2003 Porsche Cayenne

Pros: Handles very well.
Cons: It is a service nightmare -- always in the shop!

Why... because most Porsche Dealers offer complimentary washes when your car is in service. My car is spotless because it is always in service! I have owned many cars... BMW's, Mercedes, American SUV and nothing... nothing has been a bigger headache and service nightmare than my Cayenne. Two months of ownership... 18 days in service for a wide variety of problems. Everything from door locks to windshield wipers to rattles to engine lights have plagued me with this car. I would not recommend even considering this car unless you are prepared to have the car in service most of the time. Truly a nightmare!

Pros: Excellent handling on dry roads. Acceleration is fast, even without the turbo version.
Cons: Abysmal handling in snow. Annoying electronic glitches imply poor quality control.

I bought the 2004 Cayenne S in December 2003. By far the worst aspect of this car is Porsche's insistence on equipping it with soft Z-rated tires, even in New England in December. Beware, the car is absolutely unsafe in the snow with stock tires!

Inside, the ergonomics are fine, especially if you're already a Porsche aficionado. Interior room is no more than adequate. The ride is a bit harsh for American tastes, but that's the price you pay for exemplary handling for an SUV.

Other glitches and features: I found that the remote ignition key often fails; even when it does work you must stand within 10 of the car. Forget using it to find your car in a parking lot. The rear hatchback often springs open at odd times, necessitating a stop and a manual re-closing. The GPS navigation system compares poorly to Toyota's for usability: very non-intuitive. Finally, the car occasionally stalls when it's cold.

Pros: Looks Pretty in Park
Cons: It's always at the dealer being serviced

I bought a Cayenne S 7/03. It's by the far the worst car decision I ever made. My 1st and last Porsche. Continuous recurring technical issue. Every one in the service dept knows me by 1st name! The loaner car program offered by Porsche gets me a Ford Focus from Enterprise. Alignment issues from day one and tires going bald after 8-9K costing me over $1600. Porsche doesn't seem to realize that this f$$$ car is not the reason I get up in the morning. It's suppose to serve me not the other way around. Porsche has lost a customer for life! I wish they would also get off their snobby attitudes about these cars. It's an SUV not a race car. I bet the % of Porsche (any) owners that take their cars to the track is less than 5%. Stopping comparing the Cayenne to a 911. It's a 4 door SUV!!! Their product management / support group should all be fired. 1st time they put out an SUV and they don't anticipate issues and problems but expect customers paying in excess of $80K to.

Pros: Performance, comfort, craftmanship
Cons: Remote key

This SUV is truly powerful and very comfortable. The leather seats are very supportive and firm. Handling is superb and the craftmanship is great!
The navigation system has performed well but not perfect (some minor errors in route planning). Sound system is nice but the use of the CD changer is a little bit of a hassle.
Minor problems include erratic function of the remote key (which seems to be fairly common). The range of the remote key is ridiculous-you have to stand within 2 feet of the car to activate it! Several trips to the dealership resulted in no improvement. I was told that nothing can be done at this time until an "upgrade" is available. Also, why did they install the ignition key on the left side? You can't even start the engine from outside!