Considering Model S vs Porsche Panamera

[brandinimo]

I'm on the fence about a 2017/2018 Panamera E-Hybrid or a 2017ish Model S.

I've driven the Panamera - it's a wonderful car. Handles great - electric when you want, sexy V6 Porsche exhaust note when you want. Obviously fit and finish is 10/10.

I've only driven a Model S once, and it was a 75D with an annoying salesperson in the car with me. Couldn't really get a feel for it. Anyone have experience comparing their Model S to a Porsche?

I know you all will be biased but just looking for some honest feedback

 

[dannycamps]

I'm on the fence about a 2017/2018 Panamera E-Hybrid or a 2017ish Model S.

I've driven the Panamera - it's a wonderful car. Handles great - electric when you want, sexy V6 Porsche exhaust note when you want. Obviously fit and finish is 10/10.

I've only driven a Model S once, and it was a 75D with an annoying salesperson in the car with me. Couldn't really get a feel for it. Anyone have experience comparing their Model S to a Porsche?

I know you all will be biased but just looking for some honest feedback

This really seems like apples to oranges. I was unfamiliar with the E-Hybrid so I obviously can't and won't offer an opinion, but a quick search shows that the 2018 model gets somewhere between 15 and 30 miles of electric range so it's more like "electric when you want - but just for a little bit"

That being said, there are some key takeaways. It looks like the Porsche is 4 seats vs. 5 in the Model S so a little less practical in that regard. I imagine there is less cargo space as well but I can't be sure of that.

If price matters, there appears to be about a $20k difference between the price of the Panamera and the Model S (100D) in the same year (2018) but YMMV with regards to that as well.

One thing I will say is this:

I own a Cadillac ELR which gets around 30 miles of electric range. More often than not (and everyone's driving style is different), I find myself dipping in the range extender a little every day especially if I have to run some unexpected errands. Unless you are really not going to drive much, I wouldn't buy the Porsche thinking it's an EV.

I am sure the Panamera interior quality trumps the Model S but it really depends on what you are looking for.

 

[Mr X]

You want it to be electric all the time. Model S.


Buying a polluting car in 2021 makes absolutely zero sense

 

[brandinimo]

Thanks for the feedback. The Panamera is primarily an ICE vehicle. It can do 15-20 miles on electric.

I love technology which is probably the greatest draw for the Model S. Auto pilot and the in car infotainment just seems to be something head and shoulders better than the competition.

I’m also not looking forward to Porsche dealership repair prices if I have any reliability issues.

Seems like not a lot of cross shopping of these two.

 

[SilverGS]

@brandinimo If I had to pick between the two cars, my thought process would be as follows:

Pros of the Model S vs the Panny

1. Ownership Cost: If you get a Model S under warranty, your cost ls to drive the car (no repair cost and less than one fifth the cost to drive it - electricity vs gasoline, almost no maintenance cost) will be significantly lower than the Panny.
2. Smoothness: The EV drivetrain of the S is just sooo buttery smooth and relaxing, it's just fantastic!! It's relentless is absolutely effortless without even trying. If you haven't driven one, you owe it to yourself to drive one pronto.

Pros of the Panny vs. the S

1. Fit and finish: The quality of the interior trim and panels/fit and finish is much better

It was an easy choice for me after I drove one. It boiled down to the superior driving experience specifically regarding the smoothness of the drivetrain of the S.

 

[JADCa]

I teach racing for Porsche and have owned ~20 Porsches, so not THAT biased toward Tesla. That said, for a street car, the Model S is simply better unless you do a LOT of long distance traveling. The Panamera has effectively been replaced by the Taycan so the depreciation will be insane. Also, as you have noted, the repair cost of the Porsche will be crazy if it isn't under warranty. The PDK transmission is amazing, but $20k+ to replace (basically not repairable per Porsche), if you get the ceramic brake option, $20k for pads and rotors every 50k-100k miles depending on driving style. Even standard maintenance is $1000. The hybrid is a half hearted attempt, either get an EV or a real engine, not the complicated hybrid that makes the car heavy, and takes away storage room. The V8 is a better car and unless you mostly drive 10 miles or less, the savings will be minimal. Mostly a bragging right that you have an EV, sorta.

The Tesla is the future, drive a nice Tesla and compare, not a bottom of the line. On the street, the Tesla is so much faster it isn't even in the same class. AP is a game changer, just ignore the current FSD craziness for now. After being in a Tesla, the Porsche interior looks as outdated as a Blackberry. A very nice 10 year old interior, but still looks 10 years old.

 

[brandinimo]

Thanks @JADCa. I don't expect you to have your finger on the pulse of all current Panamera's, but would your sentiment be the same if we were talking about the 4S model with no EV component at all?

Also, I'm in upstate NY...so range loss in the winter will be something to contend with.

Does this change your perspective at all?

 

[JADCa]

I would choose the 4S over the hybrid. The 4S is what Porsche knows, the hybrid is a very expensive and complex marketing gimmick to me.

If I were you, I would seriously consider a new Model S LR. The upfront cost is more, but the true cost of ownership will be less over the next 3 to 5 years I would think and then with 400 miles of range and a heat pump, range shouldn't be any issue. NY has lots of chargers for trips as well. This does assume you can charge at home. If not, I would go 4S. Plus, since you love tech, the new S is a decade ahead and improves monthly, the Panamera is old school. The 8"? screen is almost sad and will be really bad in a couple years.

 

[brandinimo]

I do have a garage and would be able to get a charger installed.

Interesting thought on the new S vs. used. A 2021 LR w/ FSD is $100k. I can get a 2017 or 2018 100D for high 70s.

Decisions decisions.

 

[AMPd]

You want it to be electric all the time. Model S.


Buying a polluting car in 2021 makes absolutely zero sense

What if you live in an apartment and no charging capability?

 

[JADCa]

No need for FSD now. You can save $10k and just buy the subscription if needed later. But the porsche doesn't offer FSD, so you shouldn't hold that option cost against the Tesla. Not apples to apples.

 

[brandinimo]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I keep looking for posts or anyone who regrets their Tesla purchase. I searched here and Reddit - couldn’t find one. And we know people love to complain. That’s definitely making me lean toward a Tesla.

 

[Big Toys]

"Auto pilot and the in car infotainment just seems to be something head and shoulders better than the competition."

Try to drive an example of Auto Pilot before you buy. Any newer example will suffice. If by "ahead of competition" means you paid for an example, then yes, you got it. If you want one that drives you home from work or one that doesn't require you to hold the steering wheel at all times, you may be sorely disappointed, especially in upstate NY.

 

[SO16]

What comes standard with Tesla today (lane keeping and TACC) I think is more than sufficient. I have a 2017 S90D with FSD. (But I don’t have the beta yet.)

I wouldn’t purchase FSD for 10k.

 

[ruby110]

We have a 2014 Model S and a 2018 Model 3. My neighbor bought a 2020, I think, Panamera Hybrid and asked me to drive it every two weeks last winter. It’s a lovely car and handles quite well. Certainly better than my Model S but not my Model 3. But the Model 3 ride is stiff.

I missed the one pedal driving while on electric and real performance required the ICE engine. The big plus is no range anxiety which was a big factor for my neighbor. My personal view is that hybrid cars are more complex because you have two power systems to maintain.

 

[JADCa]

Interesting, but you are comparing a 7 year old, $30k Model S, a $50k Model 3 and a ~$130k basically new Porsche. Not really apples to apples.

 

[WilliamG]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I keep looking for posts or anyone who regrets their Tesla purchase. I searched here and Reddit - couldn’t find one. And we know people love to complain. That’s definitely making me lean toward a Tesla.

Yeah it's pretty sad. My new Plaid is even in the shop for a replacement high voltage battery and a... battery of fit and finish issues, and still - love the stupid thing. It's annoying, really, and part of the reason Tesla can (thus far...) get away with just about anything. Once you go Tesla, everything else (to me) is just second rate by comparison.

 

[ruby110]

Interesting, but you are comparing a 7 year old, $30k Model S, a $50k Model 3 and a ~$130k basically new Porsche. Not really apples to apples.

Well, I can only compare what I know. I would order another Model 3 in a minute if it had the Model S’s air suspension. I think it would be more fun than the Panamera. There is no apples to apples comparison between a Panamera hybrid and any Tesla IMHO.

 

[dlongjr75]

Gonna add my .02 here, I know its an old thread but I just sold my 2018 Panamera Turbo to buy my 2018 Model S 100D. I love my Panny but to be honest I didnt drive it as much as I wanted because I didnt wanted to use it has a daily driver (even though it is very capable of that) and with Gas cost going up even in OKC I was paying $75 a week in gas when I did drive it. So for me it just made more sense to have a gas free car I could drive everyday. I already had a Model Y that we loved but I was driving either my Jeep or the Porsche and after gas went up It was the Jeep all the time so the Panny sat. Not I drive the Model S everyday. The jeep can sit from time to time. I loved my Panny but No regrets.