Compare the2024 BMW X6VS 2024 Porsche Cayenne

The X6’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.

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 X6 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 X6 has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The X6’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 X6 and the Cayenne have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X6 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 76 percent more BMW dealers than there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the X6’s warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the X6 gets better mileage than the Cayenne running its gasoline engine:

The X6 has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cayenne S E-Hybrid/Turbo E-Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (21.9 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The X6 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 traction, the X6 has larger standard tires than the Cayenne (275/45R20 vs. 255/55R20).

The X6’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cayenne’s standard 55 series front tires. The X6’s optional 275/35R22 front and 315/30R22 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Cayenne’s optional 40 series front and 35 series rear tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the X6 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Cayenne doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X6’s wheelbase is 3.1 inches longer than on the Cayenne (117.1 inches vs. 114 inches).

The X6’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.6% to 49.4%) than the Cayenne’s (56% to 44%). This gives the X6 more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the X6 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne E-Hybrid (8.5 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the X6 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The X6 has .3 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front shoulder room and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cayenne.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the X6’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cayenne doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The X6 offers a 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 X6’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.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the X6 has standard extendable sun visors. The Cayenne doesn’t offer extendable visors.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the X6 second among upper midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Cayenne isn’t in the top three.