1. I am probably looking at a S car... dont really need AWD... are there more probs with AWD cars?

I think that's crazy. The AWD is a must, but for me so is a turbo so I won't judge!

2. Software for diagnosing these cars? You can get software to pretty much do what the dealer does, INPA etc, does that hold true for Porsche as well? I also use the Torque app as well for my Powerstroke.

You can get devices to reset some maintenance codes yes. Tuning and playing is a bit more...."involved".

3. Man tranny seems impossible to find... how are the PDK trannies? This will be a DD for me... I dont have man now, but I do miss having one. The only other Porsche I have driven was a Cayenne, and while nice, I have a powerstroke so I dont need an SUV type vehicle...

I'm not sure what the question is. If you're asking is the PDK reliable, then the answer is yes. If you're asking if the transmission is expensive to fix, the answer is also yes. If you're asking will you have trouble with it, the answer is probably not, but there is no guarantee with any car which is why warranties exist! Tuners have some improvement on the PDK too I believe.


4. Engines... how are they reliability wise? I realize we arent talking Toyota reliability here but are there any major probs? I havent really found anything too bad yet... The S85s in the M5s have high con rod bearing failure rates... also I dont see many DIYs on here... is it because you cant DIY some of the difficult stuff?

Well Porsche is right there with Toyota, Lexus, typical in the top 5 of every reliability survey, test and study. That doesn't take away from the fact that if and when something breaks it isn't going to hurt more because its going to. I've found the maintenance to be less frequent than other premium brands, and no more difficult to self perform. I'm saying this anecdotally since I haven't done a ton of it yet, but from my own research it looks pretty easy. I haven't had trouble finding independents to work on my car either and avoid horrible dealer markups.


Typical for Panamera:

Air suspension does wear out and have a few glitches. Its hit or miss. Its extremely expensive to have a dealer work on these systems, but not bad to self perform.
There are recalls for a cam adjuster bolt issue that blows up the engine, and turbo impeller breakage that was solved in the first couple of years.
Sometimes the glue on the coolant pipes wears off and disconnects leaving the car stranded or worse.
No of these things seem to be super common, just somewhat common on car sites where people come specifically just to report them and then never post again!

There is a recent recall for something electric on the AC or something that effects some cars.
There have been some typical sensor issues causing PDK issues, and its good to have someone familiar with the PDK work on them. Sometimes that $10,000 estimate gets reduced to $1000 by replacing some little doohickey.

 

Why do you think awd is mandatory? Because of where you live? Or other?

I did find aftermarket software pretty reasonably...name keeps escaping me...

I mean a manual transmission...I haven't seen one yet so I guess that's a no...

After reading through a ton of threads I've gotten a much better picture now of things...I agree a lot of people post simply to whine...but I've been on both sides...terrible...e39 540i...and damn near perfect..550i...

Thank you!

I should add I'm also thinking 996/7...I know completely different cars...but with teen son having his own car now...

 

I have an S and have zero need for AWD where I live. RWD version works great in the wet and dry in Northern CA. And leaves the front wheels only for steering like they should be!

 

AWD or not is more of a person preference, I grew up driving RWD cars in snow country, but I must say I love my 4S!

 

I'm going by memory of long ago research but IIRC, the manual transmission was only offered early in the model run and for a few variants rather than them all - although early on there weren't many variants. Only after the car turned out to be a success did the various models pop up ala Porsche Style.

BTW, I'm from Casper. So howdy to you pardner.

 

wow small world! I grew up there... until i got a job in Atlanta.... but I miss Casper, ok not the wind. But my family is still there. I usually drive back once or twice a year. I know, why dont I fly since I work for an airline? well flying is a giant hassle to me.. and i enjoy driving.

 

There's a good deal I miss too but like you, wind isn't one of them. I also have grown to enjoy more than 90 days of thaw.

Oh, we also agree on flying. I do it, but do not enjoy any aspect of it whatsoever.

 

I just hate the whole TSA mess... its such a pain!! plus I fly standby, which means its actually faster to drive sometimes!!

NC class of 88...

do you still have family there? go back?

I assume you have a Pan, what do you like about it? or dislike?

 

So spend $40k for one with 23k miles or $25k for one with 90k miles decisions decisions.

I get a newer lower milage car is always a better call, but is it really worth the extra $15k??

I'm leaning towards a higher milage one in good condition around $25k maybe a few thousand more and am hoping if I take care of it will still get me to 200k miles with a few thousand set aside every year for maintenance which you would still need to do with a lower milage car as well if things go which they always will.

I'm trying to calculate the pros and cons to both options, but from all the research I have done thus far all pcars seem to be very reliable so at least no matter what I'm making the right choice for a luxury sports sedan I just wish it could seat three in the back!

 

I'd go for second owner, we've already established on another thread that original buyers are old and pathetic; wholly incapable of flogging their cars. It's like a new car without the depreciation!

 

Oh they still depreciate like crazy. But not as far to fall as a $100K+ new car that's for sure. I am second owner - bought a 5 year old car with 24K miles for less than half original price and that included CPO.

 

No family left. All dead or moved away so I haven't been back for many years now. I was hoping we could take a general tour of the state on the bikes this year but our schedule jammed up making it impossible. Maybe next year.

Our Pan is still new to us but so far I like everything about it. The cabin is the best designed I've ever experienced making the driving experience nicer than any other cage I've ever driven. If I have to quibble, it'd do so about its exterior visibility. The rear visibility through the backlight is quite limited while I can't see about 2.5 feet of the nose due to its drop. The rearview camera is a lifesaver backing into the garage, but nothing would make parallel parking, should I choose to do it, not a nerve wracking experience. We'll be taking a 2,000 mile or more road trip later this month which will give us a good idea if there's anything we find we dislike or worry about.

Brother NC; wife KW

 

Still trying to decide 996/7 or this...since I have year or so I'll drive a few and see which is better for me...

 

IMO, you are the perfect candidate owner of a used Panamera out of warranty due to your wrenching skills. I believe the engineering platform is very robust and the typical issues can easily be dealt with since you'll be capable of most (if not all) repairs. Few of my ownership costs to date would have been covered by warranty as most were scheduled maintenance or wear items. I came from a 968 to a 996 to the PTT and there is no comparison. The Panny is a luxurious cruiser in comfort mode and a beast of a sports car in sport mode. It's the perfect Jeckyl/Hyde mobile! And I would not shy away from a turbo model - you should take the time to drive several variants to confirm which suits you the best.

I've made the decision to self-insure and I don't wrench. I found a good indy that seems fair and reasonable but the main takeaway is that these cars don't spend a lot of time in the shop if they're well sorted and maintained. Good luck w/ your search and let the fun begin!

 

Thank you...that's what I'm looking for!