I'm in the market for a cayenne. I've heard about the cooling pipe issue. And I have heard that some of them even drop a drive shaft.

But if I can get a car that sold for 100,000 + for 15-20k with only 100k on the odometer than that sounds good to me.

My question for everyone is: How much of a difference is there between the 2004-6 S vs 03-06 Turbo? Does one feel like a slug compared to the other?

I test drove an 06 Turbo the other day. The truck felt very impressive to me. I have a C5 Corvette that I race on weekends, so speed is nothing new to me. This CTT took off very well. And I think it would be a fun truck to own. It will replace my 5.9 Jeep ZJ.

Insurance is about $35 / month more than the S model. And it appears that MPG is about the same for both. If I am in the 100k and greater mileage area would you suggest an S more that the Turbo?

I'll also tow a 5500 pound boat from time to time.


Any help appreciated.

Thanks,

 

The Turbo gets better MPG (15) than the S.
Reliability is surprisingly good.

I had mine tuned by EPL (60 more hp) and did the secondary bypass (30hp).

It is smoother and a lot faster and sounds mean.

I am selling mine for 25k if interested let me know!

 

I've driven both, and I own a 2004 Cayenne S. The S is a wonderful vehicle and it has plenty of power for an SUV. That being said, the turbo was out of my price range when I bought my Cayenne. If you can afford the turbo, I think it's the way to go. The maintenance and reliability are very similar between the S and the turbo.

 

Thank you Dennis, this is exactly what I wanted to hear.

 

The Turbo gets lots of little upgrades standard that are options on an S. So for the price difference used you typically get a whole lot more stuff on top of it just being faster!


...also, I've towed up to 7,700 lbs with my CTT and can't imagine trying it with the S, especially at altitude!

 

Same here as well. I don't tow but considering how many other "lower-end" vehicles can tow just about anything, I personally don't think S vs. TT is the question here. It's more about affordability. I'd say go for a TT if you are buying used.

Coolant pipe has to be done if it hasn't been done already. I'd specifically shop for a vehicle that hasn't suffered from coolant damages. Other drive shaft and misc. problems are not a big deal in my book as these problems are less likely to cause "expensive" damages. My advice is to look for a low mileage vehicle 06 TT. All those first generation models that you are shopping for has exact design flaws so it shouldn't be too difficult to narrow down the search.

I think these SUVs are extremely reliable and you will be happy with S or TT. GL!

 

Im so close to getting an 04-06 Turbo especially with rates being low as they are and just getting one on a 3-4 year term @ 1.99% a credit union nearby. then let it be a garage queen but I want to see what the CLIFF is going to do to rates and consumer prices.

 

Turbo hands down if you can afford it.

 

+1, Never driven an S and I'm sure they are great but I love my CTT and that extra power

 

you really should research the additonal options on the Turbo - air suspension with the PASM really makes a difference on the drive side - bigger brakes; better headlights. on the pleasure side, full leather vs a lot of plastic; full PCM with NAV and other bells.

get the Turbo if there is a good one out there, you will never look in the mirror & wish you had gone for the S.

 

Brake sizes on the S and Turbo are the same.

The turbo S has bigger brakes.

 

Got a few more questions:

1. Mileage, how long do these dudes go? Ever seen one with 200k? How about 300k?

2. Is there a way I can tell if the coolant line has been fixed? Is this something tough to do? Is there a procedural on this repair? -- I'm a bit surprised that Porsche didn't have a recall to fix this coolant issue.

3. The radio on the TT. Wow- this thing looks complex. Looks like all kinds of things are tied to it. Where can I read about how to operate the computer looking thing that plays music. Does it have a plug in for an iphone?

I'm pretty excited to get my hands on one of these trucks. Look forward to being a regular here. Are there any other web sites that discuss the 04 CTT?

 

Here are my quick answers:

1. Mileage, how long do these dudes go? Ever seen one with 200k? How about 300k?

Hard to say. These vehicles haven't been around that long. Mine is at 115K and going strong. This appears to be a very solid engine once you address the known issues.

2. Is there a way I can tell if the coolant line has been fixed? Is this something tough to do? Is there a procedural on this repair? -- I'm a bit surprised that Porsche didn't have a recall to fix this coolant issue.

There is a way to tell with a flashlight and a mirror. The instructions can be found on www.rennlist.com. Personally, I wouldn't buy a Cayenne without the service records. If you have the records, you'll know. This can be a DIY if you're handy with a wrench, but it's a fairly big job. You can get a good independent mechanic to do it for ~$1,600. I would look for a vehicle that had the pipes changed proactively rather than after failure. Failure can impact the starter and the transmission, among other things.

3. The radio on the TT. Wow- this thing looks complex. Looks like all kinds of things are tied to it. Where can I read about how to operate the computer looking thing that plays music. Does it have a plug in for an iphone?

The head unit isn't as bad as it looks. It's quite simple, actually. There should be a separate manual included for it with your new vehicle. You can buy an aftermarket solution (it's not cheap) for your iPod from Mobridge or Denison. If the car you are purchasing has the "phone prep" option, then you can connect the Bluetooth option too. You can tell if you have this option if there are telephone buttons on the head unit. Most cars with PCM 2.1 (DVD-based, 2005+) will have this option. The 2004s use PCM 2.0 and it's not as common.

 

I've stumbled upon at least 3 CTT with more than 250k miles on them through various forums.

All report just regular maintenance and the common fixes.

 

Reading about those guys made me pull the trigger on an 04 CTT with 113k, now a year and a half later its about to roll 150k, still fast and tight!