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Acura MDX vs Porsche Cayenne

2026 Acura MDX vs 2026 Porsche Cayenne — two rivals compared on efficiency, size, safety and reliability.

Acura MDX

2026 Acura MDX

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WDAWD/4WD
VS2 – 4Porsche Cayenne wins 4 of 6 categories
Porsche Cayenne

2026 Porsche Cayenne

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WDAWD/4WD

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The short version

The Acura MDX is more fuel-efficient: 22 vs 19 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $600 a year less in fuel for the Acura MDX (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The Acura MDX is the bigger car, about 5 inches longer.

Across all model years since 2005, the Porsche Cayenne has had fewer recall campaigns (28 vs 34).

The two cars

The 2026 Acura MDX is a small SUV offered with 2 engines (3.5L 6-cyl and 3.0L 6-cyl turbo) and front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It measures about 198 inches long and 79 inches wide on a 114-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 4,506 lb (4dr SUV AWD).

The 2026 Porsche Cayenne is a standard SUV offered with 2 engines (3.0L 6-cyl turbo and 4.0L 8-cyl turbo) and all-wheel drive. It measures about 194 inches long and 78 inches wide on a 114-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 4,376 lb (Base / S 4dr SUV).

Buying used? The 2024 MDX and the 2018 Cayenne have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2016 MDX and the 2019 Cayenne.

Basics

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Class
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Premium Gasoline
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
3.5L 6-cyl, 3.0L 6-cyl turbo
Engines
3.0L 6-cyl turbo, 4.0L 8-cyl turbo
Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive

Efficiency

22 MPG
Best combined MPG
19 MPG
19 city
City / highway MPG (best)
17 city
$3,750
Fuel cost per year (EPA)
$4,350

Performance & space

290 hp
Horsepower (most powerful)
493 hp
–
Seats (most)
4
198.4 in
Length
193.7 in
78.7 in
Width
78 in
66.9 in
Height
65.7 in
4,506 lb
Curb weight (lightest)
4,376 lb

Safety & reliability

9
Driver-assist features standard
11
1
Recalls (2026)
1
34
Recalls, all years since 2005
28
9
Owner complaints (latest year)
5

Interest

9,898
Wikipedia views, 30 days
30,338

Buying used

2024
Best used year
2018
2016
Year to avoid
2019

Green = clearly better. Prices are not included. How we calculate this →

Which one should you choose?

Choose the Acura MDX if…

  • You want lower fuel bills (22 vs 19 MPG)
  • You want more room (5 in longer)

Choose the Porsche Cayenne if…

  • You want more power (up to 493 vs 290 hp)
  • You want something easier to park (5 in shorter)
  • You want more standard driver-assist tech
  • You put reliability history first (28 vs 34 recalls since 2005)

Pros & cons of each

2026 Acura MDX

  • AWD / 4WD available
  • Lots of standard safety tech4 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.
  • Below-average fuel economyBest version gets 22 MPG combined, 27% below the 2026 small SUV average of 30.2 MPG.
  • Premium fuel requiredEvery gasoline version is rated for premium, which raises running costs.
  • Modest powerUp to 290 hp, versus about 409 hp for similar 2026 models.

2026 Porsche Cayenne

  • Lots of standard safety tech4 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.
  • Premium fuel requiredEvery gasoline version is rated for premium, which raises running costs.

Full 2026 Acura MDX specs →Full 2026 Porsche Cayenne specs →Compare fuel costs for your driving →Compare size & garage fit →