Compare the2023 Porsche Cayenne CoupeVS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Payload and Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Porsche Cayenne Coupe 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 Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer knee airbags.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Cayenne Coupe. But it costs extra on the Atlas Cross Sport.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Cayenne Coupe 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 Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Cayenne Coupe and the Atlas Cross Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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.

Warranty

The Cayenne Coupe’s corrosion warranty is 5 years and unlimited miles longer than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (12/unlimited vs. 7/100,000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 30 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Porsche higher than Volkswagen.

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 Volkswagen 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, Volkswagen is rated below average.

Engine

The Cayenne Coupe has more powerful engines than the Atlas Cross Sport:

	Horsepower	Torque
Cayenne Coupe 3.0 turbo V6	335 HP	332 lbs.-ft.
Cayenne S Coupe 2.9 turbo V6	434 HP	405 lbs.-ft.
Cayenne GTS Coupe 4.0 turbo V8	453 HP	457 lbs.-ft.
Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid	455 HP	516 lbs.-ft.
Cayenne Turbo Coupe 4.0 turbo V8	541 HP	567 lbs.-ft.
Cayenne Turbo GT 4.0 turbo V8	631 HP	626 lbs.-ft.
Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid	670 HP	663 lbs.-ft.
Atlas Cross Sport 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	235 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
Atlas Cross Sport 3.6 DOHC V6	276 HP	266 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cayenne Turbo Coupe 4.0 turbo V8 is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport V6:

	Cayenne Coupe	Atlas Cross Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	3.2 sec	7.9 sec
Quarter Mile	11.7 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	116.8 MPH	87.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Cayenne Coupe running on electricity gets better mileage than the Atlas Cross Sport:

			MPGe
Cayenne Coupe
	AWD	E-Hybrid Coupe Electric Motor	45 city/48 hwy
		Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe Electric Motor	40 city/44 hwy
Atlas Cross Sport
			MPG
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/25 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy

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

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

The Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 1.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Atlas Cross Sport (19.8 vs. 18.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Cayenne Coupe’s standard fuel tank has 5.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Atlas Cross Sport (23.7 vs. 18.6 gallons).

Transmission

The Cayenne Coupe’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 Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Cayenne Coupe’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Atlas Cross Sport:

	Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe	Cayenne Coupe CCB	Atlas Cross Sport
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	17.3 inches	13.2 inches
Rear Rotors	14.1 inches	16.1 inches	12.2 inches

The Cayenne Coupe 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 Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

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

The Cayenne Coupe stops much shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport:

	Cayenne Coupe	Atlas Cross Sport
60 to 0 MPH	100 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Cayenne Coupe has larger standard tires than the Atlas Cross Sport (F:275/45R20 & R:305/40R20 vs. 245/60R18). The Cayenne Coupe’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Atlas Cross Sport (F:285/40R21 & R:315/35R21 vs. 265/45R21).

The Cayenne Coupe’s standard 275/45R20 front and 305/40R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Atlas Cross Sport SE’s standard 60 series tires. The Cayenne Coupe’s optional 285/35R22 front and 315/30R22 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cayenne Coupe has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Atlas Cross Sport SE. The Cayenne Coupe’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line.

Suspension and Handling

The Cayenne Coupe has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Atlas Cross Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Cayenne Coupe 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 Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Cayenne Coupe offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Volkswagen doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Atlas Cross Sport.

The Cayenne Coupe has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Atlas Cross Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Cayenne Coupe has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Cayenne Turbo Coupe handles at .98 G’s, while the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Cayenne Turbo Coupe executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.7 seconds quicker than the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion (24.1 seconds @ .82 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Cayenne Coupe w/Rear Wheel Steering’s turning circle is 5.4 feet tighter than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (35.1 feet vs. 40.5 feet). The Cayenne Coupe’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (39.8 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Cayenne Coupe has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas Cross Sport 2.0T (8.2 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the Cayenne Coupe to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Cayenne Coupe Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 2.1 inches higher than on the Atlas Cross Sport V6 (9.6 vs. 7.5 inches).

Chassis

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

Payload and Towing

The Cayenne Coupe’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (7700 vs. 2000 pounds).

Standard trailer sway control on the Cayenne Coupe uses the Porsche Stability Management sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Cayenne Coupe has a higher standard payload capacity than the Atlas Cross Sport (1150 vs. 1091 lbs.).

The Cayenne Coupe has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Atlas Cross Sport (1499 vs. 1091 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

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

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 46% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Atlas Cross Sport SEL, the Cayenne Coupe offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Cayenne Coupe’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Cayenne Coupe’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 Atlas Cross Sport does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Cayenne Coupe offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 Coupe offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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

The Cayenne Coupe’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Atlas Cross Sport has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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

The Cayenne Coupe has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Atlas Cross Sport.

The Cayenne Coupe’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 Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Porsche Cayenne Coupe and the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cayenne Coupe third among upper midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Atlas Cross Sport isn’t in the top three.

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