Compare the2023 Porsche MacanVS 2023 Cadillac XT5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac XT5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Porsche Macan has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The XT5 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Macan has a standard Multi-collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The XT5 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Macan. But it costs extra on the XT5.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Macan’s standard Porsche Hill Control allows you to creep down safely. The XT5 doesn’t offer Porsche Hill Control.

Both the Macan and the XT5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The Macan’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the XT5’s (12 vs. 6 years).

The battery on the Macan is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Macan’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The XT5’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Cadillac is rated lower.

The Macan has more powerful engines than the XT5:

As tested in Car and Driver the Porsche Macan turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Cadillac XT5 V6:

On the EPA test cycle the Macan 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder gets better fuel mileage than the XT5 3.6 DOHC V6 AWD (19 city/25 hwy vs. 18 city/25 hwy).

The Macan offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The XT5 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Macan’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The XT5 doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Macan GTS’ brake rotors are larger than those on the XT5:

The Macan stops much shorter than the XT5:

For better traction, the Macan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XT5 (F:265/40R21 & R:295/35R21 vs. 235/65R18).

The Macan’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XT5’s standard 65 series tires. The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the XT5’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the XT5. The Macan’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the XT5.

The Macan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Macan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The XT5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Macan’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.7% to 44.3%) than the XT5’s (58.2% to 41.8%). This gives the Macan more stable handling and braking.

The Macan S handles at .93 G’s, while the XT5 AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Macan has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XT5 (7.9 vs. 7.8 inches), allowing the Macan to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Macan’s minimum ground clearance is 1.1 inches higher than on the XT5 (8.9 vs. 7.8 inches).

The Macan is 3.5 inches shorter than the XT5, making the Macan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Macan’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT5’s (4409 vs. 1000 pounds).

The engine in the Macan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the XT5. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport, the Macan offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Macan’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The XT5’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The Macan has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The XT5 doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Macan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The XT5’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The XT5’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Macan’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Macan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XT5 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Insurance will cost less for the Macan owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Macan with a number “5” insurance rate while the XT5 is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

The Macan will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Macan will retain 56.76% to 58.19% of its original price after five years, while the XT5 only retains 42.02% to 43.14%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Macan is less expensive to operate than the XT5 because it costs $173 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Macan than the XT5, including $15 less for a water pump and $1 less for fuel injection.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Porsche Macan and the Cadillac XT5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Macan was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 4 years. The XT5 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.