Compare the2025 Land Rover DefenderVS 2025 Porsche Cayenne

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Land Rover Defender have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Porsche Cayenne doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Land Rover Defender’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Porsche Cayenne does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Defender and the Cayenne have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

On the EPA test cycle the Defender 110/130 gets better mileage than the Cayenne running its gasoline engine:

The Defender has 5.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cayenne E-Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (23.8 vs. 18.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Defender has a standard full size spare tire 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Defender 110’s wheelbase is 5 inches longer than on the Cayenne (119 inches vs. 114 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Defender 90’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Cayenne’s (38 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Defender 90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne E-Hybrid (8.9 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Defender to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Defender 110 OCTA’s minimum ground clearance is 3.2 inches higher than on the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid (12.7 vs. 9.5 inches).

The Defender 130 offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Cayenne can only carry 5. The Defender 90 offers optional seating for 6.

The Defender 110’s cargo area provides more volume than the Cayenne.

The Defender 130’s cargo area provides more volume than the Cayenne.

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Porsche Cayenne is limited to 7716 pounds. The Defender offers up to a 8201 lbs. towing capacity.

The Defender has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Cayenne (1760 vs. 1415 lbs.).

The Defender has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Cayenne (1870 vs. 1601 lbs.).

The Defender 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 Defender’s power window, power lock 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 improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Defender has a standard rear fixed 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.

The Defender has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, 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.

Motor Trend selected the Defender as their 2021 Sport Utility of the Year. The Cayenne has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Defender as the 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Cayenne has never been chosen.

The Land Rover Defender outsold the Porsche Cayenne by 19% during 2024.