Compare the2026 BMW X3VS 2025 Porsche Cayenne

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the BMW X3 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 Porsche Cayenne doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the X3 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The X3 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Cayenne doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The X3 has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the BMW X3 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Porsche Cayenne has not been tested.

The BMW X3’s optional Surround View offers available integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the Porsche Cayenne lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.

Both the X3 and the Cayenne have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The BMW X3 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Cayenne has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X3 for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Porsche pays for maintenance for the Cayenne (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 73 percent more BMW dealers than there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the X3’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the X3’s reliability 27 points higher than the Cayenne.

As tested in Motor Trend the X3 M50 xDrive 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Porsche Cayenne:

On the EPA test cycle the X3 gets better mileage than the Cayenne running its gasoline engine:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the BMW X3 higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Porsche Cayenne (4). This means the X3 produces up to 13.2 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cayenne every 15,000 miles.

The X3 stops shorter than the Cayenne:

The X3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cayenne’s standard 55 series front tires.

The X3 30 xDrive handles at .92 G’s, while the Cayenne S pulls only .90 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the X3 M50 xDrive has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne E-Hybrid (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the X3 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The BMW X3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 1150 pounds less than the Porsche Cayenne.

The X3 is 6.9 inches shorter than the Cayenne, making the X3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The X3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cayenne with its rear seat up (31.5 vs. 27.3 cubic feet). The X3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cayenne with its rear seat folded (67.1 vs. 60.3 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the X3’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cayenne doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The X3 offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

If the windows are left open on the X3 the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote or with the driver’s door power window switch. The driver of the Cayenne can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The X3’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Cayenne’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW X3 and the Porsche Cayenne, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The BMW X3 outsold the Porsche Cayenne by over three to one during 2024.