So after getting a 2012 Panamera Turbo 9 months ago, I have put about 6000 miles on it. While it is a very comfortable and fast sedan, my overall impression is that I would not recommend the car over the competition from BMW, Audi and others.

We can and have all debated the looks of the Panamera, the visibility from inside, etc. But my comments are related to the drivability. It's fast as stink, but ...

I think the engine, transmission and overall drivetrain are shockingly unrefined. Frankly, I am surprised there hasn't been more discussion of this. Having driven a number of other modern double clutch transmission and turbo cars over the last decade, the PTT is considerably less smooth than anything I have driven, and at times feels more like a carbureted 911 on a cold morning than a $150k sedan.

The throttle response for everyday driving is very poor. Sure, if you hammer the pedal, it takes off like a bat out of hell. But driving between 1500 and 3000 RPM it feels less refined than cars at 1/4 of the price.

While the PDK does a decent job, it is not very well synched with the engine throttle at lower RPMs (BMW DCT and VW/Audi DSG are more integrated, IMHO. Mercedes way better). But worse than that, even without shifting (locked in gear), the driveline shudder and hesitation on part-throttle acceleration between 2k and 3k RPM makes you wonder what Porsche is doing in the ECU software programing. Is this the result of ultra-lean, gas saving a/f ratio?

Suffice it to say, if you are considering a PTT, test drive it on an "everyday" road and accelerate with part throttle. Drive it for at least 10 miles.

As a long time Porsche owner and fan of high performance sedans, I am very disappointed.

 

thx for the review and it's a bit disappointing to read since i'm in the market for a used TURBO

 

what setting are you driving in (comfort, sport or sport plus?) Sounds a little like how the car acts in comfort mode (you have to be heavy on the foot to get it to hold gears) but car drives completely different in sport (my choice for DD) and sport plus. How you could call a pdk slow to shift is a little beyond me it's proven that's it's faster than a manual in every car they make. I also have a 2011 audi S5 with the double clutch and I think they are equally impressive with how fast they shift.

 

I find comfort almost unusable (rediculous early shifting for some EPA MPG rating). But the drivability issue that I mentioned is the same in all modes. Obviously, in sport plus and auto shift, it will hardly ever be below 3k RPM, so it's not as noticable. But that's everyday driving in a GT2, not for me in a PTT.

 

Interesting to read and also a bit disappointing as I have been also thinking of getting a pre owned 4S or turbo.
My question though is have you had a 911?
I'd be interested to hear your comments if you have as compared to the Panamera.
We also have a Mercedes S 600 and a couple of BMW's (330 and X3).
Beemers are indeed smooth and absorb bumps better than the 911.
The Porsches do run differently and I wonder how the Porsche 911 and Panamera fans feel about your comments.

 

As a counterpoint, I don't agree at all and consider the car very refined but not soft. I have over 10k miles on my PTT and love it. Previous 4doors sedans owned include M3's and M5's of various generations and I consider the PTT to be the best overall vehicle of them all(my car has PDCC and PTV and SC so maybe it's different from your OP's setup). I only drive in comfort mode maybe 20% of the time and mostly in sport mode 70% and sport plus 10% as I drive it fairly aggressively. I do sense a bit more lag in comfort but not as much as my previous 996TT's. With my recently added GIAC ECU mod. with performance exhaust, it's even better. It's a great car in my book. JMHO

 

I am sure others will disagree with my opinion.

This is not an issue of being "soft" or "comfortable". As a matter of fact, I find the suspension almost too soft in comfort mode and use the firm shock setting frequently (two lights on the shock button, but not sport plus). The PDCC does an awesome job of making a large car seem small through the turns. In that way, better than the M5 or S8.

My biggest issue is how the engine responds when you are not hammering it. Everyday driving. Just seems unrefined. To the point of shuttering on partial throttle that can be felt in the seats.

And yes, this is coming from someone who owns/has owned most versions of the 911 (from '70 to GT3RS), turbos, M5, M3, E55, and a variety of Audis and VWs (I am sure I am forgetting some).

Anyway, just make sure you drive it a good distance before you buy one. I do believe this issue is exclusive to the turbo.

 

Interesting comments and sorry you are disappointed with your purchase. I don't feel the same way at all.

I purchased a 2012 PTT in May of 2012 and now have 14,000 miles on it. The only thing I am disappointed with is the depreciation - but that was expected and I knew when I bought it, it needed to be a 3-5 year car or I would not like the metrics.

There are some times at low RPM's where the turbo lag is apparent and/or the gear change gets caught in the wrong gear, but that is not very often and can be rectified quicly with a flip of the paddles. But in 98% of the driving conditions the car is exceptional.

I find the PDK to be "exceptionally" smooth compared to other similar "clutchless" transmissions. It is not an automatic, but is so refined I don't know why you would want one.

As far as a recommendation for or against the competition I would define the competion as the M5, the S5, S7 or RS7, the E63 and CLS 63. I would not include the Alpina 7 or the S8 or the S63, they are a different class of very nice, fast luxury sedans. The S8 is just now out and clearly trumps the others in the class for speed and luxury, so they have some work to do.

As for the M5 I was able to swap my neighbor for the weekend for his 2013 and we each put 200 + miles on the others car. End of the weekend I wanted my PTT back and he wanted to keep it. Now given the $30k-$40k price differential (new to new), the M5 is the better economic choice, but the PTT is the better car. It is bigger, handles better and has a driving appeal that the M5 has lost (I daily drove an M5 from 1988 - 2012).

The E63 and CLS 63 are fast but the E lacks the sportiness and the CLS's back seat is completely useless (if you need one). They are very nice cars but their auto transmission does not offer the sport appeal of the M5 or PTT.

The S6, S7, RS7 were just coming out (or not out in the RS7 case) and offer great cars at "value" pricing compared to the PTT, so very good options if shopping today. I would probably opt for an S7 or RS7 over a used PTT, just because you get a new car for the same price and they are great cars.

But money no object I would not buy any other sport/luxury sedan than the PTT or PTTS. When you consider $ the M5 and RS7 cannot be ignored - they are great cars.

I do agree the specific issue you have pointed out is a Turbo issue. I found the S,4S or GTS to be much more reponsive, with no lag, they just run out of legs once you hit triple digits. So the GTS is probably the ulitmate driver all around, but I love the torque of the PTT!

Sorry you have not found your PTT to your liking, hope your next ride is exactly what you are looking for.

 

I am very surprised on your comments. The PDK is one of the MOST REFINED gearboxes Ive driven and very quick. M5 and AMG Mercs cant be compared. SO I am very surprised. Also I dont experience ANY hesitation or lag, I think you should consider powerkitting your car, it will transform the car 100% And I come from similar cars than you E55, M5, 997tt, many Audis S etc.

 

You have highlighted my point exactly. To make the car right, I have to get a power kit or flash the ECU.

My concern is not the PDK. I like double clutch transmissions and the PDK is no exception.

 

Maybe the flash is the difference as my car has the FVD tune on it, and I rarely experience anything that would keep me from buying another one of these cars as a daily driver. In fact I'm in the market for upgrading as we speak and If I didn't love the car I would have a tough time spending $150,000 on a newer one.

 

The GTS has none of the problems that you've mentioned. I would definitely consider this car over the Turbo. The PDK is ultra refined in the GTS. No shudder or hesitation whatsoever.

Now I do have some complaints on the GTS vs the M5 or E/CLS 63 or the Audis. There is a definite 'drone' at between 60-75mph in comfort when you're on the gas. You can solve the problem simply by shifting into 6th gear, either by going into manual, or shifting into sport or sport-plus mode. But the way the car drives and sounds in all other situations pretty much makes up for this shortcoming. I'm really surprised that Porsche has this kind of an issue in a luxury car designed for highway cruising - probably because Germans just don't drive the car that slowly...

My only other major issue is with the user interface - way behind Audi and BMW.

 

I find the transmission/engine to be "non-linear" on my 4s. This is better than my old cayenne s, but there is always a little bit of unpreditability when I hit the gas, which is a characteristic of my cayenne s even with GIAC flash. In sport plus mode, its fine, but engine speed is kept too high for everyday use. I liked the v6 pedal feel better, it felt firmer and more predictable.

 

I totally disagree with you

 

drooling, nice......