2016 Porsche Cayenne

The 2016 Porsche Cayenne's best value trim is the S. Starting at $74,800, the Cayenne S costs almost $16,000 more than the base model for which it swaps the base engine with a turbocharged V6. Though the base Cayenne is well-equipped, the S adds desired upgrades such as 19-inch wheels, speed-sensitive variable steering effort, a power-adjustable steering wheel, a sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, and driver memory settings, and mirror-mounted turn signals. 

Out of the four main packages on the Cayenne, we recommend opting for the Sport Package adds the Sport Chrono package, 14-way power front seats with driver memory settings, sport exhaust, air suspension, and adaptive dampers.

The 2016 Porsche Cayenne is available in a total of six trim levels and a plug-in hybrid model. the main difference between the Cayenne lineup corresponds to the engine under the hood: Base, Diesel, S, S E-Hybrid, GTS, Turbo, and Turbo S.

The base Cayenne models come standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, xenon headlights, LED taillights, water-repellent front side windows, a height-adjustable power liftgate, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a 10-speaker audio system with a 7-inch touch screen, and a navigation system, Bluetooth phone, and audio connectivity. All Cayenne models have a fuel-saving start/stop function. As far as safety features are concerned, there are six airbags, a full suite of electronic stability aids, and roadside assistance as a part of the warranty package.

The Cayenne's options list include four main packages. Though many of these features come standard on upper trim levels or included in these packages, you can order them as stand-alone options.

• Infotainment package - Available on all but the Turbo and Turbo S. This package adds the Bose stereo, satellite radio, and integrated "online services".
• Sport package - Available on the base, Diesel, S, S E-Hybrid, and Turbo models, it adds the Sport Chrono package, 14-way power front seats with driver memory settings, sport exhaust, air suspension, and adaptive dampers.
• Premium Package - Available on all trims except Turbo S, this package adds interior and exterior amenities such as Power Steering Plus extended LED accent lighting, adaptive xenon headlights, auto-dimming mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, and 14-way power heated and ventilated front seats with memory functions. 
• Premium Package Plus - It adds adaptive LED headlights, keyless entry and ignition, heated rear seats, power rear window sunshades, and a blind-spot monitor to the Premium package.

The EPA estimates the fuel economy of the base 2016 Cayenne to be 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway and 21 mpg combined. The ratings are commendable for the power and performance on offer. The Porsche gets a sizable 26 gallons of gas tank capacity which offers an impressive driving range of around 633 miles on the highway.

However, the most-efficient Cayenne is the diesel model, which offers a fuel economy of 23 mpg combined (20/29). With a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 + electric motor, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid delivers EPA estimated 22 mpg combined, 47 MPGe in pure electric mode. It's no slouch either and goes from 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds.

The 2016 Cayenne GTS returns 16/23 mpg while the most powerful Cayenne model, theTurbo S is rated at 14/21 mpg. The BMW X6 has marginally lower gas mileage ratings than the Cayenne. The Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 takes the third spot here, and its fuel economy ratings do disappoint considering the performance it has on tap. 

The 2016 Cayenne's cabin is instantly recognizable with Porsche's interior design aesthetic supported by fine quality materials including leather, wood, faux suede, or carbon fiber. There is a common three-spoke steering wheel design along with buttons and controls mounted on either side of the wheel. With a cockpit-style interior layout, the Cayenne takes care of front- and rear passengers alike. However, the center console houses more than 50 buttons, switches, and knobs which can be confusing. Also, the 7-inch touchscreen feels dated as compared to newer rivals.

The standard eight-way powered seats are comfortable enough for most people, however, the eighteen-way powered seats are available for those who want their seating position to be precise to their liking. The rear reclining seats offer sliding features to create extra cargo space.

Behind the second row, the Cayenne has 23.6 cubic feet of luggage capacity, which is average for a midsize crossover SUV. On folding the rear seatbacks, you get a respectable maximum cargo volume of 62.9 cubic feet. The Turbo drops this maximum space to 60.2 in total. Also, the air suspensions lower the cargo's liftover height by a few inches.

The BMW X6 has a luxurious and tech-rich cabin like the Cayenne, but it is quite impractical owing to the cramped rear seats. The Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 has an impressively spacious cabin here with a generous amount of headroom and legroom for all the passengers. The Land Rover LR4 has the most spacious cabin here and has an extravagant amount of headroom on offer owing to its high roofline. Some interior features are:

• 40/20/40-split folding rear seatbacks
• 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and front co-passenger seat
• A power-adjustable steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Driver memory settings
• Carbon-fiber interior trim(optional)

How intuitive is the 2016 Porsche Cayenne’s infotainment unit?

The base 2016 Cayenne comes with a 7.0-inch touchscreen display with the PCM interface. It offers a majority of the infotainment and connectivity options along with fluid and user-friendly interface. Some of the features on offer with the higher trim levels are a 14-speaker Bose surround-sound system, satellite radio, and HD radio among other features. Some infotainment features are:

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Bluetooth
• Navigation
• Rear-seat entertainment system
• A Burmester or Bose surround-sound stereo
• Satellite radio
• HD Radio 
• Smartphone integration system

From the exterior point of view, the 2016 Cayenne looks unmistakably Porsche - hinting at Cayenne's speed and performance focus. Porsche has not made too many styling changes to the Cayenne since its launch, still today the SUV offers a sleek and modern appearance. Design-wise, it has almost a coupe-like sloping front and rear design borrowed from the 911. The sloping rear roofline does, however, mean reduced headroom at the back.

The BMW X6 has the most practically inconvenient yet visually appealing design here with its sloping roofline at the rear. It also offers a decent ground clearance to take on some rugged terrains as well. The Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 has the most aggressive design here with its head-turning front-end design. 

Moreover, it is pretty easy to identify different Cayenne models, just by looking at the brakes. Black calipers on the Diesel model, silver for the Cayenne S and SE Hybrid, and red for the high-performance Turbo and GTS models. The Turbo S has yellow ceramic brakes as standard. The Turbo models have quad-exhaust pipes and a larger trapezoidal grille. Some exterior features are:

• Sun/Moonroof (Optional)
• Running Boards (Optional)
• Rear Spoiler
• Adaptive LED headlights
• Rear privacy glass
• Power-folding heated mirrors

The 2016 Porsche Cayenne has not been tested by any federal safety rating agencies including the IIHS and NHTSA. Porsche offers a wide range of safety techs and strong build quality offer absolute peace of mind. Standard safety features include antilock brakes, stability and traction control, front and rear side airbags, and full-length side curtain airbags as standard. Also, the "multi-collision brake system" is standard as well, which automatically slows down the vehicle to a crawl of 6 mph in case of an initial collision, to reduce further damage.

Few salient safety features include:

• 4-Wheel ABS
• Rear Door Child Safety Locks
• Daytime Running Lights
• Engine Immobilizer
• Front And Rear Head Airbags
• Stability Control
• Emergency Braking Assist
• Tire Pressure Monitoring
• Traction Control

2016 Porsche Cayenne vs 2016 BMW X6

The 2016 Porsche Cayenne makes its mark over the 2016 BMW X6 when it comes to luxury and comfort. The BMW emphasizes more on performance and ergonomics. The X6 takes the point with the athletic bodywork but the Porsche makes amends with better interiors and luxury.

The 2016 X6 comes across a shortage of utility, this works as an advantage for Porsche. With a plugin hybrid variant, the Porsche Cayenne offers more like a model line than compared to the BMW X6.

2016 Porsche Cayenne vs 2016 Mercedes Benz GLE-Class

The two German stalwarts draw a close comparison as luxury SUVs. However, it’s the Mercedes Benz GLE-Class that takes the first point with a tech-savvy luxury experience. When it comes to performance, it is the 2016 Porsche Cayenne that tops the 2016 Mercedes Benz GLE-class. Porsche also offers more variety to choose from with the plugin hybrid cayenne.

Mercedes lacks the hybrid powertrain variant and loses a point here. However, the Mercedes Benz compensates with signature Star aftermarket services rated better than Porsche aftermarket. Overall, the Mercedes Benz GLE-Class comes out on the top over the Porsche Cayenne as a luxury SUV by a fine margin.

The 2016 Porsche Cayenne has the performance to excite even the dullest of souls along with exquisite comfort and luxury to pamper the most spoiled of people. The SUV might not always make perfect sense, but it makes up for it by being extremely fun and luxurious to drive. Additionally, Porsche provides enough options and packages to customize the Cayenne precisely to one's liking and make it truly their own. It's one of the finer choices among SUVs, one that would suit the gentleman in you perfectly.