Just How Comfortable Is the New Cayenne?

When my husband and I test-drove the new Cayenne at a Porsche Center this September, we were both amazed by how comfortable it was. Until then, the 971 Panamera had been my benchmark for ride comfort (though, to be fair, I haven’t driven all that many cars)—but the new Cayenne was several times more comfortable.

ポルシェ 新型カイエン、工場の製造工程を総力取材！（したTV番組をまとめてみた）

Actually, “in a class of its own” is more like it.

How can a ride feel so comfortable? The suspension is firm, yet the ride is remarkably soft and smooth. You barely feel bumps or jolts in the road; it’s almost as if the car is gliding along on rails. And yet, it never feels floaty—you can still sense the tires gripping the road.

The rear seats are comfortable, too. I’d always assumed that riding in the back of an SUV meant getting bounced around like you do on a bus, but that wasn’t the case at all. I even thought, “I’d happily spend a long road trip in the back seat!”

In a Car Graphic TV review of the new Cayenne—the base model with standard coil springs and no PASM—motoring journalist Kunimitsu Matsunoya had this to say about its ride:

The moment you set off, this feels like a luxury car. The ride is so supple that you’d never guess it was wearing tires this wide. I’m not sure whether to say it’s unlike a Porsche, but you almost wonder if they’ve made it too luxurious, too comfortable. (Omitted) I mean, it’s amazing that you could be fooled into thinking it has air suspension… It’s a strange feeling. It’s a Porsche, it doesn’t have air suspension, and yet it rides like that.

If even Matsunoya puts it that way, the new Cayenne’s ride comfort must be something special.

I Can’t Stop Thinking About the Cayenne

Ever since we test-drove the new Cayenne, there’s been a bit of a problem at home: even cars we used to think rode comfortably now feel rough by comparison. Our Volkswagen Golf 7 is a good example. It’s still a very good car, but there was a time when I wondered, “If we have the Golf, do we really need the Panamera?” Now I find myself thinking, “Was it always this bumpy? Did we change the tire pressure?”

The Panamera’s ride is by no means uncomfortable, either. Still, every now and then I can’t help thinking, “It just isn’t as smooth as the Cayenne.” Maybe we shouldn’t have test-driven the new Cayenne after all. (Just kidding…)

The other day, my husband put it this way:

After driving the new Cayenne and being so surprised by how comfortable it was, my standards for ride comfort changed completely. I used to think, “The Panamera and Boxster ride so differently—they’re in completely different categories.” But after driving the new Cayenne, I started thinking, “The Panamera is a sports car, too. It’s in the same category as the Boxster.” I can’t find the right way to explain it.

I asked, “Is it like how I used to think a $5 steak and a $20 steak were completely different, but after trying a $100 steak, I started thinking, ‘The $5 and $20 ones are basically the same!’?” (Not that I’ve ever had steak that expensive.)

Hmm, I’m not sure I really get that comparison, but… I guess it’s kind of like that.

That was his answer (-_-). (Really?)

Ever since that test drive, my husband says he can’t help comparing every car he gets into with the Cayenne’s ride—and he just can’t forget it. But replacing our Golf with a Cayenne would be a bit too much of a splurge…

That said, the Golf’s due for inspection next year, so who knows what our household will look like this time next year…