Test Driving the Cayenne Turbo

The other day, when I took our Panamera in for its second one-year inspection, we were loaned the previous-generation Cayenne as a courtesy car. So, my husband drove the Panamera to the Porsche Center and then drove the Cayenne to work, and the next day I was able to join him for some winding roads and city driving. I’d like to share a brief review of the Cayenne Turbo.

By the way, the model we were loaned was the Cayenne Turbo (958 facelift) with a 4.8-liter V8 twin-turbo engine. It produces “520 ps maximum output and 750 Nm maximum torque.”

Impressions of the Cayenne (from a woman’s perspective)

The first time I drove a Cayenne was almost a year ago, when I test drove the new model Cayenne. Until then, I had the impression that “even though it’s made by Porsche, it’s an SUV, so it must be far from a sports car.” But I was surprised when I actually drove it.

I was amazed by its smoothness, handling, and agility, and my husband even said, “The Cayenne is amazing! I want one!” (laughs)

ポルシェ 新型カイエン 試乗レビュー

A year later, I had the rare opportunity to drive the previous-generation Cayenne Turbo. The first thing I noticed when I got in the driver’s seat was the excellent visibility. This would make driving much easier even for petite women. At the same time, it made me realize just how low to the ground our Panamera feels! (lol)

When I started the engine, I felt the engine sound was quieter than the Panamera Turbo’s. Our Panamera’s engine noise has gotten louder over time compared to when it was first delivered.

When I pressed the pedals and checked the seat position, I noticed the accelerator pedal was positioned slightly more to the right than in the cars I usually drive. Starting from where I normally place my heel, moving my foot to the right didn’t immediately find the accelerator pedal.

When I mentioned this to my husband, he said, “Really? I don’t notice that.” So maybe it’s just the difference in foot size between men and women. Although I was a bit confused at first, I got used to it after about 10 minutes of driving.

Another thing I noticed while driving was that the pedals and steering felt generally lighter. The Panamera Turbo’s steering and pedals feel heavier. (Of course, since they are different generations, it might be more appropriate to compare the 958 Cayenne with the 970 Panamera.) I thought this would make it easier for women to drive.

However, since it’s a powerful car, pressing the accelerator a bit too hard immediately makes the engine roar with a “Vroom!!!” sound, so at first I struggled to get a feel for it and drove cautiously.

But once I got used to it, I kept saying, “This is so easy to drive!” and found myself driving enthusiastically (laughs). The Panamera Turbo’s PDK shifts gears with a direct “pshun, pshun” sound, which puts you in a battle mode.

On the other hand, the Cayenne I drove this time uses a “torque converter automatic transmission,” so the response isn’t as direct as the PDK and feels more gradual. I felt this would be great for women or wives who mostly drive in the city, allowing them to drive comfortably without worry.

I also took it on the Royu Driveway, and the handling was incredible. It turns sharply—so much so that I was amazed, thinking, “Do SUVs really handle this well!?” It made me appreciate Porsche all over again.

One thing I did notice was the ride comfort in the passenger seat. It’s not bad at all—in fact, I think it’s quite good. It doesn’t pick up every bump and feels stable with good road contact. However, compared to the incredibly smooth and wonderful ride of the current Cayenne, I felt there was quite a bit of shaking.

With that said, I’ll move on to my husband’s review, which is the main topic here (lol).

Next page → Test drive review of the Cayenne Turbo by a Porsche driver husband: What’s his overall verdict?