2011 Porsche Cayenne Review



Posted: Tuesday, September 07, 2010

by Stephanie Lara

Though critics have put down the fact that the luxury stylish car maker has been dabbling in SUVs, they may close their lips after seeing the new 2011 Porsche Cayenne.

One of the most noticeable changes is the drive. In priormodels, the critics were true, Porsche’s SUVs were heavy and didn’t have the smooth drive that Porsche owners desire. But they have learned a lot since their first trial in 2003, and have even gone leaps and bounds from last year’s model.

This year’s model is lighter and more agile than ever. A 400 pound drop from earliermodels can contribute to the overall more Porsche-feel. How did they accomplish this amazingBiggest Loser like weight loss? They literally have shown their innovation by being able to cut pounds everywhere. First off, they have used an vast amount of aluminum in the doors, hood and chassis. Then they went on to the engine, park break, and even the tires? I had no idea that tires could be made lighter, but somehow they achieved it.

The Cayenne’s towing capacity is enough for all your kid’s friends and their lacrosse equipment (it gets maxed out at about 6,000 pounds). The V-6 engine makes is just enough car for those beginning drivers, which makes the Cayenne a great SUV to pass down for a Sweet 16 gift-- when the time comes.

But if you are more into saving the world by day and coming home to the family at night, you might want to try the 2011 Cayenne S Hybrid. Yes, that’s right, it comes in Hybrid. For those out of the loop-this will be Porsche’s third year making the Cayenne S Hybrid. Coming from an avid Cayenne consumer, the design for these eco savers has only gotten better from the 2009 debut. Now the design- and this goes for all the 2011 Cayenne models- is sleek and even sexy? I wasn’t sure if an SUV could be considered sexy, but this transformation is something like The Swan (you know, that reality show that used plastic surgery to turn “ugly ducklings" into “The Swan").

One of the main gain of going hybrid is the fuel economy which is about 22/25. The 2011 Cayenne S Hybrid can go from 0 to 60 in 6.1 seconds, which is pretty good. The great thing about this model is that it has a parallel hybrid system which means that there is no perception of the various drive modes (gas, gas and electric, and electric). What does this mean for the owner of this hybrid? It means that while they are just driving around, taking their kids to school, running errands and going to date night with the wife, they don’t experience any change in feeling from the regular Cayenne S to the Cayenne S Hybrid. At last, you can feel like you are saving the world without any sacrifice in speed or luxury.
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