You’d think a small sports coupe like the 2011 BMW 1 Series M would be a poor fit for installing a child-safety seat. Surprisingly, though, the seats weren’t all that difficult to install. To read more, check out MotherProof.com’s Car Seat Check series.
2011 BMW 1 Series M: Car Seat Check
2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid: Car Seat Check
If it’s not unbearably hot where you live, you may be shopping for a convertible. If a convertible has never appealed to you because it didn’t come in the form of an SUV, then you must listen to this podcast about Nissan’s all-new Murano CrossCabriolet. Editors Joe Bruzek, Bill Jackson and Joe Wiesenfelder discuss this unique entry as well as Hyundai’s two-door sport coupe and Porsche’s redesigned hybrid SUV.
The very notion of a Porsche SUV is preposterous, says Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder. Even so, the automaker made the unlikely body style feel like a genuine Porsche sports car; the automaker managed to do the same with the four-door Panamera, too. It's unfortunate then that Porsche couldn’t quite work its magic with the hybrid version of the Cayenne, Wiesenfelder says.
After a long day at the office, I rode the elevator to the roof of our parking garage, bag slung over my shoulder, my empty lunch bag on the other, and headed to a brand-new, sparkling white 2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid.
If anything was going to soothe me after the 9-to-5, it would be a commute home in the rich interior of this luxury SUV. It also has a really good stereo.
I pulled the key fob out of my pocket — no keyless entry on this $70K ride — and hit the unlock button.
Nothing happened. Hit it again. No luck.
Hey, my 2005 VW Passat takes a few times, too. It’s understandable I guess. Still no luck? The fob’s battery must be dead, right? Nope, the little red light in the key fob is flashing, and I can lock the car with the fob. No trunk, though, so climbing in isn't an option.
Time is passing, and this clearly isn’t going to open. I have to go old-school and use a manual key, which every keyless car has as a backup. But I was surprised at how far I would have to go to use it on the Cayenne.
Porsche Cayenne sales have increased sharply this year, spurring the automaker to increase production, according to Bloomberg.
In the interim, don’t be surprised if you have to wait for the Cayenne of your dreams. The latest-generation Cayenne went on sale last summer and has been a popular seller for the automaker. Sales of the Cayenne were up 103% in June and up 164% so far for 2011. It’s one of the fastest-selling vehicles on our Movers and Losers list for June. The luxury SUV takes just 15 days to move off of a dealer’s lot. The Cayenne made up almost 45% of Porsche's U.S. sales so far this year.
With such swift sales, it’s not surprising to find that the luxury SUV is in short supply. There are about 500 Cayennes and Cayenne Hybrids in dealer inventory as of July 1, according to Automotive News. That’s equivalent to a 14-day supply at the current sales rate. The car company says demand from other regions such as China means global production is stretched thin. The Cayenne is built in Germany and Slovakia and shares its platform with the Audi Q7 (another popular seller).
If you’re cross-shopping the Porsche against other popular German SUVs like the BMW X5 or Audi Q7, those models are also hard to come by. The Audi Q7 (12 days to move) and BMW X5 (11 days) are fast sellers.
Porsche Plans to Raise Cayenne Production After Sales of Vehicle Surge 37% (Bloomberg)
Every year, we determine which hybrids are the best for the money, based on body style. This year, we also take a look at the worst hybrids for the money.
What we mean by worst is this: hybrids that end up with a very low score after you divide the car’s combined EPA mileage estimate by its MSRP and multiply that number by 1,000. Our best finisher was the Honda Insight. Who was at the other end?
To be fair, many of the cars on this list are luxury cars, and you’re paying for that as much as you’re paying for the hybrid drivetrain. And some of these perform, percentage-wise, far better than their gas counterparts. (Take the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, for example.) And some shoppers, of course, want and/or need a large SUV but would like to make some kind of statement. Still, my 2003 Honda Pilot scores better (0.58) than all the cars on this list, and it’s not even a hybrid.
Here’s the bottom 10:
Porsche confirmed rumors today that it plans to produce an SUV smaller than its popular Cayenne, to be named Cajun. Spicy name aside, the Cajun will likely be derived from a Volkswagen product like the VW Tiguan or Audi Q5, just as the Cayenne shares a platform with the VW Touareg and Q7.
While the three companies have shared ties before, the German marquees are undergoing a new alignment with VW taking a majority of Porsche ownership. While Porsche gets SUV development from VW, it will return the favor with sports cars and sedans. We’d guess VW and Audi could use the Boxster and Panamera platforms.
What do you think? Does the world need a small Porsche SUV? Let us know in the comments.
For 2011, the Porsche Cayenne has been completely redesigned, which is the first time since it debuted in 2003. The SUV is now faster and more fuel efficient, a testimony to the new Cayenne’s 400 pounds of weight loss. The previous generation left out a lot of the Porsche-ness, according to senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder. Does the new Cayenne’s more agile nature make it a tried-and-true Porsche? Read the full review to find out.
2011|Porsche|Cayenne
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