Compare the2024 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain WagonVS 2024 Porsche Cayenne

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

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon and the Cayenne have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available lane departure warning systems.

There are almost 2 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s warranty.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 27 more horsepower (375 vs. 348) and 1 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 368) than the Cayenne’s standard 3.0 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon gets better mileage than the Cayenne running its gasoline engine:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Porsche Cayenne is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for 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-Class All-Terrain Wagon has standard Brake Assist 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-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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.

The front and rear suspension of the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Cayenne (116.6 inches vs. 114 inches).

For better maneuverability, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid’s (39.4 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Cayenne’s (39.4 feet vs. 40 feet).

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is 7.5 inches shorter in height than the Cayenne, making the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The design of the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon amounts to more than styling. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .28 Cd. 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-Class All-Terrain Wagon get better fuel mileage.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has .4 inches more front legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cayenne.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cayenne with its rear seat up (33.1 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cayenne with its rear seat folded (64.6 vs. 60.3 cubic feet).

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s cargo area is larger than the Cayenne’s in every dimension:

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cayenne doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has standard extendable sun visors. The Cayenne doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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.

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Porsche Cayenne isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or sedan.