Used 2008 Porsche Cayenne SUV Consumer Reviews

More than I expected in a SUV

You wonder how they do it, other than you being high off of the ground you hardly notice the weight and size of this car. No it doesn't have Porsche speed, but it's plenty quick for any base luxury SUV. I had a Discovery 2 and a 540i. It really drives a like the 540i, but not as quick, it's very similar to a 528i or an Audi A6 3.0. As to the Disco, the Cayenne is far more nimbler and much more responsive. It's a European sports sedan that's tall, big, and can go off-road (if that's important to you, check out videos on Youtube).

10 year owner

I have owned a 2008 Porsche Cayenne S for 10 years as of 11/2017. The maintance is expensive that’s the only drew back to owning the awesome vehicle. The vehicle did not required any major repairs until this year. Outside of maintenance cost this vehicle handles the road extremely well and has and awesomely smooth ride even.

Better than I had anticipated Reliability

Among the best SUV's I have ever owned. I am also a Porsche 911C4 owner and I am very impressed with how Porsche designed the Cayenne. However, I am disappointed that for a 2008 vehicle, the bluetooth function is not on par with a vehicle that costs much less. In fact, the bluetooth function is absent altogether, and interfacing mobile electronics or other devices is not possible without a significant aftermarket appliance cost. Additionally, the CD changer has known problems that are not able to be repaired inexpensively. If one can overlook these drawbacks, then the Porsche Cayenne remains a solid vehicle and extremely reliable.

Great Sporting SUV

These cars may represent one of the best values on the used market. Advanced technology in engine electronics, pneumatic suspension and one of the loveliest leather interiors ever made. Having chain cam belts eliminates expensive maintenance for cam belts, proven and durable V-8 and adjustable suspension for ride height and comfort vs. sport settings make this a very versatile vehicle, with hill hold assist etc. Classic, conservative styling over the years ensures brand recognition of this clean body style. And, as all the magazines attest, it is the best driving full size SUV on the market. It ocntinues to impress and always a pleasure to drive.

112,000 miles and still going Very Strong

How does Porsche build an SUV that handles like a sportscar? It doesn't handle like my Alfa Romeo Giulia but in Sport mode, this beast of a car handles as well... perhaps better than the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio that I recently drove for 2 days. Remembering that this is a 10 year old car, it's simply amazing. PROS: Sports car level of handling, sports car level of acceleration. Spacious. Very respectable off-road capability. CONS: The 4.8L V8 is very thirsty. Rough ride. Even for a 2008 car, the in-car technology like Bluetooth is lacking.

This Car Rocks!

I've owned a BMW M Roadster, 4 Audi's & 3 Porsches including Audi "S4's as well as Carrera CR4's, and I can tell you I love my Cayenne. Heavy and not so fast, but all Porsche. Stock, the suspension feels as refined as any SUV on the planet and better than most cars including my wife's Audi A4. Built like a rock solid as one too, comfortable, luxurious and a good compromise between speed and economy. We just traveled across country as a family (6,000 miles) and we all still love this car. Can you say that!

Superiority Over All

I researched every SUV from the H3 to Lexus to BMW, etc. After driving and researching every other SUV I tried the Cayenne S and immediately fell in love and have never had a single disappointing monment. I definitely recommend the V8 but everything else is optional. It comes extremely well equipped as is. Gas mileage is better than expected, 21mpg hwy/18mpg town. I am 6'7" and this is the only car I have ever owned where I had to move the driver's seat forward and up.

Cayenne S

Never owned an SUV. Test drove many (X5,Range Rover, ML 350, Tahoe, Lexus) including the Cayenne and Cayenne S. The Porsche outperformed them all. Once you drive the S, the power, the energy was incredible. The base Cayenne was a nice drive, however, if you have the extra $15K go for the S - you will not be sorry. The S has incredible power and performance. Its like a jumbo jet racing down the runway, totally awesome. Very comfortable, sporty and drives much nicer than my 2001 C320 Benz that I traded in. No comparison. I highly recommend the Cayenne S.

First Impression (1,000 miles)

I love the '08’s more aggressive look and the thing flies. It now has more than enough power and it’s extremely versatile. On mellow trips I keep the “sport” function off, but hit the “sport” button and the transforms itself into a monster! Its handling is excellent, it has tight steering for an SUV and it is very responsive. I traded in a Range Rover and the difference in performance is night and day. In the Cayenne, I almost forget that I’m in an SUV. Looking down the hood from the driver’s seat it feels like driving a sports car, but visibility is better, and bumps, railroad tracks etc…no problem. At $46,000, the base Tiptronic Cayenne is not only an awesome SUV, but one of the best values out there.

love my gts red gts!

Went from 911(997)cab + Range Rover Supercharged to the GTS. Although interior appointments not as luxurious as the RR, it feels as expensive. Alcantara is lovely! Fat steering wheel the best I've held. Took it on rough roads for a hike and with comfort suspension mode + raised height, felt just slightly more bumpy than the RR, though definitely need to be careful with the 21 inch rims. dealer added tooki bluetooth and ipod integration so gadget wise, slightly better than the RR. skipped the rear view camera - view is straight down so not as much visibility as RRSC, but parking assist is just about as good. in all, it's made me forget my RRSC, but i still miss the 911 a bit.

A Big Surprise

It just keeps getting better with every mile I drive it. Performance, handling, feel, etc. right up there with what I expect from a Porsche. More sporty than my Audi A6 2.7T. Handling not what the Carrera offers, but a real joy on the corners. Leather is great, PCM so-so, transmission is intuitive. Better than most "luxury sport sedans" I have driven, plus the utility of an SUV. We look forward to every trip, and expect to keep this puppy a long time. Also, high WAF (wife approval factor) so it's not just a guy's car (remember to get the leather interior). Dealer wanted to deal, so buy off the lot if you can, and bring a trade-in. Love the green metallic paint, too!

2008 Cayenne GTS

Great build and reliability. Very good performance in acceleration, braking, and handling

2008 Cayenne troubles I have had since new.

1st Porsche put plastic tubes under the manifold for coolant to circulate. These brake around 80,000 miles. Porsche knows and has a kit you will need About $3000. The rear drive shaft center bearing wears out at about 100000 miles About $1200. about this time the bearings on the front end needed to be changed $2500. The tires will wear on the inside badly. $1700 for tires. Now the radio quit working. I had a radio shop who told me they can send it away to get fixed, They pulled it and sent it. It returned and put back in. The anti theft kicks in and kills your battery. It has to be programed to your car by a Porsche dealer. My radio never came on again. had to remove it just to use the car. I live 400 miles to a dealer. The radio will cost $5050. I've owned this since new and still like it but the repair costs exceed it's worth. Brakes, starter, and high pressure fuel pump have been changed. I did them myself. I like the machine, runs great. Just be aware about buying one used.

Insanely Fast

This is not an SUV. It's a sports car that merely looks like one. Acceleration and cornering performance are outstanding, and rival all but a handful of true sports cars. I wanted a 911 turbo, but live in the mountains and need a SUV. I don't feel I'm missing out on the driving experience at all. New front end is beautiful and aggressive. Highly recommend it.

Great SUV with ONE major flaw...

I bought a used Cayenned S with 50k miles on it. It is a great vehicle as most of the reviewers have noted. However, there is one major flaw which no one has pointed to in their reviews. The front buckets seats are extremely uncomfortable, probably the worst I've ever sat on. The middle section is only about 16" wide and go up sharply from there to provide support, but it is extremely firm. My bottom side and hamstrings are literally sore after driving for an extended period of time. I am now driving with a pillow. A quick note, I am averaging about 15 MPG in mixed driving and the vehilce is solid. No other complaints other than those seats. C'mon Porsche, you can do better!

Porsche Cayenne!

As a current owner, let me tell you what options you should pass on. Skip the Cargo system and any type of upgraded wheels. You will save a few dollars if the car comes with the Preferred Pkg or Preferred Pkg plus. It’s more if you select all the stuff that comes in these packages a stand-alone. In the USA, the Cayenne will be more than enough power, especially in sports mode. There is a slight delay in the acceleration when you press on the gas but once its in the optimum power band the acceleration is linear. If you don’t need a Nav and all the other options I would opt for the Cayenne S. The difference is very noticeable. Love the car and the Look. Wood Package is a must have!

Wow!

Never had a Porsche until now. Owned an Acura for 8 years. Looked around for a fun SUV. Tried Highlander, Pilot, Murano, MDX, Infiniti, and then accidentally Cayenne. Wow..What a ride. Cool, full of power, firm, tight..sold on Cayenne..Excellent Sand/Havana Beige interior w/Black outside. Life is short.. Enjoy while you can. Will definitely have tons of fun with this one..

The Best SUV available

I had actually started out looking for a truck to replace my Toyota T-100. No truck on the market seemed "just right" and so my search turned to SUVs. On a whim I stopped at the porsche dealership and drove one. I bought it the next day. No other car has ever been such a pleasure to drive. Everything about it is superb. Handles like a dream. Accelerates like a sports car. Lots of room. Turns heads. Comfortable. Really responsive. I highly recommend paying extra for the V8 as opposed to the V6. Just a whole different level of performance.

The Porsche of SUVs

This is an amazing vehicle. It has the Dynamic Ride Control, which eliminates body roll in turns. It is fast as hell and drives more like an SL 55 than a truck. The lines are gorgeous and it is fun to drive. If you are looking for an SUV and you have the money, buy the Cayenne Turbo.

Wow

Worth every penny. Initially purchased the base cayenne with 6 cyl. Later drove the GTS and I was hooked. NO comparison. I Love this car. I have had them all range rover, bmw, lexus... this car blows them all away hands down.

AWESOME!!!

Rides like a dream, waited 10 years to purchase one and well worth the wait. Love the triptronic and black leather interior. You will not be disappointed with the incredible space this vehicle offers.

Cayenne GTS - An Absolute Gem

Ordered gts in nov 07, got it in March. Absolutely phenomenal car! Base Price $72k, beware options are numerous, expensive, and can easily add at least $15k to the Price. No bluetooth, but that’s not a problem, next week I Will have tooki bluetooth system installed (3rd party), it works seamlessly with the existing nav. Better solution that Porsche’s phone module where you would have to insert your sim card into nav to use a phone. With the ‘sport’ option enabled the car’s engine has deep, loud roar. A truly unique Porsche sound. I get 13 city, 17 highway, something I expected, especially for a 405 hp engine. Had bmw x5 4.4 for many years, this Cayenne simply blows it away in every way.

One of the best SUV that I own

I bought the 09 GTS in 2011 with 10k on the odometer. Still, with factory warranty I drove it as much as I could and after a month or so a check engine light came on. It was the filter from the transmission, easy fix. From that time on, the car is running great. I have now 47K miles on it. During this time I did change the front and rear brake pads and front disk brakes, went through few sets of tires, oil changes every year and all the maintenance at Porsche dealer. I can say it is the best car I ever owned. Porsche customer service is outstanding and helpful, they never sell me unnecessary service.

A Rocket

I have owned Porsche 911s for over 25 years. The Cayenne turbo is by far the fastest car I have owned. It handles fantastically. The interior computer takes a little time to master but once accomplished it has all the information one would need. The handling is far superior to any previous SUV I have owned. I would recommend this car to anyone.

Love It, Love It, Love It

I'm not a car enthusiast, but this vehicle is simply extraordinary. I actually look forward to getting in and driving it. I've owned Land Rovers and BMWs, and this vehicle blows them away. It's in a class unto itself.

Best car ever!

I had 2 Mercedes (including 5oo),2 Bmw 5 series, Lexus 350, Audi and Land Rover (LR stayed in the shop for repairs). I still love my 2008 Porsche by far. Repairs can be expensive but not many are required. I am sorry I sold my Porsche Cayman; it wasn’t practical but plan to continue to drive my Cayenne for a few more years.

Good value

I have been very pleased overall with this car. Best handling SUV out there (after driving all of them). Comfortable for me (I'm 6'5") but not for anyone behind me. Not a real good family car. Just not enough room for any length of time with kids or stuff. But the only Porsche you can take the family of 5 in. Could use more power and the mileage is not great for a V6.

Obnoxious Performance

The "Oh my god I can't believe how fast and loud that gorgeous SUV is" look I get from drivers when I roar past them, is alone worth the $130K I spent on this vehicle. It may not be as pretty as the Range Rover or as practical as the X5, but it is definitely the most fun to drive. I only wish they made a bigger gas tank because I'm constantly having to fill it up (approx. 10 mpg). I've previously owned a CLK Benz and an Audi Allroad, and they don't even compare to the '08 Cayenne Turbo in acceleration and handling. Even though the price is ridiculous, you only live once, and it would be a shame if I died and didn't get to experience the thrill of driving this once-in-a- lifetime vehicle.

Best in class, excellent face lift!

I bought mine early March and so far love it. The 3.6 puts out 290 HP and works well for my needs, I have the tip trans. and I'm happy with the smooth shifting. We had 7 inches of snow a few weeks ago and this thing eats its way up my snow and ice covered drive much better than the X5 ever did!

Fast

Great speed, handles great. The new front end is a great improvement over '06, but the back could use revision. The only gripe I have is no Bluetooth and no MP3 dock, both features which are available on the X5. That being said, there is no comparison between the X5 and the S. This is one incredibly fast and well-built machine. The biggest surprise to me is how fuel efficient this is, with straight freeway driving at 22, and mixed city/freeway at 17 to 18 (my experience in the first 4000 miles.

Solid

Replacing my 911 - don't ask! Acceleration for an SUV is impressive, especially in Sportmode. The interior is functional with enough electronic gimmicks, but not over the top. Test drove the BMW - not even close for engineer types. This is a great machine.

Great car - like a big 911

This is my 2nd Porsche, have a 997 C4S. What surprised me the most was how close a 5000 pound vehicle can come to it. Great handling, engine, performance. Also it is a beast off-road. Don't expect much with MPG - the more fun the driving, the worse it gets. I've averaged 14mpg +/- since owning. Fit and finish are excellent, dealer as always has been exceptional.

good with some surprises

Unlike the previous reviewers, I wasn't looking for a SUV, as such, I did not really do any due diligence on the Audi Q6 or BMW X5; it was really either a luxury saloon upgrade for my 520i or the Cayenne. In the end, we decided on the Cayenne because this is the only Porsche where the whole family can actually experience together.

2008 model is so much better

People say only Porsche enthusiasts can tell difference between 08 and older Cayennes. Well I just switched from 04 Cayenne S which I loved to new 2008 model and I have to disagree. Front of new S has been redesigned to give slicker lines, more aggressive looking grilles and there is an unknown something but when my wife and kids saw it (in same color) they all said it looked much sportier. The extra power in the new S (extra 45hp) makes a big difference. If you want you can drive in sports mode (change gears at 6k) and acceleration and smoothness of change is noticable. New nav system is much better than the old. What can I say, I think new model is big upgrade on old and worth looking at.

Not what I thought it would be

Right off the bat the car had a puttering sound coming from the rear passenger side. Turns out that it is normal on the 2008 but not on previous models and is caused by the fuel pump. I had to have two areas of horrible paint runs wet sanded off of the back of the car. Also, had to have the entire roof wet sanded due to flaws left in the clear coat by the protective wrap. I get a great deal of road noise and in cabin noise caused by creaking back seats and various rattles. Excessive air noise coming in front passenger window as well. When you press against lower inside window it stops. Dealer says normal.

Loving my 2008 Cayenne S after all these years

Great car - maintenance can be expensive

Porsche Cayenne 2008

Overall I been owing the 2008 Cayenne for 11 months and it is great enjoyment to drive with the combination of delivering good power and good torque from the newly design v6 direct injection engine.

Nice Ride!

Spent about 2 weeks looking for the right car. New it when I found the GTS..Trading out of a land rover sport. But that's another story ... Porsche has done a great job- inside & out. Power out of the V-8 is great. Fit & finish also very nice.

Cayenne

The 2008 Cayenne is an impressive vehicle.I like everything about it. I liked it so much I bought a Boxster a couple weeks after the Cayenne purchase. Porsche is a quality automobile, way above the rest. I have owned BMW, Audi and Mercedes, and there is no comparison.

Awesome

The only vehicle I've liked better is the Cayman. I love when I ask the car for power it responds, "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" and we're gone.

WOW

I've owned BMWs and Land Rovers. This vehicle is the best yet! I am simply in love with this vehicle. All I can say is WOW. I looked at the BMW X5 , MDX, Mercedes GL - nothing compares for it pure engineered greatness. Everything is solid, well finished, interior is luxurious yet sporty. All I can say is WOW.

Porsche-YES Mercedes-NO

I researched every SUV from the H3 to Lexus to BMW, etc. After driving and researching every other SUV I tried the Cayenne S and immediately fell in love and have never had a single disappointing monment. I definitely recommend the V8 but everything else is strictly optional. It comes extremely well equipped as is. Gas mileage is better than expected, 21mpg hwy/16mpg town. I am 6'4" and this is the only car I have ever owned where I had to move the driver's seat forward and up.

Hard to believe it is a Porsche

I have owned this since March of 2007. It has been back to the dealer 3 times already and I still have issues with it. Initially there were very bad paint runs on both side of the license plate. These had to be wet sanded off. There is a puttering sound that comes from the rear passenger area. According to dealer and Porsche this is normal and will be found on all 2008 models. It is something to do with the fuel pump. Returned to dealer again when I discovered that the entire hood was covered with "splotches" under the clear coat. Again, wet sanding was done on a brand new car. Definitely should have purchased S model. Acceleration is poor and seems to shift gears sluggish,

Beautiful

I have a big family of 5 and this SUV fits us perfectly. It gives an amazing ride and has the most beautiful interior you could see. The warranty covers practically everything. This is an all around awesome vehicle. I recommend it!

Great Car

So far so good. Drove the range rover sport, BMW X5, X6, Audi. Looked around a good bit before settling on the Porsche Cayenne. Decided to get the V6 over the V8 due to gas mileage. Less power for sure but I would rather save money on gas vs. drag racing from stop lights. The car drives very well you find it hard to believe you are sitting in a SUV vs. a 911. Very sporty feel and drive. The V6 has good acceleration especially when the sport mode is engaged. Overall impressive car. Porsche there is no substitute

Cayenne Transmission Problems

I had my cayenne for over a year now. I am very much upset at my dealer in Manhattan. I had my transmission stuck on 3rd gear when i had 3,000 miles. They towed and fixed it. Then the same thing happened again when i had about 12,000 miles. They towed and repaired again. But then my dealer did not want to give me a loaner, saying they are all reserved for customers coming for an oil change. I was stuck early in the morning had to pick up my son from school, go see customers and fly overseas that day. I had to rent a car to continue my day. Then i had to replace my oxygen sensor. I had my navigation stuck once so did my horn. I am not very happy honestly planning to get out of my lease.

cayenne's rock

its a porsche ,but everythings expensive now.

2008 cayenne gts

Best Car I have ever had

Best Car I have ever had

Wish Porsche Got it Right, Rev. Blindly

Although my Cayenne is sporty and zippy when necessary, Porsche has got some configuring to do. For starters, it is SMALL!!! Be prepared if you have kids, this is not the truck for you. There is little space to bring a SINGLE stroller along let alone anything else, groceries are impossible. The truck is a bit of a dog! Yes, you can pretend to drive it in manual but the fact is the truck doesn't have the sack you'd think it would have by its appearance... very disappointing!!! Lastly, but most importantly, reversing, this SUV is a nightmare. Visibility is nil... like reversing blind folded ! If you've got a car seat directly behind the driver's side, forget visibility altogether.