Panamera Autocar UK Road Test: Porsche Panamera

[martinbo]

Porsche Panamera
Test date 20 September 2009 Price as tested £95,298

For Strong performance, solid-feeling interior, inherent chassis balance

Against Cumbersome gearbox operation, high price, clumsy ride!!



Source: Autocar - Porsche Panamera UK Test

Some choice excerpts:

Design

On almost all hatchbacks the downward curve is reversed at some point by a boot lip or spoiler, but not on the Panamera. And it’s the way the roofline curves that’s the most controversial – and to our eyes, least successful – element of the design.

On the Road

Although the suspension has a broad range of adjustment, the one thing that never changes, regardless of setting, is that a PDCC-equipped Panamera corners with almost zero body roll. It works, making the Panamera feel agile and secure.

Driven at medium speeds, it feels endlessly capable but doesn’t provide quite the same fluidity or thrills you get with a 911, or an XFR. What will be of concern is that the Panamera does not ride especially well. There is a wide range of adjustment, and in its softer mode it is certainly supple enough to deal with bigger bumps, and it is perfectly comfortable for high-speed cruising. But over short, sharp intrusions it can feel clumsy and unsettled.

Living

Panamera’s exterior may be unusual and its positioning may be slightly out of kilter with its traditional rivals, but its interior finish has been executed to a superb standard. In terms of perceived quality, Porsche has nothing to fear from any car with a list price of less than £100,000.

Buying the Panamera is the biggest issue here, because although its running costs are likely to be in keeping with its rivals, it’s the price and extent of the Panamera’s options list that we suspect will push most examples to well above £100,000. To ask punters to pay for a rear wiper and steering wheel stereo controls at this level is ludicrous.

Verdict

3 1/2 Stars

The Panamera is not a perfect fit in the luxury saloon segment. It doesn’t do what these cars traditionally do: it can seat only four, it has a hatchback and not a boot, and it forgoes a level of comfort and demands, in turn, a level of commitment to get the best from it. Its drivetrain refinement in traffic, meanwhile, is borderline unacceptable.

The luxury car class, however, is a more interesting segment because of it. At a stroke the Panamera has shown some rival companies that there is more to making a fast luxury car than slapping a big engine into the front of a conventional luxury car.

For us, though, the Panamera just asks a few too many compromises. The PDK transmission hinders getting the best from the chassis, rather than helping, while some of the pricing is plain excessive. In the end, it’s more fascinating than fabulous.

 

[Mr Robert]

Clumsy ride? That sounds contrary to almost all other reviews, maybe Autocar has lost its perspectives?

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Nope. Uk roads are apparently not like roads on continental Europe. Not as smooth. It's the same case here. Audi and BMW often get blasted for their rides, which are not designed for our rougher roads, and MB has been doing particularly well lately with their smooth rides and very capable handling to match.

Road conditions seems to be a variable often overlooked when we read these reviews.

 

[Merc1]

I just want to see the damn thing in person!

M

 

[Mr Robert]

Nope. Uk roads are apparently not like roads on continental Europe. Not as smooth. It's the same case here. Audi and BMW often get blasted for their rides, which are not designed for our rougher roads, and MB has been doing particularly well lately with their smooth rides and very capable handling to match.

Road conditions seems to be a variable often overlooked when we read these reviews.

It is the same thing here in Sweden, roads are rubbish and some brands have a particularly hard time with reviewers (for instance, Audis with sport suspension are regarded as undriveable by Swedish AMS).

I just hope manufacturers don't listen to UK and Swedish whiner reviewers.

 

[NarutoRamen]

undriveable by Swedish AMS...

Undrivable? They all sound like a bunch of whiners. If an Audi with sport suspension is "Undrivable" what does that make cars like Ferrari Scuderia or GT2? Do they consider that torture? LOL

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I think its quite relevant that they report according to prevailing road conditions in that country. It does NOT make them whingers. What works in one place does not work somewhere else.

For example, an X5 on 19 inch alloys with sports suspension might be perfectly fine on smooth German roads, but on Australian roads my dad found it completely unacceptable, and so did 'Wheels', by far the most reputable Australian automotive publication.

I can't wait to see this car in person, but it doesn't surprise me compromises have had to be made to the ride to achieve porsche handling. Porsche engineers are after all mortals, just like BMW, Audi and MB ones.

 

[Mr Robert]

I think its quite relevant that they report according to prevailing road conditions in that country. It does NOT make them whingers. What works in one place does not work somewhere else.

The Panny is supposed to be a sporty car, if you can't take that a sporty car has a firm chassi, well, the sporty car is just not for you. It is the notion that the comfort junkies should be pleased with every car that has made all the good cars go all soft and comfort oriented.

Undrivable? They all sound like a bunch of whiners. If an Audi with sport suspension is "Undrivable" what does that make cars like Ferrari Scuderia or GT2? Do they consider that torture? LOL

I think they are both forgiven as that would be quite in line with the character of the car Swedish AMS is constantly warning people who are going to drive a lot in their Audis to avoid the sports suspension.

 

[NarutoRamen]

I think they are both forgiven as that would be quite in line with the character of the car Swedish AMS is constantly warning people who are going to drive a lot in their Audis to avoid the sports suspension.

Pardon my ignorance, but how bad are the roads? Or is Swedish AMS just whiners? I've driven the Audi's with Sport Suspensions here and we have some crappy ass roads and I didn't think they were harsh at all. Sure, they might not be as comfy on a 12 hours trips as an S-class but they can't be too bad.

 

[Mr Robert]

Pardon my ignorance, but how bad are the roads? Or is Swedish AMS just whiners? I've driven the Audi's with Sport Suspensions here and we have some crappy ass roads and I didn't think they were harsh at all. Sure, they might not be as comfy on a 12 hours trips as an S-class but they can't be too bad.

They are like UK roads, but that does not help you a lot, I guess.

The roads are rough and poorly mended in places. Nowhere near continental standard. That said, I think they are whiners. I think you are supposed to feel what you are driving on.

 

[NarutoRamen]

They are like UK roads, but that does not help you a lot, I guess.

The roads are rough and poorly mended in places. Nowhere near continental standard. That said, I think they are whiners. I think you are supposed to feel what you are driving on.

Yeah, the first statement doesn't help me much cuz I've never been to the UK. You guys actually have a continental standard? That's great. We might have a standard, but politicians like to get ass-f__cked by the Lobbyists out here, so nothing ever gets done.

 

[Zafiro]

Compare to US roads, the roads in Sweden are heaven and compare to the streets in San Fransisco you could almost swear Sweden is from another planet

 

[Mr Robert]

Yeah, the first statement doesn't help me much cuz I've never been to the UK. You guys actually have a continental standard? That's great. We might have a standard, but politicians like to get ass-f__cked by the Lobbyists out here, so nothing ever gets done.

Ah, no, there is no continental standard, per se, but the standard of the road on continental Europe (I'm thinking of Benelux, Germany, France) is much better than in Sweden.

 

[NarutoRamen]

Ah, no, there is no continental standard, per se, but the standard of the road on continental Europe (I'm thinking of Benelux, Germany, France) is much better than in Sweden.

That makes more sense.