Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2014 Porsche CAYENNE VS 2014 Cadillac Escalade Near Phoenix, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Cayenne 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 Cadillac Escalade doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Cayenne offers an optional collision warning system, which detects an impending crash through forward mounted sensors and flashes a bright light and sounds a loud, distinctive tone to warn the driver to brake or maneuver immediately to avoid a collision. The system also pre-charges the brakes to begin deceleration more quickly. The Escalade doesn't offer a collision warning system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All Wheel Drive is standard on the Cayenne. But it costs extra on the Escalade.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Cayenne’s standard Porsche Hill Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escalade doesn’t offer Porsche Hill Control.

The Cayenne offers optional ParkAssist to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Escalade doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Cayenne uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Escalade uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Cayenne and the Escalade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The Cayenne’s corrosion warranty is 4 years longer than the Escalade’s (10 vs. 6 years).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Cayenne have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Cayenne has a standard 220 amp alternator (190 amp - Cayenne V8). The Escalade’s 160 amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 13th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche second in reliability, above the industry average. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 14th.

The Cayenne S Hybrid’s standard 3.0 supercharged V6 hybrid produces 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (428 vs. 417) than the Escalade’s 6.2 V8.The Cayenne GTS’ standard 4.8 DOHC V8 produces 17 more horsepower (420 vs. 403) than the Escalade’s 6.2 V8. The Cayenne Turbo S’ standard 4.8 turbo V8 produces 147 more horsepower (550 vs. 403) and 136 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 417) than the Escalade’s 6.2 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cayenne S Hybrid is faster than the Cadillac Escalade (automatics tested):

As tested in Car and Driver the Cayenne GTS is faster than the Cadillac Escalade (base engine) (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the Cayenne Diesel gets better fuel mileage than the Escalade 4WD (20 city/29 hwy vs. 13 city/18 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the Cayenne S V8 gets better fuel mileage than the Escalade 4x4 (16 city/22 hwy vs. 13 city/18 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the Cayenne Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Escalade doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Cayenne Automatic’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Escalade doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

For better stopping power the Cayenne’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade:

The Cayenne offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Escalade doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Cayenne stops much shorter than the Escalade:

For better traction, the Cayenne’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escalade (295/35R21 vs. 285/45R22).

The Cayenne’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade’s standard 65 series tires. The Cayenne’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Escalade’s optional 45 series tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Porsche Cayenne has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Cadillac Escalade has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Cayenne has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Escalade’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Cayenne (except Hybrid) offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Escalade doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Cayenne offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Cadillac doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Escalade.

The Cayenne offers optional vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Escalade doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Cayenne GTS handles at .95 G’s, while the Escalade 4x4 pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Cayenne Turbo has a 1.45 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Escalade (10.75 vs. 9.3 inches), allowing the Cayenne to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Porsche Cayenne may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 1150 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade.

The Cayenne is 11.7 inches shorter than the Escalade, making the Cayenne easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Cayenne is 8.9 inches shorter in height than the Escalade, making the Cayenne much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction makes the Cayenne’s chassis much stiffer, which contributes to better handling, and enables softer springs to be used for a better ride. Unibody construction’s stiffness also contributes to better durability and less body squeaks and rattles. The Escalade doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Cayenne Diesel is quieter than the Escalade 4x4:

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Cayenne easier. The Cayenne’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 25.5 inches, while the Escalade’s liftover is 31.6 inches.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Escalade, the Cayenne offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster) and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Cayenne’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge – which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Escalade does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Cayenne’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Escalade’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

Porsche Entry and Drive optional on the Cayenne allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Cadillac Escalade doesn’t offer an advanced key system.

The Cayenne has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and fuel theft. The Escalade doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Cayenne’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Escalade’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Cayenne to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Escalade doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Cayenne’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Escalade’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Cayenne offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Escalade doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Cayenne offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Escalade doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Cayenne has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Escalade doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

A built-in pollen filter with a charcoal activated canister removes pollen, exhaust fumes and other pollutants from the Cayenne’s passenger compartment. This helps prevent lung and/or sinus irritation, which can trigger allergies or asthma. The Escalade doesn’t offer a filtration system.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Cayenne PDK offers an optional Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Escalade doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Insurance will cost less for the Cayenne owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Cayenne will cost $1625 less than the Escalade over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Cayenne is less expensive to operate than the Escalade because it costs $154 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Cayenne than the Escalade, including $179 less for a water pump and $138 less for a fuel pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Porsche Cayenne, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Cadillac Escalade isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cayenne first among midsize premium CUVs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Escalade isn’t in the top three in its category.

Motor Trend selected the Cayenne as their 2011 Sport Utility of the Year. The Escalade has never been chosen.

The Porsche Cayenne outsold the Cadillac Escalade by 56% during the 2013 model year.