2006 Porsche Cayenne Consumer Reviews

Very good, but had too high expectations

Written by: MYCAY on 09/27/2009

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne 4dr SUV AWD (3.2L 6cyl 6M)

Review

I agree with the previous posts about light bulbs and transmission, and would add that the V6 is terribly underpowered esp. for the fuel economy. I just had one blinker bulb changed at the dealer at a cost of $80. It's not something I want to play around with myself in this car... the entire headlight assembly has to be removed to change any bulb. The engine is sadly underpowered but the transmission itself is enough to almost ruin the driving experience. I completely agree with the other reviewer who said this Japanese-made tranny does not do the job. I often wonder how Porsche engineers ever thought this engine/tranny combo was worthy of the Porsche badge because, in my opinion, it's not.

Favorite Features

Comfortable seats, satisfying fit and finish, unique style that impresses and pleases in a high-quality, understated way. The suspension is wonderful for a vehicle of this size, IF you live far enough south to have decently paved roads!

Suggested Improvements

New, German engineered transmission is needed! And please stop selling the base V6 unless the power and economy can be very significantly improved. I haven't driven the '08-plus model; hopefully that addresses this issues.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Fun to drive

Written by: PAUL on 01/26/2009

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne S 4dr SUV AWD (4.5L 8cyl 6A)

Review

In the last two years I've owned two Cayenne S. Things to note the air suspension and panoramic sun roof are worth the money, plus it'll sell easier with them. The reliability however is bellow par! Plan on bringing it in monthly to change every bulb, followed by something else after that.

Favorite Features

suspension and cornering

Suggested Improvements

reliability

23 out 30 people found this review helpful

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Fix the tranny

Written by: NABMAN on 07/06/2008

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne S Titanium Edition 4dr SUV AWD (4.5L 8cyl 6A)

Review

The Cayenne is great. High performance, fast, corners well, luxurious and well built. Excellent performance on the highway but this vehicle has one major problem- the tranny. In the city, it is not nimble enough to weave in and out of traffic. It is hard to control. Too fast or your punching it to switch gears. The acceleration is inconsistent. (I understand they changed this in the 08) The tranny takes forever to decide which gear it should go into and this creates lag. If you are accustomed to high performance cars in the city, you will feel this. Likely to save gas, the tranny shifts up too quickly and down late in normal slow city driving. I have had this reset and am told thats it

Favorite Features

Power, smoothness, steering, cornering and everything you would expect from a high performance vehicle.

Suggested Improvements

Fix the tranny. The Japanese tranny in there does not work. Why not buy the tranny from BMW?

12 out 14 people found this review helpful

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Cayenne Titanium Black

Written by: Cayenne06 on 06/01/2008

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne S Titanium Edition 4dr SUV AWD (4.5L 8cyl 6A)

Review

Very satisfied so far with the Cayenne. Titanium edition features second to none (for the price).

Favorite Features

sporty ride, looks and performance for five!

Suggested Improvements

needs bigger drink cup holders

0 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Not for the Timid

Written by: Steve on 05/28/2008

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne S 4dr SUV AWD (4.5L 8cyl 6A)

Review

The car is very fun to drive and handles both city and highway very well. Comfortable, it's not. The car is very stiff as are the seats, and the steering is heavy. I have had a dipped beam problem that does not seem to go away, and I have had it serviced for that twice. I have also had to replace the rear cup holders twice which inexplicably jammed in the console. If you are thinking of the 6 cylinder, then buy an Acura. Porsches are meant to have 8 cylinders. It costs me about $80 to fill the tank these days, so fuel efficient it is definitely NOT.

Favorite Features

Acceleration, raw power, tiptronic (for when I need it which is often), radio.

Suggested Improvements

Get rid of that 1 extra delayed windshield wipe that always messes up my clean windshield. The cup holders need to be bigger and better, as they only fit a small to medium coffee. Comfort seats would be great.

2 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Not worth the money

Written by: scott on 01/23/2008

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne S 4dr SUV AWD (4.5L 8cyl 6A)

Review

The Cayenne is a very heavy sports car to put it kindly. It's not for the daily commute unless you enjoy being bounced around like a basketball. Gas mileage is 11mpg around town with premium. The suspension is so stiff my wife's afraid to drink her coffee on our commute. We have a 4runner that can easily hold it's own with the Cayenne performance wise. My Tundra can easily keep up in a straight line. I know because I have "raced" my buddy while he drives the vehicles listed above. It currently has 17k miles and already has a tail light out. I also don't like the baby cupholders. For 70k get something with comfort and performance...it's not the Cayenne.

Favorite Features

Engine roar. Great braking.

Suggested Improvements

Improve the suspension, acceleration, navigation, gas mileage and please drop the annoying seat belt alarm!

10 out 14 people found this review helpful

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The Beast

Written by: Greg Lewis on 12/18/2007

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne S 4dr SUV AWD (4.5L 8cyl 6A)

Review

A great vehicle for those who really want "sport" in their SUV. Strong, powerful & fast, the Cayenne S combines good steering feedback with excellent (sometimes squeaky) brakes. At 5300 lbs having all these benefits is fairly amazing. The ride is stiff, but that is a trade-off for exceptional cornering. The tiptronic is the best auto-manual tranny I have used. I really enjoy making the gear changes myself. If you want the best acceleration out of this car, changing manually is a must. I have already added precat bypass pipes, giving 17hp over stock. I am also eyeing a computer remap and perhaps a free-flow intake for another 30-HP. I've owned 1988 and 1999 Carreras. Cayenne is a true Porsche.

Favorite Features

Great acceleration & sound, heated seats get hot & warm your lower back too, incredible traction on slippery roads, heated steering wheel, unique looks, front face that resembles a 996 Carrera, Driving lights operate without having the headlights on, "REST" heater that warms the car w/engine off.

Suggested Improvements

Fuel economy? Ha! That's a joke, center arm-rest creaks and squeaks. Doesn't belong on a 70k Porsche, Glove box door (or something over there) goes clickety-click over bumps.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Love my Cayenne

Written by: Beach on 11/03/2007

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne Tiptronic 4dr SUV AWD (3.2L 6cyl 6A)

Review

Wow! Always dreamed of a Porsche, never thinking it would be a SUV. Drives like a dream, rides smooth, sounds great and gets lots of looks. This is one fun auto to own. Maybe my next will be a little sports car!

Favorite Features

Interior is beautiful and well designed. Love the upgraded leather and carbon linings.

Suggested Improvements

The ashtrays, who needs them?

5 out 9 people found this review helpful

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Super SUV

Written by: RockDaBoat on 09/20/2007

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo 4dr SUV AWD (4.5L 8cyl Turbo 6A)

Review

This is what you get when you want a supercar, but are looking for versatility and comfort. It drives like a sports car, it can beat most of them out there, comfort for 5. When you're driving up the mountain for some R&R at the lake, there is no better car to get that fun drive and bring along your family and gear! Name one other besides a Maserati 4 door? Porsche is known to be one of the only reliable sport cars, think Lambo, Ferrari, Aston Martin, would you buy any of them with over 80,000 mile on them? Porsche sells with no issues with high mileage for a reason! This is the top pick when buying the SUV of your dreams!

Favorite Features

Interior is fantastic. Exterior is original and Porsche all the way. Drives like a sports car with your ski rack! I love AWD, with 450 hp, I believe it is more now!

Suggested Improvements

Give higher manufacturer's warranty!

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Not Mom friendly

Written by: Karina on 08/21/2007

Vehicle

2006 Porsche Cayenne Tiptronic 4dr SUV AWD (3.2L 6cyl 6A)

Review

I really don't like this car. When we went to look at it I thought it was great because it had style, class and super comfortable seats. The more I drive it though, the less I enjoy it. The GPS system is terrible. The seats are nearly impossible for me to maneuver (can't get the head-rests on and off by myself, really hard to fold and lift the rear seats) and the rear storage is totally inadequate. I had my daughter a year after I bought this car and it is so difficult to put the car seat in and out of too! On the other hand, we were rear eneded when she was a newborn and barely felt the impact which was nice.

Favorite Features

Front seats and safety features.

Suggested Improvements

Fix the GPS!! Make the folding seats more user friendly. Increase usability of rear storage space. Add in-dash 6 or 10 cd changer option.

4 out 10 people found this review helpful

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