2019 Porsche Cayenne S Review: Staggeringly Well-Rounded
ATLANTA, Georgia鈥擨鈥檝e come to expect big things from every Porsche I drive. As far as building products that blend unbelievable driving capability with luxury and daily use, the brand has no peer. So despite the Cayenne S being an SUV, its reputation as the sportiest of its breed and Porsche鈥檚 own history had set my expectations high. They were met. I spent time driving the Cayenne near the brand鈥檚 headquarters in Atlanta, and I managed to work into my time with the vehicle miles spent pushing hard on twisty rural Georgia roads. There, I found the Cayenne S has enough power, grip, and braking to handle what I was throwing its way鈥攚ith seemingly plenty in reserve. 3,490 Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PSCB) option making a speedy descent completely drama-free. The forged-iron discs are coated in tungsten carbide, which the automaker claims to reduce brake dust by 90 percent. The calipers identified by their white calipers, and they not only look great but also identifies the system鈥檚 place among the Porsche brake family. The combination of mighty 10-piston front calipers and four-piston rears provides immense stopping power, and there was essentially no brake fade whatsoever despite the Cayenne鈥檚 near-4,500-pound curb weight.
The pedal calibration is impeccable as well, allowing you to smoothly and comfortably control of your rate of deceleration. The Cayenne S was as impressive while cornering. Our test car had adaptive air suspension, as well as Porsche Active Stability Management (PASM). The suspension鈥檚 damping is uncanny, delivering negligible body roll and overall neutral handling with only the slightest amount of understeer. Plus, the air suspension keeps comfort to a maximum, even in max-attack situations. But if you want to dial out stiffness, a button on the center console is conveniently located to do so. 3,750. The seats are soft, comfortable, and supportive, allowing for a fatigue-free day of driving. 1,000, and it鈥檚 a nice way to break up all the black. 330, which is not only useful and handsome but also brings with it off-road-oriented functions for the couple of buyers per year who might give that a go.
The only issue I had involved Apple CarPlay. My phone connected immediately when I plugged into the USB port in the center console and worked flawlessly at first. But when I started the Cayenne the next morning, I couldn鈥檛 get CarPlay to display on the screen. Telling the Porsche to forget the phone and reconnecting didn鈥檛 work, nor did performing a factory reset of the infotainment unit. Yet once the Porsche say for a few hours, CarPlay worked again. I鈥檝e experienced this same problem in Porsches before, and it was resolved the same way. 7,330 Premium Package Plus. That bundle is comprised of customizable ambient lighting, lane-change assist, an auto-dimming mirror, fancier LED-matrix 鈥淧orsche Dynamic Light System Plus鈥?headlamps, keyless entry, ventilated and heated power seats with memory, and four-zone climate control. 7,000. Thus equipped, the already plenty comfortable and feature-laden Cayenne S is made even more so. 84,150, the Cayenne S is already expensive. 117,110, and either number is pricey enough that logic must be ruled out as part of a purchase. But for those who value a complete package that holistically blends performance, technology, and luxury in a way that few other vehicles can match, it strikes an appropriate note.
The Porsche is far more agile, but the Mercedes holds its own and offers a great ride quality. In the end, the Boxster is the better sports car, but the SLC is an attractive value for those looking for a luxury convertible. You have three engine choices in the Boxster. All three are turbocharged four-cylinders, and they put out 300, 350, and 365 horsepower. This Porsche accelerates quickly and feels powerful with any engine, but the two most powerful turbo-fours take things to a new level. The 300-horsepower engine darts from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, and the 365-horsepower engine does it in just 3.9 seconds. The Boxster gets better fuel economy than some competitors, though it still trails the class leaders by a little bit. It earns an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. 150 more per year on gas in the Boxster. Even among sports cars, the Boxster stands out for its nimble handling, excellent balance, and sure-footed feel.