Hey guys

I would need some opinions to help me with my delima. I am torn between choosing between 2018 Panamera Base or 4s. Base is plenty guick for me, but cant seem to find 1 with sports chrono and would love to have it. ( I know i can always custom order, but rather not wait). Then again i dont track cars and feel the sports chrono might be a novelty and should wear out within a month or 2 into ownership. plus you can only go so fast in this LA traffice lol ..... So Just wanted to check in with guys who were on the fence with either car made you go 1 way or the other. I currently have a 2016 CAYENNE e-HYBRID S now i wanted to go with a traditional gas engine.

Not worried about payment difference, but i rather save the money if i dont have to spend but again dont mind spending either. ( I am going for a lease )

PS. sports exhaust sounds good in 4s but in sport mode, the base was aggressive sounding as well. ( Ahhh... someone please help me make my mind up ) lol

 

 

Judging from my local new and used Panamera inventory, the sport chrono package may be hard to find in either car. And quite a bit difference between the price of the two - although I'd guess in a lease, the monthly price difference would be less then versus a loan. To me, bumping up to a 4S would be a no brainer, but ultimately it could come down to color, options and which one feels right. Certainly a nice decision to make....good luck!

 

I don't have much to add (my dilemma was between the 4S and the Turbo) but I just wanted to say that I feel your pain (in a first-world-problem-kinda-way)! I've been documenting and canvassing, too. Let us know what you decide.
-WT

 

Would love to have the 4S, but have a 4 (woe is me haha). Still great. Haven't been able to find any 4S's at a decent price that has the options i would want, because if i were to custom order it, it wouldn't be Thaat much more than my 4 which was off the lot. Items like 4-zone climate, sport chrono aren't too important for me, and would rather put that $ towards the 4S.
ut as you said, don't want to wait for a build. 4S is certainly rare, though as it is, the Panamera is rare and i love it. Best of luck. Not a bad problem to have!

 

Actually, I need to edit my post or at least add to it because, actually, my dilemma is in some ways germane. I discounted my experience because, against any notion of all that is rational, I chose to buy a Turbo vs. the 4S. BUT, as I've said in other posts, I test drove both versions--the 4S and the Turbo--back-to-back FOUR times. And, again, while I am buying the Turbo, I struggled with the decision. REALLY, really struggled. And am only buying the Turbo because--in for a penny, in for a pound--I don't want to have any of the slightest regret WHATSOEVER. My point is: the 4S is FANTASTIC; indeed, I loved driving it, really, really, loved it. And whereas the Turbo is savage, the 4S allowed for a really engaging driving experience. You get incredible power, but you actually have to DRIVE the car to get it. By that I mean you can actually engage the push-to-pass (whatever it's called) button, assuming you get the SC Package, floor it, and experience the roar of the engine and awesome acceleration. I loved the higher-pitching sound of the 6, too. Bubble, burp, pop. Seriously, I'm only buying the Turbo because I don't want any mental itch of regret (close door, look back, smile, then sigh... I wish I'd bought the Turbo), and, well, read my posts... it's well documented.

Anyway, I didn't drive the 4. So in that respect I can't opine. But the 4S--incredible! More nimble (lighter than the V8, obviously), sounds great. And while the acceleration wasn't savage like the Turbo, it was PLENTY, plenty, quick enough. As I've said, ad nauseum, I wish the GTS were available because that's what I'd have ordered as the perfect compromise.

 

The base is sufficiently fast. The SC is unnecessary. You don't need AWD in LA either.

 

The 4 is quite enough for my usual 30mph average daily commute in the metro NYC and I have a great build spec. In fact, I enjoy pushing the 4 a bit when I get the rare opportunity and find it's perfectly manageable for my driving skills. I have no idea what I'd use the extra 100hp or so in the 4S for but I'd love to try to figure that out.

 

Wrote about this a while ago, I have a 2010 4S without the sports chrono and after reading one of the early dealer's tech manuals, I came to the conclusion that just some hi-jinks with the pedal department could generate the similar performance. So my son and I found a vacant straight road and set about to fathom the potential in the 4S. We placed the trans in 1st, my son stood on the brakes and revved up to about 2700 rpm and released the brake......... the result was a 4.3 sec 0-60 from a standing start measured on a Go-Pro. Doing the calculations for horsepower showed the engine was actually putting out nearly 450 hp, which went along with words I'd heard that the early 4S engines were conservatively rated. I don't recommend trying this too often because the info doesn't come with Porsche's blessings ...... BUT, one time it was an absolute blast in the butt with both of us having our heads plastered against the headrests !

 

Does the hybrid not appeal to you? Cheaper than the 4s, comes with sport chrono standard, still fast.

 

I haven't thought about it. I have read many reviews where in comparison it says, that E-hybrid feels alot heavier and doesn't handle as well as a traditional gas engine car. That's why I was staying away from them. I guess i might go for a test drive of an E-hybrid and try to make a decision by this weekend.
Have you driven both? if yes, Whats your opinion on the difference with the E-hybrid ?

 

The 4s with Sports Chrono is really hard to find. I had asked the dealer to locate a car that had premium package plus, sport chrono package and the surround view. Got a call on Saturday that they had an Agate Grey with the Sports package and asked if I would be interested in seeing it. Car is now in my driveway.

 

I am massively jealous. I've basically locked down my build and am playing the waiting game. Dealer is doing an "allocation swap." And you have your car. Wife and I were just this sec discussing what we're going to do for Memorial Day. We're thinking of DC. "If I had my car we could of course drive!" Acela it is.

Well done! Good for you!

 

 

I drove the 4S before making the decision to go with the 4 E-Hybrid. I've posted this before and took some criticism but what I didn't like about the 4S was the noticeable turbo lag I experienced in normal driving; for instance when on the freeway and pulling out to pass without flooring the car. If you floor it the turbo lag is there but not as noticeable as a normal acceleration when changing lanes. The 4 E-Hybrid has absolutely no turbo lag whatsoever at any speed. I drove the 4 E-Hybrid at the LA Porsche Driving Experience and the launch control start was very impressive. The difference quoted by Porsche in the manual for 0-60 is 2/10ths of a second (4S at 4.0 and E-Hybrid at 4.2) and either is plenty fast enough for me. As for the handling we were driving around the track at very high speeds and E-Hybrid hugs the turns without an problem whatsoever. My instructor told me the placement of the batteries actually improves the track performance of the car because it has a lower center of gravity and also balances the rear/front almost right at 50/50. Extra weight is compensated for by the increased horsepower and instantaneous torque of the electric motor. If you price out a custom build for the base Panamera 4 and the E-Hybrid and include the PASM and Chrono Package on the base model (standard on the E-Hybrid) and then factor in the $6670 tax credit for the E-Hybrdi, the price is essentially the same and you get a lot more car.