Test drove 957 Cayenne Turbo. Disappointed by acceleration :(

[Renaissance.Man]

Just test drove a 2008 Cayenne Turbo with PDCC. I was expecting better acceleration off the line from a 500hp SUV. Seems slow off the line with PSM off and sport mode. Pulls good one turbos start spooling at 2500rpm, but still expected more from the base 4.8 L V8.

Am I expecting too much from a 2.5 ton machine? Surely, a tire chirp shouldnt be out of the question.

Do I have to do the 2nd cat bypass and evomsit to get the aggressiveness that I expected.

I am a little concerned and this might derail my purchase plans.

Any input is appreciated from current owners.

Edited January 16, 2011 by Renaissance.Man

[SA321]

a. 2.5 tons not 3.5tons

b. compared to which SUV is it slow?

P.S. it would be silly to compare it to gt2 rs?

[mudman2]

nutta

[Renaissance.Man]

a. 2.5 tons not 3.5tons

b. compared to which SUV is it slow?

P.S. it would be silly to compare it to gt2 rs?

You are right. I mistyped the gross weight instead of the curb weight- post edited.

Secondly, I am only referring to the "seat of the pants" feel of launching the Cayenne was much slower than my expectations. I wasn't trying to compare performance specs of which SUV is faster (I believe the X6M could take this honor). I just dont understand how a 500hp vehicle has such a soft unimpressive launch.

Is this something that some people address with a transmission/ecu tune?

[rizzo]

Did it start off in second gear or first?

[Renaissance.Man]

Did it start off in second gear or first?

I think that is an excellent question. The short answers is "I don't know." However, that is exactly how the car felt, as it the gearing was too tall for a standstill launch and started to come to life around 20mph.

I knew from my research that the Cayenne normally starts in 2nd gear, however, I read that if you put it in Sport mode the car automatically starts in 1st gear for acceleration (turned off PSM to make sure it wouldn't get in the way). I just trusted that this was right, as I didn't use the tiptronic.

Can anyone confirm that Sport mode engages 1st gear?

As a side note, the tranny was shifting funny overall on the test drive. Kept putting itself in manual mode when just cruising down a straight away. Engine kept over-reving as if I was on a track. Salesman was going to have the service dept look at it. Maybe this is just a coincidence.

[Hudnu46]

Sport mode will not put you into first gear, you need to either shift manually or use the paddles to down shift to first to launch. Test drive one again using first gear, you will feel better about owning one. After owning one for a while and you get use to the power, there are a lot of things you can do to them to make even more power. I went a little over board with my 2008 Cayenne Turbo S but I love it and drive it every day!

Dave

[acat2002]

Sport mode will not put you into first gear, you need to either shift manually or use the paddles to down shift to first to launch. Test drive one again using first gear, you will feel better about owning one. After owning one for a while and you get use to the power, there are a lot of things you can do to them to make even more power. I went a little over board with my 2008 Cayenne Turbo S but I love it and drive it every day!

Dave

Dave, when you say you have a 2008 turbo S, you must mean that you've upgraded to turbo S components, correct?

Turbo S was not re-introduced until MY 2009. I've seen other 2008s described as "Turbo S" models, so is this an embellishment, or was there a way to special order the "S" components when ordering an '08 turbo?

E.G. My '08 turbo has all of factory bodywork and sport tailpipes found on the 2009 Turbo S, but not the upgraded intercooler, plumbing, and "power kit" chip, hence it is more of a "Turbo S look".

I'd love an extra 50hp, but won't be pulling apart the factory equipment to make it happen. It would be cheaper to trade/upgrade to an '09 Turbo S.

Incidentally, I also feel as though the Cayenne's "neck-snapping" thrust from standstill is lackluster........unless you launch in 1st gear. If you're not in "Sport" mode, the cayenne launches in 2nd gear and always seems to be hunting for the highesr gear in an attempt conserve gas. The other thing to remember is that the cayenne turbo has a very "solid" feeling and you're sitting higher off the ground compared to a sports car, so the illusion of speed is somewhat diminished.

Remember, this is not an american muscle car where you mat the throttle and burn rubber. German cars are never about that.

[libtech75]

I assume you test drove the car before purchasing it, as well as other comparable vehicles you were looking to buy?

What passes for "seat of the pants" acceleration for one might differ for another. As others have mentioned around these forums - there are certainly faster cars out there if you are looking for straight off the line acceleration. I think most will say that the acceleration is more than adequate.

[gasguzzlingV8]

Turning off the PSM will automatically drop the car in first as soon as it drops below a certain speed or comes to a standstill. I know its not a Turbo S, and only a Turbo, but I have the same disappointment with off the line acceleration / soft launch, until the turbo's spool up.

With PSM off, in manual, in first gear, my Turbo can be beaten off a standing start by a hot hatch and embarrassed until the Turbo's spin up. Once the Turbos are spinning, it's goodbye.