Compare the2025 Porsche CayenneVS 2025 Audi Q8 e-tron

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Cayenne has standard Maneuver Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Cayenne helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Cayenne’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Cayenne and the Q8 e-tron have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 and rear cross-path warning.

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 Cayenne’s reliability 26 points higher than the Q8 e-tron.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cayenne second among upper midsize premium suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Q8 e-tron isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 11 places higher in reliability than Audi.

The Cayenne has more powerful engines than the Q8 e-tron:

As tested in Car and Driver the Porsche Cayenne turbo V6 is faster than the Audi Q8 e-tron (base engine):

For better stopping power the Cayenne CCB’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Q8 e-tron:

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Cayenne Turbo has standard air brakes, which adjust the spoiler automatically during high-speed braking in order to shorten stopping distances. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer air brakes.

The Cayenne stops much shorter than the Q8 e-tron:

For better traction, the Cayenne’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q8 e-tron (F:285/45R21 & R:315/40R21 vs. 265/45R21).

The Cayenne’s standard 295/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q8 e-tron’s standard 50 series tires. The Cayenne’s optional 285/40R22 front and 315/35R22 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Q8 e-tron’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cayenne offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Q8 e-tron’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The Cayenne 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 Q8 e-tron 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. Audi doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Q8 e-tron.

The Cayenne handles at 1.02 G’s, while the Q8 e-tron pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Cayenne S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3 seconds quicker than the Q8 e-tron (23.6 seconds @ .83 average G’s vs. 26.6 seconds @ .71 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Cayenne E-Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Q8 e-tron (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Cayenne to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the Q8 e-tron (9.5 vs. 8.1 inches).

The Porsche Cayenne may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 1100 pounds less than the Audi Q8 e-tron.

The Cayenne has .9 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear legroom than the Q8 e-tron.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Cayenne’s rear seats recline. The Q8 e-tron’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Cayenne has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q8 e-tron with its rear seat folded (60.3 vs. 56.4 cubic feet).

The Cayenne’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q8 e-tron’s (7716 vs. 0 pounds).

Standard trailer sway control on the Cayenne uses the Porsche Stability Management sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks Porsche second in service department satisfaction. With a 40% lower rating, Audi is ranked 18th.

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Cayenne offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Cayenne also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Cayenne’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Porsche Cayenne has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q8 e-tron.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Porsche Cayenne and the Audi Q8 e-tron, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Porsche Cayenne outsold the Audi Q8 e-tron by almost three to one during 2024.