or for the person that can only own one car they deliver in every department....just none on one extreme. That said, I do know what your saying.

 

This is a familiar dilemma. I considered others before getting the 997.2, and I think the Audi S5 (coupe or convertible) is incredibly attractive and relatively inexpensive considering your budget. It is becoming a bit common, though gorgeous. If you go the sedan route, my vote is for the 7-Series. I've ordered a 740i M Sport --- 0-60 in 5.8 seconds, 25 mpg on the highway, big and safe, looks great with the 20" M Sport wheels and body kit, and $10K+ less than a comparably-equipped 750i. I drove the Panamera and was very impressed with the interior and driving experience, though I'd never spend $100K to put ugly in my garage.

 

OFCOURSE IT IS! Adoption to new tools, interface is very subjective! Some people never gets used to something new while others adopt a lot faster.

The rearview mirror is small as far as the OP is concerned and that's an issue for him and you cannot discount his opinion based on yours! That's how it's subjective, you can compromise the lack of rear vision with other perceived benefits of Panamera, the OP can't!

 

They are not SUV, but pretend to be.
They are not a sports car, but pretend to be.
They are not a luxury sedan, but pretend to be.

Basically to make every criteria, they have to compromise. Its not as comfortable as a 4-dr, not as sporty as M5, not as capable offroad as a Cayenne.

If you watched the Top Gear review of X6 in Season 14, you understand what I mean. These cars have an identity crisis, wanna do everything, while can't do any of it very well.

 

Have watched many a top gear and it is to bad 75% of the episodes are them racing RV's and turning cars into house boats...and less real car reviews.... they also choked all over the new 997 when it came out. Don't get me wrong I like the show but seen many shows that are laughable in their judging criteria...

To your point... I see things a bit different. They never claim to be the ultimate sports car, nor have the most interior space, nor be the best off roading AWD vehicle, nor the most luxury... they do a little of each which in its own right is cool.....not many cars out there can do that.

My first reaction is that it does have more room then the M5 and offers awd so rides better in tough conditions (snow etc).. so beats it here.... and handles better + faster then the GTS so does beat the GTS in certain areas....but before I make this claim I would need to do some more research....

Not buying one anytime soon just appreciate them for what they are... see your point about an identity crises so point well taken.

Moving on....

 

We all enjoy spending other people's money

I went from sedan to Pcar even with the kids. But it's tight so I can see why you want something with 4 doors.

I know (from various forums) someone who writes for Autoblog, he would tell you a Panamera S. He just drove the AM Rapide and still prefers the Panamera. My wife and I drove a new E class (not the E63) when she was car shopping, it was a bit funky.

As others have said the hunt is sometimes more fun.

 

Funny review here... kinda sums it up though

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYm_fxjyAYs

 

If you must have a sedan or coupe, or simply don't want another SUV, this is obviously not the answer, but the new Cayenne S, due in showrooms by fall looks pretty good to me. New sportier exterior styling, over 400lbs lighter than previous model, new 8 speed gearbox, more power from the V8, updated Panamera style interior, more fuel efficient. Could be a luxurious family hauler that's also fun to drive. I'd certainly rather have one of these over an X6, and probably will when it's time (soon) to replace my '06 Audi S4 Avant.

 

Well, since I gave up reading Car & Driver and Road & Track and Motor Trend over a year ago I believe the UK published car mags mostly. They seem to be a bit more honest and not afraid to speak their mind regarding various cars.

IIRC on the whole the Panamera has received mostly if not completely lack-luster reviews by the UK car mag crowd. However, other Porsche models fare quite well.

Sincerely,

Macster.

 

I agree.

Unfortunately, C&D and Motortrend have become darlings of particular car companies and I don't think have been as objective or honest in their review of the last few years.

 

I'm not a particular fan of C&D either; I have a subscription only because it's dirt cheap and much prefer other sources and mags like R&T. Although C&D's subjective opinions are suspect, I don't think they've sunk to faking test numbers yet, and those numbers favor the Panamera. Make of it what you will.

 

If you say so. Subjective conclusions can often yield optimistic acceptance once the rational mind takes over.

What do you know about the OP? The OP may think about it take another look and who knows? Subjective right ?!?

 

Clarkson did their first review of the 997 - and he loved it. There is a myth that he doesn't like Porsche - he simply baits Hammond who is a Porsche guy through and through.

If you watch their 997 review all the way through the conclusion was that it was "spectacular". The 997 also recorded its lap in the (very) wet - and recorded the same time as the E60 M5 in the dry.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYWk-nat1ok

this is not a great review of the base 997.... makes the S sound like its s turbo though in comparison to none S...anyone that sees this will think the S 1000% better then the none S, which we all know it not the case.

Did they really record its car performance in comparison to all the others on their list with buckets of rain on the ground???????????

Back on track...... OP whats leading the pack as interesting options????????????????

 

We have an RS4 and absolutely love it. Unfortunately you can't buy one new any more so I don't think this works for the OP since he needs to lease.

I would take a hard look at the MB AMG's. They are ridiculously fast and the latest E63 is supposed to be great through the corners. They also changed the styling more with the latest E63 versus the "regular" E classes than they did with the previous model. They have a lot of presence when seen in person.

I am also a big fan of the S5 and hopefully you can still find one with the V8 instead of the new supercharged 6. The 6 may be a great motor but it can't match the character of the 8. As far as I know, the 8 is only available in the coupes and the 6 is in the convertibles. This may have changed for this model year.

Overall you can't go too far wrong with any of the choices. Go for a lot of test drives and see if one jumps out at you.