Compare the2023 Ford BroncoVS 2022 Porsche Cayenne

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Bronco 4-Door are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Bronco (except Base)’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Bronco and the Cayenne have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Bronco 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Porsche covers the Cayenne. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Cayenne ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 15 times as many Ford dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Bronco’s warranty.

The Bronco has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Porsche vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, Porsche is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Bronco 4-Door gets better mileage than the Cayenne running its gasoline engine:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Bronco uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Cayenne requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Bronco has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Bronco higher (5 to 6 out of 10) than the Porsche Cayenne (3 to 5). This means the Bronco produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cayenne every 15,000 miles.

The Bronco offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

A 10-speed automatic is available on the Ford Bronco, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Cayenne.

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Bronco has a standard Dynamic Brake Support to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

For better traction, the Bronco Raptor’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cayenne (37 x 12.5R17 vs. 285/40R21).

The Ford Bronco’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Porsche Cayenne only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Bronco has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Cayenne; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The Bronco’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Cayenne doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Bronco 4-Door’s wheelbase is 2.1 inches longer than on the Cayenne (116.1 inches vs. 114 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Bronco is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cayenne.

For greater off-road capability the Bronco 4-Door has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Bronco to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Ford Bronco may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 300 pounds less than the Porsche Cayenne.

The Bronco 4-Door is 4.3 inches shorter than the Cayenne, making the Bronco easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Bronco 4-Door has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cayenne with its rear seat up (38.3 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The Bronco 4-Door has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cayenne with its rear seat folded (77.6 vs. 60.3 cubic feet).

The Bronco 4-Door’s optional sliding cargo floor makes loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The Bronco’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the right swing out door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Cayenne’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Bronco can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Bronco can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Cayenne can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Bronco (except Base/Manual) offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

On a hot day the Bronco’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Cayenne can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Bronco’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Cayenne doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Porsche Connect can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Bronco’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Cayenne’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Bronco has standard extendable sun visors. The Cayenne doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Bronco (except Base) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Bronco owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Bronco will cost $1420 to $12685 less than the Cayenne over a five-year period.

The Bronco will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Bronco will retain 55.78% to 58.62% of its original price after five years, while the Cayenne only retains 47.75% to 53.12%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Bronco will be $34289 to $92956 less than for the Porsche Cayenne.

The Bronco was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” in 2022. The Cayenne has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Ford Bronco outsold the Porsche Cayenne by almost seven to one during the 2022 model year.