Why this luxury SUV is still worth it years later

Over the past decade, the new car market has been flooded with a plethora of attractive luxury cars and SUVs from various brands. Consumers are accelerating their demand for more premium and more expensive models, but this has partly led to new car prices rising to astronomical levels, especially in the luxury segment. Conversely, this has also resulted in the very same cars being subjected to drastic levels of depreciation, especially if they are equipped with some form of electrification.

When new, the 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid in both SUV and coupe form was an expensive model, but considering its standard specs and incredible performance returns, it was well worth the asking price. Due to the aforementioned value retention, this five-year-old luxury performance PHEV SUV is still quite expensive, but still an absolute bargain, especially when compared to today’s new vehicleswhere it still outperforms by a wide margin.

The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid – Porsche’s hypercar-rival luxury SUV

When new in 2021, a base Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, with no options fitted, would have cost you $111,600. According to JD powerthe same model will cost you everywhere between $88,732 and $96,559with an average sales price of $91,865 in today’s used car market.

This is an impressive value retention rate that outperforms estimates from various publications and analyses. iSeeCars suggests this model will lose $41,917 or 49.5 percent of its value over the next five years and 60,000 miles, which is about five percent better than some of its main rivals.

Edmunds indicates that this same model will cost you a total of $122,260 to own over five years and 60,000 miles, which includes $46,114 for depreciation, $9,607 for maintenance, $13,281 for repairs, and $22,200 for fuel. According to RepairPalannual maintenance costs for a 2021 Porsche Cayenne are approximately $1,231. AutoEdge estimates a higher 10-year average of $2,055 per year. Kelley Blue Book does not provide a single annual figure, but suggests budgeting between $2,300 and $5,000 annually for maintenance and repairs.

Reasonable reliability for a performance model

The 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is a mechanically technical SUV, so reliability and maintenance will be intensive, especially if you regularly use the powertrain’s full potential. iSeeCars suggests this model will benefit from an average lifespan of 11.9 years or 123,646 miles with a 7.6 percent chance of reaching 200,000 miles.

JD powerThe assessment covers the entire Cayenne range, with a score of 81/100 for quality and reliability, 85/100 for the driving experience, 75/100 for resaleand 93/100 for the dealer experience, bringing the consumer-verified overall score to 83/100. iSeeCars backs this up with an overall score of 8.0/10, including 8.2/10 for reliability and 7.8/10 for retained value.

A high-quality performance interior

The interior of the 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid perfectly combines its high-performance DNA with refined comfort. Standard equipment includes 18-way adjustable Sports Seats Plus, with memory settings and integrated headrests, in addition to a heated multifunction steering wheel and dual-zone climate control and an additional air conditioning system that allows remote pre-cooling. The glass cockpit design features a 12.3-inch Porsche Communication Management touchscreen, which offers online navigation, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless Apple CarPlay. If you’re an audiophile, you’ll appreciate the standard 14-speaker Bose Surround Sound system that delivers 710 watts of power. For convenience, the model features a power liftgate, panoramic sunroof and the Sport Chrono Package, which adds a dash-mounted analog stopwatch and steering wheel-mounted driving mode switches.

Like the 2026 modelthe customization potential was enormous, as Porsche offered an extensive list of expensive optional extras. For greater comfort, a common feature was the massage function for the front seats, which cost $2,000, while seat ventilation for both front and rear would have added $1,700 to the total cost. The standard audio could be swapped for the top-of-the-line Burmester 3D High-End Surround Sound System, which cost a whopping $5,810 in 2021.

For rear passengers, the Porsche Rear Seat Entertainment system, consisting of dual high-resolution 10-inch displays, was available for $1,920. The interior aesthetics could be further enhanced with the variant interior stitching package, starting at around $5,010, or specialized finishes such as Anthracite Chestnut with Aluminum Inlays for $1,460. Technology-focused extras included the head-up display for $1,720 and the night vision infrared camera for $2,420. This displays thermal images of pedestrians or animals directly on the instrument panel. Even smaller details brought premium prices, such as the smartphone compartment with wireless charging for $690 and keyless entry for convenient access for $890.

Porsche’s ultra-technical PHEV system

The 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid features a advanced plug-in hybrid powertrain centered around the Volkswagen Group’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine, supplemented by a single 100 kW permanent magnet synchronous electric motor. This combination produces 670 hp and 663 Nm of torque, which is sent to an all-wheel drive system via an eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission.

Despite a hefty curb weight of 5,600 pounds, the electrified assist delivers a 0 to 60 mph time of just 3.6 seconds before reaching a top speed of 186 mph. In terms of straight-line dominance, it typically covers the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds.

Porsche’s incredible attention to detail

The powertrain of the 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is an engineering marvel. using a parallel, fully hybrid architecture. The V-8 engine is made of high-strength aluminum alloy and features a hot-V design, with the twin-scroll turbochargers positioned between the cylinder banks to shorten exhaust paths, resulting in near-instant throttle response but riskier heat dissipation. Separately, the engine produces 541 hp, thanks in part to direct gasoline injection and a specialized thermal management system with a pot water pump for optimal cooling.

Porsche places the engine between the engine and the transmission. This delivers 134 hp via an electromagnetically operated release clutch that allows the SUV to switch seamlessly between pure electric and combined driving. Porsche also strengthens the Tiptronic S transmission to handle the higher torque, while it also includes an integrated oil cooler and the active Porsche Traction Management all-wheel drive system, with a map-controlled multi-plate clutch to vary the power distribution between the front and rear axles to optimize grip and acceleration levels.

Supercar-level fuel economy estimates

The 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid may have electrification, but it is anything but economical. According to EPA estimates, the model uses 42 MPG when using electricity and gasoline, 82 kWh per 100 miles when using the electric system, and just 18 MPG when the V-8 is running separately. The compact battery can drive the SUV up to 22 kilometers on its own, while the petrol system can squeeze a range of 600 kilometers from the 19.8 liter petrol tank.

This means you can expect to spend $5,500 more on fuel compared to the average new vehicle sold in the US today, as well as $2,700 on gasoline and electricity per year, $4.01 to charge the battery, $5.40 to drive 25 miles using only gasoline, and $77 to fill the tank.

Sources: Edmunds, AutoEdge, iSeeCars, RepairPal, Kelley Blue Bookand the EPA