2018 Porsche Cayenne

The 2018 Porsche Cayenne S trim is the best option to go for. It is pretty well balanced in terms of performance and fuel savings, and also has loads of creature comforts on the inside apart from the usable practical equipment. The optional equipment list is long, and we recommend the Sport Chrono package and the Porsche Connect Plus package.

The 2018 Porsche Cayenne lineup comprises six different trim levels: base, Platinum Edition, S, GTS, Turbo, and Turbo S. These trims mostly differ by engine size and horsepower training along with a few upgrades and options. 

The entry-level 2018 Cayenne carries a Manufactured suggested retail price of $60,600, excluding the $1,050 destination charge. The Platinum Edition bumps the price slightly and begins at around $66,700. The more powerful Cayenne S starts at just over $77,400. However, the three high-performance models are considerably expensive, the 440-horsepower Cayenne GTS costs $98,600, the 520-horsepower Cayenne Turbo at $118,100, and the fastest Cayenne - Turbo S is priced at $161,600.

• The base Cayenne comes equipped with a 300-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 engine, dual-zone climate control, power front seats, 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, Xenon headlights, and a 7-inch touchscreen.
• The Platinum edition comes with the base V6 and adds unique interior, and exterior features such as Alcantara leather seating inserts, heated front seats, a 14-speaker Bose premium audio system, 20-inch wheels, and front and rear parking sensors.
• The Porsche Cayenne S gets a 420-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 engine and additionally, standard equipment such as a sunroof are among the Cayenne S trim's extras. 
• The Porsche Cayenne GTS comes with a 440-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 and is equipped with a Sport Design package, an active air suspension system, Alcantara interior trim, and bigger 20-inch wheels.
• The Porsche Cayenne Turbo has a 520-horsepower 4.8-liter V8 while buying the Cayenne Turbo S' V8 will get you a thunderous exhaust note and 570 horsepower on tap.

According to EPA, the Porsche Cayenne's base engine delivers 18 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined. The 2018 Cayenne S manages 17 mpg in the city, and 24 mpg on the highway. These ratings are good in the luxury midsize SUV class. Every model comes with 26.4 gallons of fuel tank capacity, which allows a driving range of more than 600 miles on the highway. The 2018 Cayenne uses a Premium unleaded fuel type.

The least efficient car with a combined mileage of 19 mpg is the Range Rover thanks to its supercharger and more power output. The BMW X5 and the Q7 have the same mileage at 21 mpg combined, which is the best among these four. The Q7 is the most efficient in the city with its 19 mpg mileage, whereas the X5 and the Q7 are the most efficient on the highway with a mileage of 25 mpg.

The Range Rover has the most fuel capacity at 27 gallons and this gives it a range similar to the Cayenne. Despite being very fuel-efficient, the X5 and the Q7 do not provide the kind of range the Range Rover and the Cayenne provide. Most city range and highway range is on the Cayenne itself.

"The Porsche Cayenne is comfortable for a crowd, but it may not be as spacious as the size woud indicate ." - TheCarConnection

The 2018 Cayenne's interiors are like every other Porsche car: excellent in terms of build quality and luxury. Inside, the Cayenne boasts seamless panels with no gaps, soft-touch surfaces, and a variety of trim-finished surfaces. The materials in the cabin such as finely stitched leathers, sumptuous wood inlays, and metal accents are of high quality, and the overall fit and finish of the Cayenne's interiors are next to none.

Like all Porsche models, the Cayenne offers a full range of customization options with a variety of upholsteries and unique exterior colors. This also includes two-tone interior schemes with unique contrast stitching, colored seatbelts, and interior trim ranging from wood and metal to carbon fiber.

The five-seater Porsche Cayenne has a quiet interior, with no outside noises leaking into the cabin. There are a ton of front-seat designs on offer, and all these seats offer similar levels of cushioning and comfort. Even the bolstering and back support is excellent, which can make the Cayenne a great car for long journeys.

The rear seat comes with reclining and sliding functionality, and the 40/20/40 split function makes the rear a great comfortable place to sit for hours in. Rear passengers will also enjoy sliding and reclining the rear seats and a pair of LCD screens that are attached to the backs of the front-seat head restraints. Ingress and egress are easy, thanks to the car's wide and large doors, which are not very heavy to open or close. Visibility throughout the cabin is excellent, thanks to the large side windows and broad windshield. 

The 2018 Cayenne has a cargo capacity of 23.7 cu-ft, which is quite below par. With the rear row folded down, the maximum cargo capacity stands at 62.9 cu-ft. A power liftgate and a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat come standard while an air suspension system, which can be used to lower the SUV for easier loading is optional. 

Some interior features on the Cayenne are:

• Dual-zone climate control
• Eight-way power-adjustable front seats
• Carbon-fiber interior trim (opt)
• Partial/Full leather upholstery
• Front sport seats (opt)
• Heated steering wheel (opt)

For entertainment, the Cayenne has Porsche's PCM 4.0 infotainment system. This is a very simple and user-friendly system, thanks to the straightforward layout that makes navigating through the various menu options an easy task. The touchscreen is quick at responses and has a fluid motion to ts working. The infotainment system on the Cayenne has more optional features than any other SUV in this segment. Standard features include satellite radio, USB/auxiliary input, Bluetooth phone and streaming audio, navigation, and a 10-speaker audio system. There is also a 4.8-inch driver information display on offer.

Some other infotainment features include:

• AM/FM stereo
• Apple CarPlay
• Radio Data system
• Porsche Rear Seat Entertainment ($2,590)
• Bose Surround sound system ($1,690)
• Burmester High-End Surround sound system ($5,700)

The 2018 Porsche Cayenne's exterior gets no changes this year, and this second-generation model has an athletic stance and sports car proportions. There are a few design cues that come straight from the 911. Porsche made it easy to identify Cayenne models by simply focusing on the brakes - Silver on the Cayenne S and S E Hybrid, red on the high-performance Turbo and GTS models, and yellow ceramic brake on the Turbo S models.

Upfront, the Cayenne features the same quad headlight as seen on other Porsche cars. The grille is wide and is complemented with foglights just under. From the side, the car's crossover styling is very evident, and every angle shows the rounded muscular shape of the Cayenne that emits vibes of a sports car. The huge wheels with the deep wheel arches suit well with the car's dimensions, and there are a few good options for rim design as well.

The rear of the car is very simple, with a roof-mounted spoiler and oval-shaped taillights that remind us again of the Porsche performance coupes. The Cayenne gets black brake calipers, whereas the Cayenne S gets silver calipers. Dimensionally, the Cayenne has a curb weight of around 4488 lbs, is 191 inches long, nearly 79 inches wide, and 67.5 inches tall. The car has a ground clearance of 8.5 inches, with a wheelbase of 114 inches. The car also comes with loads of optional exterior equipment as well. 

Dimensional differences between the Cayenne, X5, and Range Rover Sport are not easy to make out. The Q7 is substantially longer, at nearly 200 inches. The Range Rover and the Cayenne have the most width, which also explains the roomy open seating in the Cayenne. The Range Rover is the tallest with a height of 71 inches. The Q7 has the longest wheelbase. The Cayenne is the lightest car here, whereas the Q7 is the heaviest.

Some key exterior features of the Porsche Cayenne are:

• Foglights
• Sunroof
• 18-inch/19-inch alloy wheels
• Xenon headlights
• Power tailgate
• Roof-mounted spoiler

The 2018 Porsche Cayenne has not been crash-tested by either the NHTSA or the IIHS, so there are no safety ratings available. However, the Cayenne gets an impressive list of active safety features available. 

Available advanced safety features:

• Rear-view camera
• Forward Collision warning
• Lane departure warning with active lane control
• Adaptive cruise control
• Surround-view camera system
• ParkAssist Front And Rear Parking Sensors
• Hill-descent control

2018 Porsche Cayenne v 2018 BMW X5

The 2018 BMW X5 is a better car than the Cayenne in most terms. The X5 is quicker than the Cayenne, has a powerful engine, and also has better braking performance. The BMW X5 also is more fuel-efficient than the Cayenne, but the Cayenne offers a longer range thanks to its larger fuel tank. The Cayenne also has more premium interiors, but the BMW is not far behind. Both the cars have great driving dynamics, but we prefer the Cayenne's handling to the X5's.

The X5 is a comfortable and spacious 5-seater with a better cargo capacity than the Cayenne. It also has high safety ratings and benefits with better reliability ratings as well. The X5 is more oriented as a family-luxury SUV, and this opens up a lot of opportunities for the BMW X5. Also, it's much cheaper than the Cayenne.

2018 Porsche Cayenne vs 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is a direct competitor to the Cayenne, with both cars having blown-out price tags. The Range Rover Sport has a powerful and torquey engine, and this gives it better performance run times as well compared to the Cayenne. The Cayenne on the other handis more fuel-efficient with slightly more range. In terms of driving and handling, the Land Rover is excellent, but the Cayenne's mix of comfort, high speed, and handling is hard to match.

Both the cars have plush interiors and are very luxurious. The Range Rover Sport can also double up as an off-roader, a much much better one than the Cayenne. Both the cars have not been crash-tested, but the Range Rover's standard safety list is just a notch better than the Cayenne's. Both the cars get tons of optional equipment that can raise the costs pretty tall, but all in all the Cayenne is more affordable than the Range Rover.

Deviating away from the boxy looks of an SUV with its monocoque body and 911 inspired front fascia the 2018 iteration of a once accused of diluting the racing heritage of Porsche is an all-around stunner in almost every parameter. The 2018 Porsche Cayenne is the last of the second generation model, revamped in the 2011 model year and now it is scheduled for a facelift for the 2019 model year.