I'ma Jeep Grand Cherokee Lover guys, I've had 5 of them, a 99', a 2001, and a 2003, and a silver Srt8. I'm also in the interesting position of owning a Porsche cayenne tt. I think it's a little overreaching with all the comparisons to the Cayenne TT. There is a reason the cayenne costs twice as much, plus. First, it is way more sophisticated, in every aspect, the suspension and stability system is amazing, full air ride, control of shock valving setting on the fly, raise and lower ride height, and it is a true off roader, differential reduction annd full lock. Next, once those turbos get going on the Cayenne, see you later Jeep, numbers don't say everything, try to line up with a Cayenne tt in a real road race and you'll be in for a surprise. Jeep isn't exactly known for its handling, the cayenne, despite its weight does pretty well around the track, they even managed to incorporate the weissach effect into the suspension.

My srt8 is plenty of fun, don't get me wrong, but I the porsche is amazing in all around fit and finish, sophistication, and performance. And don't forget there is a 650hp kit for the cayenne that is a simple plug and play swap of the turbos, intercooler, and ecu. I have the 520 hp factory X50 kit on mine, and the torque is the real secret, 550 lbs. It is unreal, it keeps pulling strong at 140+, the SRT8 loses steam over 100. Typical American car in that regard.

And about the snow tire debate YES, YES, and YES. on both cars. A performance compound, in a wide tire simply won't put the traction to the pavement on a snowy road, no matter what PSM, ESP, TRACTION, ABS, or other computerized controls you have.

Hope this was informative

Already tested the Jeep against a Cayenne TT on higher speeds...they are side by side (kind of a boring race). I have driving tons of Cayennes (normal, S, turbo, and a manufactor test car turbo S) and I will say this, the Cayenne is crap. I'm not saying this because I am a Jeep owner or a 4.8is owner, I too had the chance to straight swap my lease on the 4.8is for a turbo Cayenne and turned it down after trying a turbo Cayenne loaner for 1 month. The seats in the Cayenne are horribly uncomfortable, the side-mirroe adjustment is extreamly lame (you have to lean forward to reach the adjustment knob, which puts you out of position to adjust the mirrors), the turbo lag sucks, the looks are the worst, interior room is bad, the side tranny tunnel hump for the front passanger sucks, the rear seat side way too forward, the rear tailgate doesn't close or opperate good, etc... I will give the Cayenne credit for a solid ride, solid handeling (trailering race car with a turbo model for 3hrs straight non-stop going 110mph over hills!) and the large sidewall tires are great for curb jumping (took the Cayenne urban off-roading) since that is all SUV owners will ever really do with a 100k car.

To each their own, but everyone I know who got a pepper has either traded it in or regrets paying so much for it. The Jeep is by far the best bang for the buck. If you want a fast SUV in the 90k+ range that has good looks, good off roading and will compete more with the Jeep, try a newer G55! That little tank hauls ass! Oh yeah, next year BMW will have the new X5 with the V10 M5 motor and the Audi SUV will also be sporing either a V10 TT or a V8 TT that will kill the Cayenne and also look good.

The Cayenne is a overpriced VW Touareg, this thing weighs in at 5700 lbs, and costs $95,000.
Sure they make a 650HP kit for it, but at what price?, stock to stock the SRT eats the Cayenne's lunch and with the $50,000 I saved I am sure I can add a few more ponys if need be.

Jeep isn't exactly known for its handling, the cayenne, despite its weight does pretty well around the track, they even managed to incorporate the weissach effect into the suspension.Every indication points to the GC SRT-8 defeating the CayTT rather easily in any track event. It out accelerates the CayTT & has equal to or better #'s in every handling category, while braking is a toss up. The real advantage the GC SRT-8 has is weight, the CayTT carries over 500 more lbs. My srt8 is plenty of fun, don't get me wrong, but I the porsche is amazing in all around fit and finish, sophistication, and performance. And don't forget there is a 650hp kit for the cayenne that is a simple plug and play swap of the turbos, intercooler, and ecu. With this "kit" you'll finally perform with a stock GC SRT-8. And for only $150K or so.I have the 520 hp factory X50 kit on mine, and the torque is the real secret, 550 lbs.It needs 550 lbs. to move it's lard-butt around. Hope this was informativeNot so much actually. We all are aware the CayTT is an engineering marvel and has high quality interior materials. We know the 2-speed transfer case & air suspension on the Cay TT are totally useless as noone in their right mind buys a $100K+ SUV to go off-road in. What Porsche should do is dispense with the Off-Road pretense & build the CayTT for what it's true use is. A high performance station wagon for CEO's. Drop the 2-speed transfer case & all the associated "off road" hardware. Pare the weight down to around 4500 lbs. and see how it runs unloaded.

Oh, to add to my previous post, even with 1,000 HP the Cayenne front end would still be the most hideous creation on the road. Quit trying to physically tie everything to the 911. Give your designers a chance to create their own unique SUV style.

For the $$ the SRT8 is by far a better buy. Not knocking the Cyenne, if I liked it and had the dough, maybe I would get. Cant wait to see the X5 or Audi when it comes out.

post pics of both of them side by side, i guess im one of the few that likes the front of the porsche suv ,

and for 100k id hope the quality was better

Guys, we’re all biased on this forum. We all love the SRT8! What we fail to understand is that no car manufacturer makes a car for us (car nuts who know everything), they make cars to make money or further the brand image, think 1000hp Bugatti Veyron. Porsche did a customer survey to find out what owners park in their garages next to their 911s. The answer was an SUV, so Porsche did the next logical thing and build one. As far as looks go, it’s a worthless debate. I think that a black SRT8 is the way to go, but the next guy over thinks silver it the ticket. Can’t argue about appearances!

I’m sure you’ve all noticed that BMW has had the same lines and cues on all their cars for a number of years now. Think 4 round headlights, kidney shaped grill, belt crease running along the side of the car (through door handles) and C-pillar that curves forward as it comes down to the door/quarter panel area. These 4 visual cues (across all lines 3, 5, 6, 7, X) are what makes a BMW (on the outside)! Same thing goes for Porsche. They didn’t have a heritage to build on when it came to the Cayenne so they borrowed it from 911, just like they did with a Boxter. All of us might think they’re ugly, but guess what? It worked! Cayennes sold like hot cakes. Which was the initial point.

Please keep one more point in mind. SRT8 being so new we still don’t know its reliability record. Unfortunately, we already know local dealer’s sucky customer service (read new delivery posts and price negotiations posts)!

By the way, there are NOT a lot of people who are able to spend $95K for a car. Most of whose who can, do it not for the speed of it, but rather for the prestige that comes with pulling up to Morton’s in a Cayenne over the SRT8.

As I just posted in another thread:

If you had a Cayenne for an extended period of time you would realize that the interior is quite cheep and poorly situated. To me it comes across like a Armani Exchange product, rather then a real Giorgio Armani. Even most reviews come to this conclusion. As for interior, I give the best quality to the Range Rover or MB G55. Everything is located where you would want it to be and everything has a quality feel to it. Porsche failed this department because they were too busy adding cheesy aesthetics/logos to convince the owner who is sitting inside the Cayenne that it is in fact a Porsche and not a Touareg/Audi. Seriously, go get a loaner for a few weeks and you will understand. After that go get a loaner Touareg or Audi and drive that for a few weeks and you will really understand the similarities and the shortfalls between the two. You will also understand that the Cayenne is to a Touareg as Integra is to a Civic. One just has a few extra bells a whistles that are added on with little to no customization or ingenuity.

As I just posted in another thread:

If you had a Cayenne for an extended period of time you would realize that the interior is quite cheep

First off I do like the Cayenne.....wouldn't buy one, but wouldn't kick one out of bed either.

Agreed, the interior of the Cayenne looks nice at face value but if you examine closely you'll realize the materials are kind of cheap and don't rate it really any higher than a Touareg with the premium package. I do like the Alcantara headliner though on the Turbo, nice touch. For what a Cayenne Turbo costs, the interior should be an absolute knockout.....which it isn't imo.

The interior of the Caytt is gorgeous - plush and sofisticated. It is very luxurious. The inside of the Jeep is nice, but not luxurious at all. The emergancy brake handle is so ugly and plastic looking.

For the exterior, I think the Caytt looks like a castrated 911 on steroids - you know, like a muscular unic. The rear end is pretty tough looking, but the front end is a whole other story. It is sooo ***gy looking. The Jeep is WAY better looking.

And the sound of the Caytt is bland and not impressive. The Jeep sound is awesome!

For performance, well... they both haul ass. They're both different vehicles with separate target markets. The GCSRT-8 is for cool, younger guys, and the Caytt is for older farts who need to show their status.

By the way, there are NOT a lot of people who are able to spend $95K for a car. Most of whose who can, do it not for the speed of it, but rather for the prestige that comes with pulling up to Morton’s in a Cayenne over the SRT8.Morton's, you mean the salt shaker, J/K? I've owned/own several high end cars; Porsches, MBs, BMWs, Infinitis, etc. I get more attention in my H2, oddly enough, than in all the others put together. The only vehicle to get more attention was the 1999 Yellow New Beetle I bought for my daughter when she turned 16, people would turn around and follow it on occasion. Yeah, car guys notice our 911, M3, Boxster & GC SRT-8, even my 70 Super Bee, but the general public snaps to attention any time I'm out in my Yellow H2, go figure. To buy the Cay for prestige is fatally flawed, it goes totally unnoticed by 95% of the people you'll see. As for prestige, you'd be better served with an S Class, 7 Series, 911, or even Boxster I suspect.

Please keep one more point in mind. SRT8 being so new we still don’t know its reliability record...
While Jeep reliability over the years has not been anything to write home about, the over-priced Cayenne has been a disaster in this department. For what the Cayenne sells for this is inexcusable. While styling may be subjective you won't find any shortage of people who think the front end of the Cayenne is just plain ugly. What were the designers thinking? The large Porsche logo smack in the middle of the cluster is ridiculous. I am not impressed by the interior layout at all, especially the complicated mess of buttons for the radio and climate controls.

I'ma Jeep Grand Cherokee Lover guys, I've had 5 of them, a 99', a 2001, and a 2003, and a silver Srt8. I'm also in the interesting position of owning a Porsche cayenne tt. I think it's a little overreaching with all the comparisons to the Cayenne TT. There is a reason the cayenne costs twice as much, plus. First, it is way more sophisticated, in every aspect, the suspension and stability system is amazing, full air ride, control of shock valving setting on the fly, raise and lower ride height, and it is a true off roader, differential reduction annd full lock. Next, once those turbos get going on the Cayenne, see you later Jeep, numbers don't say everything, try to line up with a Cayenne tt in a real road race and you'll be in for a surprise. Jeep isn't exactly known for its handling, the cayenne, despite its weight does pretty well around the track, they even managed to incorporate the weissach effect into the suspension.

My srt8 is plenty of fun, don't get me wrong, but I the porsche is amazing in all around fit and finish, sophistication, and performance. And don't forget there is a 650hp kit for the cayenne that is a simple plug and play swap of the turbos, intercooler, and ecu. I have the 520 hp factory X50 kit on mine, and the torque is the real secret, 550 lbs. It is unreal, it keeps pulling strong at 140+, the SRT8 loses steam over 100. Typical American car in that regard.

And about the snow tire debate YES, YES, and YES. on both cars. A performance compound, in a wide tire simply won't put the traction to the pavement on a snowy road, no matter what PSM, ESP, TRACTION, ABS, or other computerized controls you have.

Hope this was informative


Good first post.........:rolleyes:

You come on an SRT8 forum to tell the guys that you're a Jeep Lover but its no competition for a vehicle that the SRT8 already outperforms. Your arguement about "remember, it has turbos"...........sorry man, it still loses to the SRT8 in performance.
The SRT8 was designed to take out the performance of the Cayenne TT and it did just that.......again your right its not a contender........it lost!
The Jeep was designed for on-road performance and at half the price.. It did just that also......again Cayenne doesn't seem like a contender.
For you to use an offroad arguement in the difference of the two SUV's..... you would need to actually utilize the extremeties of the Cayenne's capabilities which 99% of the $95k SUV's owners do not and cannot. So that can't be used in comparison at all. As a matter of fact, the same dirt road that an avg Cayenne TT owners may drive down and consider offroading, is the same road a Jeep SRT8 will barrel down. BTW let me know next time they schedule a Cayenne TT offroading and rock crawling jamboree...........I would love to see pictures of that. Not the demo of Porsche associates showing the Cayenne capabilities.......the actual owners driving their own Cayenne TT's through hardcore offroading conditions.........not gonna happen.

Sounds like you came on here to stir the pot or try to convince everyone here that our faster and better performing SUV is not a contender for the Cayenne TT. And your right, its not. The Cayenne loses therefore it is not a contender for the SRT8........Thank you for bringing that point to our attention....
For some reason, I suspect the Porsche guys would love to hear your "Jeep Enthusiast" confused views more then we would.:D Also the fact that you said we need to remember there are modded packages that the CayenneTT has available to up the performance..........good point. You just answered your own post.........without realizing it, you expressed the need that the Cayenne would need mods to keep up and for over $100k in overall pricing no less. Another good point on your part! Maybe you should team up with the TB SS boys on telling us the things you "could" do to your SUV in order for it to keep up with our stock........inferior SUV.......:rolleyes:

Good first post.........:rolleyes:
Sounds like you came on here to stir the pot or try to convince everyone here that our faster and better performing SUV is not a contender for the Cayenne TT. And your right, its not. The Cayenne loses therefore it is not a contender for the SRT8........Thank you for bringing that point to our attention....
For some reason, I suspect the Porsche guys would love to hear your "Jeep Enthusiast" confused views more then we would.:D Also the fact that you said we need to remember there are modded packages that the CayenneTT has available to up the performance..........good point. You just answered your own post.........without realizing it, you expressed the need that the Cayenne would need mods to keep up and for over $100k in overall pricing no less. Another good point on your part! Maybe you should team up with the TB SS boys on telling us the things you "could" do to your SUV in order for it to keep up with our stock........inferior SUV.......:rolleyes:

hahhahaha preach on! I am so glad you pointed that out perfectly! Why does it seem so many people come on this and other GC SRT8 boards to preach about how their SS, X5, Cayenne TT, Range Rover Sport, etc... kills the Jeep in this area or that area. Like it really matters. Who are they trying to convince? I have driven and owned most of those SUV's and I love the Jeep for the fact that it is a Jeep and can take a beating. I have my 4.8is for my so-called luxary ride, etc... and I have my Jeep SRT8 for my thrill ride and worry-free everydat driving. Plus it is also nice enough for a "luxary" ride with some cool features (Sirius, bluetooth, nav, etc...) I love the Jeep for that fact. It is not trying to be anything else, it is just trying to be a Jeep with a BIG motor with great features (Brembo, Bilistin, etc...) and also has some cool interior/comfort features mixed in.
I do wish however that the seats were wider (even though I am thin), my ass still is craddled by the side-bolsters too much and I wish the seats sat about 2" lower for better visibility.

I have to agree with Rboosted. The pepper's seats are horribly uncomfortable. I has looking Cayenne TTs before I decided to explore the option of the getting the GCSRT8 and I've driven quite a few now (both TT, 550hp Ruf TT, and S, no X50 or Turbo S yet). The build quality on the Porsche is top notch and the drive is amazing but I can't get past the seats. I also can't get past the parts pricing on the Porsche...their parts are considerably higher then BMW parts prices which I'm used to after 20 years of driving them. I've also looked at the X5 4.8 which is also nicely built but I'm pissed at BMW for making most of their cars ugly now, so I'm speaking with my wallet I've rid myself of all BMW for the foreseeable future (I do miss my 02 M5). The SRT8 is my answer to having a reasonably priced AWD performance vehicle for my daily driver and it will replace my Chevy Z71 in that role. I got an SL500 to replace the M5 since I'd rather have a convertible sitting in my garage for nice days then a sedan. I wish I had a 911 cab but this particular SL was just too cheap and I couldn't pass on it (lets just say practically - thanks dad). So the 911 cab will wait for a another year or two and if I like the GCSRT8 I might not need or want a performance car in convertible form. I put 18K miles/year on my daily driver and less then 5K on my garage queen, so having a fun daily driver is getting important to me.

I believe a pot stiring Troll just passed through. :)