2005 Porsche Cayenne

2005 Porsche Cayenne Test Drive

More Spice, Less Sauce

The Porsche Cayenne might be sacrilegious to some, but it's hard to argue with the recipe.

by Michael Frank, Forbes.com

Bottom Line

Porsche says the average Cayenne buyer makes about $265,000 annually. That's less than the average 911 buyer, who makes $340,000. Of course numbers like this can mean a lot less than you think -- one person who divulges his or her income on a Porsche survey might make $2 million a year, and that's enough to skew any "average."

Put anecdotally, while we were testing the Cayenne one high-powered media star who certainly makes way more than $265,000 had to cancel his test drive of the vehicle because his wife was about to give birth. Another buyer, a powerful CEO, was arranging to take deliver of a Cayenne.

Those buyers can get any Cayenne they want, but we'd advise a potential buyer to test-drive the Turbo but buy the S with the optional adaptive suspension. That's because the Turbo has more power than you'll ever be able to utilize unless you really do live near an autobahn. Meanwhile, the S has excellent torque, so you'll still feel as if you bought a Porsche. Trust us.

Not that you'd be cheaping out buying the S, either. Outfit the S with lots of things we might want, such as that adaptive suspension, bi-xenon headlamps, light wood trim, auto-dimming rearview mirrors and such, and you're looking at about $65,000. That's a lot of money, but it's still less than the price of a 911 for a much bigger car. And by the way, it's cheaper than the price of a Range Rover as well, a vehicle we would take into the nearest mud bog but never, ever expect it to do what the Cayenne can do with ease on the road or track.