Moisidis

Hello fellow rennlisters!

I am currently thinking of purchasing a used Panamera and I wanted to ask, which one is the most comfortable for long distances, 4-5 hour drives, maybe 10 hour drives once a month or so.

I went from a BMW 745 diesel 2006 to a 958 Cayenne diesel 3.0 and I regreted it. I have the cayenne for a bit over 6-7 months and I'll swap it for a panamera (probably)

Which one of the three you would say is the most comfortable?

Thanks in advance !

Panaseeya

I've gone for 11 hour drives with two short stops (gas and food) in my GTS with alcantara 18-way seats and when I arrived I felt like I had been sitting on my most comfortable couch all day. No fatigue at all. A longer drive the next day with more stops was entirely comfortable as well. I would certainly recommend those seats.

The turbo should have a softer suspension than the GTS though, so the type and quality of the roads may make a difference. The GTS floats over smooth roads, rough ones you can feel a bit. But that's generally a good thing.

Moisidis

I am a bit hesitant about those seats. I am 6,2ft (188cm) and 110 kg, i've heard they are kinda .... tight!

Panaseeya

I am 6,3ft (190cm) and was about 109 kg at the time and there was plenty of room. The seats are very adjustable.

AndrewP

PGTS 18 way Alcantara seats are very supportive and comfortable for long drives. (I am 6' and 200 lbs. and there is plenty of room in the highly adjustable seats, including leg and head room.) Recently did fours days of about 8-10 hours a day. Usually run in sport plus suspension, but occasionally in comfort mode if highway surface is rough, Aside from a very comfortable ride, the PGTS tracks effortlessly and is pleasure to drive. Nothing about it that I do not like. Best big sedan available. The new model will be even better. In over 1500 miles between Boston and Georgian Bay, Ontario and back saw only one other Panamera, so if exclusivity is meaningful, the Panamera is certainly that.

EmMHoLLa

They are all the same car.. The options will determine comfort honestly. Both the GTS and the Turbo come standard with features that are options on the 4S.. But you can find a highly optioned 4S.. If you're doing long drives I'd get the Turbo.. Because of the power.. It'll effortlessly gobble up miles.. You can't go wrong with any choice..

I have a 4S by the way.. For what's it's worth..

Moisidis

How about the maintenance? Is it high?

mdosu

just curious, why did you regret buying the 958.1 diesel? IMO, that would be the best long distance car.

Moisidis

I really don't know tbh. I came ,as i said, from. 745 2006 diesel with 330hp. The BMW felt a lot more comfortable. I don t know if that was due to its power or because it was a limousine. The height of the cayenne tires me I think.

mdosu

interesting. I bought a E70 X5 diesel as a 2nd car just for long distance trips, and it's amazing for that purpose. Comfy, roomy, carries a lot of gear, decent MPGs for its size. I would think the 958 would be the same.

Moisidis

Have you driven a 7? I just can't compare it with anything .

mdosu

actually, never. I imagine, it would be an awesome package to put together with a BMW 3L diesel motor and 8 speed ZF. Maybe you should just buy the outgoing F01 750d?

Depends on what you're after. Clearly you're shopping the Panamera b/c you want a fast GT car and don't care about MPGs. In this case, there are a lot of options at this price range in addition to the Panamera:

BMW M6 GC
Audi S7
MB CLS 63 AMG

you can even go with E63 AMG, M5s, etc...

Moisidis

I was close to getting the 750 diesel 2013 but , thing Is, I'm still young (29), and I would like to get a car closer to my age that I can do long trips as well. That is why a carrera is out of the question.

mdosu

Alright, I'm like only 3 year older than you...you should not be driving a 7-series...lol, does not match your age.

I currently own a E90 M3...and I've used it many times for trips, including cross country. So, IMO, you should consider even the compact sport sedan options. There are a world of options available at this point and your apparent pricing range. IMO, I would say, F80 M3 or F10 M5 or F12 M6 GC and don't look back. You can always come back to the Panamera later...these things are depreciating like a rock in the next 6 months once the 2017 roll out.

I've been shopping for a '14 S E-Hybrid the last month. And now I'm more leaning towards keeping my M3 or going to a F10 M5 instead. But the Panamera is still an amazing car. It gives you distinctive Porsche driving dynamic and experience you get from a 911 that a Cayenne still can't duplicate.

But to answer your question as others have stated earlier, it's not powertrain dependent (4S, GTS, Turbo), it's more dependent on whether you get the 8-way, 14-way, etc seats and features on those seats.

Moisidis

Thanks for the quick reply mdosu, the M6 looks like an amazing option as well, but here in Greece, I doubt it would be efficient. There are like... 10 F M6 in total here and I believe that , if needed, the waiting time for spare parts will be insane. Can't have my car stuck in the mechanics garage until the part comes.
I've heard that Panamera Turbos from 12 and on, are really reliable.