Jamie140

In my line of work, you sometimes get a left hook and your life changes 180 degrees in a couple days.

I'm now faced with having to buy another house and suffer through a weekly (or more) 4 hour slog into Northern Ontario (occasionally in winter).

I'm betwixt and between a Cayenne TTS or a Pana Turbo. I drove both today and vastly prefer the Pana.

BUT it has to be able to get through the absolute worst of winter when i want to get home. Obviously I would install the best high performance snow tires.

Can you guys confirm it will perform in these conditions?

Thanks.

brad@tirerack.com

I would imagine the Cayenne would be preferred for its snow clearance, but it sounds like your mind is made up on the Panamera. That's all good as the car has proved itself for its winter capability. Snow tires are the key......

Gus_Smedstad

This really depends on what you're driving through. How much of what you expect to drive through qualifies as back roads, with poor or nonexistent snow removal? Because "the absolute worst of winter" isn't really the absolute worst unless you're driving on unplowed dirt roads.

Really, though, the only real difference in snow handling between the two is going to be ground clearance, as Damon said. If you don't think that's going to be a problem, a PTT with good snow tires will be fine.

mooose

The cayenne will only be better when you need the clearance - otherwise the panamera is great and the lower center of gravity means it will slide less. We have the panamera gts and turbo s as well as the cayenne gts and turbo and they are all great in the snow as long as you have snow tires

lic265

I had a Cayenne S and now a PTT; both with dedicated snows/rims. Both are great in the snow. Outside of more clearance on the Cayenne, tires were a bit narrower on the Cayenne.you will do fine with either.

Hammer911

i have had both CTTS and PTTS.
Both are extremely capable, snow depth is your deciding factor.

proper winter tires are a must on both.

if you end up with a CTTS with 21s, I have a set of barely used Pirreli snows for cheap.

1Carnut

I will give one thing to think about the Panamera cooling system is not that well protected and if there is ice or rocks under the snow it could cause a major problem (trust me I know this from experience), and though my Panamera still get year round use, when the snow is covering the roads my Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit is what goes out on the road.

1Carnut

Damon, love the 650 now, thanks again! (still have those 21" HRE's sitting in my warehouse with all the other car parts)

RDS928S

I ran our Panno turbo last winter with all seasons. Was fine in snow & ice. Just raise up the air suspension when the snow gets deep.

master_jcp

Do you still own the X5M?!

9114Scab

So the secret is, you have to get snow tires.

To be honest with you, I don't find my Panamera 4 that great in the snow, but I just use all season tires.

I may consider snow tires this winter ,any particular preference??

Hammer911

Pirelli Scorpion Snow and Ice

9114Scab

Thanks Hamm, I'll check them out.

johnnymiz

for driving in real winter you need real snows... and a separate tire wheel combination works best. I have found that down sizing rims as much as reasonably possible (based on rims and tires available and minimum size to clear brakes) is the way to go. you want to get the largest sidewall height you can get. winter here in the northeast is pothole season...and the potholes are craters often filled with slushy water and hidden until its too late to avoid. cant tell you how many cars I saw last winter with blown out tires and even cracked rims on the side of the road. the taller rubber can be the difference between getting home and sitting by the side of the road. fix a flat and a compressor wont fix a tire that has a huge hole in the sidewall or a blown out rim.

DMoore

+1 to the advice from Johnnymiz.

I've been driving in snow for 45 years and his advice is absolutely correct.

DMoore
'13 Panamera GTS (the snow car)
'15 GT3 (NOT the snow car)