Cayenne...

[MinisterofDOOM]

I guess it's really a "Crossover", as I've taken to limiting my (admittedly arbitrary) definition of SUV to body-on-frame vehicles.

Bingo. That's how I see it as well. The wagon/crossover divide is hazy, and there are a lot of cars I think of as both.

Not as simple as just lowering an EX either, it just doesn't look car-like.

I see where you're coming from, but don't entirely agree. The EX is definitely taller in body than the G. But it also doesn't scream "crossover" like, for instance, an MDX or even an X5. It is very carlike in its proportions. Slightly tall, but I would argue that it looks more like a car than a crossover. It's not even as crossovery (new word!) as its big brother, the FX. The nose is genuinely low. Most crossovers use some sort of bumper styling cue to sort of obfuscate the extra height, but the EX has nothing to hide in the first place. Yeah, it has a tall beltline overall, but so does the Taurus and ever other modern sedan.

I've seen lowered EXs, and in my eyes they reside firmly on the "carlike" side of the fence.

Park one next to a Lexus RX and it looks positively sportscarlike.

[Jesda]

LOL, crossovery

[Mr1der]

crossovary.

f*** those ungainly beasts...bring back wagons damnit!

<----needs to find a late 70's Malibu wagon.

[HashiriyaS14]

I've seen lowered EXs, and in my eyes they reside firmly on the "carlike" side of the fence.

Show me. Not doubting, but I've just never seen one.


At any rate, for the sake of reference (not just for MoD), here's how an A4 Wagon sits relative to an EX. It's not just the wheel gap, look at the ground clearance.

Also, I think I just dislike that EX C-Pillar. I like how the Audi and other wagons have real glass behind the rear door. The Audi's rear wheel starts right around the back of the rear doorhandle, whereas the EX rear wheel starts at the FRONT of the rear doorhandle. I dunno, looks "smushed", makes it seem more crossover-like.






I don't even particularly like Audis, I'm just using this one as an example of "Brand X Wagon". Here's the CTS wagon, and it's wheel/doorhandle proportions are much closer to the Audi's than to the EX. Not sure why this matters to me, but it changes the whole look of the vehicle. The 2 wagons look longer, lower, and more car-like.




Lexus RX comparison is moot, as I wouldn't touch one even if I was in a SARS disease suit....

[Mr1der]

CTS wagon wins.

I wonder if they're gonna make a V model...

[MinisterofDOOM]

CTS wagon wins.

I wonder if they're gonna make a V model...

Yep. It'll be a 2011 model, might be available before the end of the year. Honestly, though, I'd like to see GM offering LLT (3.6 V6) versions with the 6 speed manual before effing around with a V model. You can get the coupe or sedan with a manual or auto, but the wagon is mysteriously auto-only.

Show me. Not doubting, but I've just never seen one.

GIS fails me. Which is a rare occurance. I swear there's a NICO member with a lowered dark gray EX who has posted pics before, though...

It's not just the wheel gap, look at the ground clearance.

Also, I think I just dislike that EX C-Pillar. I like how the Audi and other wagons have real glass behind the rear door.

I definitely agree. I hate that trendy modern upside-down triangular c-pillar. On everything. Especially since I prefer my styling to be functional as well (which is probably why I'm a fan of 3-boxers and traditional wagons). I LOVE that the CTS wagon manages to make the sedan doors work with a little extra glass and still look like it was always supposed to be that way.

Here's the CTS wagon, and it's wheel/doorhandle proportions are much closer to the Audi's than to the EX. Not sure why this matters to me, but it changes the whole look of the vehicle. The 2 wagons look longer, lower, and more car-like.

Eh...that's not a car/crossover issue. It's simply a styling detail thing. Look at, for example, the first-gen CTS versus my LS. My car actually has a LONGER wheelbase, but the CTS has that Audi-style "avoiding the wheelarch" door shape, where my LS cuts the wheel arch into the door.

CTS


LS


The LS has a much longer rear-deck and overhang versus the CTS, but because of the wheelbase vs overall length the CTS ends up looking like the longer car. The LS is actually 4 inches longer.

I don't even particularly like Audis

I actually generally like Audi wagons, but the new A4 you chose as an example commits a wagon cardinal sin: steeply raked backlight. I prefer my wagons defiantly sqaure, like the CTS.

Lexus RX comparison is moot, as I wouldn't touch one even if I was in a SARS disease suit....

It's not moot, though. It's more relevant than anything. The RX is a crossover. The EX is a crossover. The RX represents the standard for crossovers: tall, stubby, and "square" in proportion. The EX defies that, being longer, lower, and more wedgelike in proportion.

[heliochrome85]

for 25k, the Sorrento is hard to beat. I had two friends with Cayennes, both were lemon law'd. One was a 127k Cayenne Turbo S that flooded its engine twice a week. It spent more time in the shop than in the garage. The other was a Cayenne S, where the steering pump failed right out of warranty. The rack and pump was well into the 4 figures to replace.

For my 25k, id go with a Sorrento, or a Santa Fe. For 30k id go with a GLK350. The problem with the FX and EX is that you cant fit more than a stroller in the back. I had an EX for 4 weeks when they first landed, while the dealer replaced my transmission. Fun but very very impractical.

In summation:
steer clear of a cayenne. just like youd steer clear of the New Jersey Housewives who drive them...

[sldewyz]

Wish we got the Steaga.

This.

[MinisterofDOOM]

for 25k, the Sorrento is hard to beat.

The 1st gen Sorento is a real body-on-frame SUV, not a crossover. Not really the same kind of car as the Cayenne, FX, Santa Fe, etc. 2nd gen Sorento went unibody.