Compare the2025 Mercedes G-ClassVS 2024 Porsche Cayenne

The G-Class’ 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 G-Class 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 G-Class’ 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 G-Class 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, 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

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 G-Class’ warranty.

The G-Class has more powerful engines than the Cayenne:

As tested in Motor Trend the AMG G 63 4.0 turbo V8 is faster than the Cayenne S 4.0 turbo V8:

The G 580 can travel with zero emissions for 239 miles. The Cayenne can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the G-Class AMG 63’s fuel efficiency. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The G-Class has 7.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cayenne S E-Hybrid/Turbo E-Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (26.4 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The G-Class has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cayenne’s standard fuel tank (26.4 vs. 23.7 gallons).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Mercedes G-Class at emission levels ranging from “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) to “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 G-Class, 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 G-Class 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.

For better traction, the G-Class has larger standard tires than the Cayenne (265/60R18 vs. 255/55R20). The G-Class’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cayenne (295/40R22 vs. 285/45R21).

The G-Class has a standard full size spare (not available on 580) so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Cayenne; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The G-Class’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (53% to 47%) than the Cayenne’s (56% to 44%). This gives the G-Class more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the G-Class has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne E-Hybrid (9.5 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the G-Class to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The G 580’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid (9.8 vs. 9.5 inches).

The G 550 is 12 inches shorter than the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, making the G-Class easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The G-Class has 2.9 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more rear headroom and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cayenne.

The G-Class has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cayenne with its rear seat up (34.8 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The G-Class has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cayenne with its rear seat folded (68.6 vs. 60.3 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the G-Class easier. The G-Class’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.3 inches, while the Cayenne’s liftover is 31 inches.

While the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid can only tow 6613, any G-Class can tow a minimum of 7000 pounds.

The G-Class 580 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 G-Class can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Cayenne can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The G-Class 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 G-Class’ power window, 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.

The G-Class 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.