Compare the2023 Porsche CayenneVS 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V

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 Escalade-V 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 Escalade-V 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.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Cayenne uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Escalade-V uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Cayenne and the Escalade-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available night vision systems, 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 Escalade-V’s (12 vs. 6 years).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Cayenne have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade-V.

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 Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 10 lbs.-ft. more torque (663 vs. 653) than the Escalade-V’s 6.2 supercharged V8.

On the EPA test cycle the Cayenne running on electricity gets better mileage than the Escalade-V:

On the EPA test cycle the Cayenne running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Escalade-V:

The Cayenne can travel with zero emissions for 15 to 17 miles (dependent on model). The Escalade-V 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 Escalade-V doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Cayenne’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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

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 Escalade-V 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 Escalade-V doesn’t offer air brakes.

For better traction, the Cayenne’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escalade-V (F:285/40R21 & R:315/35R21 vs. 275/50R22).

The Cayenne’s optional 285/35R22 front and 315/30R22 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade-V’s 50 series tires.

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 Escalade-V 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. Cadillac doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Escalade-V.

The Cayenne handles at .96 G’s, while the Escalade-V pulls only .69 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Cayenne w/Rear Wheel Steering’s turning circle is 4.6 feet tighter than the Escalade-V’s (35.1 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The Cayenne’s turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the Escalade-V ESV’s (39.8 feet vs. 43.3 feet).

The Porsche Cayenne may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 1650 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade-V.

The Cayenne is 1 foot, 6.2 inches shorter than the Escalade-V, making the Cayenne easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Cayenne is 10.9 inches shorter in height than the Escalade-V, making the Cayenne much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Cayenne’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Escalade-V uses body-on-frame design instead.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Cayenne is quieter than the Escalade-V:

The Cayenne has a much larger cargo volume than the Escalade-V with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 25.5 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Cayenne easier. The Cayenne’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31 inches, while the Escalade-V’s liftover is 37 inches.

The Cayenne’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escalade-V’s (7700 vs. 7000 pounds).

The Cayenne has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Escalade-V (1657 vs. 1330 lbs.).

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Cayenne offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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 Escalade-V doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

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

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Cayenne’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

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 Escalade-V’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Porsche Cayenne, based on reliability, safety and performance.