Porsche Cayenne 4.5 Turbo

It's big, brutal, highly effective and very very thirsty!

Purely as a vehicle, the Cayenne makes a great overall package, especially with a lot of factory fitted accessories, as it will do the job of three cars.

Want a luxury car? Well the Cayenne has a prestige badge on the bonnet, and with the air suspension set into 'Comfort' mode, will waft along like a Mercedes S Class, with a beautifully crafted interior, silky smooth V8 and plethora of buttons to press, each controlling one of the many exotic features, such as Heated memory seats and steering wheel, SatNav, Telephone and BiXenon headlamps.

Hold on, you like a bit of Boating? Horses? You need an estate car! No problem, the Cayenne is a proper 4X4 too, with adjustable ride height, lofty driving position, and full off-road package, with lockable diffs, electric towbar option which caters for the 3500kg towing limit, and is one of the few vehicles which usurps the Range Rover in the Yacht club car park! There's plenty of space in the rear too, and if all else fails, fitted roof transport system, so all you need to do is select what you want to carry, and purchase the roof fitting kit!

But this is a Porsche right?

Right! How does 450bhp grab you? And don't be thinking this is a huge floppy old tank either, because the wizards at Porsche have added some magic, in the form of PSM (Porsche Suspension Management) which controls Body roll very effectively and constantly adjusts as your driving style changes.

Bare performance figures are still, some seven years on, incredible, at 5.4 seconds to 60, and a top speed of 168mph, yet this huge machine is as quick around a track as a 3.4 litre Porsche Cayman S, defying all the laws of physics and still thrashing nearly every modern equivalent by some considerable margin. Before you read any further, just consider that. A 2.5 tonne 4X4 beating a top-end Cayman around a racetrack??? Imagine whats going on beneath the bonnet to achieve that!

So whats the catch?

Err, Fuel, Tyres, Initial purchase price, Servicing costs, Insurance....you name it!

The running costs are startling. Despite being capable of around 25mpg if you're very VERY gentle, forget that, as it wastes the whole point of owning a Porsche. Think 15 in overall terms, and you're on the right track. Under 10mpg is quite possible when you're driving it hard, but your licence won't last as long as a tankful, and 20mpg on a run is achievable without too many tears.

Insurance is going to hurt, reckon £500-600pa for a 45-50 year old claim free Monk, whist servicing, despite the 2 year/20,000 mile interval will inevitably cost £1000+ a throw in real terms (ignore the quoted prices) and a set of tyres every 15,000-20,000 miles will be £600-1000 depending on the size. Stick to 18" for maximum life, the more fashionable 20-21 inchers last minutes rather than months, and cost vast amounts, even by Cayenne standards!

I mentioned purchase price: Now while the new item weighed in at £75-95K, a cracking used example can be yours for £20-25,000 but make sure it has a Porsche warranty, for reasons I will explain...

Reliability...

OK, now the big metal bits are very tough indeed. Engine failures are rare, and only usually caused by failure of the cooling or lubrication system, while Gearbox and Axle components are hewn from solid granite!

Trouble is, it's a big complicated beast, and there is just so much to go wrong, it inevitably will, usually in the form of Electrics, Accessories, Irritations and minor breakdowns.

All those lovely features you added onto the options have a limited lifespan, such as the Nav unit, Xenon self levelling light bits, Coil packs (Don't worry, you'll soon know what a coil pack is...) and normally overlooked switches, relays, Air suspension paraphernalia, you name it, it's going to fail eventually. Mine has enjoyed around £500 worth of warranty work since January this year, which makes me glad the the excellent Porsche warranty is worth the not-inconsiderate price!! The dealer is excellent, the car has had a 'few' issues...

Don't let me scare you off altogether though, as exceedingly wealthy types, or low mileage users won't be too bothered by the running costs, as long as a good warranty is in place, and the resale value is fairly safe, like most Porsches. That badge has great kudos to aspirational types, and certainly gives you a nice warm feeling once the bills have been paid.

Overall, the Cayenne Turbo is surprisingly versatile, highly rewarding to drive and a huge status symbol amongst the motoring fraternity, if you don't mind eternally pouring Petrol in, at £100 a tankful, and occasionally footing eye-watering bills.

I have enjoyed the driving part of my Cayenne immensely, and so love it for the good reasons, but try to limit the mileage so I can minimise the fuel and tyre use, which works for me, but 5000-8000 miles a year is my pain threshold, which might be a consideration.

It tows a 1400kg caravan effortlessly, and on occasion performs almost as well as my 2009 Porsche 911 managed, but with far more space and versatility.

It it wasn't so damned good I would have sold it by now, but it still makes me wonder...