Please keep us updated info on PDCC for the diesel v8. Not in the configurator for Sweden.

 

I traded a 2010 Chevy crew cab 4 x 4 Duramax diesel truck in on the CD. Frankly, I got tired of driving a truck as my daily driver. I needed a vehicle that would tow a small (6.5 x 12) enclosed trailer without killing the drive train, so a diesel was the logical answer. I considered a Touareg, until I saw the CD.

I am continually amazed at just how good the car is. My testosterone wishes I'd bought a GTS, but my sensibility is very glad I went with the diesel.

 

As I mentioned in my last post, the PDCC is unfortunately not an option in the V8DS even though on all accounts so far the car handles very well. PTV plus is available as im sure you already know so that's one good thing.

 

To those of you that own a diesel Cayenne, or have extensive experience with them, do any of you feel that they "run out of breath" at highway speeds? When you're cruising around 75mph and want to pass someone, does the vehicle feel sluggish? Since the diesel V6 version is a good bit heavier than its V6 counterpart, is handling/chassis feel significantly impacted?

I've never owned a diesel and have very little overall experience with them, but I am intrigued by the prospects of owning one. My wife and I are in the beginning stages of shopping for a SUV for her and the Cayenne is on her short list.

 

Depends on your definition highway speeds I suppose. They are more than capable at any legal US highway speed.

It still feels like there is plenty of power, but you have to work harder to maintain your speed above 80. It loves to cruise in the 70-75 range though.

How any of that compares to the gas V6 is beyond me. I test drove the base model, but it was pretty short. I can't really comment on any handling differences either since the one I test drove had the air suspension and I have steal.

I really wanted to go oil this time, but I fretted over the options I lost for that $7k difference (I would have gotten a 6mt), but I love my diesel and wouldn't have any other engine.

 

What do you mean by "work harder?" Need to maintain a heavier foot?

I guess my question is more along the lines of, if you're going 75 and need to punch it to like 90 or so to pass someone, does the car have difficulty getting up to that speed in a relatively short time? I wonder if this is where the regular gas V6 may have an advantage.

I suppose this question is more of a hypothetical, or infrequent occurrence, since this will be my wife's car and she spends most of her time in Cali. traffic on the freeway anyway.

 

I have no idea what "work harder" might mean either, especially if one uses the cruise control. When I find myself in a passing situation @75 mph, the speedo is tickling 100 before I know it. Same with on-ramps; if regularly you punch it to get out into the fast lane, it's a good idea to have your over-speed alarm preset Cuz if you don't keep an eye on the speedo, you'll be over 100 in no time. Top speed is electronically limited to 135.

Click below for the factory torque vs horsepower graph of this engine. Note that max torque is available from 1750 to 2750 rpm. That's very low by gasoline engine standards. Part of the reason this 5000# SUV can deliver both performance and economy is that the diesel does nearly all its work at such a comparatively low number of revs. Fewer RPMs = less fuel consumed. In round numbers, my Cayenne turns ~1800 rpm at 60 mph and ~2000 at 75 mph. And this is in 8th gear. So you can see there's plenty of torque left for passing at pretty much any highway speed. And if the car thinks the engine needs a little help to meet the demand of your right foot, it's got 7 lower gears to give you.

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By work harder I mean it doesn't want to maintain its speed as nicely so you have to work at it. Even on cruise you can tell the difference as it keeps adjusting the throttle (and your MPG drops significantly from 70 to 80 because of this).

My wife refuses to use cruise controls and complained incessantly about how much work she was having to do (because she wouldn't listen and maintain 70 and/or use cruise) just to keep a steady speed on a multi-hour trip. She also trashed what should have been a great MPG run by doing so

As Greg says, even at that speed you have plenty left and it will still go. It's just the matter of holding it consistent that I'm talking about.

 

Besides convincing your wife to use the cruise, you should mention that surging at speed to your dealer. Mine doesn't do that, nor have I heard/read about anyone else experiencing it.

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It's not a surging. Just an excessive need to work the throttle to maintain the speed. Even off cruise I can get it to 70 and easily maintain the speed. At 80 it just wants to slow back down and I have to stay on top of it.

I don't know if that is just normal for the aerodynamics/weight of the Cayenne in general or if its a characteristic of the TDI based in where it is in the power band at that speed (in 8th), but its not unexpected in either case.

Back to the TDI vs base V6, in regards to the passing at high speed the TDI is going to win that hands down due to all that torque it has on tap. You'd have to downshift the base V6 a gear or two to get into its peak torque area and even then it still pales in comparison.

 

Sorry, but - based upon 17,000 miles in its 2011 Touareg cousin AND 3300 miles in this Cayenne - it's neither normal nor characteristic. Again, I suggest you bring it to the attention of the service manager. Uncommanded speed decrease from 80 - then having to manually recover lost speed - IS surging, and deserves warranty attention

But I too return to the passing ability question. Words cannot do this drivetrain justice. In the case of the Cayenne Diesel, there's no substitute for a test drive.

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I thought so too but a sticker, in my December build CD, on the dash trim and the same one on the driver door jamb shows a 150 mph max speed. Must have been a new flash but it doesn't really matter since I'll never see it.

 

As a former 2004 CTT owner and now a happy 2010 Touareg TDI owner I can say the diesel seems to be better for daily driving. The torque is soo much more usable than the power curve of the CTT, especially in city driving were low revs rule. This is my first diesel and one thing that excited me about it is that they are soo over built... diesels last forever with minimal maintenance. Heck, I still see old Mercedes diesels driving around town from 30 years ago. So when looking at the value, diesels seem to win the longevity award for ROI.

As for the power, I would recommend a tune like Unitronic. It really wakes up the 3.0 TDI motor.

David

 

Absolutely, although I went the BlueSpark route. What kind of hp/torque does the Unitronic give you? I have my BlueSpark currently set up for about 288 hp and 496 ft-lbs

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seems to be contradictory. If torque wins races then why is the 667 ft-lb slower than the 553 ft-lb? Seems like there could be a better measurement than just hp or torque - perhaps some combination of the 2 with weight factored in.