Compare the2025 Mercedes G-ClassVS 2025 Porsche Cayenne Coupe

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes G-Class 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 Coupe 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 G-Class are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the G-Class and the Cayenne Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

There are almost 2 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the G-Class’ warranty.

The G-Class has more powerful engines than the Cayenne Coupe:

On the EPA test cycle the G-Class running on electricity gets better mileage than the Cayenne Coupe running on electricity:

On the EPA test cycle the G 550 running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Cayenne Turbo GT running its gasoline engine (17 city/19 hwy vs. 15 city/20 hwy).

The G-Class can travel longer on electricity, only, on a full charge than the Cayenne Coupe on electricity, only, on a full charge:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the G-Class AMG 63’s fuel efficiency. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The G-Class has 8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (26.4 vs. 18.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The G-Class has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cayenne Coupe’s standard fuel tank (26.4 vs. 23.7 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes G-Class higher (4 to 10 out of 10) than the Porsche Cayenne Coupe (2 to 4). This means the G-Class produces up to 40.6 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cayenne Coupe every 15,000 miles.

The EPA certifies the Mercedes G-Class at emission levels ranging from “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) to “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Porsche Cayenne Coupe is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes G-Class, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Cayenne Coupe.

For better traction, the G-Class has larger standard tires than the Cayenne Coupe (265/60R18 vs. 255/55R20). The G-Class’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cayenne Coupe (295/40R22 vs. 285/45R21).

The G-Class has a standard full size spare (not available on 580) so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Cayenne Coupe; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The G-Class’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (48% to 52%) than the Cayenne Coupe’s (56.8% to 43.2%). This gives the G-Class more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the G-Class has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe (9.5 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the G-Class to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The G 580’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid Coupe (9.8 vs. 9.5 inches).

The G 550 is 1 foot shorter than the Cayenne Turbo GT, making the G-Class easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The G-Class has 3.7 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more rear headroom and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cayenne Coupe.

The G-Class has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cayenne Coupe with its rear seat up (34.8 vs. 20.9 cubic feet). The G-Class has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cayenne Coupe with its rear seat folded (68.6 vs. 53 cubic feet).

The G-Class 580 can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the G-Class can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Cayenne Coupe can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The G-Class has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Cayenne Coupe (1235 vs. 853 lbs.).

The G-Class has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Cayenne Coupe (1576 vs. 1501 lbs.).

The G-Class has a standard 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 Coupe doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

If the windows are left open on the G-Class the driver can close them all 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. The driver of the Cayenne Coupe can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the G-Class has a standard rear wiper. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.