German Car Zone

Hello, everyone, and Happy New Year:

I've never posted in this section, but I hope to become a regular in the near future. I currently have a garage full of Mercedes Benz, a marque I have grown to love, but, sadly, one of them is starting to be a problem. My parents, both in their 80's usually drive the GL450 Premier I got specifically for them two years ago, but as they get older, even with running boards, it's now proving to be a bit high to get into, especially for my mother, who will be 85 this month. Moreover, as my father ages, he needs to have a smaller, more maneuverable vehicle to avoid little "mishaps." To me, the Cayenne seems quite fit for this duty. Since our lease will be up this coming September, I've been running through the worthy options for vehicles for my parents that will also serve my occasional needs to pull my motorcycle trailer. The Mercedes ML is just as high as the GL and therefore out of the running. The new GLK is just plain ugly, so it too is out. The Audi Q7 is just too big. The Volvo is just, well, a Volvo, and I refuse to drive a Lexus or Infiniti. BMW's X5 and X6 are both out because they're too high and the X6 will prove impossible for my father to see out the back, leading to even more "mishaps." The X3 is out because all I've read about it says it's ride is noisy and harsh. Frankly, I've not liked the direction BMW has taken with its vehicles in the recent past and I don't care for their spartan interiors. (Their motorcycles are a different story, but that's for a different forum.) Both my parents seem to like the Cayenne and it's easy for them to get into and out of it , so it's the logical choice. Before making this switch, however, I do have some questions for all of you.

Our GL for the most part has been reliable, but it has had its share of problems. In your experience, has the Cayenne been a reliable vehicle, and if not, what have been your common problems? I didn't seem to find much by superficially searching the forum. What are the typical maintenance costs? Also, in terms of quietness and ride comfort, for those of you who have had the opportunity to compare, how does the Cayenne fare against the GL, keeping in mind the obvious differences. I'm pretty certain I'll be looking at the next gen Cayenne, even if I have to wait a little for it. The GL is great and I can certainly extend the lease for a few months, but I'd also like to know in general what's the lead time Porsche has on its ordered vehicles? I need to plan this properly so the down time is minimal. Are there any "must haves" on the options list? Sorry for the twenty questions.

Thanks in advance for your kind attention. I look forward to your replies.

As you describe it the Cayenne seems a good solution for your parents but since they have a problem getting in and out of SUVs perhaps you could consider an R class which is heavily discounted for the past year due to low sales.

As i have heard Cayenne for the past 2 model years (after the facelift) has been quite reliable , or at least much more reliable than before.

Sadly i can't answer most of your other questions cause i don't know details about equipment or maintainance costs ect.

Thank you, Yannis, for your reply. We had initially considered the R Class a while back, but we got the GL because the R was not capable of towing a trailer. Otherwise, it would have been a good compromise.