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Thinking of ditching the RS for a Panamera Turbo S (970)

5K views 28 replies 18 participants last post by  Yukon Corleone 
#1 ·
Been doing some browsing lately. The Panamera Turbo, and Turbo S models are falling into my price range, and the want is pretty strong.

I like the RS, but dealing with the Head Gasket, and subsequent repairs due to the recall are causing me to not really trust the engine for longevity. And I don't really feel like turning up the boost with a Tune. Its tainted the RS for me. I had originally intended on keeping it forever, and tuning it, but now I'm not sure if I'll ever fully trust it again.

Things I need for a Panamera Turbo to happen. Some kind of Porsche Extended Warranty. That TTV8, DCT, Air Ride..etc are all super expensive. And most of the Turbo's in my range are beyond the year limit for warranties.

Most of them are ranging from 40k to 75k miles. And over 5 years old. So the warranties are gone. I will probably stop by a Porsche dealer in the next week or two and discuss what options they have. I don't really want a third-party warranty that has loop-holes. And if I can get a bumper/bumper warranty that covers 5yrs / 100k miles from the date of purchase or something near those terms I'd be okay with it.

I realize that yes, I could also just buy an extended Ford Warranty. But again, Ford's ****-up has rained the RS for me and I now no longer trust that the engine will remain strong for the next 10 years.

Part of the Want? A Panamera Turbo is ****ing fast stock. It may be a big car and will not be as nimble as the RS. But its a god damned rocket ship in a straight line, and far more comfortable for 4 full sized adults on a longer trip with its larger wheel base and luggage area.
 
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#3 ·
I was almost convinced to get into a CPO 2012 Panamera in 2016 vs getting the RS (I had to wait for the ADMs to go away). Like you said, they're great cars (even with the base motor) but they're way too big for me. Also, look at the price tags for the scheduled maintenance on those cars, that's what turned me away. You can just about get an extended warranty for the 40k service alone. You could almost get a used Stinger that matches your RS and go nuts with tuning that car for the price of getting into a Panamera Turbo (depending on year and miles, of course).

For the most part, the RS needs just an oil change and other things here and there. You could get an awesome longblock set up and keep the stock motor on an engine stand for less than the difference of the cars you mentioned.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I kind of like the Stinger GT. I like the concept of it and its performance/utility, but am not sold on the styling. Not that the Panamera's ass end is any prettier, though I love the rest of the Panamera.

A new 2017+ Panamera is not in my price range, and the styling there is amazing. Phenomenal looking car.

Though process #3 is also a Volvo V60 Polestar. However, those are hard as hell to find. Not really sold on the twin-charged 4 cylinder engine, and the price tag is pretty high. In the used market, they are priced similarly to the Panamera GTS. But I do love the way they look.

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake looks great too.

Basically, I want to keep a Sporty/Powerful car, but gain some extra cargo room/comfort. I'm okay with giving up some handling if the loss of handling is counted by more straight line performance.

And I absolutely LOATHE SUV's and crossovers. Will NEVER own one.


Right now I'm in the investigation phase. I may never move on to the phase where I start contacting dealers and scheduling test drives or inspections. Mostly its I've seen model "X" is in a comfortable price range, and can I justify the decision. The GasketGate fiasco is just a kick to start looking.

Panamera's were originally on the table before I bought my RS to begin with, but at the time were at a price point higher than I wanted to contend with I wasn't looking at the Turbo's at that point, but the 4S. Financially I'm in a better position than I was 3 years ago.
 
#4 ·
For me the Panamera Turbo is just an extension of the Hatchback vs Wagon concept. A Hatchback is like a baby Wagon to me. I give up handling, some fuel economy, but gain a metric ton of straight-line power, cargo capacity and comfort.

I also still need to price the insurance aspect as well.

If I don't get an "S" and settle for the regular Turbo I can find them mid 30's US$ all day long with reasonable mileage. The "S" are a little more expensive, but may not be worth the premium.

For any of the Panamera's I won't be touching anything with the Carbon Ceramic brakes. Far too expensive for a daily driver. The Turbo's I've looked at so far online seem to be equipped with the steels, which is perfectly fine by me.

Cost wise, I have a ton of positive equity in the RS. I've been making near double payments and had a $12k down payment at the start of the loan. My goal would be to keep my monthly payment similar to where it is now.

As far as budget goes? I can easily afford a $1000+ car payment and not have to change my budget. But I'm not going to stretch to a $1000 payment just to have a Panamera. I like to keep the car payment below 10% monthly income.
 
#6 ·
I find it hilarious that in the US a Polestar is priced similarly to the Panamera. You can get a 6cyl Polestar with pretty low km for about $30K US here (in Australia). The cheapest Panamera is more than double for a much older car with more km. Having said that, I do love that Volvo.

Go for it! Even if you regret it, it'll have been fun.
 
#7 ·
Go price out a decent extended warranty for a used, high mileage Panamera Turbo S. Costs more than a new RS engine! There is no free lunch. A $120k+ car will also carry equivalent maintenance costs for consumables. Don’t forget the cost to insure it and tag it (state dependent).

Best of luck. Try carmax warranties when you buy a car from them. Used to be very attractively priced.

An apples to grenades comparison, BTW.
 
#13 ·
From my kicking around, conversations, talking with people in the higher end car industry, Porsche's are hands down the best in terms of mechanical reliability. The engine's are bulletproof. May loose power over time, but never blow up. That said, I know plenty of people with high mileage Porsche's that have issues. I know a guy who bought a 2005 Cayenne Turbo S with a good amount of miles (call it 140k mi). Threw a serpantine (?) belt, destroyed the engine. And then there are the electronics and car systems. I'm sure those are a pretty penny to fix when they start to act weird.

I've also done the those Rent an exotic on a race track kind of deals a few times. With GTRs and other once $100k+ sports cars getting into that $50k range, I always ask about the track reliability of them. "Well, the R8 caught on fire, the GTR blew up, the Ferraris can be really temperamental, but the Porsches, they just run without issues." As I drove a Cayman S with 40k mostly track miles on it without issue.

Anyway, I'd still probably stay away from high mileage German cars that I didn't buy low mileage, then make high mileage (I am meticulous with maintenance and care). Personally, this advice translates to me when thinking about a 2007 911 GT3 at around $80k v a new Mustang GT350R (would probably take the GT350R though). But 2015-2018 M3s can be had CPO for sub $50k, so if you're thinking about that route, you may want to consider that. And the new RS6 Avant will be CPO at around $65k in 3 years. :p

Best of luck!
 
#14 ·
Oh, and I was looking at Cayenne's a few weeks ago for the Boss. All Porsche's had the same infotainment system from 2011-2016, then upgraded to a new one in 2017. Nothing is wrong with the old system (in-laws have a 2012 Cayenne Diesel I drive often. The screen could be brighter, and there is a heck of a lot of buttons, but easy to navigate after a few hours).
 
#15 ·
I have the RS and a 987.2 Boxster S. And I'm pretty familiar with a lot of Porsche models at this point.

I guess my big question is: What's your use case? How old are you and do you / are you expecting kids? I can't imagine anyone older than 50 getting into an RS for a daily driver due to its bounciness. There are exceptions. But generally those exceptions can afford suspension upgrades.

Used Porsches are pretty solid for the price. And, if someone traded the car while it was under its original warranty, you can get one with Porsche's original + CPO warranty out to 5+ years. I mean, you won't be able to modify it for five years, but it will guarantee work for five years. And the plus side of Porsches (imo) is they don't need any mods from the factory, so you won't have to worry about the "mods" side of thing, as long as you don't get bored yourself.

An RS, on the other hand, is a car you can work on yourself, and won't sob yourself to sleep with if it's engine blows up. The last time I looked, the V8 in the Panamera / Cayenne cost $9k used, let alone dealing with the the install, and the turbo wiring on the Turbo and Turbo S models.

So my questions would be:
  • Do you have the budget and/or skills to deal with something going fatally wrong?
  • Are you looking at dealing with kids, who will get everything gross on the inside of your car? Or are you an executive who's regularly dealing with high profile clients?
  • What are your priorities? Nimble-ness? Cost? Being able to do outdoorsy stuff and having ground clearance? Impressing people?

My general recommendation for people who are younger looking at Porsche's is to look at 987.2 Boxsters or Caymans. They are bulletproof, inside and out, and are just wonderful cars. They also have more storage space than you'd expect, with both the trunk and the frunk.

If you want more space and ground clearance, and want to carry four adults comfortably, look into a 2012+ Cayenne S (or better... don't get the base model). They are also very reliable, and handle jaw droppingly well for their ground clearance, have great interiors, etc. And, because they were an "everyone has to have one" luxury good of yesteryear, there are lots of them out there and so they're cheap.

Note: Do not get a Cayenne before the year 2012. You can, but you need to know more about what you're looking for. I would just avoid them unless you like to nerd out on details.

Now... the RS. The RS is not refined. It has a pretty good interior for what it is (but it isn't a Porsche interior, that's for sure). The RS is for more daily driving hooligan-ing. If that's your priority, get the RS.

And... my final point is, now that I'm older and can lecture the young people about their lives... just because you can afford something with financing doesn't mean you can afford it. Personally, I only buy cars with cash. A $10k to $15k WRX is a great car, and there are a lot of spare parts and documentation on them. I had one for a decade and it served all my purposes just fine. I only traded it for my RS because, after ten years, I thought it was time to try something else. I like my RS. But there are a lot of days when I miss my Subaru.
 
#19 ·
I would actually drive a Cayenne before writing them off just because they’re an SUV. That’s why I mentioned it.

I think everyone is getting the signal loud and clear about how much their opinions are valued by you. I thought this could be a two way conversation where I could help using my knowledge if you could just answer a few questions I had. I guess not.

Good luck with your search.
 
#20 ·
I would actually drive a Cayenne before writing them off just because they’re an SUV. That’s why I mentioned it.

I think everyone is getting the signal loud and clear about how much their opinions are valued by you. I thought this could be a two way conversation where I could help using my knowledge if you could just answer a few questions I had. I guess not.

Good luck with your search.
And its why I mentioned I loathe SUVs. Every single SUV on the road should be scrapped.

That clear enough for you?
 
#21 ·
Sounds like you've targeted the Panama turbo, and have the finances to get one. I'd advise doing research by talking with enthusiasts that own them to learn about the best value, most troublesome, and best prefered features.

An older Panamera can be found but total cost of ownership can be pretty daunting.

  1. My experience with a 2007 911tt is that I can rarely use all of the power and find that a 4s gives 95% of the pleasure with far lower costs....consider a non-turbo version before buying....you may find a nice blend of performance snd value. PS, P-car depreciation, even for higher mileage cars can be substantial. Winter is a great time to buy performance cars so timing is good.
 
#23 ·
Wait, you are worried about the reliability of a ford that you have owned since new or close to it and want to replace it with a 5-7 year old porsche turbo? Seems silly.
You have to remeber you are taking on the maintenance of a $150-200k car not a $50k used car.
Your repairs and services that might be $500 on the RS are going to be triple that or more on the panamera.

i see a couple people above me already talked about this. /edit
 
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