K-A

I like my E better.

'nuff said.

JohnyBenz

ROFLMAO, i love my car too, but the Panamera was outta control! did you get a chance to launch it! its like getting a facial.lololol

K-A

LOL. I actually have gone from massive hate, toward a liking to the Panny. I usually don't like weird/Hatchback/funky looking cars that don't have some sort of timeless/traditional bloodline behind them, but I've been thinking about the Panamera a lot lately. However, as much as I want to be 100% behind the design, I think it teeters the line of absolutely stunning to absolutely hideous, depending on the angle/element/mood per-se.

The one I drove was just a V6 300 HP model, very lightly Optioned, for a healthy $86+K. Seeing my car next to it, just made it apparent that the cheaper car looked much nicer to me. Inside, I really like the Panny, and the seats are incredible. My favorite part is the classic Porsche speedo, it's like the same unit they used in the 80's, and that's a GOOD thing, it brings back all these childhood emotions of "dream car" proportions.

The V6 feels much more powerful than 300 HP in such a hefty car would allude. It has some nice bottom end, but even more throttle lag and lethargy then the soft-engineered M-B pedal (my E actually felt rather peppy when I got back into it). Also, the ride was decent, but it wasn't as smooth or quiet as the E (obviously handling was a bit better, but again, the car feels very large). The interior has a nice sense of occasion, however I did notice some fit and finish issues (probably exclusive to this particular car?), and getting back into my E didn't feel like I was getting into anything lessor really, just felt like I was getting back into a proper Benz.

All in all, I would love to have a Panamera, and with some mods, I could really come around to that design fully. I guess my final conclusion of the regular Panamera VS my E, is that I wouldn't pay the extra coin for the Panny, especially since I'm not sure if I'd spend equal coin for it as I do my E (pretending that the prices were the same to begin with, I'd probably choose the E based on exterior styling alone). A Panamera Turbo would be right on though.... Sat in one, and I think it was $160K.

listerone

A diesel Panamera (well equipped) is my dream car....but I'm not willing to move to Europe to own one so I'll just have to do without.

SolidGranite

The Panamera looks like a low-top basketball shoe to me... I also think the price is beyond too high and I'm glad to hear you like your E that much more.

Jon2007E63P30

I drove the top end version with the "Chrono" package. The thing is FAST, and the published numbers prove that out.

Rear seats had more leg room than my E.

Again, the styling is a bit off.

EmE247

IMO any Porsche w/ 4 doors is a waste no matter how fast...

AMGTTV8

LOL - Agreed.

Stupid analogy, I know, but it's like getting a car made by Ducatti.

Not a core competency and certainly not what they're known for.

SixPak

Don't look but Porsche is rumored to be coming out in 2016 with a baby Panamera called the Pajun to compete with the M5 and E63.

K-A

Yeah, I heard about the Pajun. Porsche's just gonna be another mass-Luxury automanufacturer in no time. VAG already said that Porsche needs to carry their weight by continuously contributing profits to the empire. Unfortunately, nothing is sacred anymore.

Being 6'5 and a Safety paranoid who likes bigger cars, A Porsche 4-Door should be right up my alley, and I think that's why I've been trying and trying to fall in love with the Panny. Rightly modded I think they can look good, but some angles, and some setups, and when bare-bones, they can look vomit-inducing. Looking at my E that costs a fraction of the price, and it looking like a diamond next to the Panamera, made it hard for me to wonder how one can justify $85+K for a lightly equipped one. I'm no HP freak, hence my contention with an E350, but buying an $85K Porsche with 300 HP is pointless to me, and that's one thing I'm trying to figure out regarding the Panamera.... What do I get or "feel" from that price for this car. Even if it does incorporate Porsche's known black-magic that makes incredibly efficient use in putting that power to the ground.

EmE247

Wonder when Lambo and Ferrari are gonna come out w/ a lineup...

K-A

Give it about a decade or so, it's bound to happen, though hopefully not. Lambo sooner than Ferrari probably, as rumors have been floating about a Lambo Sedan for some time (and VAG has ultimate control over them).

SixPak

Exactly. I was reading that Maserati is planning to produce a junior Quattroporte to rival the usual suspects E63, M5, RS6. It's gonna be a crowed segment and the Germans better look out for the Italians.

Damn, dude you're huge!!

bigben320e

That was cancelled due to the economy situation, and plenty were pi$$ed about it. It was slated to be in production for 2011...

Too bad, that car was raw and uncut, live and direct: Estoque

boschk

cls55/63 > Panamera. Nuff said.

ImInPA

Cut Porsche a little slack for the deviations. It is the oh-so-wft-Cayenne that has been funding the development of some great "traditional" vehicles like the Boxter, Cayman, and of course the various flavors of 911s. If the Panamera sells, that will be a very high profit car for Porsche. There is nothing wrong with mass-marketting on the high end. I am surprised that no one else who has driven the Panamera has commented on its vault-like solidness and noise isolation. The steering feels amazing for a car this size and it has a very supple but firm ride. A great effort if you like its mug.

K-A

PA, I actually heard so much about the vault like build, and incredible chassis. However, what surprised me was that I felt that my E was quieter, and no less solid feeling (more solid feeling in fact). Little things like the E's doors having that nice M-B "clank" was missing on the Porsche as well.

The Panny did have a comfy ride, and the seats are AMAZING, perfect support. However, the same rough road bumps that upset the composure of the W212 Sport also slightly upset the Panny. On the flip side, the Panny actually handles very well when pushed to the limits I'm sure, but I wasn't able to really toss it around much.

K-A

Panamera>CLSanything to me, because the CLS doesn't allow for my height to fit comfortably in the front seat, while the Panny has very generous headroom.

bzliteyear

Great write-up K-A. I agree w/ much of what you wrote, and would never be able to justify a loaded $90k V6, as much as I wouldn't mind driving it if were free. The main reason why I like the Porsche is that it has a VERY special driving experience, both from the way it drives and the way it sounds. As much as I've tried to compare other cars, including my AMGs, there really is no substitute. That said, although the exterior is growing on me, I'm still not there yet. Further, for a car that size and that is often compared with the S-class, the interior room is much closer to the E- or the CLS-class. Lastly, I see about 5 Panameras being driven around in our town of about 7k households - ALL of the drivers thus far have been 65 to 90 years old(or looks like it) - no joke. Now, I see why my 41 yr old wife will not drive a Jaguar no matter how nice it is...she only sees age 65+ yr olds driving them.
P.S. Why do people keep comparing Maserati Quat. to S-class in magazines? Although similar in price, that's not how people shop. The Maserati is in the E- and CLS-class for size/functionality.
PL

hyperion667

90k v6

Sher Judge

E is a better and far more practical car. Porsche should live in it's coupe world! I've been driving 911's (20yrs) from way then and now with the 997's.

Yes the E-Class W212 is the clear winner for it's real 4 door world class act.

golfster

In the Panamera, the car's characteristics and "feel" quality are night in day when driving the V-6 versus the V-8 in the S and S 4 variants. And like any car, driving a lightly optioned model versus one with the refinement of the additional luxury and sport features is like comparing a Plaiin Jane taxi version E-Class to one dressed out with Designo and an upgraded engine...essentially two different cars. Although I'm not 100% sold on the exterior design, the hatchback adds considerable utility to a nice interior and performance that goes beyond 0-60 to include impressive braking and handling stats, especially skid pad numbers that outshine most of its competition as well. The car certainly isn't a "me too" common sedan.

Much is the same with the Cayenne. I got V-6's as loaners when my car was in for scheduled maintenance. I was not overly impressed. Then one maintenance visit, the dealer offered a fresh in service Cayenne S, better equipped with options, and my impressions changed which resulted in a purchase.

Driving a nicely featured V-8 might change the impressions, and in a Porsche, there is a premium to go first class.

bigben320e

I can agree on this. The Panamera is nice for the interior, but the exterior not so much..not terrible mind you but just not exactly what I desire.

Even with the new CLS, that has more headroom? I guess you are a giraffe, lol.

While yes, the E is more practical out of the 3 mentioned, Panamera, CLS, the new CLS does allot for more room in the back and headroom now. I still lean toward the CLS, it is the choice and first out on the "4 door coupe" game. However, for the true 4 door sedan, love the E, my 98 E320 still rolls like a top and looks great.

K-A

Lol, yeah, I must have a long torso area 'cause many new cars are not accommodating up front. The new CLS actually has about the exact same headroom up front as the first one. I was both exuberant and upset when I found that the new CLS has no headroom for me. "Exuberant" because I don't have to worry about having to fork down the cash for one at some point lol, and because I have all the reason to stay happy with the E-Class (I always liked the E's better, although I now love the CLS as well in its own ways).

One thing that I've read about the Panny is that the V6 is actually the best handling version of all of them (lightest, less weight up front, and the engine can be pushed further toward the middle of the car). Nothing stuck out to me, but I wasn't able to push the car in the turns.

And I agree with everyone's sentiments here and thanks for the opinions and experiences. I gotta say, the Panny has grown on me BIG TIME, but it's just not "there" for me either, fully, and I don't know if it'll ever be. For a bargain price though, it would be a very attractive buy, if for no other reason than being a part of the Porsche engineered family while getting my height and roominess/non-claustraphobic-valuing and safety obsessed points check off. I just would want to keep the Benz as well.

K-A

.... Oh, two other little things I noticed that seemed unfortunate for a car of this price range.

First, is on the base Panamera's, you don't get the chrome trim surrounding the greenhouse. Now I know that some people prefer black around the greenhouse, and BMW with their "Black Chrome Shadowline" trim has it right on, as that looks great, and rich, but the Panamera's black surrounding the windows is just a cheap, crude, and unfinished looking plastic-rubber. It basically literally looks like how you'd imagine it would if you got a car with chrome window trim, and simply removed it.

Also, on the headlights, the inner lights (I assume parking lights) are a normal halogen bulb, just sitting their in plain view. Compared to the P2 E-Class, that has no halogen bulbs on display up there, and a much nicer/better/cooler looking LED "Projector Ball", it was something that bugged me (I initially noticed it on a $160K Panny as well, lol).