The adaptive cruise control is incredible! I love it! My car also has Burmester and insulated glass. I like the latter mainly for break resistance...I rock climb a lot and have had a previous car broken in to. Wish I had air suspension so I could raise the car a bit on dirt roads and in snow...I've ripped the small rear mud flaps off three times now. Do not have seat ventilation and don't miss it...the A/C works so well that even when the car is smoking hot I cool off super fast.

 

I didn't check if Porsche offering Solar Sunroof option, but if does then it would be my choice instead of ventilated seats.
I have them in Audi S8 and I don't use that option anymore after I had problems with my back when used this ventilation during hot days when sit into car and put ventilation on straight away. That's not only mine experience .....


Compared Bose vs. Burmester - only Burmester without any doubts ! This was opinion of all 6 persons participated in this compare.
P.S> didn't know that Panamera has 'Basic' option .....

 

The challenge with these 'do I need it or not' questions is that every option is nice if you have it, but if you don't the car is still incredible.

I would like to have a Burmester, but don't have it and I am very happy with the sound
Adaptive cruise is great, but won't sell my car because I don't have it.
I don't have a Turbo S, would love one but I am still super happy with my car


Guess the best thing to do is a 'must have' and 'like to have' list.

My must haves were:
- Turbo or GTS
- sport Chrono (love it, but would move it to the like to have list next time)
- seat ventilation and four zone climate (I live in the dessert)
- non black or grey interior
- less than 30.000 miles (I bought used)
- CPO or existing warranty


Like to have:
- Adaptive CC
- Full Leather
- rear shades
- Burmester
- wooden steering wheel

 

Agreed. Burmester a MUST when I purchased my PTT.

 

These are great points as it is easy to get lost in the configurator thinking you 'need' many options that you wouldn't end up thinking about if you bought a car w/o them.


Your short list is a good way of thinking about it: "what car would I automatically rule out on the used car search if it didn't have option X"? You'd have to compile those and go from there. I imagine, for me, Burmester, laminated glass, ventilated seats and adaptive cruise could all be acceptable being eliminated as 'must haves'. As in, if a car ticked every box but didn't have one or more of those, I would still consider buying it.

 

About ACC - I never used this option till one day, and then after that day never again ...
Was driving with my family, nice straight road, speed limit 90 km/h, thought Ok, I'll be 'good' driver today, no speeding so I set ACC to 90 km/h and ..... in ~10 min I fell asleep, maybe for few seconds ... two road columns (thanks god plastic ones) were chipped away from grass of the side of the road and almost went in a front of the truck when turned back to the road from that grass ....
So no more any ACC , cruise control, etc.

 

That's SCARY -- one thing to mention, since you had ACC, had you veered farther off the road, the ACC would convert to collision avoidance mode and panic braked to try and avoid hitting a forward obstacle (something that "regular" cruise control cannot do). Glad you weren't hurt!

 

... even if ACC would convert to collision avoidance mode that would be to late (and most likely won't detect thin plastic column) - I already would be not on the road .... and that panic brake on the grass most likely would be catastrophic; I was very happy that I have managed do not push the brake pedal when I was 'awaken' by my wife ..... By the way, even lane departure warning didn't helped .... I didn't react to vibrating steering wheel..
Actually I didn't know that collision avoidance option was available in 2012 Panamera's, or it is a part of ACC, I mean Porsche Active Safe (PAS) ?
P.S> this incident has happened with my Audi S8, anyhow I don't see difference between S8 and Panamera ACC ...

 

Just curious, does having the insulted extra thick glass mute the exhaust noise on the GTS model?

 

Somewhat. However the sound is also routed into the cabin when you turn on Sport or Sport+ or press the sport exhaust button.

 

I have the Basic Stereo it is ok, certainly not horrible, the cooled seats are nice, air suspension is a must. do not have thermal windows.

 

To me,
My must haves are :
- Air suspension
- Sport Chrono
- PDCC
- PSE
- Backup camera (or better 360 view)
I do have thermal windows and must say they are very efficient against heat but they tend to muffle the PSE sound.
As per the interior, I do like the aluminium trim, the aluminium pdk shifter and the aluminium illuminated door sills that contrast nicely with black leather.

 

Got one more 'Must have' as it is gorgeous: the wood/leather steering wheel....