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2004 Porsche Cayenne S Road Test Update

Purveying Passion is Porsches Business

There are vehicles a person buys because of needs, and then there are vehicles a person buys because they just cant help themselves. Flights of passion are what Porsche cars and now, SUVs are all about.

While some have lambasted the legendary brand for entering the sport utility segment, others recognize Porsches need to expand its marketshare overall, and increase its bottom line so that it can continue building sports cars like the Boxster, 911 - in all its guises - and Carrera GT. After all, if it were not for the Cayenne, its quite possible Porsche would not have weathered the current drought in car sales and be gobbled up by a multi-make automaker - albeit 911 sales are up 20 percent in the U.S. as of April 2004.

But theres another argument for the Cayenne, and a better one I might add. Its simply the best

If it were not for the Cayenne SUV, its quite possible Porsche would no longer be an independent manufacturer producing great sports cars. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

all-round sport utility money can buy, at least from a drivers perspective. It handles with greater stability than some sport sedans and most competitive sport utilities, with only BMWs X3 and X5, plus Infinitis FX capable of giving it a run for its money on pavement. But none of these is at all capable in serious off-road conditions. Here, as previously reported in a special "Off-Road Test," the Cayenne has few rivals as well, especially when optioned out with the driver adjustable air suspension (PASM).

So

The Porsche SUV is simply the best all-round sport utility money can buy. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

why an update review on a vehicle that has been thoroughly covered in a previous road test as well as a separate off-road test? Because of some good improvements Porsche has made since the Cayennes inception, as well as some problems that have cropped up along the way.

Lets start with whats good. Personally speaking, the Cayennes styling has really grown on me. I wasnt one of the naysayers in the beginning, mind you, but I cant say it floored me like the Boxster and 911 do every time one passes by. I really like it from the front end, as it pulls all the positive design cues from the car lineup and somehow makes them work in a much taller vehicle.

The Cayennes unique rounded styling has really grown on me. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Sure, its rounded fuselage and ovoid derriere is a little sausage-like in comparison to the many boxy SUVs in competition, but to its credit it is unique in the category.

As just mentioned, the Cayennes on and off-road handling has always been stellar, as has its engine performance. Of course the Turbo version is quicker than the S, but the S is still faster off the line than the majority of rival SUVs. Whats more, Porsche has recalibrated the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for even better initial performance. Where before it was merely quick, the S now rockets from standstill defying its rather substantial 4,949 pound curb weight. I especially like the steering wheel mounted shifter toggles, ideally placed at each side of the

The Cayennes on and off-road handling has always been stellar, as has its engine performance. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

9 and 3 oclock spokes for easy up and down actuation by the thumbs. Shifts are quick for an automatic transmission, rowing through all 6 forward gears as fast as your fingers can push one of the buttons or slap forward the console mounted gear selector. But you dont have to have the gear level slotted in the manual-mode position to actuate manual-type shifts. Even if in Drive, a tap on the steering wheel controls automatically allows manual actuation. Unlike some sequential-shift automatics, however, the Cayennes does not allow total manual control, but takes over shifting on behalf of the drive when the revs hit redline. It will also gear down on its own, even if in manual-mode, if the throttle is pressed to the floor. Personally, I think Porsche buyers would rather have full control of the transmission, unlike Volkswagen

It wouldnt be a Porsche if the Cayenne was trimmed out in planks of walnut. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Touareg buyers who most likely appreciate the gearbox thinking on their behalf.

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