When you think of Porsche, the first few things that cross your mind are speed, style and refinement. Moreover, if I told you that I just bought a Porsche, you would immediately assume that it's the mighty 911, the distinctive Cayman or the sophisticated Boxster. Yet, over half of all Porsches sold in Canada are... SUVs.
That's right: the Porsche Cayenne is the German brand's best-selling model in the land of the maple leaf. While sacrificing some agility and quickness, Cayenne buyers definitely get more versatility and all-weather capability. In fact, good luck trying to find hardcore enthusiasts who still drive their Porsche car in eight inches of snow!
Affordable after all
I can hear the critics from a mile away: "the Cayenne is a large premium SUV and burns way too much fuel" and so on... That's probably true if you select the most powerful, top-of-the-line model. However, I'm a reasonable man and my choice for this road test was the base Cayenne.
At around $70,000, this model is far from cheap, one could argue, but it's much more affordable than the almighty Cayenne Turbo S, which carries a sticker price of about $150,000. The entry-level model allows any premium car buyer to add Porsche to his or her shopping list.
As for fuel consumption, it proved to be quite respectable despite the vehicle's significant girth. Granted, my tester came with the base powerplant (a 290-hp, 3.6L V-6 engine), but the latter was more potent than I could ask for and still burned less than 12 liters per 100 kilometers. By comparison, the turbocharged Mazda CX-7 AWD averages over 13 L/100 km in normal driving conditions!
Family looks
When you look at the Porsche Cayenne, you can't help but find visual ties to other members of this prestigious family. The headlights are unmistakable from hundreds of feet away and the overall physique of the SUV is the clear product of the automaker's sporty DNA.
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| When you think of Porsche, the first few things that cross your mind are speed, style and refinement. |
That's right: the Porsche Cayenne is the German brand's best-selling model in the land of the maple leaf. While sacrificing some agility and quickness, Cayenne buyers definitely get more versatility and all-weather capability. In fact, good luck trying to find hardcore enthusiasts who still drive their Porsche car in eight inches of snow!
Affordable after all
I can hear the critics from a mile away: "the Cayenne is a large premium SUV and burns way too much fuel" and so on... That's probably true if you select the most powerful, top-of-the-line model. However, I'm a reasonable man and my choice for this road test was the base Cayenne.
At around $70,000, this model is far from cheap, one could argue, but it's much more affordable than the almighty Cayenne Turbo S, which carries a sticker price of about $150,000. The entry-level model allows any premium car buyer to add Porsche to his or her shopping list.
As for fuel consumption, it proved to be quite respectable despite the vehicle's significant girth. Granted, my tester came with the base powerplant (a 290-hp, 3.6L V-6 engine), but the latter was more potent than I could ask for and still burned less than 12 liters per 100 kilometers. By comparison, the turbocharged Mazda CX-7 AWD averages over 13 L/100 km in normal driving conditions!
Family looks
When you look at the Porsche Cayenne, you can't help but find visual ties to other members of this prestigious family. The headlights are unmistakable from hundreds of feet away and the overall physique of the SUV is the clear product of the automaker's sporty DNA.
 |
| My tester came with the base powerplant (a 290-hp, 3.6L flat-six engine). |