2005 Porsche Cayenne Review (continued)
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Walkaround

What makes a Porsche a Porsche? The company insists styling is a crucial element, and it's easy to see Porsche in the Cayenne. The family resemblance is obvious in the Cayenne's headlights and grille work, which closely resemble those on the 911 and Boxster sports cars. As it is with the 911 Turbo, the Cayenne Turbo is easy to distinguish from its lesser siblings, thanks to larger grilles that increase the amount of air flowing through the engine bay.

The designers believe they've transferred all the emotion of a Porsche sports car to the Cayenne, but we'll leave that call to you. Tastes in styling are subjective. Many who examined the Cayenne during our test drives loved it. More than one observer said it resembles a frog. Either way, the designer's handiwork has produced a 0.39 coefficient of drag, impressive for a big SUV, and good for limiting wind noise at high speed.

Cayenne is not a small vehicle. Measuring 188.3 inches in length, with a wheelbase of 112.4 inches, it's longer than the BMW X5 and Mercedes M-Class and a few hundred pounds heavier than either. Conversely, at 4785 pounds in its lightest specification, Cayenne weighs 550 pounds less than a Lincoln Navigator, which is two feet longer. An inspection underneath this SUV suggests that it's well engineered, perhaps over-engineered, compared to many mass-market sport-utilities. Apparently Porsche engineers preferred not to take chances with their first SUV, in the event that some owners actually drive it aggressively off road.

In size, Cayenne most closely matches Volkswagen's Touareg, which is no surprise, given that the two vehicles were developed jointly by Porsche and VW. As a result of this cooperation, Cayenne and Touareg bodies are built at the same plant in Bratislava, Slovakia. Engines and other Cayenne components are built by Porsche in Zuffenhausen, Germany, and mated to the Cayenne shells at a new assembly plant in Leipzig, constructed exclusively for Cayenne with its own pavement and off-road test tracks.

These days ground-up vehicle development runs in the $1 billion range and that puts a small company like Porsche (which sells 55,000 cars in a great year) at a distinct disadvantage, especially if it's venturing into new territory. Porsche had little choice but to find a partner in developing Cayenne, and it chose the Volkswagen-Audi Group, a company that has previously worked with Porsche on cars such as the 914 and 924. As a result, both Cayenne and Touareg were created from the same basic blueprint. The standard Cayenne even shares its V6 engine with the Touareg.

Porsche was the project leader in the Cayenne/Touareg joint venture, and much of the work done on Volkswagen's dime was conducted by Porsche's contract engineering division, which accounts for a third of the company's business. Joint development was limited to the basic floor pan and some drivetrain components. Engine and suspension tuning, styling and all the finish work were the separate responsibility of each manufacturer.

This auto-industry backgrounder is relevant to any consumer preparing to part with a substantial amount of money for a high-end SUV, because if two vehicles share a foundation, they're likely to share a basic quality, or lack thereof. Porsche insists that Cayenne is uniquely Porsche, and as reviewers we can vouch for that. We can also tell you a loaded VW Touareg sells for about 40 percent of the price of a high-end Cayenne, and the choice is worth considering.

In Porsche's view, the Touareg is more utilitarian than Cayenne, and built for comfort. Cayenne has Porsche emotion, and it's built for speed. Porsche executives note that Cayenne has Porsche-tuned or -built engines, all six-speed transmissions and a unique all-wheel-drive system with a power bias toward the rear wheels. We'd agree that Cayenne and Touareg have different character, regardless of which is better or worse. After more than two years of Cayenne production a sufficient number of buyers seem to agree.

This brings us back to styling, because the Cayenne's design does more than create a Porsche family resemblance. Porsche's sport-utility has near optimal front/rear weight distribution of 52/48 percent, for outstanding handling balance in all circumstances (the weight in most unladen SUVs is more heavily biased toward the front). At least as important, in Porsche's view, is the Cayenne's optimal aerodynamic balance. Aerodynamic downforce on the rear wheels increases with speed, delivering the high-speed stability that has become a Porsche trademark.

The Cayenne's amphibian look has grown on us, to be sure, and for 2005 the exterior paint scheme has been enhanced. The lower side sills and front and rear aprons on the Cayenne and Cayenne S are now painted to match the body color, as they have been since the beginning on the Cayenne Turbo, rather than finished in matte black. The painted sills are the classy choice.

We prefer the monster (though expensive) 20-inch wheels, too. And if money were no object we'd choose both of the new appearance packages: The SportDesign Package adds more prominent, aero-tweaked side sills and a larger rear spoiler, and it gives the Cayenne a more powerful, aggressive appearance. The Black Monochrome Exterior Package finishes the roof pillars, window trim and molding in black, giving the windows a dark, monolithic look.

Interior Features

Anyone who has spent time in one of Porsche's sports cars will get a familiar feeling in the Cayenne driver's seat. The cues are pure Porsche: the shape and feel of the gear selector or the thick, grippy, steering wheel; the three-spoke hub design, with a brand crest and multiple controls for audio, trip computer and climate adjustments; the ignition switch to the left of the steering column or the contour of the seats.

Cayenne's instrument cluster is tucked under a single, prominent arch, with two big gauges (tachometer left, speedo right) on either side of a central multifunction display. This display presents information on audio and trip functions, mechanical operations and ambient conditions. Automatic speed and wiper controls are located on stalks on either side of the steering column. The bulk of the switches, including primary audio and climate controls are racked in the center of the dash above the center console. These are replaced with a CRT monitor on Cayennes equipped with Porsche Communications Management. A dozen vents throughout the cabin distribute warm or cool air evenly.

The Cayenne is not as richly appointed as a similarly priced Range Rover, but it's not supposed to be. The emphasis here is sporting flair, rather than traditional luxury. With the exception of a cheesy looking headliner and oddly designed armrests in the doors, the materials and finish are acceptable for a vehicle of this ilk. One of our test vehicles was equipped with the Light Wood package. It's polished to a gloss and expensive looking, but almost blonde. Some of us at newcartestdrive.com love light woods. My tastes lean toward the dark Burr.

The standard leather upholstery is high grade, while the standard metal trim has a brushed finish. The front seats stand out for their balance of support, comfort and adjustment range, and the navigation display screen is one of the largest we've encountered.

The navigation system calculates routes and makes adjustments more quickly than just about any we've used. This GPS system has been further improved for 2005, with DVD rather than CD data disks. This allows maps for the entire United States on a single disk, rather than several that must be changed from region to region.

Cayenne transports five adults in reasonable comfort. The rear seat is well countered, with excellent headroom and decent legroom, even when the front seats are well back in their travel range. Seating for five is something we haven't seen previously in a Porsche, but don't expect the interior volume of a Lincoln Navigator, and don't look for a third-row seat.

A few other things we've never seen in Porsche before Cayenne: The rear seatback folds forward in a 60/40 split, and it includes a pass-though slot with a ski sack, allowing Cayenne to haul longer, narrow items inside without flattening (or messing up) the rear seat. There's a standard cargo net to keep grocery bags and other items from sliding around during travel and a retractable shade-type cover that opens and closes over the cargo hold.

The Cayenne boasts 19 cubic feet of stowage space with the rear seat in place and 62.5 cubic feet with the seat folded. That gives the Porsche more cargo space than the BMW X5, slightly less than the Mercedes M-Class. The tailgate is two-stage, so either the glass or entire gate can be opened upward, and there's a new electronic latch for 2005. Simply lower the gate to the latch, and an electric mechanism pulls it shut.

The dimensions of the tailgate opening and load floor allow Cayenne to haul small appliances such as a bar-size refrigerator or a large TV set. Moreover, with an impressive payload of 1600 pounds, a Cayenne owner should be able to haul just about anything that can be crammed inside and on top without worrying about exceeding recommended weights.