I am going back and forth and still cannot decide if I should get running boards. One day I want it and then the next day I call the dealer to cancel it. My sales consultant tells me in all these years he has never seen anyone get one with these on which worried me.. This is our first SUV so I don't know how big of a deal it would be to get in and out. The main reason I wanted it in the first place was for the ease it would provide for getting out (more so than getting in) of the vehicle. My wife is 5'2". During the short test drive, I had her get out of the 18-way seats a few times. Despite a very conscious effort to avoid putting pressure on the side bolster (which is quite prominent on 18-way seats) , her body rubbed and put pressure on it each time. We both worry about the wear factor on the seats over a period of time. Now for someone who changes their car every 3 to 5 years this is a non-issue but we keep our cars for a very long time (which is one of the reasons I went with natural leather since it wears well over time IMO) and would hate to see a drivers seat outer bolster showing its age over time. I'm 6' so I don't really need to use them while getting in/out of the vehicle. My friend has an X5 with running boards and certainly getting out is that much easier when you plant your foot on the running board and lift off the seat. He says it has even prevented door dings when the door of smaller vehicles bang into his runningboard and not the painted portion of his X5. I like the look of them on his SUV but have never seen one in a Cayenne. On the cons side is the look which may not be everyone's liking (although I think the aluminium running boards will not look bad at all on a black Cayenne which is our color), the additional weight, cost (it is a pricey option at $1550) possibility of hitting your shin when you enter the vehicle and slipping when trying to use it for leverage to get out. Please tell me what would you do..... I think I know the answer
Oh, I do want to mention that I am getting the air suspension which can lower the vehicle but not sure how big of a deal that would be in aiding the driver to get out of the vehicle. Would like to hear your thoughts on that too.

 

I'd say go for it, if not for the practical and entry/exit factors that you've listed above, for the aesthetic factors. It definitely makes the cayenne more like an SUV type, if you want to go for that look.
I've been eyeing these for my cayenne for a while but the price never hits below 1k.

 

Ironically, running boards restrict off road capability - according to Porsche.

X5 running board is $300 and actually looks better IMO.

If you need to use it often to get to the top of the roof to tie stuff down, then I'd say get it. Otherwise, ask your wife.

 

i Don't use mine that much but they sure do make the car look a lot better!