2019 Porsche Cayenne
Ignore the badge on the front of this vehicle. Pretend you don鈥檛 see it like that crazy person trying to get your attention on the subway. 1. The 3.6L V6 engine produces 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. 2. Along with an 8-speed automatic the Cayenne V6 is available with a 6-speed manual transmission. 3. Fuel economy is rated at 15/22 mpg (city/hwy) with the manual 16/23 mpg with the automatic. Glancing down on the Cayenne鈥檚 hood and seeing that familiar crest with the word 鈥楽tuttgart鈥?above a rearing horse sends the brain to the wrong place. Images of screaming down the Mulsanne straight or clipping the apexes of the world famous Laguna Seca corkscrew come to mind. Forget all that. This isn鈥檛 one of those Porsches. This is the everyday Porsche. There is no sport focused steering wheel, no heavily bolstered seats, no lowered suspension, no high performance tires and no God-of-Thunder exhaust system. This is a true utility vehicle. Compared to other models, the base, trim-less Cayenne is the most practical vehicle in the lineup. With seating for five, 62.9 cu-ft of cargo space and the ability to tow 7,716 lbs. Cayenne is ready for daily duty.
The base V6 model is the cheapest way not only into the Cayenne family, but into a Porsche altogether. 1,000 to claim this honor. 65,655 after a slew of options were tacked on. With the exception of the more efficient, yet costly Hybrid and Diesel versions, the Cayenne V6 is the budget-choice amongst Porsche crossovers (until the compact Macan arrives later this year). It is down two cylinders and two gears compared to S, GTS, Turbo and Turbo S, but does boast one very important feature no other Cayenne can; a clutch pedal. That鈥檚 right; standard on the Cayenne is a 6-speed manual transmission paired to a 3.6-liter V6 engine. For those not wanting to shift their own gears, there is an optional 8-speed automatic, but where is the fun in that? With a mere 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque being pumped out of the great sounding direct injection V6, the 4,398 lb crossover is not going to win many drag races. But, Porsche still claims this is enough grunt to power the Cayenne from 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds and continue onto top speed of 142 mph.
It is not, however, recommended to attempt top speed while towing a travelling trailer. The 6-speed manual transmission features a dual mass flywheel and Porsche鈥檚 Drive-Off Assistant, which is basically a hill holder system. The engine feels down on power most of the time, but thankfully the manual transmission redeems the driving experience to still make this Porsche fun-to-drive. It restores nearly the same level of driving joy as the V8-powered Cayenne S possesses, just don鈥檛 expect the same fluidity of the 911 Carrera鈥檚 7-speed manual; it is not the smoothest unit. Engagements are a bit clunky and require some effort when sliding into gear. That said, for a crossover this is a very good manual transmission, but it is not 鈥榮porty鈥? The same can be said of the Cayenne V6 in general. The base Cayenne comes equipped with steel springs in lieu of the option air suspension that features Porsche鈥檚 excellent Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM).
The steel units blend a fairly neutral balance between ride comfort and handling. The V6 is not as handling-focused as the Cayenne GTS with PASM. On the plus side, the base V6 Cayenne鈥檚 ride is smoother than the air suspension we tested recently on a GTS model, even in the 鈥楥omfort鈥?setting. Inside, the Cayenne looks like a proper luxury machine. Everything is power operated and finished in high quality materials. Features include an eight-way adjustable memory driver鈥檚 seat, leather seating surfaces, five 12 volt socket outlets (because you can never get enough), a power tailgate, a 7-inch touchscreen color display and a refrigerated glove compartment. The V6 Cayenne uses a conventional steering wheel complete with toggles and switches; no button-less Porsche sport-wheel here. Like all Cayennes, passenger comfort is top notch. Four people could spend hours inside the cabin and three wide in the back is fairly accommodating. The actual seats are pleasant, but don鈥檛 quite match the level of comfort found in some of the Cayenne鈥檚 various seat upgrade options.