Compare the2023 Porsche CayenneVS 2023 Land Rover Defender

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Cayenne are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Land Rover Defender doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Porsche Cayenne 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 Defender doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Cayenne has a standard Multi-collision Brake System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Defender 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.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Cayenne helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Defender doesn’t offer a night vision system.

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

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Cayenne’s reliability 20 points higher than the Defender.

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 Land Rover 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, Land Rover is rated below average.

The Cayenne has more powerful engines than the Defender:

As tested in Car and Driver the Porsche Cayenne turbo V6 is faster than the Defender P400 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Cayenne running on electricity gets better mileage than the Defender 110/130:

On the EPA test cycle the Cayenne running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Defender 110/130:

The Cayenne can travel with zero emissions for 15 to 17 miles (dependent on model). The Defender can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Cayenne’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Defender doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Porsche Cayenne as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV). The Land Rover Defender is only certified to “Low Emissions Vehicle” (LEV) standards.

The Cayenne’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 Defender doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Cayenne’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Defender:

The Cayenne offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Defender doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Cayenne Turbo has standard air brakes, which adjust the spoiler automatically during high-speed braking in order to shorten stopping distances. The Defender doesn’t offer air brakes.

The Cayenne stops much shorter than the Defender:

For better traction and acceleration, the Cayenne has larger standard rear tires than the Defender (275/50R19 vs. 255/70R18). The Cayenne’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Defender (315/35R21 vs. 285/65R18).

The Cayenne’s standard 255/55R19 front and 275/50R19 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 Defender’s standard 70 series tires. The Cayenne’s optional 285/35R22 front and 315/30R22 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Defender’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cayenne has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Defender.

The Cayenne offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Defender doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Cayenne offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Land Rover doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Defender.

The Cayenne has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Cayenne’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 Defender doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Cayenne handles at .96 G’s, while the Defender 110 SE pulls only .70 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Cayenne Turbo executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 6.2 seconds quicker than the Defender 110 SE (23.9 seconds @ .83 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Cayenne w/Rear Wheel Steering’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Defender 90’s (35.1 feet vs. 37.1 feet). The Cayenne’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Defender 110/130’s (39.8 feet vs. 42.1 feet).

The Cayenne is 3.9 inches shorter than the Defender 110, making the Cayenne easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Cayenne is 11.9 inches shorter in height than the Defender, making the Cayenne much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

For excellent aerodynamics, the Cayenne has standard flush composite headlights. The Defender has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The front grille of the Cayenne uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Defender doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Cayenne is quieter than the Defender 110 SE:

The Cayenne has a much larger cargo volume than the Defender 110 with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 10.7 cubic feet).

The Cayenne’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Defender’s swing out door blocks loading from the driver’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Cayenne has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Defender doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Land Rover. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 64% lower rating, Land Rover is ranked 30th.

The Cayenne’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Defender does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Cayenne offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Defender doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Cayenne has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Defender doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The Cayenne’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Defender’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

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

The Cayenne has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Defender 110 Base doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

The Cayenne offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Defender.

The Cayenne’s optional Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Defender doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Cayenne will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Cayenne will retain 47.75% to 53.12% of its original price after five years, while the Defender only retains 43.98% to 45.77%.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Porsche Cayenne, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Land Rover Defender isn't recommended.