Just like the red pepper of the same name, sales of the Cayenne have been hot, especially in the United States where Americans can’t seem to satisfy their appetite for sport utility vehicles. I suppose Porsche figured, why not? After all, Americans are willing to pay inflated prices for Cadillac Escalades, Hummers, Lincoln Navigators, Mercedes-Benz and BMW SUVs. Why should Porsche sit on the sidelines watching?

So hot have sales been, Cayenne outsells all of the company’s sports cars put together, including the Boxster, the 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera 4 and Carrera GT. But Cayenne isn’t just another pretty face; for pure performance both on and off road, style and luxury, this Porsche is tough to beat.

Originally available with a choice of two V-8 powered models, Porsche debuted a V-6 model in 2004 at a much lower price and introduced the possibility of owning a Porsche to a larger group of buyers.

The Cayenne lineup is offered in four variants. We tested a 2004 Cayenne Tiptronic (billed as “entry level”) with a base price of $43,665 including destination charges, and modestly optioned with more than $11,000 in extras including designer wheels, moonroof, wood package and more. It’s rare that anyone buys any Porsche at the base price since all Porsches seem to have a long list of options.

With “entry level” and a few options putting the price north of $54,000, Cayennes remain expensive and out of reach for all but the most affluent of consumers. For 2005, the Cayenne comes with a six-speed manual transmission, which lowers the base price to $1800 below the Tiptronic (automatic) model. Two other Cayenne models are offered with Porsche’s 4.5-liter V-8 engine, the Cayenne S with 340-horsepower at $56,300 and Cayenne Turbo with a whopping 450-horsepower at $89,300.

The four models have a price spread from bottom to top of more than $50,000. A well-optioned Cayenne Turbo can easily top $100,000, removing it from all but a few shopping lists. However most buyers who can afford a Cayenne will be more than satisfied with the S model at about half that $100,000 price tag, and everything offered on the Turbo (other than the engine) can be had as an option on the base Cayenne.

Our Cayenne came equipped with a 3.2-liter V-6 producing 247-horsepower. This is the same base V-6 found in the Volkswagen Touareg and Audi TT. Porsche shared much of the development for Cayenne with Volkswagen in a joint development with the Touareg. Both Cayenne and Touareg bodies are built at the same Bratislava, Slovakia, manufacturing plant. Porsche is quick to point out that while both vehicles share a similar foundation, Cayenne is uniquely Porsche and not a Volkswagen. Both vehicles are produced on their own assembly lines.

While there are similar styling traits to the Touareg, particularly in size, Porsche has gone to great lengths to maintain its visual identity. The Cayenne’s family resemblance to the 911 is easy to see, especially in the headlight and grille work. The Turbo model is distinguished with larger grille openings for increased air flow to the turbochargers. Tail lamps are large and a carryover from the 911 and Boxster. More than one of my co-workers suggested that the Cayenne resembles a frog. Once mentioned, it’s easy to see the similarity, but I love the looks of the Cayenne.

Inside, the cabin is perhaps the best looking of any vehicle I’ve driven. Maybe it’s the Havana sand beige leather with the optional high-gloss light wood package and olive wood steering wheel. The look isn’t pure luxury, nor Spartan sports car. But the shape, feel, texture and overall design work so well together. Fit and finish are impeccable.

The thick steering wheel is outfitted with push button transmission controls that allow you to shift manually, in addition to audio and cruise control buttons. The front seats were one of the most comfortable and supportive I’ve encountered in any vehicle I’ve tested. While there is room for three in the back seat, it isn’t as roomy as an Escalade or Navigator. Rear cargo space is ample and Porsche does not offer third row seating.

The tailgate operates manually but it does “suck” shut once the catch is engaged. The rear seat is split 60/40 but if you want to fold the seats flat for more room, it requires a tonneau cargo cover and removing all three head rests.

With a permanent all-wheel-drive system, even the base Cayenne is a capable vehicle both on and off road. While I would expect few if any to take their Cayenne off road, I did and the results were beyond impressive. We drove the Cayenne off road at Willow Springs, California. Our course was a boulder-laden trail up and down the steepest grades. No sweat for the Cayenne, which easily out-performed the other test vehicles for the day, including the BMW X5, Lexus GX470, Jeep Grand Cherokee; it performed surprisingly on par with the Hummer H2. Cayenne even offers the optional Advanced Off-Road Package, which adds a rear differential and protective skid plates to protect the under body.

But on the road where most drivers will operate their Cayenne, handling is near perfect. Cornering is tight, especially for an SUV, and body lean is minimal. The ride might be a bit firm for some. Cabin noise at highway speeds is kept to a minimum. Visibility is good but rear headrests do block vision out the back.

Engine performance was disappointing, especially for Porsche, a company known for performance. I didn’t expect it to be a sports car but the V-6 seemed to work hard pushing around the 5,000-plus pound Cayenne. Most annoying, however, was a noticeable throttle lag when calling on the V-6 for extra power when passing. It seemed to take a couple of extra seconds for power to kick in. If you can afford it, I recommend the V-8 S model.

My only other gripes with the Cayenne are the automatic transmission, which frequently shifted too soon or not soon enough, and its dismal gas mileage. I averaged 14.2 mpg for my weeklong test drive.

For those that already own a 911, Cayenne seems the natural choice to park next to it in the garage. Until now, that space was left for Range Rover, Cadillac or Lincoln to fill. For those who can afford it you’re not likely to be disappointed with Cayenne. It is a Porsche in fit, finish, looks and, if you spend enough, performance. Safety features are what you would expect and it’s more than comfortable as a daily driver. For others I recommend the Touareg, which does just about everything the Cayenne does at about 60 percent of the price.

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