2013 Best Resale Value Awards: Best Luxury Mid-Size SUV/Crossover

Performing more like a world-class sport sedan than a mid-size luxury SUV, the Porsche Cayenne offers five different flavors of fast fun in one high-energy vehicle that also earns best resale value honors among its segment peers. Available with the choice of V6, V8, gasoline, gas/electric hybrid and new-for-2013 turbodiesel power, all versions of this classy Porsche hauler also are fitted with some form of the automaker’s sophisticated all-wheel drive system and all but the base Cayenne come standard with an 8-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission.

While the Cayenne Turbo with its awesome 500-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 remains the pinnacle of performance here and the Cayenne S Hybrid has greenies swooning, the new Cayenne Diesel promises to create its own legion of admirers thanks to projected EPA stats of 20 city/28 highway mpg and a 740-mile range between fill-ups. Like its siblings, the automaker’s first diesel-powered offering in America and new econo leader of the Cayenne pack is fitted with the Porsche Stability Management System and can tow more than 7,100 pounds.

Business melds with pleasure inside of the 2013 Cayenne’s handsomely crafted 5-passenger cabin. While each variant gets its own specific detailing elements, all share a bounty of standards that include leather upholstery, a comprehensive array of power assists, premium audio systems, a fold-down rear seat and a power rear liftgate.

Porsche’s stylish SUV set commands mini to moderate price premiums over key rivals like the BMW X5 and Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The V6-powered 2013 Cayenne starts at just under $50,000 while the top-line Cayenne Turbo model opens near the $110,000 mark.