Cayenne Base Vs. BMW X5
The ICE version will apparently be sold along side the new electric for undetermined time, but remain on the old (dated) platform with little attention to upgrading. 10K difference is not insignificant. Cayenne has significantly better exterior styling, slightly better handling, better interior quality, better resale (5 yr est. @ 55% vs. 36 mos. "free" maintenance. Both drive significantly better than their predecessors, have current electronics, feel very solid & rattle-free (unlike the models they replaced), and the ZF 8-speed used in both feel very close to my PDK. Performance (accelleration) essentially identical according to C&D, MT. The B58 inline in the X5 is a sweet engine, as is the 3.0T in the Porsche. So what have I missed? I compared both the X5 and the Cayenne and the Range Rover Sport. I drove both the 40i and the 50i back to back. My impressions on the X5 was I thought it was very comfortable the seating and thought the tech was very cool as well! X5 is def heaver than the Porsche so more to push around. What swayed me back to the Cayenne was the handling!
I felt the X5 was floating to much over bumps and road imperfections also because I really pushed it hard at one point and thought it just didn't feel as stable and planted as did the Cayenne. Then I changed my opinion and decided I was going to get the new Mercedes GLE with the new inline 6 but now the outside was kinda boring for me. The Cayenne was an old desire I had but the problem was always the price, but then I thought "why not now"? For me Porsche is on another quality level when comparing to BMW and Mercedes. I was going to buy the base Cayenne but I wanted something a little different so I ordered the new E-Hybrid last month and it will arrive to me sometime in September. This is going to be my first Porsche. GTF I'm surprised that you found the Cayenne only "slightly better" handling.
I think the gap is meaningfully large between the two. GTF I'm surprised that you found the Cayenne only "slightly better" handling. I think the gap is meaningfully large between the two. I would drive most of the time. 17K difference. I gave my SA a build on Cayenne order w/offer at 7.5% discount. If the cash offer is acceptable and we can agree on Macan trade price, I'm in for the Cayenne. Wish it was available in Silver before I commit. First-time Porsche buyer here who went large and bought a Turbo. Had similar money-related thoughts as my wife zeroed in on this car, and this car only. My opinion is that you cannot rationally justify a Porsche. Period. The premium you pay to get that Stuttgart badge over competing Germans, much less even cheaper alternatives, is logically unjustifiable. If you want to accede to the left side of your brain, run 聴 do not walk 聴 away from the Porsche dealer. We drove all sorts of high-end cars, including various BMWs and Mercs, full-on M and AMG included.
But she kept coming back to the dynamics and feel of Porsche. Turns out that old tagline (聯Porsche: There is no substitute聰) is actually true, at least for car nuts like us. Cost me a damned lot of money. We drove the new X5 and new Cayenne. I agree that with non-spirited driving, the X5 is very nice, however there is a noticeable difference when driving more aggressively. My wife actually felt car sick when I put the X5 through an "imaginary" slalom due to the body roll but was fine when doing the same in the Cayenne. The Cayenne also felt faster even though the reported 0-60 is slightly slower than the X5 (although Porsche is known to underestimate performance specs on paper). A lot of great comments here. Period. End of story. That's not the concern, in my opinion, but the handling, relatively speaking of course. I believe the X5 to be a more comfortable ride, have better seats, better technology, and some really great tech. I am wanting a car that is fun(ner) to drive, and that is where the Porsche pulls away.