HOW TO GET ONE IN YOUR GARAGE

An owner’s view

ANDREW DOYLE

“I’ve owned my 2007 4.5 S from new. It’s been a terrific family car and we’ve done over 130,000 miles in it, including touring all over Europe fiveup. It’s been mostly reliable, although it has let us down with a couple of minor electrical issues. I’ve had it serviced regularly by Porsche and, to be honest, that’s cost a fortune over the years. However, it is great to drive and has that all-important Porsche feel to the interior. I’m not sure if I’ll ever replace it.”

Buyer beware…

ENGINE

Plastic coolant pipes on 2003-2006 V8s can crack and weep. They were later changed to aluminium. V8 S 4.5s can suffer cylinder problems at around 70k miles. A tapping noise at idle could be piston slap. Walk away. Check for smoky injectors on diesels. Oil should be 0W/40 fully synthetic. Heavy oil consumption and engine knocking are warning signs of engine problems. Coolant leaks are relatively common across all engines. Check underneath the radiator for any signs of corrosion around the pipes.

TRANSMISSION

Tiptronic automatics can suffer valve failure at around 80k miles. The propshaft centre bearing can fail on all cars. Listen for rumbling at low speeds and a flapping noise at high speeds: that’s the shaft waggling. The actuator on the transfer box is known to fail at about 80k miles. Watch out for an intermittent loss of power under acceleration, which could indicate a blocked valve in the transmission.

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES

Check that air-suspended cars sit level. The compressor can fail from around 70k miles. Front lower wishbone arms can be problematic. Expect to change pads every 10k miles. Budget for replacing tyres and brakes at least every 15k miles.

BODY

The Cayenne is generally rust-free so any corrosion is likely to be a poor crash repair. Check the underside for off-roading damage. Windscreen scuttle drains can get blocked. Water collects, eventually soaking the front bulkhead and damaging the electrics.

INTERIOR

The folding rear seat can cause the centre seat buckle to puncture the leather. Check everything works, too. Problems with safety system warning lights could spell an MOT test fail.

Also worth knowing

Most Cayennes were fitted with the Tiptronic gearbox. Six-speed manuals were available on the V6 models from 2005 onwards but are fairly scarce.

Some specialists recommend avoiding the early, pre-2007 Cayenne S models, because they can be prone to engine failure after the cylinder coatings break down. A new engine will probably cost you more than the car is worth.

Routine maintenance costs are much higher than for Mercedes and BMW rivals, and you’re unlikely to see more than 20mpg from petrol cars, even from the smallest engine.

How much to spend

£2000-£3999

Early cars with loads of miles. Exercise caution here and expect to spend at least as much again on getting it into reasonable nick.

£4000-£5999

Leggy 4.5 Ss and 3.2s. Still be careful.

£6000-£9999

Tidy, well-specced 2003-2005 4.5 Ss and 3 .2s with mid to high mileages. Caution still advised but worth a punt.

£10,000-£14,999

Good cars here. Lower-mileage 2005-2006 3.2s and 4.5 Ss, some later, facelifted 3.6s and 4.8 Ss. Leggy 4.8 Ss, low- to mid-mileage 3.6s and 3.0 diesels.

£15,000-£20,000

Best of the last Mk1 Cayenne diesels, GTSS and Turbos.

One we found

PORSCHE CAYENNE 4.5 S TIPTRONIC, 2006, 86,000 MILES, £6250

Attractive black example of the 4.5 S in what looks to be excellent condition and with a mileage of 86,000. It was registered in 2006 and comes with a service history and two keys. The car is HPI clear and is ULEZ compliant.