Having personally put the 2024 Porsche Cayenne through its paces since acquiring it in December 2023, covering over 3,000 miles across diverse driving conditions from pothole-ridden city streets to icy mountain roads in the Sierra Nevada, this review aims to offer a deliberately critical perspective. While the market is saturated with overwhelmingly positive, often advertisement-driven endorsements, finding substantial critiques prior to purchase proved challenging. This detailed examination intends to fill that gap for prospective buyers seeking an unbiased assessment.
My automotive background is rooted in years of driving BMW and Volkswagen vehicles from the early 2000s, including models like the Golf, Jetta, 330i, X3, and X5. As a long-time BMW enthusiast, the Cayenne represents my first vehicle purchase in over a decade, supplemented by considerable experience with Tesla vehicles owned by friends.
The specific Cayenne under review is the base engine model, yet it’s comprehensively equipped with virtually every available luxury and convenience package, encompassing premium and technology enhancements. This review delves into the realities of owning and driving this highly anticipated SUV, providing a balanced perspective for those seriously considering a Porsche Cayenne.
On the Road: Driving Dynamics of the 2024 Cayenne
The 2024 Cayenne truly shines on open highways, delivering an exceptional sense of stability and composure. It possesses a tank-like robustness that instills confidence, making 80mph feel as relaxed as 50mph in a typical vehicle. While my model features the optional air suspension, its contribution to this highway prowess is undeniable. However, it’s worth noting that this suspension, while superb on smooth surfaces, doesn’t quite match expectations when encountering rougher roads. Minor potholes and road imperfections can transmit jolts into the cabin, a characteristic less pronounced in comparable BMW models I’ve driven.
The base engine’s acceleration is more than adequate for both city commuting and executing highway maneuvers such as overtaking and merging. Contributing significantly to the Cayenne’s highway refinement is its remarkable sound insulation. The cabin remains remarkably serene, effectively minimizing tire and wind noise, creating a tranquil driving environment.
Steering feel is a crucial aspect for driving enthusiasts. Accustomed to the communicative and weighty steering of older BMWs, the Cayenne’s steering initially felt somewhat detached, almost video game-like in its lightness. However, as speed increases, the steering firms up and sharpens, establishing a more tangible connection with the road. Beyond 35mph, it achieves a satisfying balance, offering a solid and responsive feel that grows on you.
The transmission performance is commendable. Downshifts are executed swiftly and seamlessly. The synergy between the engine and transmission, coupled with the exceptional sound insulation, creates a responsiveness reminiscent of an electric vehicle, a feat not typically associated with turbocharged engines and automatic transmissions.
In summary, the Cayenne delivers a predictably excellent driving experience, particularly in highway settings. Its on-road dynamics are undoubtedly a strong selling point.
Interior and Ergonomics: A Mixed Bag of Luxury and Disappointments
Interior quality was a pivotal factor in my luxury SUV selection process, heavily influenced by 12 years of ownership experience with a BMW X5. My initial plan was to simply acquire a new BMW X5. However, BMW’s recent design direction, seemingly inspired by the minimalist, screen-dominated interiors of Tesla, has resulted in vehicles that feel more like “iPhones on wheels.” The proliferation of panoramic LCDs and touchscreens in new BMWs struck me as impractical and user-unfriendly, leading me to reconsider. A similar experience at an Audi dealership with the “Minority Report” style interior of the Q5 further solidified my departure from these brands.
This led me to the Porsche Cayenne. Currently, it stands out as a German-made mid-size luxury SUV that resists the pervasive trend of overwhelming touchscreen interfaces. While screens are present, they are tastefully integrated into a dashboard that retains a classic automotive aesthetic. Importantly, essential functions are controlled by physical buttons with haptic feedback – a significant advantage in terms of usability and driver focus. Porsche deserves recognition for prioritizing functionality over purely digital interfaces in key areas.
Another persistent issue I’ve encountered across various vehicles, including my previous BMWs and numerous rentals, is the excessive noise of automatic climate control systems. “Auto” mode often becomes unusable due to fan noise. Porsche, however, seems to have addressed this effectively. The Cayenne maintains cabin temperature quietly and efficiently. I suspect the design and shape of the air vents contribute to this, as they are exceptionally well-engineered. For the first time, I can set the desired temperature and leave the climate control system to operate without constant adjustments.
The well-designed dashboard of the Porsche Cayenne, showcasing a blend of digital displays and physical controls for optimal user experience.
However, upon receiving my Cayenne, a concerning issue emerged: a persistent cracking sound emanating from the roof. Initially dismissed by the service advisor as the car “settling,” this noise only intensified over three months, spreading throughout the interior. It’s now a constant chorus of creaks, triggered by even minor road imperfections. Doors, roof, and cargo area all contribute to this symphony of creaks during acceleration and braking.
Dealer responses to this issue have been underwhelming. The “wait for it to settle” explanation was reiterated, and a second dealership offered the dismissive “What did you expect? It’s an SUV.” This service advisor seemed unfazed by the fact that a brand-new Porsche Cayenne exhibited more interior creaking than my 12-year-old BMW X5. This experience led to the disappointing realization that Porsche, in terms of interior build quality, may align more closely with Volkswagen’s manufacturing standards and tolerances. Accepting the interior quality of a $20,000 vehicle in a car costing five times that is a difficult proposition. Unfortunately, lemon laws in the US typically do not cover issues of subpar interior craftsmanship.
Beyond creaking, the seat leather quality is also questionable. After only three months, the premium leather with 14-way adjustable seats is showing wear comparable to my BMW X5 after 5-7 years, with side bolsters already exhibiting deformation. Perhaps opting for the base seat would have yielded better results.
Technology: Brilliant Design Hampered by Flawed Execution
Porsche deserves significant praise for the elegant integration of LCD screens within a classic dashboard layout and for their exemplary user interface (UI) design. The navigation system is a standout feature, genuinely rivaling the functionality of Google Maps on a smartphone. Automatic zooming, map rendering, and search capabilities are all exceptionally well-executed. The virtual instrument cluster (LCD behind the steering wheel) is highly customizable, and the information distribution between the Heads-Up Display (HUD) and other screens is thoughtfully designed. Having navigation directly in the driver’s line of sight is a long-desired feature, brilliantly implemented by Porsche. As a software product manager, I commend Porsche’s UI designers for their achievements.
The customizable digital instrument cluster of the Porsche Cayenne, providing essential driving information and navigation in a clear and accessible format.
However, the praise ends with design. The software and hardware implementation falls short. The infotainment system suffers from noticeable lag. Button presses often result in delays ranging from a barely acceptable quarter of a second to a frustrating 2-3 seconds, depending on the function. The search function frequently returns no results initially, only to subsequently find the desired information as typing continues. Furthermore, UI animations are consistently jerky and lack fluidity, creating an experience akin to running advanced software on underpowered hardware. Despite efforts to utilize the native infotainment system, I ultimately reverted to Apple CarPlay for a smoother and more responsive experience, representing a disappointing underutilization of Porsche’s potential.
Software glitches extend beyond navigation and entertainment. The Cayenne offers numerous software-controlled vehicle settings, but the car inconsistently remembers these preferences. Chassis settings, for example, are reset upon restarting the vehicle. This renders such customization features largely pointless, requiring reconfiguration every time the car is started.
The automatic engine stop/start system is another significant point of frustration. While the concept of fuel efficiency is understandable, Porsche’s implementation is among the worst encountered. The engine frequently shuts off before the vehicle comes to a complete stop, creating potential safety hazards. Instances of the engine cutting out while slowing for left turns or navigating mountain roads have occurred. Compounding the issue is the inability to permanently disable this feature. While a setting exists to deactivate it, the car “forgets” this preference upon restart. Assigning the auto-off function to a steering wheel button provides a workaround, but requires a repetitive and irritating ritual of deactivation at the start of every drive.
Driver profiles, intended to store personalized settings linked to individual keys, also suffer from flawed implementation. Automatic key assignment leads to profile mix-ups when multiple drivers are present with their keys, becoming a source of constant frustration. After months of attempts, abandoning profiles in favor of manually assigning seat and steering settings to door buttons proved more reliable, negating the intended convenience of the profile system.
Smartphone integration for navigation is another area of significant underperformance. Sending a location from a smartphone app to a Tesla takes mere seconds. The same process with the Porsche app and Cayenne can take anywhere from 30 seconds to hours, and sometimes fails entirely. This premium feature, requiring a monthly subscription, is essentially unusable. Despite claims of a “responsive” infotainment system in various car magazine reviews of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne, real-world experience suggests a system that is barely adequate, relegated to serving primarily as a CarPlay display.
On a positive note, Smart Cruise Control and related driver-assistance features are exceptionally well-executed. Smart Cruise Control is reliable, predictable, and intelligent, becoming a consistently used feature during commutes. Automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist systems also perform admirably, enhancing safety and reducing driver workload. The self-parking feature is significantly superior to Tesla’s implementation, being faster, more reliable, and confidence-inspiring. It is perplexing that Porsche excels in these complex areas of automation while struggling with basic software functionalities like smartphone integration and system responsiveness.
The User Manual: A Cautionary Tale of Bureaucracy
The Cayenne’s user manual warrants specific mention. Every section, regardless of topic complexity, begins with extensive lists of safety warnings, legal disclaimers, and limitations. These cautionary statements consume approximately 80% of the manual’s content, rendering it virtually unreadable and hindering its practical utility. This excessive focus on liability protection overshadows the manual’s purpose as a user guide, suggesting a bureaucratic overreach within Porsche’s organizational structure.
TLDR: A Summary of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne Experience
The 2024 Porsche Cayenne offers engaging steering, a superb engine and transmission combination, and well-implemented safety and driver assistance systems. The suspension is adequate but not exceptional. Software design is commendable, but its implementation is marred by performance issues and bugs. Interior build quality is disappointing, with questionable material choices and assembly. The user manual is excessively burdened with legal disclaimers, diminishing its usability.
For prospective buyers of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne, it is crucial to look beyond the glossy marketing and promotional reviews. This detailed, critical assessment highlights potential areas of concern that may not be readily apparent in mainstream media. While the Cayenne possesses undeniable strengths in driving dynamics and design, its shortcomings in interior quality and software implementation are significant considerations for its price point. It is hoped that this review provides valuable insights for informed decision-making.
