Hey guys Im looking to get a Panamera or an S class hybrid. whats your opinion.

 

and also advise me on when this car will go through a redesign as this will cost me $250k with the tax in my country, and i don't want to spend that money just to see a new model come out shortly after.

 

I would consider them to be very different types of vehicles. Yes, they are both sedans, but their inner spirit and what they're trying to achieve are divergent. That being said, they are both wonderful. The S class is more suited for someone seeking space, comfort, and luxury, while the Panamera is more of a performance oriented ride sacrificing comfort for that. If you are worried about a redesign, given your significant investment, I would opt for the S class since this has just been redesigned.

 

Thank you for your input so basically the particular models I'm talking about are the S400 L hybrid and the panamera S E hybrid I understand that these cars are not direct competitors but the price point is very similar. I have no idea when the new panamera will come I wouldn't mind if it still has a few years bit I've heard from some sources that it might even be announced this year, and this to be honest is the only thing making me reluctant on purchasing one

 

http://2015carsrelease2016.com/2017-...mera-redesign/

It appears that the new design based on a new modular platform will be with the 2017 model.

I love my Panny turbo, but with a new design coming out, I would definitely consider the newly designed S class. I think they did a great job with the new S class.

 

I suggest that you consider which manufacturer/dealership network is going to be capable of dealing with the inevitable problems which will arise with these hybrids. And don't fool yourself into thinking these vehicles are not incredibly complex and far outside the core competency of both manufacturers.

Last year, when we purchased the PSeH, Porsche was basically the only game in town. If we were making this purchase this year, I would probably favor Mercedes. I have a long history with Merc, and know that they have the resources to tackle problems. Porsche already has one year of production with the PSeH, yet it feels like they're simply figuring it out as they go along.

And yes, the PSeH and S500 (as it will be called in the US) are two entirely different vehicles.

 

RUN AWAY FROM THE PSEH. DON'T EVEN CONSIDER BUYING ONE.



If Porsche is going to play dumb with the issues I'm having, then prepare for my very vocal presence on the internet.

 

To be clear, Ace is currently experiencing some really unpleasant problems with his Panamera S e Hybrid, and his Porsche dealership is not treating him right.

I'm not entirely clear if you're talking about the older S400 Hybrid or the upcoming plug-in hybrid, which is going to be called the S500 here. The latter is much more comparable to the Panamera, though as others have pointed out, the Panamera is more of an attempt to make a hybrid sports car than a luxury sedan.

I've done better with my Panamera S e Hybrid than ace, but it hasn't been entirely what I had expected or hoped. It's more fuel efficient than the S500 is supposed to be, but it still frequently turns on the gas engine when the battery is full.

I guess it depends on why you're looking at hybrids specifically. These are expensive cars, and the cost savings in fuel is minor compared to the purchase and other upkeep costs. If you care about, for example, not polluting for more casual drives, the Panamera is the lighter car and has the larger battery, so it's likely to have a longer pure-electric range.

 

In a perfect world I would be looking at a panamera turbo and an S63 amg, however these would cost me over 500k, and we get huge tax breaks on hybrid cars so the panamera S E hybrid is actually cheaper than the regular Pana, 4, 4s, and S.

So I see that a lot of people havent had a positive experience with panamera, u guess I might just go with the S.

 

I've never owned a porsche before mainly because I usually need cars as an daily driver however from what I'm reading I think this panamera will have very high maintenance costs.

 

Ace has had some very bad experiences, but I wouldn't say the rest of us have found it bad. Just not exactly what I wanted.

I wanted something that would replicate the sports-car driving experience while giving me electric drive when I was limited by traffic. The PSeH definitely gives the sports car experience, but only in "Sports" or "Sports+" mode. The "e-Power" and the un-named default Hybrid mode you get when all other modes are off are far too sedate for me.

It's not difficult to get 0.7 g's of acceleration in Sports mode, but even with the accelerator pressed to the floor and the power gauge pegged at 125% Boost, I've never seen more than 0.4 g's from e-Power. Both the throttle response and the shifting are underwhelming unless it's in one of the Sports modes.

I thought that I'd use manual all the time, since I'm used to a manual 6 speed transmission, but that hasn't worked for me. Sure, manual mode is there, and there are shifters on the steering wheel, but 1st gear is ridiculously low, and response to the shifters is quite delayed and lacks the feedback I'm used to in a manual. So I'm dependent on the more-aggressive shifting patterns of Sports / Sports+ if I want performance.

That doesn't mean the Mercedes would have been any more to my taste. I don't think they're really shooting for that performance mark at all.

I can't speak to comparative maintenance costs. I've only had the car for 6 months, and I've yet to bring it in for service. Ace probably has extensive knowledge of Mercedes maintenance costs.

 

Panny anytime for the fun factor. I would stay away from hybrids. Just go for a 4s or a turbo. Having owned an S500, 4s and PTT i prefer how the porsche handles. If you have a driver who will drive you around get the s500. Its very comfortable. If you want thrills and you are driving yourself around stick with the Porsche brand. My opinion and i agree with myself 100%; well most of the times

 

I agree that these are 2 VERY different cars. If you have a family, and need the space to move people comfortably with a little extra room, then the S class may be better. If its just you and your significant other, then it's not an issue.

The biggest difference in these cars is that one is very sporty and the other is not nearly as much. You have to decide which appeals to you more.

 

Well guys, I had a 2014 Panamera 4S and now I own the 2015 S550. I have owned 2 Panemera's up to this point (2010 PTT) and I am happy to be in the new S class.

I needed a 4 door sedan for work purposes and I feel I am relatively young (30 at the time) to be driving an A8, or the previous generation S500 at the time. The Panamera was bold, striking and I felt like it fit my age group better then the others.

Fast forward to now, I thought the S class was strikingly beautiful and yet sporty. Sporty might not be the right word...it was sportier then before.

The new S class with magic body control handles just as magical as our Panameras but it does one thing better. It is more comfortable and it involves my passenger far less in the driving experience. As a car enthusiast, I want to be involved with the visceral experience of my drive as much as possible but my gf, my friends or clients might not feel the same passion as I do. The interior, the driver's features that makes everyday commute much easier and that V8 TT engine in the S550 is really a great combination.

My Panamera was pretty loaded up at a 113,XXX MSRP. My 15' S550 is pretty loaded up minus the rear seat packages and features at $114,XXX. But the S550 has radar cruise control, lane change assistant, blind spot monitor, standard Burmeister, 6 disc CD changer, massaging seats, LED headlights, double pan windowns etcccc... I can go on and on about the how the S550 is actually the bargain car in the segment considering all the features it comes loaded up with.

 

Until you drive them both, you will never know and everything we say is purely speculative.