The 2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

MANAGING EDITOR ROGER HART: 

This is the best SUV in the world. Why? Because it doesn’t really drive like an SUV. From a pure philosophical point of view, I really dislike this thing. Porsches should be sports cars, race cars, things that capture your imagination and take you places in such a way that other vehicles are merely transportation. But not an SUV.

Having said that, there is so much Porsche in this thing that the folks in Stuttgart can almost be forgiven. Almost.

I know all about how much money this thing made for Porsche and that it allowed for the development of other products. This thing flat out flies, considering it is such a big heavy vehicle, all two and a half tons worth.

I really like the center cluster in the dash with all of the pertinent info, copying--for the most part--the dash layout of the 911. The ignition on the left side is another nice little touch.

Few people really need such a vehicle, but if you have the bank account and need/want an SUV, this is really the only one to think about.

MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: Labeling the Cayenne as the world’s best SUV is accurate--if your definition of “best SUV” is that it defies the laws of physics when it comes to ride and handling in light of the high weight and relatively high center of gravity. From a purist driver’s standpoint, there’s no other choice, er, substitute, as Porsche would say. I’ve driven many Cayennes over the years since Porsche introduced it, and each time I laugh at its sheer audacity. How dare it perform so well? You throw this car into corners and it doesn’t roll, it just sticks and goes. And this latest Turbo S has enough power and torque to suck the lane markings right off the road. The SUV eats highways and backroads alike for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

However, this is an incredibly steep price to pay for a relatively compact SUV that doesn’t offer loads of interior room. I understand as well as anyone that these kinds of purchases are hardly rational, but I see a difference between dropping this kind of money on a 911 Turbo as opposed to an SUV. For as great of an engineering achievement as the Cayenne is, it’s still nowhere near as much fun to drive as a similarly or even more inexpensively priced performance car. You could almost have two Corvette Z06s for this price, and that’s just one example. You could have two Cayman S-es, a Nissan GT-R and a BMW M3, a Corvette ZR-1 and a decent but normal SUV for domestic duty, two 911 . . . the combinations are endless. When you think about it that way, it suddenly puts some real perspective on things, no? Even if you do have loads of cash to burn.

One other note: Carbon-ceramic brakes? Not sure I’d go for them here. They squeal from time to time, which I can live with, but the somewhat soft brake pedal makes it hard to modulate them smoothly, especially when you are just cruising sedately around town and not getting any real heat into them. And at $8,840 for the option, I could live easily without them. But there I go, trying to make logical sense of this beast. That’s always a mistake in this class.

2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

In Fleet: Aug. 10-17

Base Price: $125,775

As-Tested Price: $139,070

Drivetrain: 4.8-liter turbocharged V8; AWD, six-speed automatic

Output: 550 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 553 lb-ft @ 2,250-4,500 rpm

Curb Weight: 5,192 lb

Fuel Economy: (EPA/AW) 14/12.3 mpg

Options: Porsche ceramic composite brakes ($8,840); moonroof ($1,190); XM satellite radio ($750); Bluetooth phone interface ($695); trailer hitch without hitch ball ($630); light comfort and driver memory including automatic headlamps, courtesy lights on exterior mirrors, dimmer controlled interior lighting, self-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, programmable homecoming illumination, driver memory ($610); universal audio interface ($440); front and rear floor mats interior color ($140)