I'd like to give my $.02 here. As a long time and former Porsche Club of America member, I beg to differ about the Porsche Cayenne and perhaps about other Porsches.
My biggest gripe is the new Porsche interiors. They look awful. Their coordinated colors look straight out of the 1970's Ford catalog, with reflective dashboards, glitzy trim around the consoles and vents, coordinated door panels and steering wheels, etc. Nauseating.
Since the airbag models came out, Porsche has struggled to make a sporty looking steering wheel, finally coming out with a good looking one with the sport steering wheel option in 2005. Their normal one, something that looks like a shield from a cartoon version of transformer origin, is ugly as sin. They have been changing it ever since, with the current standard heavy looking thing at least with a round center but still without the safety oriented steering wheel controls standard on US BMW's. Even the currently optional "sport" steering wheel Porsche offers is gaudy, not to mention their awful wood rimmed ones!
Lets not talk about the ever-talked about and bragged about "most profitable car-maker" status Porsche enjoys, the way they treat dealers withholding inventory, how every Boxster comes in with unnecessary expensive cosmetic options etc. At the last PCA Parade, the company had the gall to parade a Carrera Targa that cost $150,000 - with $50,000 in cosmetic options!! That, for bragging rights?? Performance my eye, this is a boutique car!
Finally, the Cayenne has never been a looker. Not that I'm much of an X5 fan, but I understand the utility of an SUV. The PC looks like a beached whale and tries to imitate a 911 in looks. Sorry, but they should have made it look better than that. No doubt their "no diesel" pledge was stupid since diesel is a natural for a vehicle that otherwise could do the same thing as a sedan or wagon that have 1,000 lbs less with the diesel having more power and efficiency - they finally see the light.
Sorry, but the emperor has no clothes. BMW may not have it all, but they certainly have my vote. Mercedes looks a bit better to me than Porsche any day.
PL