Instrumented Test
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Even with $43,000 in options, the Cayenne diesel makes sense to someone.
You just have to love diesels. No, not you specifically—we’re talking about the people who would buy this Cayenne. They will have to love diesels. Why else get it? (Other than an all-consuming desire to piss off Porsche purists.) It’s $6900 more expensive than the gas V-6. Yes, it’s more efficient than a gas Cayenne, but if you’re concerned about fuel economy, here’s a suggestion: Don’t buy a 5000-pound SUV. The Cayenne diesel’s 406 lb-ft of torque might scintillate those with trailers to tow, but its Turbo sibling has 516 and the Turbo S 553, and the Cayenne’s tow rating is 7716 pounds regardless of engine. Nope, if you’re going to order a Cayenne diesel, you’d better be prepared to profess your love for sparkless ignition.
And that’s okay. Because the Cayenne’s 3.0-liter is smooth, torquey, and efficient. Shared with the Audi Q7 and Volkswagen Touareg, the six makes 240 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. Its 6.8-second 0-to-60-mph run is pretty good for a vehicle with precisely zero sporting intent, and the eight-speed automatic is unobtrusive and quick. Actually, the Cayenne’s chassis—particularly its Michelin Latitude Sport rubber—challenges the idea that this machine has zero sporting intent. At 0.94 g, its skidpad grip is remarkably close to that of Porsche’s smaller, non-truck vehicles. Ditto its 164-foot stop from 70 mph. The last Scion FR-S we tested needed 166.
Nearly as impressive (and perhaps of greater interest to buyers) is the diesel’s range. Rated by the EPA at 29 mpg highway and packing a 26.4-gallon fuel tank, the Cayenne has the approximate cruising range of an aircraft carrier. Or something like that, anyway. The optimal figure of 766 miles won’t last you the 20 years the U.S.S. Enterprise’s nuclear fuel will, but this Cayenne can go from Seattle to Sacramento—a drive of roughly 12 hours—on one tank. We even saw an indicated 27 mpg at one point while traveling at sustained speeds of 85 mph and above. Cayenne diesel drivers will have to stop at fuel stations only slightly more often than do electric-car drivers. (But not so infrequently as Mercedes ML350 BlueTec and VW Passat TDI drivers, who can go for 776 and 796 miles at a stretch, respectively.)
Barring extreme bladder distress, occupants of the Cayenne we tested would be harder to coax out of the vehicle than most. Between the $4085 two-tone black-and-light-blue interior, the $2205 adaptive sport seats, the $1120 satellite/HD radio receiver, the $1850 panoramic sunroof, the $1050 heated seats (and $800 cooled fronts), $1090 keyless entry and starting, $650 six-disc CD changer, $3675 navigation system, $1750 rearview camera, $5690 Burmester surround-sound system, $1120 thermal-and-noise-insulated glass, $3980 self-leveling adjustable-height suspension . . . wait, where were we?
Oh, right. As you might expect of a vehicle with $43,840 in options, the interior of this Cayenne was simply magnificent, and had nearly everything you could possibly think of. With extra-cost paint, trim, lighting, and wheels, the exterior wasn’t exactly overlooked, either. In fact, the most expensive option on this vehicle was the set of 21-inch wheels and fender extensions—or, as they’re listed on the window sticker, 21” CayeSpEdWhPntBlk w/ArchExt—at $6505.
It’s hard to imagine someone who, um, needs a vehicle like this and not envy them. It would be someone who can afford a Porsche and then afford the better part of a Boxster’s worth of add-ons. And who also needs it to be a Cayenne because they need to tow a track car or a dozen snowmobiles or a vintage Airstream, and is somebody who loves San Fernando Valley spineflowers and polar bears and bowhead whales enough to spend an extra $6900 to buy them a little climatic respite. And because they made that choice, get nearly 30 mpg on the highway when they’re not towing their whale-spotting boat. Hey, you, whoever you are: Your Cayenne is fabulous.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $100,565 (base price: $56,725)
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 181 cu in, 2967 cc
Power: 240 hp @ 4000 rpm
Torque: 406 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 114.0 in
Length: 190.8 in
Width: 76.3 in Height: 67.4 in
Curb weight: 5083 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 20.9 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.1 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.4 sec @ 88 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 129 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 164 ft
Roadholding, 200-ft-dia skidpad: 0.94 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 19/29 mpg
C/D observed: 25 mpg
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