My friend got a Panamera 4 as a loaner so he let me take it for a test drive.

It had PDK but the shift buttons instead of the paddles.
I only drove a few miles, and part of that was behind some hippie's subaru going 40 mph below the speed limit. Plus it's So Cal and it's been raining 7 days straight.

Anyway, the standard engine in this car is adequate. It isn't fast by any means, but not slow either. It'd be a good daily driving engine as it is not underpowered.

The PDK was really jerky at slow speeds but faster than 10 mph was seamless. The shifts couldn't be felt.

The exterior is really not bad at all in person save the standard 18 inch wheels which were ugly and looked too small for the car.

The driving dynamics felt like a 5 series bmw with sports package.

I really liked the interior, a lot. The buttons and setup give it a really good cockpit feel. The feedback from the information displays are intuitive and informative.

I don't like big cars, but if I had to get on, a panamera S would be on the list (A panamera TT is too much boom for my likes. I'd prefer to get a 911tt.)

Okay, some pictures. The key fob is cool. It's shaped like a Panamera.



The 18's detract from the car's looks.


The navi display is cool.

The car is actually a little longer and wider than the 5 series.

The interior is smaller than the 5 series, but still the back seats are comfortable.

 

Wow, you're right about those wheels. Very dorky/piggish looking.

Surprised about the transmission issues, I thought the jerky-ness associated with PDK would have been sorted out by now.

I believe they source the tranny from ZF?

Also nice to see the V6 is supple enough in a car this big. Is it a flat6?

 

How does it compare to a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Coupe?

 

Lol.


How is the traction in the rain?

 

That is a decision I cannot get behind. Seriously, I was considering PDK for my Cayman, but at that point they didn't have the paddles and the buttons completely ruined it for me. About the stupidest automotive user interface decision since the original BMW iDrive.

Cool on your friend's car though. I think the Panamera is a hell of a car; they're selling a lot of them for good reason.

 

PDK is kind of weird... I think that if you think of it as a manual transmission car when you're applying throttle from a stop, it works better. Like with a true automatic, you can just give it a hair of throttle and then smoothly add it on; with PDK, you have to give it a little juice from a stop as the clutch engages, and then it's very smooth. When I used it that way, I had no problems at all and was really impressed. But I'm sure they'll improve the software with time for those who want something that's more intuitive.

 

It's great that Porsche did such a nice designing the interior. It takes your mind off the rest of that ugly turd on wheels.

 

I see them on the road and really cannot imagine how a group of people at Porsche could sit in a room and approve of the looks of that car. It is really just aggressively ugly, few porsches are very good looking, but none are ugly, even the old 928 had a certain look that was palatable. It could drive like a combination of all the best parts of Rolls-Royce, bentley, Lambo, Veyron, Ferrari 599 and I would still not be able to forgive its looks and by some unfortunate event one was given to me, I would have to be careful NOT to ever look at the outside of it or else I'd go blind.

But the interior and key fob looks nice.

 

Chalk me up as one of those who really like the look.

 

My friends father has the 4S and I didn't notice the PDK other then its super fast up shifts. The car itself however does not have ANY body roll in city driving so it feels like very digital. The 400 horse that the 4S gives you is incredible and really propels you in any gear you're in. The car has exceptional build quality but for some reason it's in the shop like once ever 3 weeks for a check engine light they can't seem to figure out. ... I drove the loaner 6 cylinder and that thing felt very similar to the 4S! Then I did more research and it was a whole 100 horses off. I realized that the PDK gets this car in the right gear every time. I honestly did not feel the shifts besides up shifts being super quick. I'd probably opt for a 4S for the better brakes and just to get a V8 in a sedan that big but the 6 cylinder is nice as well. According to my friends father, the car would've been 650 dollars cheaper a month if he opted for the 6 cylinder but he got the 8, of course, that number varies.