Porsche Cayenne (03-09) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on
Last Updated: 25 June 2009
Porsche took a big risk when it launched the Cayenne - up until then it had only ever built small sports cars. But the large four-wheel drive has proved a popular choice as an alternative to models such as the Range Rover Sport and BMW X5. The Porsche badge has helped in part, but that's not to say the Cayenne is all about show. It uses a sophisticated four-wheel drive system to give superb traction, while the handling is nothing short of amazing, considering the sheer size and weight. The original design was rather unattractive - as if a 911 body had been stretched over a large 4x4 silhouette. Thankfully significant changes in 2007 introduced a sleeker, more attractive look along with more powerful engines. However the biggest change was in early 2009 when a diesel model was introduced - making the Cayenne the first ever Porsche to be powered by a diesel engine.
4 out of 5

Other Porsche reviews

2 out of 5

Running costs

Porsche may have a reputation for high prices, but the Cayenne is now on par with other 4x4s like the BMW X5 in terms of list prices. It will hold its value very well too, shedding about half of it after three years but its not cheap to run. Porsche servicing is expensive as are consumables such as tyres and brakes. Even though a diesel is available, it still sits in the highest car tax band - like the rest of the model range. Fuel consumption is pretty high and it will be expensive to insure and service.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£2,922 - £3,610 *

Diesel

£2,137 - £2,137 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Two years/20,000 miles.

Warranty

Two Years/unlimited mileage.

Road tax (12 months)

£460.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    244
  • M
    380

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Cayenne’s powerful petrol engine line-up returns just 19mpg on average, so it's no surprise that it scores so lowly on the eco front. With emissions of 346g/km CO2 - which is very high compared to an average family car - the Cayenne isn't environmentally friendly. Thankfully there's now a diesel which offers reasonable emissions of 244g/km of CO2 and averages 31mpg. However, that's still not as good as the faster BMW X5 XDrive 30d.

Find the exact engine and CO2