Compare the2025 Porsche CayenneVS 2024 Acura ZDX

The Cayenne’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The ZDX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Cayenne has a standard Multi-collision Brake System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The ZDX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Cayenne. But it costs extra on the ZDX.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Cayenne helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The ZDX doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Cayenne’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 ZDX doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Cayenne and the ZDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Cayenne’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the ZDX’s (12 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cayenne second among upper midsize premium suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The ZDX isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Acura is rated below average.

The Cayenne has more powerful engines than the ZDX:

As tested in Motor Trend the Cayenne E-Hybrid 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid is faster than the ZDX A-Spec AWD electric motors:

The Cayenne has a standard locking fuel door and a locking charge port which lock and unlock with the power locks. The ZDX doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and a locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

For better stopping power the Cayenne’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the ZDX:

The Cayenne offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The ZDX doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Cayenne Turbo has standard air brakes, which adjust the spoiler automatically during high-speed braking in order to shorten stopping distances. The ZDX doesn’t offer air brakes.

The Cayenne stops much shorter than the ZDX:

For better traction, the Cayenne’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ZDX (F:285/45R21 & R:315/40R21 vs. 275/40R22).

The Cayenne’s standard 295/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ZDX A-Spec’s standard 50 series tires. The Cayenne’s optional 315/35R22 rear tires have a lower 35 series profile than the ZDX Type S’ 40 series tires.

The Cayenne Base/S has a standard space-saver spare (not available on E-Hybrid) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the ZDX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Cayenne offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The ZDX doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Cayenne offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Acura doesn’t offer an active suspension on the ZDX.

The Cayenne has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The ZDX doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Cayenne handles at 1.02 G’s, while the ZDX Type S pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Cayenne S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.7 seconds quicker than the ZDX A-Spec 4x4 (23.6 seconds @ .83 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .71 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Cayenne E-Hybrid has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the ZDX (8.2 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Cayenne to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid’s minimum ground clearance is 2.5 inches higher than on the ZDX (9.5 vs. 7 inches).

The Porsche Cayenne may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 750 pounds less than the Acura ZDX.

The Cayenne is 3.6 inches shorter than the ZDX, making the Cayenne easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Cayenne uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ZDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Cayenne has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom and .9 inches more rear legroom than the ZDX.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Cayenne. The ZDX doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Cayenne’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the ZDX’s (7716 vs. 3500 pounds).

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Cayenne to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and vehicle inspections based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Acura doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the ZDX.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Acura. J.D. Power ranks Porsche second in service department satisfaction. With a 24% lower rating, Acura is ranked 9th.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Cayenne to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The ZDX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Cayenne offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The ZDX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Cayenne offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The ZDX doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Cayenne also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Cayenne has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The ZDX doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The Cayenne’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The ZDX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Cayenne’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The ZDX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Cayenne offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the ZDX.

The Cayenne’s Active Parking Assistance can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote ParkAssist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The ZDX Type S’ automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Porsche Cayenne, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Porsche Cayenne outsold the Acura ZDX by almost four to one during 2024.