Panamera regrets
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sounds like his problem is with the exterior design and size, not so much the performance aspect
I've got a 2012 PTT, and for me this car is all about compromises. The exterior styling is "okay", from certain angles it's great...from other angles not so much. I actually like it for the most part as it's something different. What this car does for me is that it combines some decent performance, comfortable ride, nice interior and a fair amount of cargo capacity. I had a 2010 GT-R and a 2012 S-class...the PTT combines some of the aspects that I liked most about those 2 previous cars making it a "sweet spot" for me.
I've got a 2012 PTT, and for me this car is all about compromises. The exterior styling is "okay", from certain angles it's great...from other angles not so much. I actually like it for the most part as it's something different. What this car does for me is that it combines some decent performance, comfortable ride, nice interior and a fair amount of cargo capacity. I had a 2010 GT-R and a 2012 S-class...the PTT combines some of the aspects that I liked most about those 2 previous cars making it a "sweet spot" for me.
Well stated - i feel the same way. It's a compromise.
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Sounds like someone looking for attention. He buys the car but hates the look only after he buys it..? Then goes on and on about how good his Toyota is. And telling us how much money he has and financial is not an issue. Hmmm something fishy here.
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Sigh.
I thought maybe I'd get some pushback for sharing my feelings about the car, posting on a Panamera forum, but this is the one of the few places I thought I could get reasonable feedback. And I've gotten some pretty reasonable responses, aside from you.
I don't hate the looks. As I've mentioned in other threads, I'm not in the "Panamera is ugly" camp, something I referenced obliquely in my first post in this thread. I don't have a problem with the rear end. They looks just not sports-car-like enough for me to love the car. "I don't love my car" is not the same as "I hate it."
Most so-called "sports sedans" are much more over the line into "sedan" than the Panamera. Compared to a Mercedes S-class, for example, the Panamera is far and away the sportier car, both in appearance and performance focus. The Tesla model S is a little sleeker than the Mercedes, but it's still very thoroughly a sedan in appearance to my eyes, and not remotely sporty looking.
The only 4-door I can think of that got it pretty close is the Fisker Karma, and there are a host of reasons why I'd never consider one of those. Not that 4 doors is really my criteria, I'm mostly looking for enough cargo space while still pushing my buttons otherwise.
I think I'm probably not alone with struggling with the performance and appearance vs. practicality issue. Hawk mentions this.
I really doubt that anyone who owns a Panamera worries much about the cost of gas. If that ongoing expense is a concern, you buy a car in the $30k range, not a Panamera. The only time, the only time I mentioned finances in this thread, was a very, very brief comment to try and capture why I came to the car focused on the e-Hybrid vs. a GTS or Turbo.
Sure, I have money, but so does everyone else here. Which is why I wanted advice here, and not somewhere else, because it's one of the few places I'm going to get honest, first hand thoughts on choosing cars in this price range.
My motivation was mostly hoping that someone would point me to a car I'd like better, or more likely, convince me that I'd have ended up with a Pamamera regardless given my constraints.
First choice would be a coupe like my wife's Cayman, a Jaguar F-coupe, or the BMW i8. I think I could love any of those. I just can't buy one of those, because we need at least one car that can do things the Cayman can't. The Panamera is very good in that regard, and it may be that given my minimum space requirements, I'm just not going to find anything that suits me better.
I thought maybe I'd get some pushback for sharing my feelings about the car, posting on a Panamera forum, but this is the one of the few places I thought I could get reasonable feedback. And I've gotten some pretty reasonable responses, aside from you.
I don't hate the looks. As I've mentioned in other threads, I'm not in the "Panamera is ugly" camp, something I referenced obliquely in my first post in this thread. I don't have a problem with the rear end. They looks just not sports-car-like enough for me to love the car. "I don't love my car" is not the same as "I hate it."
Most so-called "sports sedans" are much more over the line into "sedan" than the Panamera. Compared to a Mercedes S-class, for example, the Panamera is far and away the sportier car, both in appearance and performance focus. The Tesla model S is a little sleeker than the Mercedes, but it's still very thoroughly a sedan in appearance to my eyes, and not remotely sporty looking.
The only 4-door I can think of that got it pretty close is the Fisker Karma, and there are a host of reasons why I'd never consider one of those. Not that 4 doors is really my criteria, I'm mostly looking for enough cargo space while still pushing my buttons otherwise.
I think I'm probably not alone with struggling with the performance and appearance vs. practicality issue. Hawk mentions this.
I really doubt that anyone who owns a Panamera worries much about the cost of gas. If that ongoing expense is a concern, you buy a car in the $30k range, not a Panamera. The only time, the only time I mentioned finances in this thread, was a very, very brief comment to try and capture why I came to the car focused on the e-Hybrid vs. a GTS or Turbo.
Sure, I have money, but so does everyone else here. Which is why I wanted advice here, and not somewhere else, because it's one of the few places I'm going to get honest, first hand thoughts on choosing cars in this price range.
My motivation was mostly hoping that someone would point me to a car I'd like better, or more likely, convince me that I'd have ended up with a Pamamera regardless given my constraints.
First choice would be a coupe like my wife's Cayman, a Jaguar F-coupe, or the BMW i8. I think I could love any of those. I just can't buy one of those, because we need at least one car that can do things the Cayman can't. The Panamera is very good in that regard, and it may be that given my minimum space requirements, I'm just not going to find anything that suits me better.
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Gus,
I've never owned a fast car before the panamera, so I don't know if that makes my opinion more or less pertinent. That said, I shopped around a bit and after various test drives concluded that the car is pretty sexy, and although it doesn't feel like a 911, I still feel like Aladdin on a magic carpet when I floor it in sports plus. I almost never have people in the rear buckets and just use the space for golf clubs, groceries, etc, so sometimes I wish I had a 911 turbo s. But, sometimes the kids, friends, etc ARE back there. And those times I'm glad it's physically possible. Also know that you'll probably have something else later given your apparent car buying habits. So try to enjoy the unique value proposition of this car now and take what you've learned into future car shopping projects. Just my .02.
I've never owned a fast car before the panamera, so I don't know if that makes my opinion more or less pertinent. That said, I shopped around a bit and after various test drives concluded that the car is pretty sexy, and although it doesn't feel like a 911, I still feel like Aladdin on a magic carpet when I floor it in sports plus. I almost never have people in the rear buckets and just use the space for golf clubs, groceries, etc, so sometimes I wish I had a 911 turbo s. But, sometimes the kids, friends, etc ARE back there. And those times I'm glad it's physically possible. Also know that you'll probably have something else later given your apparent car buying habits. So try to enjoy the unique value proposition of this car now and take what you've learned into future car shopping projects. Just my .02.
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My car buying habits vary. I bought a normally-aspirated Supra back in '97, drove it for a year, and then upgraded to a Turbo in '98. Which I then drove for 16 years, only selling it last year to make room for the Panamera. If I'm happy with a car I hold it for a long time, but only if I'm really happy with it.
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I'd recently put in solar panels on my house roof, they were a great success, generating a lot more power than I expected. I was psyched for a while by the idea of driving primarily on electricity, not so much of a finite resource (gas), but was completely unwilling to give up the driving experience to which I was accustomed.
Test driving the Panamera, I felt it pulled a bit harder than my Supra, and it felt like a similar size. It was only with real time driving the car, rather than a limited test drive, that I really started to feel put off by how hard it is to maneuver in close quarters because of the size, and how much the size limited visibility. There's plenty of glass in the rear hatch, but the view is tiny because it's far away, and the C-pillars are wide.
I also didn't appreciate at the time how much I'd care about the difference in appearance. I've always told myself that it's all about the driving experience, but apparently I care about looks too.
It does deliver the fuel efficiency. I get about 3x the gas mileage I used to. It's a bit quirky in winter, refusing the drive on pure electric at times with a full battery, but mostly it works. It does drive nicely, but only in Sport or Sport+ mode.
Unexpected was how comfortable it is, the ride is very smooth, and how much extra space there is. It has repeatedly hauled things that were difficult or impossible for me before, like fitting a new bathroom vanity without straining.
Test driving the Panamera, I felt it pulled a bit harder than my Supra, and it felt like a similar size. It was only with real time driving the car, rather than a limited test drive, that I really started to feel put off by how hard it is to maneuver in close quarters because of the size, and how much the size limited visibility. There's plenty of glass in the rear hatch, but the view is tiny because it's far away, and the C-pillars are wide.
I also didn't appreciate at the time how much I'd care about the difference in appearance. I've always told myself that it's all about the driving experience, but apparently I care about looks too.
It does deliver the fuel efficiency. I get about 3x the gas mileage I used to. It's a bit quirky in winter, refusing the drive on pure electric at times with a full battery, but mostly it works. It does drive nicely, but only in Sport or Sport+ mode.
Unexpected was how comfortable it is, the ride is very smooth, and how much extra space there is. It has repeatedly hauled things that were difficult or impossible for me before, like fitting a new bathroom vanity without straining.
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my real regret, had a chance to buy similar to this as it was right beside my panny when I was looking for a new vehicle to replace the lexus. As you can tell by the forum I'm in, which car I have and what my regret is.
Now I'll have to wait another 5-6 yrs before I get the car I originally wanted.
Now I'll have to wait another 5-6 yrs before I get the car I originally wanted.
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Absolutely
PGTS pushes all my buttons. 991TTS is a monster on the track and a very comfortable touring machine, but my PGTS is more versatile. Had a short hot lap at the Porsche world tour with one of my PSDS instructors in a PTT Sat and he tossed it around in a scary fast run. Said he prefers the PGTS over the PTT or PTTS. Drive a PGTS and I would be surprised if it does not impress very favorably. Obviously we are dealing with a highly subjective decision, as most cars mentioned in this thread are very good alternatives.
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Yes sir
Turbo thrust can be addictive for sure.
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