2013 Porsche Cayenne

The Cayenne base model with the preferred transmission choice can be opted according to the buyer’s preference. Since there is this one model on offer, it trickles down to the transmission choice and the addition of optional features. There are a lot of luxury, optional features, and packages on offer with the Cayenne.

A base 2013 Porsche Cayenne with a manual transmission has an original Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of just $48,850. Adding the 8-speed automatic transmission costs $3,000 more. The new Cayenne Diesel starts at $57,750 while the range-topping Porsche Turbo comes in around $108,750.

Buyers will be delighted to know that the price of a used Cayenne SUV retails at $32,700 for a base V6 model and ranges up to $54,500 for a Turbo model. Also, the resale value of the 2013 Cayenne is estimated to retain a major part of its actual value after 5-years of ownership.

Standard Features:

The base Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne Diesel, and Cayenne S Hybrid come standard with 18-inch wheels, automatic headlights, LED running lights, front and rear fog lamps, rear privacy glass, a power liftgate, automatic wipers, heated washer nozzles, heated mirrors, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power front seats with four-way lumbar adjustment and driver memory functions, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, leather upholstery, a 40/20/40 rear seat (slides, reclines, folds), Bluetooth phone connectivity and a 10-speaker sound system with a touchscreen display, CD player, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB audio interface.

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The V-6 powered Porsche Cayenne with the automatic gets an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined. It drops to 15/22/17 with the manual. The 2013 Cayenne has a larger fuel tank capacity - 26.4 gallons, which means that this luxury SUV can travel more than 500 miles in mixed driving conditions in a single fill.

The Cayenne Diesel is the most-efficient model with an excellent EPA-estimated fuel economy of 19/29/23. Moving up the trim ladder drops the gas mileage, a certain trade-off with high-performance spec. The 2013 Cayenne S gets similar fuel economy ratings as the V6 on 16/22/18. The GTS stands at 15/21/17. The Cayenne Turbo's EPA-estimated fuel economy is 15/22/17.

The most powerful Infiniti is as expected the least efficient model, but still outputs just a single figure lower efficiency than the Porsche. The BMW is the most efficient option followed by the Merc and the Porsche. However, considering the higher performance, FX37 is the best in the fuel efficiency department followed by the BMW X3. The Porsche comes with respectable efficiency figures but still is unimpressive.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne's interior carries over unchanged with a sophisticated cockpit-style layout. This 2-row SUV offers comfortable seating for five and has a luxurious cabin made up of extremely high-quality materials and elements. Hop on to the driver's seat, you will find handsome wood, crisp aluminum trim, and leather upholstery. The dashboard layout can be a little busy at first sight, as the center console houses more than 50 buttons. It may take a learning curve but the ergonomic layout is easy to access and use. Standard features are great including a large 7-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth, and a cooled glovebox. 

The 2013 Cayenne's cabin offers plenty of space in both the rows and the seats are adjustable. Both rows offer ample space with adequate head- and legroom. The rear seats can slide and recline to adjust the space for tall passengers. There is also an option to upgrade to 14-way adjustable sports seat upfront.  The Cayenne's cargo capacity trails many of its class rivals. Behind the rear seats, there are just 23.7 cubic feet of cargo space and 62.7 cubic feet with the seats folded.

All of these machines are luxurious and offer a premium interior. They all come with premium and high-quality elements and materials all around the cabin. The Merc, Bimmer, and the Porsche have spacious first and second-row seats while the Infiniti has a cramped second row. The Mercedes has the most cargo capacity which is significantly more than any of the others. The following are some of the most important interior features of the 2013 Porsche Cayenne-

• 8-Way Power Seats
• Black high-gloss interior package 
• Adaptive Sport Seats
• Seat/Steering Wheel Heating
• Seat Ventilation
• Four-Zone Climate Control 
• Privacy Glass

How intuitive is the 2013 Porsche Cayenne’s infotainment unit?

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne comes equipped with a Porsche Communication Management (PCM) with a navigation module. It consists of a large 7-inch touchscreen display in the center console along with a 10-speaker audio system. The available audio systems include a Bose Surround Sound System and a Burmester High-End Surround Sound System. The infotainment unit is responsive and easy to use.

The following are some of the most important infotainment features-

• Available Burmester High-End Surround Sound System
• Porsche Communication Management (PCM) with navigation module
• 6-disc changer
• Bluetooth Hands-Free Profile
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio receiver

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne is a part of the second-generation model spanning from 2011 to 2018. The Cayenne's dimensions put it in a midsize luxury SUV segment, with gleaming and impressive looks. The exterior design language depicts the typical Porsche attire borrowed from its sports examples like the 911. With muscular curves and a forward-leaning rear window, the Porsche Cayenne's sporting intentions are loud and clear. The rear end, however, looks pretty bizarre with the weird-looking taillamps. Overall the Cayenne is a superb-looking machine. 

The 2013 Cayenne offers a higher ground clearance compared to the competition, which can go up to 10.8 inches with the optional air suspension setup. Porsche has managed to effectively keep the weight of the base Cayenne down at 4,475 lbs. The standard wheels are 18-inches while you can upgrade to 19, 20, and 21-inch wheels but the ride can be stiffer. The high-performance models including the GTS and Turbo get a quad-tip tailpipe sports exhaust system.

Porsche Cayenne Spotting guide: Porsche's big brake calipers boast different colors specific to a Cayenne model. Black calipers are reserved for the base V6 and Diesel models, silver for Cayenne S or Cayenne S Hybrid, and red for both the high-performance GTS and Turbo models. The optional high-end ceramic brake sports a yellow-painted setup. 

The Cayenne looks the most luxurious while the BMW and the Infinity look sporty and aggressive. The Mercedes-Benz however, is the most traditional. It just looks large and too boxy. The Porsche and the BMW offer the most ground clearance. The BMW is the heaviest followed by the Merc while the Infiniti is the lightest. The following are some of the prominent exterior features of the 2013 Cayenne-

• 18-inch Cayenne alloy wheels
• Halogen Main Headlights
• Automatic Headlight Activation
• Panoramic Roof System
• Sports exhaust system with dual twin-tube tailpipes

The 2013 Cayenne is available with a set of highly advanced safety features such as a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and forward-collision warning with brake assist. Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crash-tested the 2013 Cayenne.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne comes standard with antilock brakes with enhanced brake assist and readiness, stability and traction control, driver knee airbag, front side airbags, and full-length side curtain airbags. The brakes in the Cayenne could be upgraded to Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) which offer more stopping power. The following are the most important safety features- 

• Downhill Assistance
• Porsche Traction Management (PTM)
• Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC)
• Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)
• Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus)
• Porsche Stability Management (PSM)
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Porsche Active Safe (PAS)

2013 Porsche Cayenne vs Mercedes-Benz ML350

The ML350, flaunting the tristar logo, gives the Porsche Cayenne a tough time in the segment. The ML350 has a slightly smaller V6 as compared to the Cayenne’s 3.6-liter V6 yet, the former makes slightly more power than the latter.

Coming to the interior and comfort, the ML350 is a clear winner in terms of cabin space, storage space, and boot capacity. Both the Cayenne and the ML350 return almost identical fuel economy numbers too. The Cayenne beats the Merc ML350 in terms of handling though.

2013 Porsche Cayenne vs BMW X5

The BMW X5 is, perhaps, one of the best luxury utility vehicles in its segment that never compromised on the practicality aspect. It gets a smaller inline-6 motor under its hood, an unconventional setup amidst the V6-dominated segment.

On the inside, the X5 might not feel as premium and sporty as the Cayenne but the overall layout of the interior along with the superb comfort levels offered by the seats are noteworthy. In terms of fuel economy, it is almost as good as the Cayenne but the latter’s athleticism remains unmatched.

2013 Porsche Cayenne vs Infiniti FX35

The Japanese carmaker has made the FX35 in a way so that it can match up with the Cayenne in one way or the other. The Infiniti FX35 outnumbers the Cayenne in terms of power output numbers and houses a slightly bigger 3.7-liter V6 too.

In terms of styling, it does better than the Cayenne as well while on the inside, it misses the posh feeling of the latter. Also, the fuel economy figures are marginally better on the Cayenne while the similar boot capacity of the FX35 makes it as practical as the former.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne is a good choice in the luxury midsize segment, highly rated for its luxurious interior, excellent handling, and a lot of high-tech feature options. Compared to its rivals, the Porsche Cayenne models are more expensive. The Mercedes ML350 4Matic offers much more space on the inside for a slightly higher price while the BMW is also a superb option and is lower priced than the Porsche. Still, the 2013 Cayenne is our top recommendation. The SUV is reliable and safe and offers unmatchable driving dynamics and a sumptuous interior. Buyers looking for the diesel model be cautious of Volkswagen’s emissions scandal that require modifications to meet EPA standards.