2010 Porsche Panamera
Based on analysis of 14 Panamera reviews and test drives.
Porsche Panamera - What the Auto Press Says
The 2010 Porsche Panamera ranks 2 out of 8 Super Luxury Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 14 published reviews and test drives of the Porsche Panamera, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
Perhaps the world’s most uncompromising sedan, the all-new Porsche Panamera combines breathtaking performance with indulgent accommodations for four adults. Some Porsche purists may detest the car’s unusual appearance, and few can afford it (a look at the pricing list for options would make Warren Buffet gasp), but the automotive press agrees that the car is simply an epic achievement.
The Porsche Panamera can coddle four adults in opulent surroundings at 170 mph, and holds its own with some six-figure sports cars on a winding mountain road. It can carry as much cargo as some full-size SUVs, but in turbocharged form, goes from zero-to-sixty faster than a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. It offers four sumptuous seats, a stereo system that’s among the best offered anywhere, and available four-zone climate control, and 500 horsepower.
Auto writers have attempted to compare it to specially-tuned sport sedans like the BMW M5, exotic cars like the Maserati Quattroporte, and super-luxury cruisers like the BMW 7-Series – but every comparison falls flat.
Yet, the very idea of the car upsets some lifelong Porsche fanatics. They call it blasphemous.
Porsche is world-famous, after all, four small, light, two-door, rear-engine sports cars like the 911. The iconic Porsche has a sparse interior, with little to distract from its mission of raw performance.
The Panamera, on the other hand is a full-size luxury sedan. It weighs nearly 4,000 pounds, has four doors, and carries its big V8 engine up front. Its interior is sumptuous, with every modern technological amenity and acres of smooth, soft leather.
It’s also unusual looking. With a long hood and bulbous rear hatch, it looks a little like a stretched 911.
Those traits have caused a split in critical reception of this car. Some reviewers won’t accept it because it doesn’t fit their notion of a Porsche, no matter how extraordinary it might be. The Los Angeles Times writes, “"The damned car is magnificent. But it is not made of the same charmed isotopes as the 911, and therefore not a Porsche. Sorry.” Others dismiss the old notion of what a Porsche should be as soon as they get a little time behind the wheel of this one. Edmunds writes, “Sure it has unique eccentricities - as every Porsche should - but it also makes a unique statement about the way that luxury transportation and serious high-performance potential can be mixed together in one car. And it's this unique spirit of innovation that makes the Panamera a true Porsche.”
Those who don’t reject the car because of its unusual layout for a Porsche might still want to look elsewhere. The Panamera isn’t cheap, and the available options list includes some simply outrageous prices (try a brake upgrade that pushes $9,000, for instance, or certain shades of paint that cost $3,000 more than others). But if the price and the look don’t bother you, there may not be a more uncompromising sedan in the world today.
There may be, however, if you wait a little while. Aston Martin will introduce its own Panamera-fighter, the Rapide, for the 2011 model year. Lamborghini has also show a design study for a four-door sport sedan, the Estoque, at several auto shows, but officials at the Italian automaker say they haven’t decided whether or not to build that car yet. If the Panamera succeeds in the market place, that may push them into it.
The Panamera is sold as the rear-wheel-drive Panamera S, the all-wheel-drive Panamera 4S, and the more powerful AWD Panamera Turbo. A lengthy option list is available for any of the three.
- +“The Panamera is a truly epic automobile… big, fast, and comfortable; a genuine four passenger Gran Turismo capable of loafing across continents in giant 130 mph bounds, leaving you relaxed and refreshed at the end of the day at the wheel.” -- Motor Trend
- “If the styling appeals and the price doesn't matter, there's not much to dislike.” -- USA Today
- “For the performance-minded driver, the Panamera is an irresistible alternative to the established sedans in the ultraluxury segment.” -- Cars.com
- “A four-passenger sport sedan that is spacious and comfortable enough to be the primary vehicle.” -- Autoblog
Panamera Performance - 9.4 (Excellent)
The Porsche Panamera’s combination of blistering speed, hairpin cornering precision and astonishing brakes have set a new standard for what a sedan can do. It may be the most high-performance four-door car in the world. Auto writers attempt to compare it to sport sedans from performance-tuning divisions of other automakers; but so far, we’ve yet to find a comparison the Panamera loses. Despite its high-performance character, reviewers say it’s an easy car to live with as a daily driver. If you can afford the extravagance, the Panamera may be the best balance of performance car and sedan available today. Read More
Panamera Exterior - 7.8 (Good)
The 2010 Porsche Panamera is one of the most distinctive-looking cars on the road. Its design, in fact set tempest in a teapot amongst auto writers and long-time Porsche loyalists. That controversy continues in print. We found very few reviews that were neutral on the Panamera’s looks. Longtime Porsche lovers often detest the car’s long hood and unusually bulbous hatchback rear. Those who don’t profess a bias toward the iconic 911, however, tend to say the car is handsome in person. Read More
Panamera Interior - 9.6 (Excellent)
Other Porsche vehicles (the Cayenne aside) are sports cars, with minimalist interiors and tiny rear seats, if they have rear seats at all. The Panamera’s cabin is an entirely different space. Designed to compete with some of the most opulent luxury sedans in the world, it offers cavernous space in front and rear, four exceptionally comfortable and supportive sport seats, and a design aesthetic that leans toward sumptuous luxury while still nodding to the car’s performance roots. Reviewers give it some of the most lavish praise we’ve ever read…and we haven’t yet found a significant criticism. Edmunds says “the Panamera's interior helps justify [its] price tag. There's simply no denying its artistic appeal.” Read More
Panamera Safety - NA
The Panamera has not been crash tested by either the federal government or the insurance industry – which is often the case with cars at this price point. The Panamera includes a full suite of safety equipment, but lacks some of the advanced safety electronics found in similarly-priced cars. Read More
Panamera Reliability - 7.0 (Good)
The 2010 Porsche Panamera reliability score shown is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS). Porsche covers all of its vehicles with a four-year/50,000-mile warranty. The company does not offer a separate warranty on the Panamera’s powertrain. Read More