Despite Porsche being one of the most iconic sports car manufacturers of all time, most of the company’s offerings these days are geared towards luxury and daily usability. What was once a company focusing on high-performance models and motorsports, now has one of the most versatile lineups in the industry, made up of sedans, SUVs, and also wagons. This includes the likes of four-door sedans like the Panamera and Taycan. Both share plenty of traits and with the next-generation Panamera going full EV, this begs the question, which one should you choose?

The sales figures point towards the Taycan being the winner, but that only tells half the story. Plenty of prospective buyers are not as fond of Porsche’s fully electric sedan for reasons ranging from depreciation to driving range on the pre-facelift model. While trying to find an answer to which one is better, I stumbled upon a Reddit discussion about the choice between Porsche Panamera, Taycan, and Macan. I decided to cross-reference what we already know about both cars with people’s perceptions of the two models, to determine which one is the more rational choice.

Despite good sales numbers, not everyone adores the Taycan

It is safe to say, the Porsche Taycan is a sales hit. Since the model’s debut in 2019, Porsche has produced over 150,000 examples of the Taycan. The U.S. is one of the biggest markets for the EV Porsche and demand is still strong. To put things in perspective, over 235,000 Panamera units have been built since the first generation came out, in model year 2010. So far, U.S. sales of the Porsche Taycan for 2024 account for 4,931 units. During the same time, the Porsche Panamera was sold 2,681 times in the U.S., marking the model’s lowest production year since 2010.

Despite the numbers showing a stark contrast in popularity between the two Porsche sedans, not everything is in favor of the Taycan. Porsche’s EV sedan is considered one of the least reliable electric models out there. According to WhatCar, the Porsche Taycan suffers from problems with the infotainment system, electronic gremlins, the battery, and air-con – all issues widely discussed on the Taycan forum. That said, Porsche remedied all of the issues free of charge. On the other hand, the Porsche Panamera has been consistently reliable, especially in V-8 form. Still, Copilot search recommends you avoid certain model years - 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2016.

The Reddit thread loosely revolves around the pros and cons of the Porsche Taycan and Panamera, to which I have added a few more points, based on what we know about the two models. The comparison between the two Porsche sedans can best be summarized in the table below:

We can summarize that the Porsche Panamera has more going for it, based on comments from prospective buyers and owners (previous, current, or prospective). Some Reddit users commenting on the thread give preference, particularly to the station wagon variants of both models. It is worth noting that, for 2024, the Porsche Panamera will no longer be offered as a Sport Turismo. Others have switched from Panamera to Taycan due to not driving as much, confirming that EVs are ideal for short to medium-distance drives. The Taycan is the sportier proposition of the two, leaving the Panamera as the more luxurious model in the Porsche lineup, which brings us to the next point.

Co-existence is possible in the world of four-door Porsche sedans

Like other Porsche models, the Panamera’s future includes a fully electric variant. We don’t have an official release date for the Panamera EV just yet, but based on a statement made by CEO, Oliver Blume, the new Porsche Panamera will slot above the Taycan. Essentially, it will be the more luxurious four-door model while the Taycan will remain a sportier proposition. Moreover, the introduction of an all-electric Panamera will not mean the end of the internal combustion variants. Porsche recently introduced a trick new suspension for the Panamera and you don’t do that unless you plan to keep a model around for at least a few more years.

I think it could work because they are playing in different segments. The Panamera is one step above the Taycan - Oliver Blume, CEO Porsche

Porsche has already implemented the ICE+EV strategy with some of its models, the most recent being the Macan, which is currently offered in, both, combustion-powered and EV variants. That said, the ICE-powered Porsche Macan is said to be discontinued in 2026. The Cayenne is the next model that would get a fully electric variant, similar to the Panamera, and at some point, a three-row Porsche SUV will debut that would be exclusively EV. Porsche has a firm stance on e-fuels as well and the Panamera, currently, serves as the test bed for these green fuels.

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