Could any of you who own either a 2011 or 2012 base Cayenne with the 6 speed manual transmission, shoot a video (either with a Go cam or with a friend...don't want you to have an accident!) from inside the car while your driving to give me a sense of how the shifting works/looks? I have tried searching for such an in car video on the web and youtube but none exist.

I've never owned a car with an automatic transmission and have driven several models of the Cayenne (Base and CS) but they were all automatic transmissions. While the Cayenne drives fantastic I do miss the engagement one gets from driving with a manual transmission.

Too bad the CS does not come with a manual but would hope that a future GTS V8 based version of the Cayenne includes a manual transmission. I know that passed models of the Cayenne GTS did come with a manual transmission.

Thanks for any assistance offered.

 

All i can say is that the manual in the 958 V6 is great! Feels very simliar to my 997, maybe w/ slightly longer throws. There's no sloppiness in the gearbox at all. And from what a tech at my dealership told me, the V6 in a 6sp is night and day compared to the auto in terms of "pep".

All my cars have been sports cars in stick prior to the Cayenne and the manual in the Cayenne is as good if not better then most.

Not sure if i can get you a video but will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

Thanks GBXSport for the info. I'm curious about the clutch pedal travel. Does the clutch engage relatively early when letting the pedal out? Also when your in stop and go traffic, does the amount of force required to press the clutch in and out seem any more fatiguing than any of your other manual transmission cars?

Still would appreciate any in car video you or a friend could shoot demonstrating a 'typical' driving session.

Thx

 

Clutch engages early middle, i would say. Def not high. In my opinion, the clutch is a good weight. Then agian, i've had many aftermarket clutches in high horsepower cars, so i may be biased. The clutch pedal is lighter then a 997, but heavier then a japanese car, like an STI, for example.

Hope that helps.

 

I had a 5 speed manual 4runner before my 2011 cayenne 6 speed manual

the cayenne clutch feels much lighter to me than the 4runner. The clutch engages pretty quickly and smoothly... in fact its so smooth you dont get a lot of feedback from the clutch. In stop and go traffic I dont mind the weight of the clutch at all. First gear is a little low so that can be a bit annoying in stop and go but isn't really a big deal - and the low first gear is definitely appreciated when towing (I tow a boat with mine). In comparison to the 4runner the gear lever feels much more mechanical and precise.

I found that the feel of the transmission changed considerably around 2K miles - got much smoother.

I wouldn't change it for an auto Cayenne. much more engaging to drive the stickshift and its got great power!

 

I drove a 330i stick for 9 years before purchasing my manual Cayenne. I agree that after a couple or three thousand miles, the whole clutch and shifting feels better.

But one thing that I am constantly reminded about is that during upshifts, if you don't engage the clutch at just the right rpm, then there's a sort of 1/2-second rattle that occurs in the transmission just when the next gear is taken-up but just before everything is fully engaged. I didn't notice this at all in my 330i. Or maybe, I finally learned how to work the BMW transmission correctly and my shifts were always bang-on and always second nature.

But even after 1 year with the Cayenne, I can still manage to engage the clutch during upshifts too early or too late and get the rattle. I think it might have something to do with a lack of feedback from the engine to 'know' when to engage. It's no real problem, I just glance at the tach and engage the clutch as the needle drops to the right rpms. When I do this, it's easy to get it right all the time. I guess I'm only about 80% of the way to achiveing full Zen with my shifting!

Even with the above, I am extremely happy with the manual transmission. It is definitely more engaging to drive and provides enough power for around-town spirited driving.

Note that the only way to get smooth shifts when Sport mode is turned on, is to drive quite fast with higher rpms. Therefore, I find the Sport mode impractical around town 95% of the time. I really wish that Porsche put the Sport mode button on or near the shifter itself so that you could turn it on and off without having to look down to find the button. I hate where they put the button.

 

>GBXSport, DanK and tomm99: thx for your insights and the ongoing dialog. When traveling at highway speeds in 6th gear, is there ever an instance were you need to downshift a gear to get a boost in speed?

>GBXSport and DanK: have either of you experienced the "rattle" that tomm99 describes?

>tomm99: your insight regarding the Sport button is the first I've heard in the context of the manual transmission. In the automatic I thought the Sport button modified shift points. Therefore what does the Sport button with the manual modify? Could it be throttle response?

 

I will sometimes shift to 5th and rarely shift to 4th. I find that 6th gear at approx 3500 rpm still generates an acceptable amount of thrust. Personally, it is not that bad for my driving habits.

>

Throttle response is definitely modified. If I am driving in 4th or 5th gear at a constant speed and then engage Sport, immediately the rpms rise slightly and the truck feels like it is more poised and ready to take-off. If I press the gas there is definitely greater acceleration than without Sport.
During shifting in Sport mode, it feels altogether different than without Sport - greater throttle response and as a consquence, your clutch engagements have to be tweaked. It's kind of like when you drive someone else's manual car for the first time, your shifts are not perfectly smooth and it takes a while to learn their car. Same thing with Sport mode. But the only way I can get smooth shifts in Sport is if I am willing to 'take-off' at every light, hold the gears longer and as a consequence drive way over the speed limit in almost every case. For that reason I prefer normal mode 95% of the time. I'd really be interested to know what others' experience is with Sport and the 6-speed.

Going back to my earlier comment about where Porsche placed the Sport button - if they put it near (or preferably on) the shift ****, then you could stop at a light, engage Sport (without taking your eyes off the rode to look for the button), 'take-off' and do 4 quick shifts, then disengage Sport (again without having to 'find' the button) and then drive in Normal mode once you've reached your speed. This would be a great way to use Sport mode on a routine basis.

 

I'm curious to know what kind of gas mileage your all seeing with the 6-speed manual. According to the published specifications, the manual transmission is actually worse by by 1 mpg in city driving. What mpg are you seeing with city, highway and mixed driving? My driving on average is 80% highway, 20% city. I sure the mileage is not as good in 'spirited driving' when your holding it in gear much longer

 

As far as I can tell all the sport button does is change the throttle response. That throws me off when I'm trying to shift smoothly, so I almost never use the sport button. I do use the sport mode on PASM quite frequently though.

For MPG I see a huge difference between city and highway driving. I live in San Francisco and basically you're stopping at ever block for a light or stop sign. MPG in the city is 10-12 mpg. I go up to Tahoe every week, that trip is 15-20 mins city and 3 hours highway driving and I get 23 MPG going up to the mtns, and 26 MPG coming down the hill. I try and stay 75ish on the highway. If I go 60-65 on the highway MPG goes up to 30 MPG.

Overall MPG for the life of the car (10K miles) has bee 20.4 MPG

 

I use the sport button sparingly. Probably once an episode.



I actually prefer the shifting style with sport turned on. It definitely lends itself to speeding though, which is why I use it sparingly. From what it feels like, the throttle repsonse is enhanced when pressed as well as released. It feels as though the throttle cuts instead of fades out when you let off. The sound of the exhaust note changes slightly too. A touch more throaty too.

 

Ordered our manual Cayenne in July 2010, it was delivered in December. In a word, stunning. Just what the doctor ordered. Fun, fun, fun. Exceptional driving pleasure for those of us who prefer a manual transmission, so as, to remain in control of the essence of driving. Performance is surprising for an inline 6. Yes, there is a bit of an offset of the cylinders, but essentially, its a smooth inline 6. Maybe having the turbo would be nice, but not having to deal with turbo issues down the road is also a blessing.

Give the engine time to loosen up, do not expect a new engine to be as free revving as one with 20K miles.

If you do not load the chassis and electronics up, then the simplicity and utility of this vehicle will be more than you could have imagined from an all wheel drive vehicle.

Gone is the low range of the first Cayenne drivetrain. Instead, you get more of a useful day to day driving experience. Yes, I did include the off road package because it allowed us to have a lockable limited slip rear axle. No, I have not needed to engage its four wheel drive system, the Cayenne was not purchased to be abused. However, I have little doubt of the places it will one day go. By using the sport function, first gear becomes a stump puller and not necessary for normal driving conditions, always best to use first gear when heading up a hill, otherwise is best to use second most of the time. I seldom use the upper gears as they are primarily interstate gears.

Always remember the old adage, four wheel drive is an excuse to become stranded in deeper snow. There are limits to any vehicles dominance of the off road experience. Be aware of the limits of your toys and they will bring you back from places you did not really need to go.

Our '80 911 SC has been in the family since 1990, our 356 is still a project, and the '08 GTI will run circles around everything we drive. But for the money, the Porsche Cayenne is the dream that it was meant to be.

A smaller version may be nice, but will never have the room and comforts for all your passengers that the original Cayenne brings to the pleasures of driving another Porsche.