2015 PORSCHE Panamera

Disappointing Performance

Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 3 Safety Rating: 3 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 1

The Porsche brand is rock solid. This is not my first purchase. They build a top quality car. The comfort, fit and finish on this car are all outstanding. However, the enormous disappointment is the performance as a energy efficient hybrid vehicle. While the press and Porsche engineers report up to 22 miles of pure electric range, driving as carefully as is possible and using hybrid 'sailing' practices and light regenerative braking techniques, I am only getting a range of 11-12 miles of all electric operation on flat roads. This is by far the biggest disappointment of this car. Porsche dealer technicians admit it is on the low end but still assert the battery performance is "within range." I have since read that performance on hilly terrain can be as low as 9 miles of all electric range. Porsche should not have released a hybrid until they were able to deliver better performance metrics. While, I realize that it may be unreasonable to expect an all electric range of 40 miles for a 4600lb car, their suggested top end range of 22 miles is the performance that should be delivered consistently. In this respect, the Panamera Hybrid falls far short of delivering value and the desired effect of a sustainable driving experience for the normal local short driving distances. Historically, the mantra and philosophy of this Company and its founder was to deliver best in class, but they have clearly missed the mark on this car. Hopefully it is not a sign of things to come for a great legacy brand.