Thanks for the advice and yeah before I found this forum and started researching a few months back, I would have been happy with a moderately optioned base model and a lot more money in the bank. Ignorance is bliss...dam this forum!

Good point. Certainly don't want to get bitten by the new car bug and get eaten up with a big loss on an early trade in. Must loose a huge chunk of money just driving off the lot. Thanks for the advice. BTW - great postings on your options. Loads of helpful info.

Well said. Don't plan on going to the track anytime soon and not sure if I could take full advantage of the performance that the CTT offers. Then again, it's hard to predict several years down the road.

Great article...thanks.

Don't plan nor have room for another vehicle. But, agreed...if I had or planned on getting a high performance sports car then the CS would surely be the easy to choice.

Thanks DB. Nice to hear your vote for the CS.

Excellent analysis though that's a dangerous way to justify purchases. Brilliant!

I get the sense that once you get used to the Turbo, there is no going back.

Fully agree!

What about resale values between a CS and CTT? One concern I have is that my build for the CS has about $29k in options versus only $13k in options for the CTT (so much more is standard on the CTT and the options that are available on the CTT are significantly less then similar ones on the CS). BOSE, Leather, Air Suspension, Metallic paint, Sports seats are all standard on the CTT but cost $$$ on the CS. Also, wheels and some other options are substantially less on the Turbo. On the Turbo, the sports package which includes PDCC, PTV and sport steering wheel is only $3.5k. On the CS, it would be $3.5k for just the PDCC alone.

I keep reading on this forum that one takes a huge hit on options at resale especially when the vehicle is over optioned. Since my CS build has almost $30k in options would the CTT have a better resale value because the options are substantially less? Of course, I realize that either is a horrible investment but don't want to get completely butchered on resale 5 years down the road.

In looking at older models of the S and Turbo on autotrader, there seems to not be an enormous difference in prices...certainly not the $30k difference on 2011/2012 models. That gives me pause about the turbo but not sure if i am comparing apples vs apples as the new models are quite different.

 

Instead of Autotrader, I would only trust Porsche's site for used car pricing.

Link:

http://www.porsche.com/usa/pre-owned-vehicles/search/

There is about a $20K difference between last gen CS and CTT. Not exactly $30K, but enough to be appreciable for sure.

 

Your GTS is a great handling SUV and it looks like you did some nice mods but if you drove the new CTT with all the performance goodies then you might not say its not superquick and nimble. As I mentioned just another 3k in mods and you have over 600hp and tq. Imagine how that feels in such a big car to be slammed in your seat.
There is a video of a guy tracking the new CTT against a C4S/PDK and the C4S only beat it by 1.2 seconds.

Also anyone (including myself) who has driven a previous model Cayenne will say the new model is much more nimble then the previous. Not just because of the 400lb weight loss but because of the PTV which I think the GTS could only have the PDCC at best. And yes the CS is even more nimble/lighter then the CTT but not by much and certainly not enough to overcome the lack of power.

And on a final note, after attending the porsche driving school in Feb we did a certain autocross using the new (super handling) boxster spyder. Then later on we did the same autocross with the CTT and everyone had their jaws on the floor in amazment. Yes, it is that much better!!!!

 

Good big fast thread.

The OP started with a wish for a base model, lightly optioned (hardly possible after hanging around here).

Mikesea: What is your current ride and in the recent past? That may well determine joy or regret with the CS.


HRD RE: Handling and weight distribution- My feelings exactly. I have never seen a skidpad rating for a CS with PTV and PDCC. The CTT so equipped pulled 95g, the CS without 91.

zzzspeed - I do not know anyone (including me) who has a much above 50K vehicle, so consider myself very fortunate indeed to have a CS on order. I agree that they are a bargain in any model level- can't believe I just said that

Mteddylee, re: $16 day difference. Very relative.

Jace- A man with a consistently positive point of view when it comes to cars and options. Thank you.

Paul W. Re: Driving Hard and putting on the (s)miles before handing off to next owner: Excellent and appreciated advice.

Probably because I never owned- never even drove- a Porsche, I somehow expected the CS to be larger than life- delivering the road feel and thrust of fun cars like the EVO and Dinan M3. It does not.

I cannot consider a CTT so like an honest poster below, have chosen ignorance. I do know the CS is light years ahead in performance and luxury of any family hauler I have ever owned.

My driving impression was that in sport trim (PTV/PDCC) the CS carved corners beyond anything you'd expect in an SUV. But if you need/want/can afford the thrust, CTT.

Sorry I don't have the quote thing down yet

 

You will win on the turbo purchase in terms of resale given the scenario of a highly optioned CS as a comparison.

I did read that this will be your only car and if that's the case my vote would go to the Turbo .
However .. 2012/13 is also supposed to launch a Turbo S . That is the car to get unless you just can't wait .

 

I can share with you what two different Porsche sales managers said to me. One said the used car value for a Cayenne S was about 81K to 82K, regardless of how well-equipped that S is. The other one I had emailed an S configuration with a 110K MSRP to and he said at the 110K level my configuration was 25K higher than what most consider a well-equipped S to cost, that I would take an extreme hit on depreciation in a few years, and that I may as well get the Turbo, but also that if I wanted to keep the car for a long time, then go for it. When I made a second visit to the dealership soon after, he said I would lose 40K driving the S off the lot. Because the Turbo has more options bundled in, the 132K price I came out with in the configurator for a Turbo with similar options would be only about 10K to 12K more than the average Turbo and the options depreciation would be less.

On the other hand, I think there are valid concerns about the resale value of a Turbo compared to an S. Because potential buyers have more money to sink into their purchase than buyers looking for a Cayenne S or a Cayenne V6, they have a lot more options and so can easily skip over a Turbo that's for sale for one that has an option they really want, or is new, or is a CPO, or is a new Turbo S or a used Turbo S, etc. Compare that to trying to sell a Cayenne V6 you bought for 60K and offer for sale some day. Then, you would have a large market of customers with hard limits of 30K or 35K or 40K who can't spend more than that no matter how much they wish they could. The Cayenne S would, of course, fall somewhere in between these two extremes.

For lots of reasons, namely bundled-in options I don't want, nimbler handling, the difference in looks between the air intake grills, lower initial price, and the powerkit soon bringing the price difference to more like 45K, I'd rather buy an S. I bought my current car nine years ago this month and had the previous one, a phoenix red 1990 Acura Legend coupe for ten years, so there's a really good chance resale value will never be much of an issue.

The Acura had a 161-horsepower V6 engine that never left me wanting for more. The S has 2 1/2 times that. For the kind of driving I do around here, there's just no way I need 100 more horsepower than the S.

http://zfclubsport.files.wordpress.c...ura_legend.jpg

I would love to get some feedback on this. Here are the MSRPs for the different 2012 models:

http://www.internetautoguide.com/3-1...e-cayenne.html

Like the 2011, there's a wide price difference between the different models.

 

Excellent thread. This is a question that I have been pondering for a while now...If I go with a Cayenne, I think it will have to be a Turbo...can't believe I just wrote that...

 

Congratulations!

 

By the way, no significant changes to either the CS or the CTT for 2012 compared with 2011, right? I think I have heard of a $500 increase in base MSRP?

 

won't be disappointed if you go for the CTT if you are finding the S to be lagging in acceleration.

 

the increase not only includes their raised general pricing but also some items that are now standard that were not in the 2011 early models, like rear air bags and a couple others.

Nothing really to worry about that you can't option for if you build.

the only things that in time will come as changes are the refresh, and the turbo S.

Even with the turbo S, you can buy the power kit though and make it equal there again. Larger breaks can always be purchased, and even body refreshes can me modified to older cars.

I never wait if you want something now. Enjoy it now when those that are waiting can't, then later do some of the refresh mods and have a new looking Cayenne, or just trade in for a new one at that time.

 

Jace-
Kinda off topic, but would you comment on the benefits of PCCB on a CTT? You can PM me if you would like. I love the yellow calipers and less brake dust, but >$8,000 for less brake dust and a $400 paint job...Will I notice the extra $8000 on the car.

 

in short it's all relative. Coming from the 2008 GTS I was sick and tired of the rediculous brake dust. For me less break dust, better more sensitive race car pedal feel, and the massive look of the ceramics, IS worth it to me. I'd do it again.

These brakes added by Porsche at a later date are approx. $20k just in parts.

If you track your car, which I never will, but ceramics are superior in that category as well, no break fade at all! The first brake punch is a bit soft but after that all is great!

 

For me, the choice was clear, CS, not like we intended to use Cayenne to race around.

The look of the CTT front end is much better than CS, but CS is fast enough for our usage and strong enough to haul stuff around.

 

Get the CS, take the $30K and buy yourself one (or two) very nice vintage P-Cars.

Then you won't be a self-indulgent wiener, you'll be a connoisseur....