When it comes to luxury SUVs, there are no better vehicles in the market today than the all-new Porsche Cayenne and the BMW X5. Both SUVs have been drastically improved from their respective predecessors and today, we shall see which the better of the two is.
In terms of price, the entry level Cayenne retails at $48,850. This is $7,725 less expensive than the X5. Surprisingly, the Cayenne is also $3,975 cheaper than the average price of luxury mid-sized SUVs this year.
Under the hood, the Cayenne is powered by a 3.6L naturally aspirated gas V6 engine that drives on the AWD architecture. The motor is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that guarantees 300hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque. The Cayenne has a fuel consumption range of 15-22mpg, which is pretty impressive for a V6 mill.
Looking at the X5, the vehicle is powered by 3L turbocharged diesel inline-6 engine that also drives on the AWD architecture. The motor is paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Surprisingly, the smaller engine capacity offers a whopping 413 ft-lbs of torque and 255hp. Since the X5 runs on diesel, it managed to achieve a staggering fuel consumption range of 23-31mpg.
Of course, the Cayenne is still faster of the two as it has a top speed of 142mph. The X5 can only reach out to 130mph. Also, the Cayenne looks more elegant than the X5. The latter has that typical BMW styling, which made the vehicle look ferocious instead of luxurious.
In terms of handling, the Cayenne amazed us as it is able to take on corners like a sports car. The steering is super precise and responsive which offers a pleasant driving experience overall. As great as the X5 may be, it can’t match the Cayenne’s handling. The latter, is simply too smooth on the roads.
Judging from the stats above, we feel that the X5 is still the winner. It might not have the handling of a sports car but the fact that it is super fuel efficient and more powerful makes it the ideal luxury vehicle overall.
