Back in the late 1990s, people thought the most controversial thing that Porsche could possibly do was ditch air cooling for water cooling in its sports cars. Sure, that was a big deal, and people were, shall we say, uncharitable towards those first water-cooled cars but the Porschephiles with their torches and pitchforks were in for a bigger surprise the following decade when, in 2003, Porsche debuted an SUV called the Cayenne.
The Cayenne was initially derided as an overpriced Volkswagen Touareg and merely a way to stabilize Porsche’s finances after an uncertain number of years, but, over two decades after its introduction, it’s become way more than that. It has a real claim to being one of the greatest SUVs ever made, and, these days, it’s genuinely a Porsche through and through. Not all Cayennes were created equally, though, with teething issues especially in the beginnings. What follows is a ranking of Cayennes, from worst to best.
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955 (2002-2006)
Image Credit: Porsche Sometimes the first generation of something represents the best, purest version of an idea. It’s a fresh expression and a chance for the designers to do something new. This is not the case for the 955-generation Cayenne. Not only does it borrow its styling from the 996 and 986 911 and Boxster respectively — never the most popular with Porsche fans — but its also the version of the Cayenne that’s most similar to its Volkswagen-badged counterpart, the Touareg.
That being said, the entry-level Cayenne still managed to knock the car-buying public on their proverbial rears with how it performed both on-road (only quasi-surprising) and off-road (really surprising).
The 955 was good at everything, and in many ways, it paved the way for Porsche to become the powerhouse it is today.
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958.1 (2011-2014)
Image Credit: Porsche The second-generation Cayenne (save your “But the 957!” comments, that was more of a facelift than a new generation) really saw the Cayenne come into its own. First, it bore very little resemblance to the Touareg with which it still shared a platform. The styling was overall much cleaner and while it still borrowed from the 911, the 991-generation is a prettier car than the 996. I can say that because I own a 996.
The 958 saw the mighty Cayenne Turbo get faster and meaner, and the overall platform got sharper and offered more sportscar-like driving characteristics – something that was still mostly unheard of at the time. This generation also introduced the Cayenne E-Hybrid to the masses, a technology that Porsche is still leaning heavily into today.
The 958 is a great SUV and even a good Cayenne, but compared to some of its siblings, it feels less than special.
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957 (2007-2010)
Image Credit: Porsche The facelifted first-generation Cayenne, aka the 957, is an awesome SUV. Not only did the styling get less weird, it also still retained some of the uniqueness that helped set the 955 apart from the crowd. Most importantly, the 957 introduced the Cayenne Turbo S, and if you’ve never driven one, it’s one hell of a thing. I drove a low-mile example once from Porsche’s museum and I’m pretty sure the folks in Stuttgart are low-balling that car’s quoted 550 horsepower.
Being a facelift, the 957 also started seeing Porsche get creative with special editions. The Cayenne GTS remains a fan favorite with a naturally aspirated V8 and an optional six-speed manual transmission, and they go for a lot of money these days on sites like BringATrailer.
Even higher on the nerd spectrum is the Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia which was a super limited-edition tribute to the Cayennes that were built to compete in the Transsyberia rally. It was essentially a tarted-up GTS, not that that’s a bad thing, and though Porsche planned to build 600 of them, it ended up making way fewer.
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958.2 (2015-2018)
Image Credit: Porsche By the time the facelifted second-generation Cayenne came around in 2015, the model was truly hitting its stride. Every trim level from the humble V6-powered base model to the fire-breathing Turbo offered an excellent driving experience with superb road manners and real off-road abilities. The styling was great, and the tech on offer was fantastic too. The 958.2 is just a really nice place to be.
All those factors are important because, for the first time, a Cayenne model was being introduced against competition from inside the brand and the Macan was tough competition indeed. Not only was it smaller, more nimble, cheaper (relatively), it also gave up a lot of its bigger brother’s off-road aspirations for more fast road fun. Still, the Cayenne held its own, and by the end of the 958.2’s run, it could be argued that it was the most complete SUV package on the market.
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9Y0 (2019-2023)
Image Credit: Porsche 2019 saw the introduction of the third-generation Cayenne, dubbed 9Y0, and unsurprisingly, it was another improvement. This generation of Cayenne now shared its platform with not only the Audi Q7 and Q8, but also the Bentley Bentayga and the Lamborghini Urus, both of which cost six figures more than the Cayenne. Somehow, Porsche’s SUV still holds its own in that lofty company.
While the Bentley is certainly more luxurious than the Cayenne, its technology feels comparatively dated. The Urus, even in top-tier Performante trim, doesn’t better the Cayenne Turbo S in terms of driving enjoyment (or looks, but that’s a whole other kettle of fish).
The 9Y0 continues to build on the Cayenne’s traditions of sharp styling that now complements the brand’s other vehicles, rather than simply aping them. It also benefits from Porsche’s legendary build quality and customizability. And you can also get this generation as a Coupe.
In sadder news, this generation saw the Cayenne S’ V8 engine disappear in favor of a turbo V6, and while that V6 was certainly performative enough, it lacked the character that made the old 4.8-liter V8 feel special. Even the Turbo and Turbo hybrid models downsized to the corporate 4.0-liter V8. That is a fantastic engine, but as big naturally-aspirated V8s become rarer and rarer, it was still a downer to see the old motor go.
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9Y0.2 (2024-Present)
Image Credit: Porsche It almost feels like cheating to call the current model the best, but in the case of the facelifted third-generation Cayenne, it’s absolutely true. Plus, calling this a facelift seems somewhat reductive because the changes that Porsche made for the 2024 model year are massive.
The .2 model sees the return of a V8 to the Cayenne S. It’s still the 4.0-liter V8 but it offers tons of usable power, lots of personality, and reasonable levels of efficiency. The base model is still a V6, but it’s a good one and both base and S trims are available as plug-in hybrids. Further, the way Porsche designed its PHEV system is really additive to performance and makes the vehicles markedly more efficient with tons of opportunities to drive electrically.
The Turbo models are borderline feral with over 700 horsepower combined from their turbo V8 engines and hybrid systems. Porsche also completely overhauled the suspension to not only improve ride quality, but also make them sharper on track.
Finally, the interior of the new Cayenne is excellent. It has Porsche’s highest level of connectivity paired with a restrained but functional design. Porsche ditched the console-mounted shifter, for example, and made it mirror that of the Taycan to save space. It even added an air-conditioned wireless phone charging pad so that your phone actually charges, rather than simply cooking itself.
In terms of all-around SUVs, nothing really comes close to being as complete a package as the 9Y0.2, and in a world that has more SUVs than ever, that’s saying something.
