Just leased a 2023 Cayenne Base Demo with under 5,000 miles. $4,000 down, $1,100/month incl. tax, 12k miles/year, 39 months, still under warranty, first service included. Seems like a solid deal for a $90,000 MSRP car. I “upgraded” from a 2020 BMW m340i, but I truly miss the drive and feel of a 385HP small car. The Cayenne Base is nice, and I’m definitely enjoying having a roomy car that feels like it is floating compared to the rougher ride of a 3 series, but part of me wishes I splurged even more and went for a Cayenne S.
Obviously I should have thought of this before… I know. And I also know that I should have never expected a massive SUV to feel anything like a powerful compact car… I know! But here I am. What are my options at this point for upgrading? Drive it for a year or two and try to private transfer the lease to someone? Buy the lease out and sell the car? Any other ideas? Or do I just shut up and let this be a reminder next time I’m carshopping?
Right now, for that price… there isnt much. X3m40i are going or 800-1000 it seems like and x3m/x3mc 1200-1400 depending on goodies.
We’re in the same boat, lease is up on our x3m in 5 or 6 mos, but once you have that (fun AF) suv, its hard to goto anytjing else lol. Def not much in its proce range in this economy…
What did you expect getting a base model large SUV after 385HP sedan? Sounds as if someone complained for getting base after driving GTS. Did you test drive this Cayenne before leasing it? Also, Macan is your car if you wanted sporty SUV with performance, Macan S would do. Cayenne is more like Lexus, it isolates you from the road. Anyway, check your payoff quote/balance and compare to MMR, Carmax, Vroom, Edmunds TMV, cars dot com listings and etc. I assume you will be under water and should keep the car for 24-27 months before trading, but can’t say anything for certain not knowing your vin# and current market for the car. You can always buy it from bank and put for sale.
Don’t worry about it. I’ve driven several high HP SUVs, and the power gets boring really quickly. At that size, 335HP is plenty and you’re paying the price tag for the brand, not the performance. Get a sporty fun car for the weekends to scratch the itch
I’ve not driven any of these cars, but Is Cayenne S really going to get you any closer to the feeling of an M340i? I kind of doubt it. So I think just ride out the current lease and remember for next time that you like a lower center of gravity and a smaller car.
Nothing beats Porsche, engineering and driving fun wise, nothing comes close to it. BMW is a piece of junk in comparison. But you need to know what you are looking and pick the right Porsche according to your needs. Porsche Macan GTS v BMW X3 M40d v Tesla Model Y: DRAG RACE
I would give it a bit of time for the comparison shock to wear off and to look at the new SUV on its own merits, not vs a previous car. You have a beautiful SUV, and it’s not like it’s anemic either.
Completely agree. The Cayenne is not underpowered for that matter. I think it is more than adequate for what it is, especially compared to most SUV’s/crossovers on the market. Handling is also excellent.
Give it about 6 months, chances are you’ll get used to it.
I got exact same feelings when I switched from a 340 to a 540, it felt like I was driving a mattress.
But I really enjoy the 540 now, had a couple of 4 series loaners and they felt bouncy and noisy
We drove the GTS and ended up with a x3m (not m40i/d)
X3m beats the GTS in room, 1/4mi, 0-60
Couldnt find any 'Ring times, but id bet itd be close either way
So why is it crap?
I mean it is essentially a 50k suv with a 30k engine
Base price on X3M is $75500, we have few around here for $90K+ , it’s not 50k SUV New 2024 BMW X3 M SUV
I haven’t driven X3M, I might take it for a ride and let you know how it feels after Macan. I would have to drive GTS to give a fair comparison of handling. I know X3M has a good engine (up to 500HP or little more), so it may do better than GTS in 0-60, though I doubt it handles as well as Macan. I know regular X3 is inferior in handling to base Macan. But, my biggest disappointment with newer generation BMWs is their designs. Lately, they do some crazy stuff, especially with 7 series and X7, X3 is not all that bad yet. But still , I don’t like oversized tail-lights on X3, the profile of SUV, how it looks from the rear angle, the interior design, materials, finesse and etc.
Oh, I misunderstood, I thought he meant it’s 50K car 30k of which is the engine. Well, good engine costs money, 30k for what power it claims to have is not too much.
Tuning voids warranty. But if you want to own it, then yes, there are many options. If you can get 500 HP out of the S Macan with GIAC, I am sure you can tune turbo 355hp as well.
The X3M does have 70 more hp, so it should be faster in a straight line.
Having sold and driven both the GTS and X3M on a track, the GTS has far superior driving characteristics from steering, braking, and suspension. The X3M is definitely faster in a straight line, but around the track the GTS was faster in my hands since it could carry more speed in a corner and out of it.
There is no wrong answer either way. Either you want a tech forward, muscle car or a more premium sports car.
I did a short 3.5 hour road trip in a Cayenne Platinum Edition, 2023. I really enjoyed it, I felt the power was appropriate for the vehicle, it was comfortable, and it handled very competently.
Hopefully you live in a cold climate because if you want out of it soon, you need to find a snowy off ramp.
I think you will be in this for most of the term. High MF with used car pricing falling will make it hard to get out before lease end. What I would do, is keep my eye on the payoff vs trade-in/wholesale value. When that is equal or a point you can tolerate the loss, sell it for something else.
Have you driven a 2024? It is crazy how much better the suspension is compared to the 19-23s. Plus the extra HP is appreciated.
