooty emissions from diesel engines. Safety

Safety and security We rate cars for safety using Euro NCAP crash test scores (where available), alongside our own comprehensive safety checklist. Uniquely, we also feed in results from our accident avoidance test – after all, it’s far better to steer around a crash than rely on the airbags...

Euro NCAP score No results available.

Which? safety rating Active (crash avoidance) Passive (crash safety) Child Pedestrian

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Security Theft of car:

Theft from car:

★★★★★

★★★★

Security

Security scores come from the security experts at Thatcham, who break into hundreds of cars each year. Most modern cars are very difficult to drive away, but are still too easy to steal from.

Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) 4x4s/SUVs

Which? Car Survey results

About our survey

The Which? Car Survey is the UK’s most robust reliability and owner satisfaction survey. In 2015, drivers told us about 58,000 cars, covering more than 484 million miles in the previous 12 months (that’s equivalent to driving to the moon and back a hundred times). This unique feedback allows us to rate satisfaction and reliability for hundreds of new and used cars. Note: Star ratings below are from 1-5 (1 is very poor and 5 is very good). Percentages shown under ‘Most common faults’ indicate the proportion of owners reporting each problem in the past 12 months.

Brand

Sample size: 203 people

Porsche ratings Overall owner satisfaction for this brand Brand reliability Dealer Sales Service Dealer Servicing & repair

92%

- people

Ownership ratings Overall owner satisfaction for this range

- - - - - - - -

Everyone who takes part in the Which? Car survey tells us about their car and the dealers who sell and service it. We analyse this feedback across all cars to give top-level satisfaction ratings for each brand, including the brand’s reliability record over the last eight years. All star ratings are out of five. Model ownership ratings

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Model: Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010)Sample size:

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Brand ratings

These show how owners score this car in 12 different areas, from performance to heating. Owners’ ratings are subjective – so may differ from Which? Car test scores – but they give a good idea of what the car is like to live with. Where relevant, cars are scored against other cars in the same class (e.g. for space).

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Owner’s View Expensive? Perhaps, but in any situation you get what you pay for. In this case a well designed car, built to exacting standards with quality materials. A joy to drive and worth every penny.

Owner’s View The best car I have ever owned. Comfortable, reliable, good braking and roadholding, great build quality, spacious with large boot.

Which? Car review

Porsche Cayenne (2003-2010) 4x4s/SUVs

Which? Car Survey results continued...

About our survey Reliability ratings

Reliability ratings

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Overall Reliability Petrol cars

Reliability

Breakdowns Average annual repair cost Diesel cars

Reliability

Breakdowns Average annual repair cost All cars

Reliability

Breakdowns Average annual repair cost

Up to 3 years old

4-8 years old

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We split reliability into breakdowns (including failure to start), faults (where parts need replacing) and problems (minor issues e.g. squeaks and loose trim). Where the car has been on sale for some time, and we have numerous survey responses from owners, we also split scores by the age of car and fuel type. Star ratings are out of five – the more stars, the more reliable the car. Most common faults

Breakdowns: Percentage of cars suffering a breakdown in last 12 months Average annual repair cost: Average annual cost of repairs (not servicing), in past 12 months

Most common faults 

Up to 3 years old

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4-8 years old

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Failure rate: The proportion of owners reporting this problem in the last year

Want to know what’s most likely to go wrong as the car gets older? These are the five most common faults reported by owners, grouped by age into new, recent and older cars. A score of 40% means four out of 10 owners reported problems with that part of the car over the previous 12 months. Engine electrics and non-engine electrics (e.g. windows, stereo) cause more headaches than mechanical parts in most modern cars.