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X5 35d vs. Porsche Cayenne Diesel

130K views 850 replies 74 participants last post by  Pierre Louis 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

what are your thoughts on this match-up? I'm convinced I'm going to buy a Diesel car, now it's a matter of deciding between the 2. I never thought I'd see these 2 cars priced so closely, but hey, thanks Porsche!

Let me know your thoughts,
Dan.
 
#356 ·
Its unfortunete that you only get the X5 35d in the US to compare to Cayenne, when the X5 40d actually gets better miles per gal.

I have had the X5 30d, X5 35d & now the 50d, all my X5's have had the same options, but the 50d gets much better economy than the 35d. My average of 80% city driving & 20% country gives me 9.4ltr/100klm, and l am not a light footed driver.

The Cayenne here has an option of a offroad pack as well.
 
#360 ·
The more I think about it... I like the X5 35d better than the Cayenne Diesel. The BMW is older and heavier, but this is all about the engine and BMW's is vastly superior in that regard. No regrets on my purchase.

- Mike
 
#361 ·
The more I think about it... I like the X5 35d better than the Cayenne Diesel. The BMW is older and heavier, but this is all about the engine and BMW's is vastly superior in that regard. No regrets on my purchase.

- Mike
Hopefully, the combo of the slightly less powerful engine and weight reduction of the next generation X5 will help performance and MPGs
 
#362 ·
Agreed.

I also liked the Q7 TDI, but I prefer the sportiness of the X5 35d and the BMW's driving position (the Audi feels like a big sedan, while the BMW feels like a proper SUV).

I can't wait to see how much the next-gen X5 weighs. Thinking about a Q5 TDI if BMW blows it. :confused:

- Mike
 
#363 · (Edited)
I can't wait to see how much the next-gen X5 weighs. Thinking about a Q5 TDI if BMW blows it. :confused:

- Mike
Yeah, the Q5 TDI seems like a good compromise, but it might be a little too small. I'm also looking forward to the upcoming Porsche Cajun.

I'd love to get back into an Audi, but my local dealer just SUCKS. The newest loaner car in their fleet is a 2007 B6 2.0T sedan. wtf.
 
#364 ·
The loaner '12 Q5 gasser I had for a couple of days seemed as large as an X3 (about the same size as the old X5 series) but that was just my perception -- I didn't actually measure, it was just getting pax in and out and driving. I liked the car a lot! Could only imagine how well it would perform with that nice 240 hp diesel in it!:D Much nicer interior than the X3 but I expected that from an Audi. Let us know when one "is delivered to your driveway" Mike!:angel:
 
#365 ·
The loaner '12 Q5 gasser I had for a couple of days seemed as large as an X3 (about the same size as the old X5 series) but that was just my perception -- I didn't actually measure, it was just getting pax in and out and driving. I liked the car a lot! Could only imagine how well it would perform with that nice 240 hp diesel in it!:D Much nicer interior than the X3 but I expected that from an Audi. Let us know when one "is delivered to your driveway" Mike!:angel:
I was PMing a VAG engineer over on VWVortex who works in Michigan. His latest test car was the Q5 TDI US Spec. He was telling me to expect low-to-mid 5s 0-60 and low to mid 30s highway :thumbup:
 
#369 ·
2014 model, as planned. That would mean this time next year...

- Mike
 
#374 ·
Now days it is rare even my 335d averages 29, my old 300SD would average that back when I still drove it. If I am reading the posts above correctly though it sounds like that average was gained by driving 90-100km/hr which is a pretty painfully slow pace in my neck of the woods. If I were to drive around 90km/hr in my big F250 I'd average almost 24mpg or that is what I got the one time I had to do that for a few hundred miles. It is amazing how much you can save on fuel if you stop wearing lead based socks/shoes :)
 
#384 ·
Katy, not a surprise considering the Q5 really competes with the X3 and both would be too small for two large pooches like yours. I guess you are not getting the third row in the X5 while keeping the spare. The only other thing I suggest is to take a look at the VW T-egg (same size as the Cayenne) -- or perhaps the new diesel Cayenne itself. You won't be "car copying" since yours would be a diesel and your friend's would almost certainly not be -- since they have just arrived here.:rofl: You would like that car a lot I think!:thumbup:
 
#387 ·
. The only other thing I suggest is to take a look at the VW T-egg (same size as the Cayenne) -- or perhaps the new diesel Cayenne itself. You won't be "car copying" since yours would be a diesel and your friend's would almost certainly not be -- since they have just arrived here.:rofl: You would like that car a lot I think!:thumbup:
Err, the post said she was waiting on an X5 which was in paint? :dunno:
 
#385 ·
Most of those smaller SUVs just look too small to be of much use for anything outside of sitting. We had a RAV4 rental for a month and it actually had a fair amount of storage room in it and we liked that room but not how it drove(primarily lack of power). I recall looking at the X3 and GLK back then thinking maybe one of those would have the same size but drive better. Did not even bother driving those because looked at the size and really seemed smaller for storage space than the POS RAV4. So while I have a feeling the TDI Q5 I'd love how it drives it really would not be sized to my needs and I might as well buy a sedan. But I have three kids(one finally moved out to college) and two Siberian Huskies, so I kind of need something with a fair amount of room and really should focus on things that in a bind can sit 5 adults and 1 kid. But I will sway on the 5 adult number because who really wants their mother-n-law riding along when she is in town anyway.
 
#390 ·
Fwiw, I would choose the Cayenne all day, every day over the X5. There isn't an aspect that I think the X5 excels over the Cayenne other than price. (Although I only have experience driving the new S and not the diesel).

I just got our X5 back on Friday after having the EGR cooler replaced after it was found to be cracked. The nasty diesel smell in the cabin is now gone and I was curious to see if the mileage improved. I did the same drive as last week but moved slightly quicker averaging 105-110 km/hr vs. the 90-100 km/hr last week. Average speed would show less due to construction zones and some city driving and stops. 90% was highway travel.

The results were pleasantly surprising.

The other pics are from along the drive except for the elk which were in our backyard when we got home. :D
 

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#391 ·
Fwiw, I would choose the Cayenne all day, every day over the X5. There isn't an aspect that I think the X5 excels over the Cayenne other than price. (Although I only have experience driving the new S and not the diesel).

I just got our X5 back on Friday after having the EGR cooler replaced after it was found to be cracked. The nasty diesel smell in the cabin is now gone and I was curious to see if the mileage improved. I did the same drive as last week but moved slightly quicker averaging 105-110 km/hr vs. the 90-100 km/hr last week. Average speed would show less due to construction zones and some city driving and stops. 90% was highway travel.

The results were pleasantly surprising.

The other pics are from along the drive except for the elk which were in our backyard when we got home. :D
The Cayenne is a better SUV (in my opinion), but I feel BMW's diesel engine in the States is better so I lean towards the X5 35d in this comparison. However, give me a Cayenne GTS any day of the week!

- Mike
 
#392 · (Edited)
We just ordered a Cayenne V6 after having compared it to the diesel both on specifications and back to back test drives.

Pros Diesel:
- mpg
- torque as in effortless acceleration from low rpms.

Pros V6:
- Significantly lighter ( 300 lbs ) which you can feel when hustling them back to back.
- More advanced AWD system. The system in the Diesel and Hybrid is a lot different from that used in the V6, S, GTS and Turbo.
- Better sound
- More fun to drive actively ( the rev. range is longer and the response at higher rpms is better ). This matters little in pretty much every SUV accept the Cayenne due to how fun it is to drive
- Lower scheduled service costs
- Reliability is a known factor.
- Fuel will be available at any gas station.

These pros would probably not matter much if the V6 felt sluggish and boring but to us it was the opposite, fun. Not fast but fun nonetheless. It's good competition for BMW, hopefully the new X5 will be the new yard stick moving
the needle further to the benefit of us car lovers.
 
#393 · (Edited by Moderator)
2013 cayenne diesel

Placed an order for the Cayenne Diesel on July 12..... Production is this week. Should have it in 4 weeks... I went with minimal options to keep the investment down and to be able to sell it at a low price when the new X5 Diesel comes out. At this moment, I am having trouble finding a buyer for my 2012 X5 with 12500 miles on it. So, I may be the owner of both the Cayenne Diesel and the X5 Diesel.. If so, I will be able to better evaluate both vehicles from an unbiased owner driver stand point.I love both my 2011 and my 2012 X5's.. No problems at all with either car. My 2012 X5 is Deep Sea Blue with Oyster Leather , Nav ++++. If interested PM me...or 27(zero)-2(five)6-62(eight)9

[Phone number edited by Emission]
 
#394 ·
Placed an order for the Cayenne Diesel on July 12..... Production is this week. Should have it in 4 weeks... I went with minimal options to keep the investment down ...
What kind of discounts were you able to get from the Porsche dealer? Best I've been able to do is about $5K off a $70K diesel. Not nearly enough to allow it to compete with the X5d...so far.
 
#395 ·
^^^ really? Posting your cell number!??!? Go back and edit that jerry, replace a few numbers with words (ie Two, Eight., etc)
 
#396 ·
Done.

- Mike
 
#398 ·
Bots and crazy people. That's the only concern.

- Mike
 
#401 ·
Hardly a BMW, but not bad for its price/segment.

Drove my X5 35d to an event today in LA to drive a Rolls-Royce Ghost (with gaudy 24-inch wheels) and a Fisker Karma. At the end of the day, I preferred my X5 over both. ;)

- Mike
 
#402 · (Edited)
Yes but will the valets at Ivy park your X5 in the front row next to the RR and Fisker?:rofl: Like the way Ford has been turning out some pretty handsome (IMHO) vehicles. The new little pocket rocket Focus ST with the hot turbo is another small step in the right direction. But as you opine, they are not BMW's -- nor quite frankly -- intended to be.:thumbup:
 
#411 ·
I would see no reason to doubt that claim. After all it is the same engine with the 8 speed transmission that is in the '13 T-egg (240 hp) and that is a TDI from the VA(P)G parts bin -- no matter what Porsche chooses to call it. Apparently Porsche has chosen to use the drive train straight across from both the diesel and hybrid offerings from their stablemates at VW in the Cayenne. The gas V6, while still a basic VW, has been "breathed upon" by the Porsche engineers a bit. Mike of course would know for sure.:thumbup:
 
#412 ·
I would see no reason to doubt that claim. After all it is the same engine with the 8 speed transmission that is in the '13 T-egg (240 hp) and that is a TDI from the VA(P)G parts bin -- no matter what Porsche chooses to call it. Apparently Porsche has chosen to use the drive train straight across from both the diesel and hybrid offerings from their stablemates at VW in the Cayenne. The gas V6, while still a basic VW, has been "breathed upon" by the Porsche engineers a bit. Mike of course would know for sure.

Whoa... stand by for an attack from the "Badge" crowd...true as your comments are..
 
#421 ·
The '12 VW Touareg TDI and '13 Porsche Cayenne Diesel have different engines (basic architecture is the same, but there are significant mechanical/electrical/tuning changes - VW Group considers them Gen I and Gen II). That said, the '13 VW Touareg TDI will have the identical engine as the '13 Cayenne Diesel (I believe this will not be openly announced, er... downplayed, for Porsche's benefit).

- Mike
 
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