I plan to buy towards the end of the year. Will be my first Porsche. I currently drive a 2013 535i with a M Sport pkg. The beemer has been good to me...best driving experience of the lot I have owned so far.

Prior to the 535, I have owned - corvette c6, acura rl, honda s2000, volvo s60R, honda prelude

I am looking for that sweet spot of year and trim level I can find for under $40k and with less than 60k miles.

I am honing in on the 4s.

should i get the 4s with the v8 2010-2013 or should i consider the 2014 onwards with the v6 turbo?

I don't mean to sound like a wuss but I am 45 and not into any kind of track scene (scarred from some mishaps from the past). I only see myself enjoying the occasional spirited driving else mostly cruising.

Please share your thoughts and recommendations to help me make this decision. I have always wanted a Porsche ever since I was a kid and this is a dream come true for me and I am super excited.

Your comments and advise are much appreciated. Cheers!

 

I ended up with a 2012 Turbo but test drove a 2014 4S with the turbo v6 in the process and I was very impressed with it. I think it depends what you value more in a car...

if great exhaust note and engine sound and linear power delivery, go with the v8

if mpg and reliability (my understanding is the 2015+ is much less likely to have the common coolant pipe and front control arm issues) then go with the v6 turbo

 

I went from a 2012 550 msport to a 2012 Panamera s hybrid. The handling in this car is unbelievable. I do miss the comfy plush seats in my 550 though. I personally like the 970.1 design better than the 970.2 but either way I feel like you will be happy with whatever you get besides the base v6 haha. Even the hybrid has nice power.

 

I'm a bit biased but I love the V8, my 2010 4S has been a absolute blast to drive and it actually gets good mileage on the highway, I've seen 27 mpg going over the cascades
something about that torque V8... oh and the sound

 

Thanks!

Not that they are equals by any means but I had a taste of a naturally aspirated v8 in my c6 and I would like to see how the turbo feels. If I get lucky I will try to test drive both and see what they feel like. The pre-2014 4s with the v8 seems to offer the most choices in the preowned market and ez on the wallet :-)

 

I think you are right about the seats. I have not sat in one but the bucket seats don't look very comfy but then again who is getting into one for comfort Thanks!

 

I'm a first time owner of Porsche and drove test V6 and compared to V8 GTS and Turbo, I'm so impressed with the GTS because of quick throttle response and exhaust sound coming from the natural aspirated engine. If you need more power then go to Turbo and more money for that. GTS has more standard features compared to 4S and go for 2014 to 2016 models, they already made change to some parts that keep failing and body style as well.

 

I like the white/beige combination you have..it is one of my favorites next to the grey/black

 

"GTS has more standard features compared to 4S and go for 2014 to 2016 models, they already made change to some parts that keep failing and body style as well" - this is some useful information. I will look for what those features are. Thanks! :-)

 

If you get it from a Porsche dealer don't forget to add the Fidelity extended warranty it's worth it, I got it and it's a peace of mind in the next few years of ownership.

 

Thanks!

 

For what it's worth, I came from a 2011 550i M-Sport to my 970.2 Turbo S with the 18 way seats. I think that my Panamera seats are soooo much more comfortable than the F10 seats I had. My lower back was regularly in pain with the BMW.

Every body is different, but don't assume that the Panamera seats are not comfortable.

 

good to know. thanks for sharing.

 

If you can spring the little bit extra, I'd shoot for at least the GTS... it has far too many options as standard that is different and more comforting than a 4s. That being said, 2012PTT said it best... it depends what you're after. V8 for the exhaust note and torque, V6 for lack of exhaust note and torque (no bias here haha).

 

Similar to others my 2013 GTS is my first Porsche and I can't tell you how happy I am overall. I daily drove an '01 Z06 for 8yrs and knew I would miss the V8, so when I realized the Panamera V8 was within my price range it came down to whether I opted for the Turbo or GTS. Much like others have mentioned, if you want almost scary speed (plus extra with a tune) go Turbo, but if you're OK with saving some money, better standard options over lower models, bit better torque (no turbo lag), then get a GTS; plus the GTS has the fantastic Sport Design front bumper and it's also the only model that has intake noise pumped into the a-pillars 👌. Lastly there's two seat options, 1) 18way adjustable with crazy nice alcantara inserts and bolstering, or 2) 8 way adjustable BUT ventilated seats, which is what I opted for as the 18way doesn't have it *edit 18way can have ventilated if optioned with full leather, not alcantara centers...tough option to find on the used market.

I would also highly recommend getting an extended warranty that specifically covers all air suspension components. There's numerous threads of owner's experiencing strut leaks/compressor failure, myself included. However don't let that scare you away, because aside from that, I feel confident saying nearly all owners here generally have a pleasant owner experience. Now that's not to say little things won't occur like wear/tear, but by and large there hasn't been a widespread instance where Panamera's have left owners stranded or grenaded some internal engine component....well... 2013 and up models have the thermostat housing bolted to the motor vs glued in place. Sooo be on the look out for oem thermostat housing on older models, it may have already been replaced though.

Ok well the things I've mentioned may seem like big drawbacks but again honestly speaking after 2yrs of ownership, I would not hesitate to buy another Panamera, air suspension and all.