tomc_mets

Dear All…Had the 997.2S in for its 30K mile check-up. Got a Panamera 4 loaner for the day.

OK, first off, I'd NEVER replace my 911 w/ a Panny, let's be clear on that. But, IMO it would be a good addition to garage, especially for long road trips.

I did 100 miles in mixed highway/city driving and it averaged low-20's mpg according to trip meter. Thought ride was smooth over train tracks, rough roads. Also, I felt V6 was peppy enough for task at hand. So, all in all, I was impressed in my limited time, and would consider it as an option for a road trip, grand touring sedan.

So, questions for those of you who may own or have more seat time in V6 flavor Panny's.

1. Any advantage of 4 over 2? In DFW, frozen precip is rare, and if it happens, best policy is to stay off the road, so AWD may be less advantageous here vs. many other places.

2. Do new 991's come with so many buttons?!? In terms of interior styling & layout, that was one thing I did not like in the Panny ('14) compared to my ('11) 997.2S? The Panny had what seemed like a hundred buttons. To be honest, to the point that I thought it detracted from the overall experience?

3. What kind of MPG's are people seeing for highway driving in the V6 Panny's?

4. Any long term reliability issues? My reading of RL leaves me with the impression that the first year or so of the Panamera had some growing pains, lets call them. Does anyone know if these have lessened as the platform has evolved?

Thanks for any input and advice…T

Pratfall

My 2 cents:

No advantage to 4wd over 2wd, especially in the great dry flatness that is Dallas. 4wd arguably worse since it's heavier, which hurts performance and mpg.

Porsche loves buttons. Think of them as the alternative to scrolling through endless layers of menus in the computer interface using a dial or touchpad. Once you learn which button does what, they'll actually be quicker than the more common menu laden approach you see in Bmws, audis, mercs, etc.

Can't help with anything else, other than to suggest that you might want to try an Audi A7 too, since it's a similar style ride for less and you can get a fantastically well rounded package with the v6 TDI. Good luck.

tomc_mets

Rented an A4 & it was my usual rental car impression ”Nice enough & I'd take one if someone gave it to me for free, but not sure I'd spend my own cash on it.” But, I'd have to see if A7 was step up in comfort & luxury. Thanks...T

swdea

My wife has an A6 and I have a 2013 P4. I'll take the buttons over the MMI system any day. The buttons are laid out logically and are very user friendly.

I am getting 22 to 23 MPG combined and 30 on the highway.

So far reliability had been okay. I had an issue with the PCM and the trunk button.

disden

The Panamera is an amazing vehicle, fun to drive and comfortable. If mpg is your main concern, then honestly none of them will be for you. Agree with what others have said, get an Audi TDI. However, if you don't mind the Panny's looks, then you can't go wrong!

The buttons on the dash are well thought out and logically placed, sure beats the endless scrolling thru menus on Audis, BMW or even worse MBs horrible system. After a few drives everything makes sense and they seem to look less intimidating.

If you do get a Panny, back up camera and lane warning system are crucial. This car is huge, all the help is needed. Also avoid the base stereo, it's awful. Otherwise the rest of options are personal preference. Good luck!

tomc_mets

disden & swdea...Thanks for input. MPG is important, but am not looking for Prius-like MPG, low 20's would be acceptable. Agree that Audi interface leaves much to be desired. Think the large # of buttons versus my 997.2 had me mildly freaked out...T

mickey6

For what its worth, approximately 650 miles on one tank of gas with plenty to go. This is on my 2014 e-Hybrid with mixed driving and shorter drives (less than 20 miles all on pure electric)

On gas usage mode, I am guessing high 20s-30s mpg can easily be achieved on highway as long as you dont drive it like you stole it!

I love the buttons, sure beats going through menus to get to some function.

tomc_mets

Wow! That is some serious distance...T

Gus_Smedstad

The e-Hybrid version gets a serious improvement to gas mileage even in situations where you think it wouldn't. I did a 350 mile road trip recently and saw 35 MPG for the entire trip. Since it was such a long trip the initial electric range has almost no bearing. I did fiddle with it a bit, using e-Charge mode in highway cruising to recharge the battery for the slower stop-and-go sections through towns, in the theory that electric drive is more efficient for that than gas for that kind of driving.

A Prius would probably see 50 MPG for that kind of trip, but a Prius doesn't have 416 HP.