For folks how have driven and/or owned both, how do they compare? Driving dynamics such as steering feel, brakes, suspension, handling etc. Base models. BMW has a hybrid X5 with a bigger battery. Not looking to tow but a comfortable highway car with space. Maybe to replace a Volvo wagon.
i had a 2019 base Cayenne loaner once when my 911 was in for service and it was OK. Drove reasonably well but felt a little big and floaty to me with light steering.
Thanks for your input.

 

Comparing a 9y0 cayenne (base) to a 2016 (f15) x5 (5.0) m-sport-

The drive between the 2 is night and day. I have not driven the newer x5 (g05) series, but I have driven the 958 cayenne (manual) and the current gen.

We bought the x5 for 3rd row seating. It is adequate for pre-teen transport but since covid we have not carpooled and now does not get used. It is a useful feature when the time is right.

However, all driving dynamics favor the cayenne. The cayenne is an SUV that wants to feel like a car. The x5 drives like a truck, steering is even more boosted and lighter, the suspension is substantially softer and feels heavier. the positives for the x5 is the v8 engine and interior space (it feels that the space decreased from 958 to 9y0).

Configuring a base Cayenne with pasm and pdcc can make a world of difference, but you deviate further from 2 different price points.

We plan on letting the x5 die and move towards another cayenne or macan.

 

You may also want to consider the Q7. We are on our third Q and they are very comfortable family haulers. A meaningful third row vs the X5, better fit and finish in my opinion, better interior. I had an 08 X5 4.0 and while the V8 was awesome, it became a maintenance headache. Moved to a 13 Q7, then to a leased 17 and now in a '19 prestige that we own and plan to keep for a long time. Not as sporty as the Cayenne (especially the GTS and Turbo) , but then again these are SUVs. If you're comparing the base Cayenne you need to cross shop the Q7.

 

We were car shopping a few months ago and looked at the X5 and Cayenne. We drove only the X5 40i Msport, which has a better suspension. We thought it drove like a truck compared to even a Cayenne Base. The rear hatch area, however, is considerably more useful if you need to haul stuff. We also drove a Cayenne S and Cayenne GTS. The power of the Base was did not inspire me -- totally adequate but not exciting if you are into power. My wife thought the GTS was too loud. We compromised on the S. I did not drive an X5 50i or X5 M50i or X5M. I have read the BMW V8 is trouble prone and that some owners had their cars in the shop relatively often. I had also read that the X5M has a punishing ride, and my wife would have complained about that.

 

Interesting statistics from bimmerpost recently - the G series (latest) X3 and X5 have the same amount of total legroom in front and rear seating positions. This means the larger X5 is larger where people are not sitting. So the X5 is a fatter X3, from a dimensional point of view. Granted there are higher hp powertrains on the X5 and more luxury options available, but the size comparison is worth noting.

I look at a Cayenne as a solid rung higher than the X5, maybe more than one rung. Reasons for this in my mind are build quality, brand panache and driving dynamics.

I also believe that VAG is on a roll in the auto industry with recent successful model introductions across their lineup, and I think they will be more successful than average with EVs.

 

My wife has had two X5 diesels. Put 90m miles on an ‘11 and 75m on a ‘15 that we traded yesterday. She drove my Cayenne turbo and instantly commented on how much better the Cayenne steering feel was.
We just test drove an X7, which she still felt had too light (floaty) a steering feel. We settled on a Q7 because we needed her vehicle to be larger than the Cayenne.
I compared the X5M to the new Cayenne Turbos and much preferred the Porsche.

 

Car and Driver released comparison ratings that I generally agree with.
if you test drive the Base Cayenne again, only use it in Sport mode.

 

I can agree with those ratings.

 

Go for the X5, the base cayenne is a waste of money, the build quality is awful and the performance leaves a lot to be desired
the X5 base 40e or 40i easily beats the base Cayenne with quite a bit of savings....

 

Do the Cayenne Base, Cayenne S, Cayenne GTS and Cayenne Turbo come from different factories? I am having trouble understanding why the build quality would be terrible on the Base but good on the others. My guess is that you experienced a bad example, which can happen with any car. The Base that I drove seemed very well built and I liked it a lot more than the X5 40i, but it did cost about 25% more and that might not be worth it. The straight line performance seemed roughly comparable and if you look at the road tests, both do about 102 in the quarter.

 

I had the previous generation F15 X5 35i, the BMW inline 6 is a wonderful engine with very linear power delivery, the ZF is tuned perfectly for it. That said, I turned down my ordered G05 in favor of my Cayenne E Hybrid. The new G05 is a nice vehicle, but the Cayenne drives so much better, interior fit and finish is higher quality (if you get the full leather) and it is slightly smaller, yet has a larger back seat. I am active over on Bimmerpost as well, as I still have my G01 X3, and it seems to be a mixed bag on issues for the G05, even though it has been in production since 2018.

 

All made in Bratislava.

 

Build quality of my 2020 base is great, minus the crunchy breaks.

Both the 2019 X5 and the 2019 Cayenne were new model years with reliability issues. I would not recommend an early 2019 build of either. X5 has had far more issues according to Consumer Reports.

Cayenne wins in reliability, handling, steering feel, back seat space.
X5 wins in overall package for the price.

 

I've been test driving and comparing both. Here is my take:

X5 has a softer ride and more comfortable overall, but suspension is a bit floaty unless in sport mode and then with M Sport package you get to listen to the exhaust drone (its not horrible though, I'm just sensitive to that type of noise). Engine/transmission is super responsive, the best in the business, 4.0 6 cylinder is all most will need. The vehicle drives larger than it is though.

Cayenne, interior is plainer but I find more functional and pleasing. The ride is definitely firmer, air suspension helps a bit. The vehicle handles and drives smaller than it is. The base engine has too much lag for me. The eHybrid helps but it doesn't have the smoothest acceleration (some light lurching as it runs up through 3rd gear after leaving smoothly from a stop) and the exhaust on this model has an annoying drone at 60 mph (non PSE). The Cayenne S has less turbo lag than the base and is smoother than the eHybrid once it is off the line, but the lag is still there. If you add too much equipment, you might as well get a GTS. The Cayenne is a beautiful looking SUV but if you choose the standard suspension, make sure you drive it on rougher roads before you commit. The eHybrid I had out on the weekend exhibited a pretty rough ride on broken pavement/snow with plenty of side to side motion ("head toss").

I drove a GTS last week with standard air suspension and PSE. The PSE is pretty quiet - in fact you barely hear any exhaust noise in PSE on or off mode until you step on the gas. No drone at highway speeds. This model (and I expect the turbo) is the only engine that responds instantly from a stop like I'd expect a Porsche to. The acceleration off the line is immediate - no different than my 991.2. But you have to spend a lot to get that performance as compared to the X5 4.0Xdrive which is super responsive and silky smooth from idle to redline.

So which would I choose? If you want the ultimate sporty drive and have the money, I'd pick the GTS (that is what I am considering). If you don't mind some delay off the line or in traffic, the eHybrid or S would be good choices. I'd stay away from the base model though. It's quick once you get going, but until you get going, it's an under performer. I'd also take the air suspension. if you value a more comfy ride and don't mind a bit of float, the X5 is a good value proposition. It comes load with features at $95,000CAD. To get similar features and performance in a cayenne, you'll spend at least $20,000+ more.

So which one is better? I guess it depends what you are looking for.

 

Cayeene hands down for me. No question. (Own a 21 GTS)