2023 Porsche Cayenne Coupe

　　

2023 Porsche Cayenne Coupe Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　, rating written byChristian WardlawVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　Picture a classic Venn diagram depicting style, performance and practicality. Where these three concepts intersect, the 2023 Porsche Cayenne Coupe lives.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2023 Porsche Cayenne Coupe 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$245/mo  for Cayenne Coupe Base

　　Cayenne Coupe Base

　　4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) - $80,700 MSRPPlatinum Edition 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $84,800 MSRPE-Hybrid 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) - $91,800 MSRPS 4dr SUV AWD (2.9L 6cyl Turbo 8A) - $95,200 MSRPE-Hybrid Platinum Edition 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) - $95,500 MSRPS Platinum Edition 4dr SUV AWD (2.9L 6cyl Turbo 8A) - $97,300 MSRPGTS 4dr SUV AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo 8A) - $115,800 MSRPTurbo 4dr SUV AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo 8A) - $139,500 MSRPTurbo S E-Hybrid 4dr SUV AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) - $173,800 MSRPTurbo GT 4dr SUV AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo 8A) - $188,700 MSRP

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　Avg. Midsize SUV

　　To create the Cayenne Coupe, Porsche takes the already rakish standard Cayenne SUV, shaves the roofline for a faster silhouette, and reduces passenger capacity to four people. The Cayenne Coupe offers less cargo room as a result, but Porsche maximizes passenger headroom by dropping the rear seat cushion nearly 2 inches. In standard specification, four people can ride in the Cayenne Coupe, but you can add a fifth position as a no-charge option.

　　Other than styling and interior packaging changes, the Cayenne Coupe is nearly identical to the standard Cayenne. That means it offers multiple gas and plug-in hybrid powertrains ranging in output from 335 horsepower to a mighty 670 hp. If you want the quickest and most expensive version of the Cayenne, you'll have no choice but to shop the Coupe lineup because it's the only one offering the riotously fast Turbo GT model.

　　With the Cayenne Coupe, Porsche competes against similar midsize SUV coupes including the Audi Q8, BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. Learn more by reading our detailed Expert Rating of the Porsche Cayenne Coupe.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.6

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the Cayenne Coupe drive? The Cayenne Coupe S — the trim we tested — is astonishingly fast in a straight line. In zzdcar' testing, it accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. Few high-performance midsize SUVs can beat that. When you're not accelerating full out, slow-speed response around town is a little lacking in the default driving mode. Selecting either the Sport or Sport Plus mode sharpens response to more agreeable levels.

　　Considering the Cayenne Coupe S is a sizable SUV, it handles corners extremely well, with almost zero body roll. It changes direction quickly and there's plenty of grip from the ultra-wide performance tires. Steering, though precise, requires more effort at slow speeds and delivers less road feedback than we were expecting.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the Cayenne Coupe? The Cayenne Coupe S strikes an excellent balance between comfort and performance. The front seats are bolstered well and hold you in place around high-speed corners, and they're also plush enough to keep you comfortable on long road trips. The ride quality is excellent thanks to Porsche's optional air suspension that soaks up most big bumps.

　　Somewhat surprisingly, the Cayenne loses points here for an unrefined climate control system. Air-conditioning fans are relatively weak at low settings and loud at higher settings. It's hard to strike a comfortable but quiet balance. Engine noise is constant, but it's mostly at low volumes and admittedly a relatively pleasant tone. Tire noise, though, is a bit more grating from the summer performance rubber.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below