2021 Porsche Cayenne Coupe

Because there's a Porsche badge on the front of this particular style of performance SUV, the Cayenne Coupe is about more than just its acceleration and top speed figures. It also handles beautifully and will surprise much smaller and lighter vehicles with its tremendous cornering ability. All models feature Porsche's 4D-Chassis Control system, which analyzes everything from pitch and roll to center of gravity. All of this works with the adaptive suspension to ensure that corners are taken with optimal composure. On the GTS, you also get a brake-based electronic differential and active torque vectoring. If you want to maximize ability at lower speeds and stability at higher velocities, rear-axle steering is also available. Whatever your final setup, the ride is remarkably good for something that handles like this, but beware of going too big on the wheels, as there's only so much discomfort that the suspension can shelter you from. In terms of braking, the Cayenne coupe is pretty good and is easy enough to modulate, but it's the optional surface coated brakes that really excel at bringing the hulking SUV to a stop.

The new Cayenne coupe is naturally less practical than the regular Cayenne, but its style and impressive standard features make it just as attractive, if not more so. In addition, now that there's a GTS variant, the Cayenne coupe is something of a performance bargain, especially considering that this model boasts the Turbo's exquisite twin-turbo V8. However, it does have its faults when compared to competitors. The options list is long and extremely pricey, and if you're buying a Porsche, you want it to be the best at what it can do. The only way to ensure that is to tick numerous boxes, and this can take the sporty SUV into the price territory of much faster, more exclusive metal. Still, as a compromise that covers the bases of practicality and power to a more than acceptable degree, we think the Cayenne Coupe is worth considering.

The regular Cayenne is a tempting proposition - especially for those who don't have much interest in performance but still want the exclusive badge on the hood. It's much more spacious in comparison thanks to a maximum cargo capacity of 60.3 cubic feet, and it will seat five in greater comfort. Additionally, it's considerably cheaper at a base price of $66,800. Adding to that is that the Cayenne is available with the same engines that boast the same power figures. Naturally, its higher weight figure means it's not as quick, but really, how fast do you need to be in an SUV? However, if you value standard features, it's worth remembering that the coupe gets more of them, one of which is the Sport Chrono Package. Ultimately, the coupe is precisely what it's supposed to be: the sportier alternative to the practical Cayenne.

Like the Cayenne variants, the Macan is also available in base, S, and GTS flavors in the USA. However, the base model here has a 2.0-liter turbo-four with just 248 hp, while the top GTS trim features the Cayenne S coupe's 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with slightly lower outputs of 375 hp. As you'd expect, the Macan is a lot less spacious for rear-seat occupants and only offers a maximum of 52.9 cubic feet of trunk space. Still, if you're not expecting the regular company of six-footers in the back seat, the overall cargo capacity is only marginally down from that of the Cayenne Coupe. Also worth considering is price. For the same money as a fully loaded Cayenne coupe, you could buy three Macans. As a city runaround, we'd recommend the Macan, but as a sporty SUV that offers as much luxury as possible, the Cayenne is still the way to go.