Compare the2023 Audi e-tron SportbackVS 2023 Porsche Cayenne

The e-tron Sportback’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Cayenne doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the e-tron Sportback and Cayenne have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The e-tron Sportback has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Cayenne’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The e-tron Sportback’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Cayenne.

The e-tron Sportback has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Cayenne’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the e-tron Sportback’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the e-tron Sportback and the Cayenne have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available night vision systems and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the e-tron Sportback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 127 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cayenne has not been tested, yet.

There are over 56 percent more Audi dealers than there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the e-tron Sportback’s warranty.

The e-tron Sportback has more powerful engines than the Cayenne:

On the EPA test cycle the e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the Cayenne running on electricity:

On the EPA test cycle the e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the Cayenne running its gasoline engine:

The e-tron Sportback can travel longer on a full charge than the Cayenne on electricity, only, on a full charge:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi e-tron Sportback higher (10 out of 10) than the Porsche Cayenne (3 to 5). This means the e-tron Sportback produces up to 36.3 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cayenne every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the e-tron Sportback’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on 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 e-tron Sportback has a standard brake assist system 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.

The e-tron Sportback’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cayenne’s standard 55 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the Cayenne.

The front and rear suspension of the e-tron Sportback uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Cayenne, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The design of the Audi e-tron Sportback amounts to more than styling. The e-tron Sportback offers aerodynamic coefficients of drag from .28 to .31 Cd (depending on bodystyle and options). That is lower than the Cayenne (.3 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the e-tron Sportback get better fuel mileage.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the e-tron Sportback’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cayenne doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The e-tron Sportback has a standard 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 climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The e-tron Sportback’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Cayenne.

If the windows are left open on the e-tron Sportback the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower 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.

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

The e-tron Sportback has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Cayenne.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi e-tron Sportback will be $4615 to $59601 less than for the Porsche Cayenne.