101 Reasons Why Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo S Is Too Complex

It is a rare occasion that any of us at WINDING ROAD have unpleasant thoughts about a Porsche. We love having the opportunity to drive them and we find them to be great cars. However, after spending a week with the Cayenne Turbo S, we have found something to gripe about – the plethora of buttons found on the center console.

I sat inside our Turbo S with a notepad one afternoon and counted each and every button found on the center console, steering wheel, overhead console, instrument panel, driver’s seat, and driver’s door. I was floored when to find a grand total of 101 buttons all within reach of the driver. What’s even more inane is that in one evening of driving, only about ten percent of the buttons are actually used and understood; the rest of them stand as clutter to confuse the driver trying to change the radio station or activate the navigation system.

This is compounded by the fact that the navigation system is mounted too low in the dashboard to begin with, making for an even bigger distraction - A major no-no in a 5000+ pound projectile capable of hitting 168 miles per hour.

Mind you, we’re not suggesting an iDrive-style solution, merely a more intuitive, less switch-intensive solution.

Note to Porsche: Think simplicity.

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I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 10/19/2006 3:47:18 PM

+1 Boost

BOLLOCKS TO THAT!!!!! (Excuse my English)

I had no problems with the buttons on my Mate's Cayenne Turbo S when I drove it.
Also I don't get the Title, A fully Optioned V6 Cayenne has the same no of Buttons inside that the Turbo S has available as Standard so the Button Phenomenon is not Limited to the Turbo S variant

Terminal10 - 10/19/2006 3:59:07 PM

+1 Boost

The clutter of buttons is in need of an overhaul but the car is still awesome!

IamEvilHomer - 10/19/2006 4:16:22 PM

+2 Boost

it would be better if they used Audi's MMI
(they own some of Audi use it)

Sauceboy01 - 10/19/2006 6:07:55 PM

+1 Boost

i'll take one regardless!

neutral - 10/19/2006 9:14:18 PM

+1 Boost

I agree.....if anyone is feeling generous...let me know. Thanks

S4cabriofox - 10/19/2006 10:14:11 PM

+3 Boost

I'd rather take a... oh, never mind. I don't need a 400-500hp SUV, thanks.

I drove both the base Cayenne V6 and the Cayenne S back in March. I was disappointed. The interior felt cheap, especially for the $60K+ Cayenne S, and they drove like tanks. I don't see what all the fuss is about- terrible mileage and handling like most SUVs, and with a cheaper interior than a BMW X5, there's no point to it at all. 0-60mph in 6.8 seconds is impressive for an SUV, but not a "sporty" car.

BMW530i - 10/20/2006 8:32:36 AM

+1 Boost

Not to mention the piss poor fuel economy. IMO, the Cayenne is pointless, especially for a Porsche.

I love the brand, but I hate the Cayenne.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 10/20/2006 5:16:53 PM

+1 Boost

S4

0-62 in a Cayenne Turbo S is 5.5 Secs

S4cabriofox - 10/21/2006 3:04:35 PM

+1 Boost

I95, I was talking about the Cayenne S, which I was driving with my wife.

I can't afford a Cayenne Turbo S! And even if I could today, I definitely wouldn't buy one.

TauronLB - 10/19/2006 10:50:16 PM

+1 Boost

I've driven the Cayenne S and the Turbo and I'll tell you the buttons didn't bother me. Personally I am more a fan of the Jaguar interface. I like the touch screen style. The finger prints don't bother me at all. Buttons in general don't bother me. I think iDrive and MMI controllers are too complex. They all need to keep it simple.
T

S4cabriofox - 10/21/2006 3:05:34 PM

+1 Boost

Yes, my wife has a Lexus and is switching over to Jaguar (XJ8). She loves the touch-screen interface, and I definitely agree that my MMI is annoying to use. But you get used to it, and it's a very attractive interface.

lexusis350 - 10/21/2006 7:17:35 PM

+2 Boost

Is that all you can say? You've posted that in other atricles too and it's getting annoying.

t_bone - 10/20/2006 1:04:28 AM

+3 Boost

I LOVE BUTTONS!

Why? Because buttons avoid the MENU-HELL that so many products have these days. You can't even get a real volume control on an MP3 player anymore. Buttons are a good thing. You learn where the ones you need are, and they never change! On a nav system, buttons are much less distracting than menus.

racer_65 - 10/21/2006 1:34:44 PM

+1 Boost

Whether or not something is "pointless" depends on your need. If you have kids, need to haul stuff around, and don't care for speeding tickets, then a sportscar is pretty pointless. In this case, a Cayenne fits the bill perfectly.

Keep in mind that Porsche gives you a wide choice of options. The car can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.

racer_65 - 10/21/2006 1:37:04 PM

+1 Boost

S4cabriofox - 10/21/2006 3:06:52 PM

+1 Boost

Do you have a Cayenne?

If you do, I am deeply sorry for your loss.

lexusis350 - 10/21/2006 7:18:59 PM

+1 Boost

I actually like the Cayenne. The only thing wrong with it is that it is too reminiscent of the Volkswagen Touraeg. That's the downside of Porsche, they're owned by Volkswagen.

adoptgreyhounds - 10/21/2006 9:25:47 PM

+1 Boost

No Porsche owns a controllling stake in VW Ag. And remember Dr. F Porsche designed the first VW. The two companies have been linked for a long time. Did you Dr. Porsche got the money from a Jewish friend to start work on the VW Bettle.

adoptgreyhounds - 10/21/2006 9:27:29 PM

+1 Boost

Before anybody starts I'm just saying Hitler would have been pissed.

S4cabriofox - 10/22/2006 2:41:05 PM

+1 Boost

No, Porsche owns 25% of the VW.

And lexusis350- don't bash on VW's roots. Ferdinand Porsche himself created the original People's Car- before he even thought about starting Porsche.

lexusis350 - 10/22/2006 3:55:08 PM

+1 Boost

Volkswagen sucks and you know it. Their cars are medium quality, they break down all of the time, they're slow on safety technologies (they're just now starting to get into the safety thing), and they aren't a very good looking car. I'm surprised they're still in business.

Matthew1 - 10/21/2006 8:08:00 PM

+1 Boost

Porsche isn't owned by Volkswagen.

lexusis350 - 10/22/2006 3:55:59 PM

+1 Boost

You're right. But what I was trying to get across was that they are the same company. They own parts of the other company if that makes sense.