Name: Porsche Cayenne Review
Item: Porsche Cayenne
Author: Gumtree.com

The Porsche Cayenne first hit the market back in 2003 as one of the first truly luxurious SUVs, offering the speed, handling, and build quality of a premium sports car. It continues to lead this particular pack, although the intervening years have seen a number of competitors arise, such as the Land Rover Discovery Sport. However, the Cayenne is still the only car in its class with the unrivalled prestige of a Porsche. It’s aesthetically appealing, a joy to take around town, and also a safe, convenient option for large family outings.

Check out the Porsche Cayenne model page to learn more.

What we think about the Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche Cayenne is a practical people carrier that offers racing performance.

Pros

Roomy and comfortable

Great safety rating

Astonishing acceleration and speed

Clean, efficient plug-in hybrid

Cons

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High price point

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Fuel economy on petrol engines is unimpressive

The Porsche Cayenne is a large seven-seater SUV. With the entry-level trim of the 2020 model, you’ll get a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. A plug-in hybrid version is also available, alongside two more powerful petrol engines. The fuel efficiency is around 24 mpg on the basic trim. Other trim options are the S, the GTS, the Turbo, the E-Hybrid, and the Turbo S E-Hybrid.

Driving performance of the Porsche Cayenne

Our Driving Rating9 / 10

The Cayenne might be a big, bulky SUV, but it still offers the kind of smooth, joyous handling that you’d expect from a Porsche. The suspension can be optimised for a gentle ride over a huge range of terrain types, and this comfort allows you to appreciate the car’s performance even more. Steering is incredibly responsive and nimble, which seems like an impossible engineering feat for a vehicle that weighs over two tonnes, and there’s hardly any body roll in corners. You’re unlikely to ever tire of taking this agile behemoth around the city streets.

Safety and reliability of the Porsche Cayenne

Our Safety Rating8 / 10

The last time the Porsche Cayenne was crash tested by the Euro NCAP was back in 2017, when it achieved the full five-star rating for safety. Protection of adult occupants scored an impressive 95%, while child protection was rated 80%. The only downside was the Cayenne’s safety assistance features, which were graded at a mediocre 62%. However, more recent models come with lane-keeping assistance as standard, and it was the previous lack of lane support that was the main thing keeping the features score down.

Under the bonnet of the Porsche Cayenne

Our Engine Rating9 / 10

The Porsche Cayenne’s impeccable handling might be rare for a large SUV, but what’s even less common is its incredible racing performance. The most basic version of the engine will provide you with 335 bhp, getting you to 60mph from standing in a little under six seconds. Upgrade to the Turbo-S, with a twin-turbo V8 engine instead of a V6, and you can do 0-60 in under five seconds. Delivering 542 bhp, this 4.0-litre engine will propel you to a top speed of 177 mph, which definitely puts the ‘sports’ in ‘sports utility vehicle’.

What you'll find in the Porsche Cayenne

Our Design Rating8 / 10

As far as looks go, the Cayenne is probably one of the less desirable cars in the Porsche range. But it’s still way ahead of the vast majority of SUVs, and the prestige of the German manufacturer’s badge is guaranteed to turn heads. Overall it’s a solid, well-built people carrier that manages to inject a real feeling of dynamism into its structure, with sharp contours and LED headlamps. The large, three-bar grille at the front also gives it a powerful presence on the road, and 21-inch alloy wheels come as standard.

Comfort and interiors in the Porsche Cayenne

Our Comfort Rating9 / 10

Inside the Cayenne’s cabin, you’ll really feel the luxury that’s associated with the Porsche brand. The quality of the materials is exquisite, and everything has been sculpted perfectly for an elegant space, with a particular focus on the driver side. The dashboard is wide and low, and the seating position is nice and high to improve your visibility and comfort while you drive. Every seat has an 18-way adjustable system as standard. There’s also a generously sized boot, which still allows for decent headroom and legroom for all passengers.

What features you'll find in the Porsche Cayenne

Our Features Rating8 / 10

As you might expect from a Porsche, you’ll get such a generous amount of kit on the most basic entry-level trims that you might not want to shell out any more – although you do have a plentiful selection of premium extras available. Audiophiles will particularly appreciate the high-quality 10-speaker audio system. This can even be upgraded to either the 710-Watt BOSE Surround Sound System or a Burmester High End 3D Surround Sound System with 21 speakers. The car’s infotainment system is accessed via a large 12-inch touchscreen.

What fuel efficiency to expect from the Porsche Cayenne

Our Fuel Consumption Rating7 / 10

The Cayenne’s fuel efficiency isn’t exactly world beating, but the variety of engine options definitely make it an appealing option for Porsche buyers who still want to keep an eye on economy. The basic petrol engine provides a mere 24 mpg, which drops to just under 21 mpg for the large V8 twin-turbo. However, the petrol-hybrid version offers much more impressive figures, without much of a drop in performance. You can get up to 73 mpg, and an all-electric range of 22 miles is greater than many of the Cayenne’s hybrid competitors.

Running costs of the Porsche Cayenne

Our Cost Rating6 / 10

Anyone in the market for a Porsche is unlikely to be overly fussed about running costs, and you should be prepared to pay a little extra in road tax for this kind of luxury vehicle, as well as being liable for higher insurance premiums. However, savings are possible with the plug-in hybrid engine on the E-Hybrid trim. As mentioned above, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of this model, and it’s also slightly cheaper than the mid-range Porsche Cayenne S.

Our verdict of the Porsche Cayenne

4.5 / 5 Gumtree rating

If you need a big, practical family car, and you have the budget for premium Porsche power and performance, the Cayenne has very few rivals.

Porsche Cayenne Review