sloth martin

Hi all, first time poster hope I'm doing it correctly

TL;DR reliability wise should I look to the 2012 panny s v8 or the 2013 panny s v6 turbo?


I am car shopping, looking to spend between 30k -50k. Contenders include 2014 bmw 550gt at 30k (crazy value for the money and I like quirky looking cars) and at 50k bmws m5. (I also considered a 911 TT but the car I want is not showing up at the price I want)

Right in the middle is the Panamera, and I think I can look at 2011-2013 in that price range, assuming I want the S for such a heavy car.

I am having some frustration in my research, bmws and 911s are very well documented online as far as what motor is best, what year is best, whats going to break when etc.

so for instance I know I need a 2014 bmws 550 because the v8s are time bombs before that year.

For the Panamera I am not finding a lot of info. mostly people that buy it new and own it under warranty, and not a lot about what goes wrong, or where to find the reliability. (the idea that I am not paid enough to be a p car owner has crossed my mind)

I am leaning hard to the panny because 1. it looks super luxurious which I do value a lot. 2. it has new tech which is nice 3. I hear it handles and drives like a sports car 4. I have never owned a pcar and people say its on another level quality wise compared to bmws, which intrigues me very much.

so to get to the point, I am considered 2012 Panamera S (or 4s) which is around 42k and has an NA v8, which I hear is delightful. or a 2013 panny s (or 4s) which it looks like moved to a v6 turbo, which I have not heard much about

which of these motors is more fun?
which is less likely to blow up?

I am not concerned with paying 1-2k at a time at the dealer, which I am used to. I am very concerned with paying 20k for a new motor.

thank you all, and I would appreciate any comments, thoughts, criticism etc.

sloth

sloth martin

Also, I always thought a thread was more fun with pics, so here is some random pics from google

2012 apparently


2013

Panaseeya

I think the turbo V6 started with the 2014 models.

sloth martin

welp, looks like you are absolutely correct. I would still be interested to hear if anyone has thoughts on the v6TT versus the v8 motors as to which is more reliable and which is more desirable

Amarmotivala

Was about to buy a S550 but fell in love with the Panamera at first sight! I bought a v6 2013 Panamera (49000 miles)in May 2017 and am very happy with the purchase.(private sale)
Only problem was the second hand of the clock had fallen off.Stealer wanted $700 for replacing the clock.Figured out to repair it myself and it took just 30 minutes.
I am a DIY guy and have never taken my other car CLK 320 (100000 miles)to the stealer ever and things like oil + filter change,brake pad/disc replacing,cabin and engine air filter change can be done without going under the car.
Panamera requires hard work for the DIY Guy for everything except replacing the cabin air filter!or pay $$$$ to the stealers.

sloth martin

hey thanks for the ownership thoughts. do you feel like the base v6 is enough power for the car or would you upgrade to the v8 given the chance?

Amarmotivala

Add $10000 for V8 which is much better but has its own problems!
Air suspension pump failure,leaks etc .
3.6 V6 definitely has good power unless you want to zoom out at traffic lights.

Panaseeya

I got a base V6 for a loaner and found it underpowered. I would not be happy with it.

HP41

I have a '14 Panamera 4S (3.0L V-6 Bi-Turbo). I find the power to be completely acceptable for any type of public road driving. I came from a '03 MB S600 (V-12 BT). The Panamera is much more fun to drive and is "snappier" in acceleration. However, not much can touch the acceleration of the big V12 in the MB once you get over about 75mph

It's really about what you want the car for -- grand touring, carving curves, flat out speed, ....

Chuck

cerbomark

I would caution you about owning any Porsche after warranty. Very expensive repairs if something big goes. Check the price on a PDK trans for example. Strongly consider a CPO car if you can find one.
I do read a lot about the air suspensions and repairs. Same as MB I guess. The Pana is a solid reliable car for the most part.

sloth martin

oh really? i have had a hard time finding specific info about panamera reliability,

however porsche does rank high on reliability ratings, and people speak very highly of other p cars in terms of reliability.

I am not really concerned about 2k here and there. but i am certainly concerned with a 20k motor, which is why i thought maybe the 2013 is worth it, as it appears to be after the recall years that caused motor replacements

cerbomark

you probably will not find one source for the info you are looking for but it would be the IF SOMETHING GOES BAD factor that I would be concerned with. They are reliable but things do go bad on all cars and P cars are just expensive to fix. For example lets just say the trans went out. Well they are sealed and come from Germany at a price of over 20-25K last time I knew. That would be enough for me to want a warranty car only. Just do some reading and see guys spending thousands on a brake issue for example. You may find some front end issues on certain earlier years. This is a good place to read up along with 6 speed online for this kind of info.. Just have the knowledge of these things so you can be prepared and make a good decision on what to buy.

bzliteyear

Slothmartin - did you end up getting Panamera?

Also, I've owned PTTS for about 6 months now.
LOVE the car/power, but also thinking about adding 550i/535iGT...has anyone cross-shopped or own, in addition to Panamera?

Patrick

sloth martin

Hi Patrick. yes I increased my budget a bit to get a 2015 panny GTS. I am extremely pleased with it, and I still get excited every time I drive it. I do really like the 2015 facelift. font bumper and taillights are a lot nicer looking imho. I went with the GTS so I could have my cake and eat it too. the facelift but still the NA v8. it feels plenty fast, and it is deceptively fast off the line due to the awd. I also really love the ability to invite another couple along for a Sunday drive to a brewery or brunch spot, which would not be possible in the 911. my one failure was the air compressor which was a 2500 bill. luckily Porsche picked that one up for me as I was only a few hundred miles out of warranty. other than that, rock solid.

in terms of adding the bmw, I have not had the pleasure of trying the 550. but I have driven the m3 four door extensively, which I believe is the twin turbo v8. it is very very fast, and it has a wild exhilaration that is frankly absent in the gts, which has a much more confident feeling that I credit to the awd and the linear power of being N/A.

the m3 is the most fun car I have ever driven so far. the turbo motor, the rear wheel drive, and the traction control which lets you have fun fun before it kicks in are to thanks. you can stand on the gas in second or third gear and break traction twice. first right away, and then traction control bring you back in, and then the turbo kicks in and you break again before the nannies step in for the second time. this is a really really fun car to drive. that being said I had the chance to trade my panny for the m3 and put cash in my pocket and declined.

I have always thought that a dangerous car is one that lets you think you are in control. the m3 is not that car. I have not dared turn off traction control because I know without it I am always a heavy foot away from spinning.

compared to the m3 the panny is very heavy. its still a fantastic driver and handler. I will say that the bimmer stops significantly more violently compared to the panny. takes some getting used to when going back and forth.

I would expect the 5 series to be heavier and a bit more refined, slower in the corners. probably closer to the panny GTS than the m3, but I would not expect it to be as good in the turns compared to the Porsche.



can I ask, what do you want the 550i to do that the panny doesn't already do? seems like they are in a similar niche.

lexhair

I had an '11 535GT before moving into my '14 Pana4 last year. If you believe message boards, the BMW 8 cylinder engine is a maintenance nightmare. Eats oil. The thing puts out the power though.

Overall, my ownership experience with the BMW 6 banger was much better. Now the air suspension is dodgy AF (both rear bags were replaced...one under recall the other under warranty) and there were some niggling issues with the rear lift gate. Except for the obligatory water pump failure at 80k miles, I quite liked the car. Had to be driven in Sport to have any kind of throttle response. There was a small bit of turbo lag but once it started moving, it wanted to keep going. No such thing as engine braking so you needed to be on the brakes a lot. Tough on tires too and the RFTs aren't a cheap date. I will say it's a toboggan with A/S tires in the snow despite AWD. Better with winters but not nearly as capable as the Pana4 with winter tires.

With my 35mph daily commute, both cars were perfectly fine for the task. I do find the Panamera is much easier to control via the throttle and is much more responsive even in normal mode (which it doesn't see much of unless it's stop and go). Both cars have similar dimensions and heft. The tech in the '11 BMW was far better than the tech in my '14 Panamera if you like things like voice control, push button start, proximity unlocking, etc. However, my 4 has Burmester so it's game over in the entertainment department.

I essentially got salvage value on the 535GT when I traded it with 80k miles. Still had plenty of life in it. Top shelf back seat comfort for an adult. For me, it was a quirky gem. Just like my 970.2.