Used Porsche Cayenne 2010-2017 review

The Porsche Cayenne, for a luxury SUV that stirred up such mixed emotions when the original car was launched, has gone on to enjoy considerable success.

Many purists disliked the idea of a two-tonne plus Porsche luxury SUV, and when the covers came off it a great many more liked the idea a great deal less. However, despite its heavyweight and rather challenging styling, the punters loved it, and it went on to become the firm’s best-selling car, so when the time came to unveil this second-generation version in 2010 it wasn’t surprising the formula stayed pretty much the same as before.

In fact, its softer, if still slightly divisive, looks hide a surprisingly competent car. It might never have the laugh-out-loud agility of some of Porsche’s sports cars, but it’s swift and nimble enough, despite its bulk, to be bordering on fun to drive, and there aren’t many SUVs that can boast that.

Engines and performance: Engine choices are plentiful, too. The range started with the best-selling diesel models, an entry-level Cayenne Diesel powered by a 258bhp 3.0-litre V6 and a 379bhp 4.2 V8 Cayenne S Diesel. There’s also a 3.6-litre V6 petrol motor and a petrol-hybrid, known as the S E-Hybrid, powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine paired to an electric motor. The most sporting Cayenne comes in the form of the 434bhp GTS, but if it’s real steam you’re after there are a couple of Turbos, a standard 512bhp model and a ridiculously fast 562bhp Turbo S.

All of these are four-wheel drive, and driven through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, with paddle shifters for those who prefer to do things themselves. None of them lacks for speed.

Ride and handling: You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you approach a corner in the Cayenne, because the car has accurate and well-weighted steering, masses of grip and fluent handling. It’s a high and heavy SUV, of course, but make no mistake this is a well-balanced and enjoyable car to drive. It's also very comfortable, but it's sporty set-up does compromise it against the likes of a Range Rover, which is more supple overall.

Interior and practicality: Inside, the Cayenne lives up to its badge equally well, with a great driving position and a classy leather-lined interior that is also a vast ergonomic improvement on its predecessors. There’s plenty of space up front, and rear seat passengers have a decent amount of head room, even if the tallest can be a little short of leg room. The boot is a good size, too.

This second-generation Cayenne proved to be an immensely popular car, and was still selling well when eventually replaced by the 2018-present Porsche Cayenne. Of course, something as large and so full of luxury and safety and security tech as this Cayenne is not going to be cheap to run, but for those who can afford the running costs a used example might just be their only way to own an SUV that’s both premium in feel and actually extremely good to drive.

Trims and equipment: The trims in the Cayenne follow the engine structure, with the standard Cayenne (both petrol and diesel), S, S Hybrid, GTS, Turbo and Turbo S. Standard equipment is fairly basic on all models (other than the Turbos), but as is the way with Porsche, there were plenty of options available at the time that many owners specified. Some of these include heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control and a Bose sound system (or even an upgraded Burmester sound system). You could also get adaptive air suspension and sports front seats.

"Porsche gave the Cayenne an update in 2015, with revised styling and engines. I'd recommend going for this version if you're after a ULEZ compliant diesel example." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

If you're interested in buying a used Cayenne, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car buying deals here.

You can pick a Cayenne of this generation, say from 2010 or 2011, for around £7500, but it may well have a huge mileage on it or some slightly dodgy past, in which case we'd recommend you give it a wide berth. Around £11,000 is probably a better starting point for entry into the Cayenne club. This will buy you a good condition 2011 or 2012 car with an average mileage for the year and a full service history. Up the dosh to around £16,000 if you want a 2015 facelift car or a more powerful GTS or Turbo model, while spending circa £20,000 will get you a facelift car with low mileage. Look to spend between £28,000 and £45,000 for low mileage GTS or Turbo models.

MPG

Be warned, the Cayenne is an expensive car to run new, and you’ll probably need even more to run a used one. As far as fuel economy goes, it’s the diesels that are the most economical, with a claimed average of 41.5mpg under the older NEDC tests for the base model and 35.3mpg for the S version. The petrol-engined cars can only offer figures in the high 20s, although the hybrid’s on-paper claimed average is an impressive 85.6mpg. You are unlikely to match any of these figures in real-world driving, however.

Road tax

Expect large annual VED road tax bills, too, from all models. Costs for cars registered before April 2017 will depend on CO2 emissions, while models registered after that date will be subjected to the current £195 per year fee.

Insurance and servicing

Insurance groups are high and servicing costs and parts are hugely expensive, whether you take it to a Porsche dealer or an independent specialist. It is vital to the long-term health of the car that it has been regularly serviced. Regular oil changes are a must, every year or at least every 10,000 miles.

Reliability

The 2010-2017 Porsche Cayenne delivered a mixed reliability record, according to real-world owners in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey.

Many owners praised the Cayenne’s solid build quality, reporting few major issues even on high-mileage examples. However, recurring electrical problems, such as faulty warning lights and sensor glitches, were a concern for some. A small number also faced expensive repairs to air suspension and engine management systems.

Experiences with Porsche’s dealer network were just as varied, with some owners praising prompt service while others cited high labour costs and slow fault diagnosis.

Learn more about Porsche Cayenne reliability on our dedicated reliability page.

All can pitch a pretty good argument for themselves. We’d opt for a diesel engine, perhaps surprisingly, as it endows the Cayenne with good economy and great performance. After all the standard diesel’s 0-62mph of 7.6sec is pretty perky, or at least it is until you realise the V8 diesel S will get there in a magnificent 5.7sec, matching exactly the time of the uber-sporting Cayenne GTS.

The Turbo is magnificent, too, but the Turbo S is even quicker, and it gets our vote among the petrol-engined cars. Alas, the hybrid version delivers reasonable performance, but at the cost of massive weight, a less than usually smooth power delivery and an unappetising noise.

Our favourite Porsche Cayenne: 3.0 Diesel

The Audi SQ7, like the Q7 on which it’s based, shares much of its underpinnings with the Cayenne, and as result it offers prodigious performance and excellent handling matched with a suave, high-quality and roomy interior. It goes like stink and costs a fortune, yet offers reasonable on-paper economy.

The Range Rover Sport is a quiet cruiser with a classy and roomy interior and a comfortable ride. It looks delicious, but its build quality and reliability are known to be below par, so be careful if buying used.

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If you're interested in buying a used Cayenne, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car buying deals here.