Compare the2023 Lincoln NavigatorVS 2023 Porsche Cayenne

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Navigator are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The middle row seatbelts optional on the Navigator Reserve/Black Label inflate when a collision is detected, helping to spread crash forces over a much larger area of the body and limiting head and neck movement. This can help prevent spinal and internal injuries. The Cayenne doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Navigator has standard Reverse Brake Assist 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 Navigator’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Cayenne.

The Navigator 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 Navigator’s standard Cross-Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Navigator’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 Navigator 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Navigator 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Porsche covers the Cayenne. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Cayenne ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Navigator’s warranty.

Reliability

The Navigator has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Porsche vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in initial quality. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, Porsche is rated below average.

Engine

The Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 105 more horsepower (440 vs. 335) and 178 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 332) than the Cayenne’s standard 3.0 turbo V6. The Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 6 more horsepower (440 vs. 434) and 105 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 405) than the Cayenne S’ standard 2.9 turbo V6. The Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 53 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 457) than the Cayenne GTS’ standard 4.0 turbo V8.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Lincoln Navigator is faster than the Porsche Cayenne turbo V6:

	Navigator	Cayenne
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	2.8 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	14.9 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Navigator
	RWD	3.5 turbo V6	17 city/23 hwy
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/22 hwy
Cayenne
	AWD	4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid	17 city/20 hwy
		GTS 4.0 turbo V8	15 city/19 hwy
		Turbo 4.0 turbo V8	14 city/19 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Navigator uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Cayenne requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Navigator has 3.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cayenne E-Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (23.6 vs. 19.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Navigator has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lincoln Navigator higher (6 out of 10) than the Porsche Cayenne (3 to 5). This means the Navigator produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cayenne every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Navigator, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Cayenne.

Brakes and Stopping

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Navigator 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.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Navigator has larger standard tires than the Cayenne (275/55R20 vs. 255/55R19).

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

The Lincoln Navigator’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Porsche Cayenne only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

The Navigator’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Cayenne doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Navigator’s wheelbase is 8.5 inches longer than on the Cayenne (122.5 inches vs. 114 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Navigator is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cayenne.

The Navigator’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49.2% to 50.8%) than the Cayenne’s (53.6% to 46.4%). This gives the Navigator more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Navigator has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne (9.6 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Navigator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Navigator uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Cayenne doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Navigator Black Label 4WD is quieter than the Cayenne (72 vs. 74 dB).

Passenger Space

The Navigator offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Cayenne can only carry 5.

The Navigator has 2.8 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more front legroom, 6.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom and 8.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cayenne.

Cargo Capacity

The Navigator’s cargo area provides more volume than the Cayenne.

	Navigator	Cayenne
Third Seat Folded	57.5 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	27.2 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	103.3 cubic feet	60.3 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Navigator easier. The Navigator’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Cayenne’s liftover is 31 inches.

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

	Navigator	Cayenne
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	24”/48”/86.8”	n.a./39.6”/74.9”
Max Width	51.5”	42”
Min Width	51”	42”
Height	37”	30.4”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Navigator’s second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cayenne doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The Navigator’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Cayenne’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Porsche Cayenne is limited to 7700 pounds. The Navigator offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Navigator 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Navigator can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Cayenne can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Navigator 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 Navigator’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and 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 Navigator 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 also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Cayenne can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Navigator’s exterior PIN entry system. The Cayenne doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Porsche Connect can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Navigator has a standard rear variable intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Cayenne only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Navigator’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Cayenne’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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

The Navigator 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.

Both the Navigator and the Cayenne offer optional massaging front seats. The Navigator also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging rear seats aren’t available in the Cayenne.

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

The Navigator has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Navigator is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Navigator owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Navigator will cost $205 less than the Cayenne over a five-year period.

Recommendations

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Navigator as the 2018 North American Truck of the Year. The Cayenne has never been chosen.