Compare the2023 BMW iXVS 2023 Porsche Cayenne

The iX’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 iX and Cayenne have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The iX 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The iX has a standard Active Park Distance Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Cayenne doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The iX’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 iX 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Cayenne’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the iX’s standard Cross Traffic Warning with braking function uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and automatically engage the brakes. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The iX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the iX and the Cayenne have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and available around view monitors.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the iX for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Porsche pays for maintenance for the Cayenne (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 80 percent more BMW dealers than there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the iX’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Porsche vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Porsche is rated below average.

The iX has more powerful engines than the Cayenne:

As tested in Motor Trend the iX xDrive50 is faster than the Porsche Cayenne turbo V6:

On the EPA test cycle the iX gets better mileage than the Cayenne running on electricity:

On the EPA test cycle the iX gets better mileage than the Cayenne running its gasoline engine:

The iX 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 BMW iX higher (10 out of 10) than the Porsche Cayenne (3 to 5). This means the iX produces up to 36.3 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cayenne every 15,000 miles.

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The iX has a standard Brake Assistant 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.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 4.1 inches longer than on the Cayenne (118.1 inches vs. 114 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cayenne.

The iX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (48.2% to 51.8%) than the Cayenne’s (53.6% to 46.4%). This gives the iX more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the iX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne (8.8 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The design of the BMW iX amounts to more than styling. The iX offers aerodynamic coefficients of drag from .25 to .26 Cd (depending on bodystyle and options). That is significantly lower than the Cayenne (.3 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the iX get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the iX M60 is quieter than the Cayenne:

The iX has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cayenne.

The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cayenne with its rear seat up (35.5 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cayenne with its rear seat folded (77.9 vs. 60.3 cubic feet).

The iX’s cargo area is larger than the Cayenne’s in every dimension:

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the iX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cayenne doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The iX 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 iX’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, 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 iX 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.

The iX’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Cayenne’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Laser headlights, optional on the iX, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Cayenne’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

The iX 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW iX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Cayenne.