2025 Porsche Cayenne Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne is available as a standard SUV with a more squared-off rear end or as a sporty Cayenne Coupe. Trim levels range from the sublime base Cayenne to the ridiculous Cayenne Turbo GT, each with its own special exterior touches that distinguish it from the rest of the lineup. For this Porsche Cayenne Review, we’re concentrating on the GTS trim level, which gets standard exterior design elements like high gloss black trim and some cool-looking bronze exhaust tips. The front fascia is specific to the GTS and features larger air intakes—the better to cool a V8 engine—and tinted headlights. Red brake calipers peek through 21-inch wheels in anthracite gray. If you choose the Cayenne Coupe, you’ll be treated to an adaptive rear spoiler. While the base model might get smaller wheels and satin black trim instead of the gloss black, it’s still a good-looking crossover.

The story is just as good once you open the door and climb inside. Like all Porsches you can customize pretty much everything in the cabin from the color—the Carmine Red is a joy—to the trim to the seat belts. Pricing here can get pretty spendy; for example, the Cayenne can get a custom paint job with solid, metallic, or historic paint colors for $13,000 or so. Spend the money, and you can rest assured that your Porsche is unique.

There are plenty of screens in the Cayenne, but the important features like HVAC controls and volume controls are still mechanical. Everything is laid out well and with the shifter toggle mounted on the dashboard, there is more space for storage. The center console will slide fore and aft, sometimes with just slight pressure from an elbow, but it’s the only criticism we have for what is otherwise a very well-thought-out cabin.

Porsche will sell you a Cayenne with a few different engines, but they are all able to hustle over back roads with the best of them. The base 3.0-liter V6 is good for 348 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, which should be enough to satisfy most drivers. Buyers looking for more performance can look to the Cayenne S with its V8 that produces 468 hp or the Turbo GT with 650 hp. However, the latter is available only as a coupe. There are plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options in both standard and coupe form with as much as 729 hp for those who really want peak performance. Our Porsche Cayenne GTS-trim tester isn’t the most powerful of the lineup, but with a very healthy 493 hp coming from the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, we’re not going to quibble.

Torque here sits at 486 lb-ft and an eight-speed transmission puts the power down to all four wheels. And yes, this thing is quick. Porsche estimates it can scoot to 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 171 miles per hour. We don’t get the chance to test these numbers on public roads, but there is no reason to doubt Porsche’s claims.

While every Cayenne is a kick in the pants to drive, the GTS hits the sweet spot between comfortably sporty and all-out bonkers performance. The steering here is especially good, with components borrowed from the Turbo GT, resulting in .58 more degrees of negative camber in the front wheels, allowing for more precise turn-in. The new Cayenne GTS is 10 millimeters lower than last year’s model, keeping that center of gravity low. Throw on the Pirelli P Zero tires, stiffer roll bars, the water-cooled transfer case from the Turbo GT, and an active suspension that keeps vertical and lateral movements in check, and you’ve got an agile and athletic SUV that belies its 5,000-pound curb weight.

During our backroad drive, we switched between Sport and Sport Plus drive modes to keep the throttle and transmission performing at their best. In these modes, the steering weighs up considerably, although the steering wheel feels pretty small, and tiny movements get a precise response. Decreasing radius turns are no match for this system and it’s easy to enter corners quickly letting the grip, rear-wheel biased all-wheel drive (AWD) system, and accurate steering prevail every time.

Our tester came equipped with the optional carbon ceramic brakes, and they can be a bit touchy. However, give them time to break in (and give yourself the chance to learn how to modulate them), and you’ll be rewarded with plenty of stopping power.

When the road turns crowded, Normal mode dials everything back and the GTS turns into a comfy commuter. There is still plenty of grunt here for highway merging and the exhaust chats up a storm with its V8 charm, but the aggression of Sport and Sport Plus modes is gone. It’s almost like a completely different car.

Therein lies the charm of the Cayenne GTS. You can have a sporty SUV when you want it but you don’t have to give up daily driving comfort.

What sets Porsche apart from other sport luxury automakers is that buyers can get many of these same driving characteristics even on the base model. While our GTS tester does have some unique steering components that contribute to its stellar handling, buyers can add things like the adaptive air suspension and dynamic chassis control to get close to the driving experience of the higher trims, albeit with less power.

Finally, some models can be equipped with an Off-Road package with underbody protection, a recovery point, and a digital compass in the infotainment system. The Cayenne Coupes get the option of a lightweight package that shaves 55 pounds off the mid-size SUV for maximum performance, too.

Whether we’re talking about the Macan, Panamera, 911, or Cayenne, Porsche loves to serve up its cars a la carte, so don’t expect many standard features. The base model is true to its name with fairly low-brow features like standard eight-way power-adjustable seats. They are heated but cooling and massage cost extra. Also on tap are two-zone climate control, soft-close doors, a heated steering wheel, and ambient lighting.

As you move up the trim line you’ll get a few upgrades, but not many. Our GTS tester comes standard with a GT Sport steering wheel and a Race-Tex—that’s Porsche’s name for ultra-suede—headliner as well as the option of Race-Tex or leather for the rest of the interior. Even the top Turbo GT still has the eight-way power seats, but at least it gussies up the interior with stainless steel pedal pads and an illuminated carbon fiber door-sill guard. There are a few packages that bundle things like heated rear seats, a panoramic roof, and some safety tech together, but by and large, be prepared to shell out extra cash for each feature.

The good news is that the options list is vast. You can get carbon fiber added to the interior or stick to a more traditional aluminum. Porsche even has a cool bronze Neodyme you can add to the cabin if you’d like. If you don’t like the standard eight-way power seats you can choose 14- or even 18-way adjustable seats. You can customize your door sills, floor mats, key fob, steering wheel seat belts, center console—the list goes on and on. Just be ready to pony up the cash when you pick up your new car.

However, if you want three rows of seating in a midsize SUV, you’ll need to look to Audi or Volvo. BMW also crams a third row into the X5. The Cayenne can only accommodate five people but the second row is comfy with plenty of headroom, even with the coupe body style.

Even with the base V6 engine the Porsche Cayenne can tow over 7,700 pounds, as much as a mid-size pick-up truck, and accommodate over 1,400 pounds of payload. However, the cargo space is a bit smaller than the competition. The standard Cayenne has 27.3 cubic feet of space behind the second row, expanding to just over 60 cubic feet when those rear seats are folded down. Expect 20.9 and 53 cubic feet of space respectively in the coupe version. The battery in the standard SUV Cayenne Turbo e-hybrid PHEV infringes on the cargo space a tad—there are 21.9 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 55 cubic feet overall. The coupe plug-in hybrids lose even more utility.

If screens are what you’re after, you’ll love the new Porsche Cayenne. The curved 12.6-inch digital gauge cluster is standard and drivers can choose up to seven views depending on trim level, including the classic Porsche five-circle design. Riding center is a 12.3-inch touchscreen display running the Porsche Communication Management system that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Also on tap here are Spotify and Apple Music, as well as satellite radio and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

A 10.9-inch passenger screen is optional, which allows the passenger to control the navigation and media controls. They can even stream a video or record lap times, but thanks to a screen filter, the driver remains none the wiser.

In all, the screens look well organized and are easy to learn. They respond quickly to taps but many functions can also be controlled by voice, if you prefer. We didn’t get to sample the navigation system as our tester was a German-spec car and it didn’t have the GPS files for the United States.

A head-up display (HUD) puts pertinent information right in front of the driver, although it appears a bit dim with polarized sunglasses. The system also has night-vision assist, although the HD-Matrix Design LED headlamps are standard across all trims, so we don’t expect the night-vision feature to be a game-changer.

There are four high-speed USB-C charging ports in the cabin and we appreciate the inclusion of a cooled wireless charging area. This standard feature will help keep your phone cool and prevent overheating while charging at up to 15 watts.

Unfortunately, Porsche doesn’t go all-out on standard safety features. Sure, parking sensors, forward collision warning, and blind-spot monitoring are standard, but you’ll pay extra for adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and lane-departure warning. While Porsche has an advanced adaptive cruise control system called InnoDrive that looks ahead nearly two miles to prepare for traffic incidents, we didn’t get to sample it on our test drive. Again, our car was spec-ed for German roads, not American ones. If you’re looking for a hands-off/eyes-up driving assist, keep looking. Porsche doesn’t offer anything.

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have rated the 2025 Porsche Cayenne for safety. In fact, neither organization has rated any recent year of the Cayenne.

The base 2025 Porsche Cayenne starts at $86,695 including $1,995 for delivery. The base model in coupe body style adds $5,100 to the price. You could spend as much as $205,795 for the Turbo GT coupe, which makes our six-figure GTS tester seem much more palatable. The standard GTS can be had for $126,895, the Cayenne GTS coupe for $131,495.

Keep in mind, however, that all the options can add up quickly. Without hardly trying, you can add $25,000 to the Cayenne GTS just by selecting InnoDrive, 18-way sport seats, carbon ceramic brakes, the upgraded dynamic chassis control, a red paint job, and red contrast stitching. In the coupe, you can add all those features plus the lightness package and come out $36,000 over base pricing.

Neither Porsche nor the EPA have released fuel economy numbers for 2025. However, last year’s V8 engine got an official rating of 15 miles per gallon in the city, 21 mpg on the highway and 17 mpg combined. After a day of driving that included some sprints, high-speed cornering, casual cruising and stop-and-go traffic we ended the day at just over 16 miles per gallon showing on the trip computer.

Porsche offers a limited powertrain warranty for four years or 50,000 miles, which is right in line with the competition. Maintenance is covered for the first year or 10,000 miles which is not as good as what BMW and Volvo provide their customers. However, it bests Mercedes-Benz, which only offers pre-paid maintenance programs.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne is the mid-size luxury SUV to get if you want to haul your kids to school and do it quickly to boot. Each trim has its specific niche, and the GTS is meant for those who demand aggressive performance while still offering a comfortable ride at the touch of a button. What this SUV lacks in standard features and safety tech, it more than makes up for with its robust V8 engine, spirited handling, and sharp steering.

If you’re not a speed demon, the base model provides plenty of thrills and many of the same performance options can be added to maximize driving pleasure. Top-of-the-line Cayennes offer gobs of horsepower and torque, making them perfect for both daily driving and the occasional track day.

We freely admit the 2025 Porsche Cayenne can take a big chunk out of your bank account, but the return is a grin on your face each time you slide behind the wheel.