Porsche Cayenne (2003 – 2010) At A Glance
Plush 4x4 that's quick and rewarding on the road and fairly accomplished off it. Originally held its value well.
Inconsistent build quality. Uneven front tyre wear. Seen as anti-social. Falling used values by 2008.
What do owners think of the Porsche Cayenne (2003 – 2010)? Check out our Owners' Reviews from people who live with the car day in, day out.
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Car seat chooser
Child seats that fit a Porsche Cayenne (2003 – 2010)
Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.
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Real MPG average for a Porsche Cayenne (2003 – 2010)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.
Satisfaction Index
What is your car like to live with?
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Reviews for Porsche Cayenne (2003 – 2010)'s top 3 rivals
Ask Honest John
How reliable is an old Porsche likely to be?
"I'm thinking of buying a 2005 Porsche Cayenne with 90,000 miles on the clock. I'll do barely 1500 miles per year in it. How mechanically reliable is it likely to be?"
It's a risky choice. You don't mention which engine you're considering, but you could face anything from electrical gremlins to catastrophic engine failure (particularly on V8 models). They're quite hard on consumable items like the tyres and brakes, too. Basically, a 15-year-old Cayenne is a complex and expensive SUV that's reaching the end of its serviceable life. Even covering only 1500 miles a year, you'll have to fork out for some hefty maintenance bills - or be prepared to send it to the scrapyard if it goes expensively wrong. This is one of the few times we'd recommend an old Range Rover as a more sensible option...
Buying a used car for £8k - what should I get?
"I have £8000 to spend on a used car and have been toying with a 2005 Volkswagen Touareg, with 92,000 miles on the clock. However, my friends say this will be a bad idea as the running and repair costs will be huge. I also like the Porsche Cayenne, but again my friends say I'd be better off buying something cheaper and newer. What do you think? "
A car you buy for £10,000 that originally cost £50,000 comes with repair bills based on a £50,000 car, not a £10,000 car. And there will be bills. Your friends are simply being sensible.
Should we buy a Porsche Cayenne and 1997 Mercedes-Benz SLK from our neighbour?
"Our neighbours are moving abroad and are offering us their 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (4.5-litre V8) with 104,000 miles plus their 1997 Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor with 78,000 miles for £8000 (for both). Both drive well and, we are assured, are in good condition and have been well looked after. The two cars would fit our requirements of runabout and long distance load carrier quite well, replacing our 52,000 miles 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK 200 Kompressor. Is this a not-to-be-missed bargain or are we possibly storing up much trouble?"
The SLK is down to about £2000. A 2004 Cayenne Turbo S with 81,000 miles trade books at £9430, and the miles pulls that back to £8380, so even at Glass's guide trade prices you are quids in on the Cayenne and get a free SLK. Obviously, the Cayenne is high maintenance.
Bought a car with outstanding finance from a dealer
"I have bought a car online from a motor dealer in London and two days later carried out an odometer check to realise the car has finance outstanding and the finance company (Blackhorse) are currently refusing to give me "goog title" of the car despite the fact I am an innocent purchaser. Where do I stand?"
Back it on the dealer for a full refund. For him to have sold it to you with outstanding finance is criminal fraud. He is legally compelled to show "due diligence" in checking the car out.
Good
- Club at www.porscheclubgb.com
- Alternative Porsche Club www.tipec.net
Bad
- Another tarmac crunching, fuel guzzling big 4x4. Uneven front tyre wear with inside edge of tread scrubbing off first. Patchy build quality, and infuriating problems including badly fitting doors and carpets and failing door latches. Controlled supply in 2003 and 2004 initially ensured that demand exceeded it.
- Seat folding very cumbersome. Hear drestraints ahve to be removed. Isofix tethers and seatbelt shoe buckles can damage and tear the leather of the folded seatbacks.
- Cayenne 3.0V6 diesel a white elephant compared to the cheaper and better Audi Q5 that comes in under 200g/km even with the S-tronic auto.
What to watch out for
Check front tyres regularly. Can wear to illegal in 9,000 miles.
Rain drains from ventilation well in bulkhead can block, leaving rainwater to flood into the car causing as much as £11,000 of damage to electronics and carpets.
12-2-2011: Many Touaregs (same running gear as Cayennes) are now suffering centre bearing failure on the rear prop shafts after 60k miles. UK VW dealers typically charge around £900 to £1,000 as they will only fit new, factory supplied, prop shafts. However several prop shaft refurbishers have been identified that can change the failed centre bearing for around £250 which, with a couple of hours labour to remove and refit, is less than half the dealer cost. For more skilled mechanics with the right tools and know-how, the bearing itself can be bought for about £80. The failure rate on the Touareg is now such that some owners in the know have changed the bearing before it fails as part of their routine maintenance.
12-3-2013: Fundamental problem with early V8 engines:, covered in Porsche Forum Cayenne Knocking Noise (problem with the Alusil bore liners wearing away).
1-12-2014: Porsche Cayenne 2003-2010 shown to be the 5th least reliable SUV in Warranty Direct's claims records.
25-10-2016: Report of headlight bulbs of 2006 Cayenne blowing frequently.
31-8-2018: Report of keyfob of 2005/55 Porsche Cayenne no longer opening the doors remotely. Key does open the doors and car can be started. Owner thinks contacte in the key may have worn out.
Recalls
February 2004: Joint Cayenne/Touareg recall because spring in parking brake mechanism may damage wiring beneath leading to a fire risk. May 2004: 100,000 Cayenns and Touaregs recalled because pin linking rear seatbelt to its anchorage may separate. February 2005: TSB to fix rear latch of window over tailgate.
Worldwide recall announced 18-2-2008: Stuttgart. "Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is rearranging the fuel line in the engine compartment of 18,856 vehicles of the Cayenne model worldwide. This affects vehicles which were produced between November 30, 2006 and January 18, 2008. There is the possibility with these vehicles that the slight movements of the engine when traveling could cause a fuel line to come in contact with the engine compartment cladding. This could cause a knocking sound and abrasion markings could occur on the fuel line itself. Up to now, there have been five known complaints worldwide, but only one instance in which any abrasion markings appeared on the fuel line. In order to avoid any further problems, Porsche is going to change the layout of the fuel line in the vehicles concerned. Time in the workshop is about 40 minutes. For customers, who will be advised of this shortly, the procedure is free of charge."
29-07-2019: R/2019/204: Selector lever cable plastic sleeve does not have the required durability and may break. Fix: Replace the plastic sleeve on the selector cable. VINs: WP1AA29P04LA23777 to WP1ZZZ9PZALA08533 . Build dates: 23-07-2002 to 05-02-2010.
Model History
November 2002
Porsche's first SUV and a rival to the BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport rival 4x4 launched UK November 2002. 4,782mm x 1,928mm x 2,855mm.
Same structure and four wheel drive system as VW Touareg but with Porsche look. Originally two models: 4.5 litre 340bhp S, which does 0-60 in 7 seconds and gets to 150mph for £45,000; and 450bhp Turbo which does 0-60 in 5.4 seconds and goes on to 165mph for £69,000. 250bhp 3.2 V6 (basically a Touareg V6)came August 2003 at £35,000. High spec. Five 3-point seatbelts. Strong residual values.
Cayenne Turbo S launched January 2006. Bi-turbo 4.5 V8 develops 521bhp and 720Nm (531 lb ft) torque from 2,750 - 3,750 rpm. 0-60 in 5 seconds. 50 - 75mph in 5th in 5.4. Top speed 167mph.
11-9-2007: Cayenne GTS launched. Features specially developed chassis with electronically-controlled damping system, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), with steel springs. This combination, which also lowers the Cayenne by 24mm, was previously reserved exclusively for Porsche sports cars. Enhanced version of direct fuel injection (DFI) 4.8-litre V8 petrol engine with 405bhp (298 kW) at 6,500rpm – 20bhp more than in the Cayenne S. Maximum torque remains unchanged at 500Nm at 3,500rpm.
Standard 6-speed manual gearbox and a shorter axle final drive ratio than the Cayenne S (4.1:1 as opposed to 3.55:1). The Cayenne GTS can thus accelerate from 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in just 6.1 seconds, precisely 0.5 seconds quicker than the Cayenne S. Can be specified with the Tiptronic S six-speed automatic transmission, in which guise it offers an average fuel consumption of 20.3mpg (13.9 litres/100 km) in accordance with EU standards.
Porsche Traction Management (PTM) permanent all-wheel drive and the adaptive PASM chassis as standard. Air suspension is available as an option, as is the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active anti-roll system which enhances the handling and ride comfort further still. Newly-developed 12-way adjustable sports seats and a mix of leather and Alcantara upholstery.
Front and rear share styling cues with the Cayenne Turbo, and 14mm wheel-arch extensions offer space for the 21-inch alloy rims with 295/35 R21 tyres fitted as standard. Two new colours have also been reserved exclusively for the GTS: GTS Red and Nordic Gold Metallic. Priced from £54,350, including a Porsche Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), a sophisticated vehicle security package approved to Thatcham Category 5 standard, and a Porsche Driving Experience programme. On sale in the UK and Ireland from February 2008.
February 2009
Cayenne available with VWG's 240Ps/500Nm torque 3.0 V6 TDI. This offers 30.4mpg combined and 244 g/km CO2. Equipped with the proven Tiptronic-S automatic gearbox as standard, it costs from £40,250.
The Cayenne Hybrid
Drive power in the Cayenne S Hybrid will come primarily from a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with Direct Fuel Injection interacting with a 38kW/52bhp electric motor used either as an additional source of power to boost the output of the petrol engine or as the sole drive unit operating on its own. A unique function of the Cayenne Hybrid is its ability to smoothly cruise or 'roll along' with the combustion engine switched off and disengaged at high speeds in the so-called 'sailing' mode. This practice allows the driver to save fuel at speeds up to 86mph (138km/h), for example when driving on the Autobahn at a relatively consistent speed.
With forced induction via an engine-driven supercharger, the 2,995cc engine develops 333bhp (245kW) between 5,500 – 7,000rpm. Maximum torque of 440Nm is produced at 2,900rpm and sustained consistently through to 5,300rpm.
In conjunction with the combustion engine, the electric motor serves as a booster for extra power; maximum combined output is 374bhp (275kW) and peak torque of 550Nm at 1,500rpm. Accelerating from rest to 62mph (100km/h) in 6.8secs, the Cayenne S Hybrid thus offers the same sprinting qualities as its sister models with a 'regular' V8 – hence it proudly bearing the same 'S' designation.
Masterminded by the Hybrid Manager, the Cayenne S Hybrid will consume less than nine litres per 100km in the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) equal to CO2 emissions of less than 210g/km – some 20 per cent less than on a conventional vehicle comparable to a Cayenne and with the same kind of power.
Based on a six cylinder engine, the Cayenne S Hybrid combines the output of an eight cylinder with the fuel consumption of a four cylinder. The Cayenne S Hybrid will arrive at Porsche Centres by 2010.
