2023 Porsche Cayenne

The Cayenne’s basic shape has been consistent for a while, but it’s aging well. There are enough 911-esque cues in the front and rear ends to ensure the Cayenne’s family resemblance, and its slick cabin stands out from the crowd. It rates an 8 out of 10.

Is the Porsche Cayenne a good-looking car?

The Cayenne isn’t gorgeous in the traditional sense, but it hits the right notes for a sporty crossover, and the coupe body style’s sleek roofline is better executed than in most rivals, though it sacrifices cabin space. This year, Porsche updated the Cayenne’s front end with new designs for the headlights, daytime running lights, grille, and air inlets. Each trim has its own touches, so shop carefully for the right combination of racy hardware and big wheels.

The Cayenne is equally comfortable loping around the suburbs and chasing miles on a German autobahn. The Cayenne Coupe and SUV are tremendously flexible vehicles with a combination of impressive power, sharp steering, and composed ride. We rate the Cayenne an 8 out of 10 for performance, one of the highest rankings we award for a crossover in this area.

Is the Porsche Cayenne 4WD?

Yes, it’s standard across the line. Models with the available air suspension system get as much as 9.6 inches of ground clearance, enabling the Cayenne to climb mountains and ford up to 20 inches of water.

The 2023 Cayenne doesn’t make the best use of its significant footprint, but it has a pampering feel with incredible attention to detail and exemplary fit and finish on models we’ve tested. We award extra points for its comfortable seating, attention to detail, overall passenger space, and cargo room—with some caveats on that last note—for a 9 out of 10 rating here.

Standard Cayenne models are comfortable enough inside for five occupants, though the Coupe can accommodate only four. The front seats are supportive with multiple adjustments, and the rear row also offers adjustments. Leather upholstery comes standard and options include softer leather, cooled front seats, massage function, and more power adjustments for the front seats.

How safe is the Porsche Cayenne?

The 2023 Porsche Cayenne hasn’t been crash-tested by the NHTSA nor the IIHS, which means we can’t assign a score here.

Porsche includes automatic emergency braking as well as parking sensors, though all other safety features are optional. Porsche charges extra for adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, a surround-view camera system, and active lane control. Most of those features come standard on mainstream SUVs that cost a third what the Cayenne costs.

We’re being a bit flexible with the definition of “value” here. The 2023 Porsche Cayenne comes with good infotainment features and can be configured with a wide range of options. That gets an 8 out of 10 on our scale. 

Which Porsche Cayenne should I buy?

That depends on your performance needs. Base Cayennes present the best value, starting at about $74,000 with leather upholstery, power front seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, navigation, and 19-inch alloy wheels. Coupe models cost about $8,500 more, but include a panoramic sunroof, adaptive dampers, and the Sport Chrono package that includes launch control, more drive modes, and a stopwatch. 

Is the Porsche Cayenne good on gas?

Power’s the enemy of efficiency. With the base V-6, the Cayenne rates at 19 mpg city, 23 highway, and 20 combined. That’s a 2 out of 10 on our scale.

Most other versions are even more thirsty. The Cayenne S chugs at a rate of 18/22/20 mpg, while with V-8 power, the GTS checks in at 15/19/17 mpg for the GTS and the Turbo at 14/19/16 mpg.