BMW X3 vs Porsche Cayenne

The short version

The BMW X3 is more fuel-efficient: 29 vs 19 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $1,500 a year less in fuel for the BMW X3 (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The Porsche Cayenne is the bigger car, about 6 inches longer.

Across all model years since 2005, the Porsche Cayenne has had fewer recall campaigns (28 vs 62).

The two cars

The 2026 BMW X3 is a small SUV offered with 2 engines (2.0L 4-cyl turbo and 3.0L 6-cyl turbo), including a hybrid version and all-wheel drive. It measures about 187 inches long and 76 inches wide on a 113-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 4,176 lb (30 Xdrive 4dr SUV).

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 2023 X3 and the 2018 Cayenne have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2020 X3 and the 2019 Cayenne.