rijowysock

recently had the pleasure of driving a panamera S 500 miles in 24 hours... and had the vehicle a few days after that as well.

jumping in the Panamera it was very familiar given my previously having owned a new cayenne and new 991... some differences did come up, like seat position and location of some random buttons.

the panamera S engine is definitely a beast and almost too much for the vehicle (i think AWD would have helped the vehicle control the power)

the vehicle had a wood option i really enjoyed (had a matte finish to it)... and the ventilated seats made the trip a breeze (no pun intended) as my derrière never got tired or sore from sitting..

the vehicle averaged 27mpg even with my high speed and was very mellow cruising, the only downside i felt was the car felt "loose" and "flighty" at speed... (possibly alignment)... i lowered the air pressure from full load to part load w/ comfort pressure and this made the ride more comfortable but still flighty at speed.

GPS was great as with the other two vehicles, as were the AC setup... (i like the soft climate mode... not sure why anyone would want luke warm air blowing hard on them versus cold air blowing softly)..

overall a great vehicle.. Besides the blind spots!!! (can see why some would opt for the blind spot option to see when cars are beside them.. even turning head completely would leave a car in your blind spot unable to see)



compared to the 991.. i would say it's a "991 sedan" as they are almost the same car but with double the seating...

compared to a 958... i would say the cayenne is a much better value, has a spare tire and can go off road and still maintain the same gas mileage... the panamera is sportier, but given the option i would choose cayenne over panamera because of visibility, added seat in the rear, and much more cargo space... and overall the same performance (per model).. also the cayenne comes AWD which negates the need to order the pana in a "4" configuration.

davidc1

Thank you. Very interesting. I am undecided between Pana and Cayenne. Your review is making me lean toward Cayenne.

PV=nRT

The utility of a suv vs sedan are obviously quite different. But if you don't need the clearance and bulkier storage offered by the Cayenne, the pan is a heck of a versatile machine. Mine is my DD and handles runs to the vet with large bulky cages, garden center and hardware store with extreme ease. It also does incredibly well at track events, made a good showing at an autocross and gets tons of positive attention for its looks whether I'm at a large all Porsche gathering or just at a gas station.

A knowledgable friend that has a 911 gt3r, took it around the track for a few laps at my last DE and went from referring to it as a pig, to being impressed. He concluded it handles and brakes like his with the speed about 30 mph less. My pan is a 2012 S hybrid.

These are special cars that I think offer much more than their suv cousin- again unless you need the unique talents of a suv. If the sporty aspects are important to you, test drive the pan GTS- that is everything great about the Panamera distilled to a perfect concentrate.

disden

Couldn't agree more. The GTS is an amazing package, just a pleasure to drive. From the the more aggressive look to firing up the great sounding engine to carving the curves, it id truly a sensory delight. Couldnt be happier.

I use my gts for daily driving, then use my SUV (BMW X5) for bad weather and winter driving.

shldrdoc993

We have both a newer cayenne s with sport exhaust (wife's ride) and I replaced my 911 with a new pana gts. Both are fantastic but very different. May be worth driving a new cayenne gts if you are on the fence. The engine, handling, and ride quality is unsurpassed in the pana gts. For the ultimate practice porsche with fun to drive awesome engine and room for three kids in back row at least for short distances. The cayenne is the best. I personally drive two cayenne turbos for years.

pcar_finally

I don't think there is a fair comparison to be made between the Cayenne and the Panamera in general. SUV's have their utility for people who need that. And of course if your family has 5 people, then you need the Cayenne. On the other hand, the Panamera handles quite a bit differently from a Cayenne, particularly in GTS form (but even the other models as well)

Also, if you are a passenger in the back of a Panamera the seats are quite a different level of comfort compared to the Cayenne.

So just totally different vehicles. Both great vehicles, but apples and oranges wrt their purposes, IMO.

Bill P.

Another consideration—width. I wanted a large Porsche and decided upon the Cayenne. The overriding factor was the exterior dimensions of the cars. I would have preferred the Pana (but for the blind spots) and loved driving the GTS at a recent track event. Still, driving around town and the cabinets on both sides of my garage dictated (for me) the smaller Cayenne. I enjoy the car very much as a daily driver.

rijowysock

i've driven the GTS pana as well. actually 3 diff ones my friends own.. great cars.. sound amazing.. but i still cant do with the blind spots..

pcar_finally

BTW, I think anyone buying a Panamera should buy the RoW asph/2section mirrors. And, if you can, the LCA.

With the LCA and proper mirrors, I finding visibility is not an issue.

Bill P.

Yes, I have the LCA on the Cayenne and it has saved my a$$....

kaldk

I've been looking for these mirrors... Any idea where to get them?

pcar_finally

I got mine from Suncoast. They don't have it on their site, but they can do it on the phone.

kaldk

Ok, thanks!