RE: Porsche Panamera Diesel: PH Fleet
Monday 25th March 2013
I wouldn’t normally allow eight months in a car to be summarised by such sterile things as numbers, but the picture above does tell a pretty compelling story. For the final 6,213 miles it spent with me the Panamera was driven, often in an excitable fashion, at all times of day and in all weather conditions. In that time it returned an average of 38.2mpg. Driven the same way, and over a similar distance my E61 535d wouldn’t manage an average of 26mpg.
Panamera Diesel a fantastic all-rounderMany people are of the opinion that Pistonheads isn’t the place to publicly celebrate the fuel meanness of a car made by Porsche, but as much as idealism can be a great thing in the world of the car obsessive, in this case I can’t agree with that sentiment. Whichever way I looked at it, the Panamera Diesel, when judged on merit as a driving machine and somewhere to spend endless hours, was a great car. For the way I used it, I wouldn’t have swapped it for any other petrol variant. Well, maybe a Turbo S, if someone else had been paying for fuel.
Bolster wear? Not a whitI have little more to say about this car. You already know how I feel about its performance, handling and overall serenity. It is built to a quality that cannot be compared to many other supposedly prestige brands. After 23,000 miles of people leaping in and out of it wearing abrasive coats on photoshoots, the side bolsters on the front seats aren’t showing the faintest patina of wear.
Panamera has made a mark in its timeThis car polarises opinion like nothing else I’ve used on a regular basis – with the exception that there is one common sentiment that emerges from one group of people. Anyone exposed to a long, potentially fatiguing journey in the Panamera always stepped away afterwards and gushed with praise, including the driver. That kind of says it all.
Porsche Panamera Diesel: PH Fleet
Haters gonna hate, but Chris bids a sincerely fond farewell to his diesel Porsche Panamera
Panamera Diesel a fantastic all-rounder
Or maybe not even a Turbo S? I’m not scared of wasting money on dino juice, but modern, everyday motoring according to the law of diminishing returns would probably keep me in the diesel. That really says as much about the brilliant ZF eight-speed auto as it does my appreciation for a range that will manage Stuttgart to the West Country at speed. There’s no doubt petrol Panameras would be more pleasant if they used this transmission.
Bolster wear? Not a whit
Depreciation is hard to judge accurately, but similar age, similar mileage cars are advertised for around £53,000, which means a trade bid of mid-40s. It was £66,000 new back in December 2011, so that’s not a bad hit compared to rival cars. Yes, it’s a lot of money to lose by ordinary standards, but people that buy these cars know there’s a cost in depreciation, and I think this one is better than the market average.
Panamera has made a mark in its time
FACT SHEET
Car: Porsche Panamera Diesel
Run by: Chris Harris
On fleet since: August 2012
Mileage: 23,718
List price new: £66,558 (base price £62,134 plus £777 for metallic paint, £1,457 for 19" Panamera Design alloy wheels, £243 for automatic dimming mirror package, £919 for Bose surround sound system, £227 for Universal Audio Interface USB/iPod connector, £526 for aluminium interior package and £275(!) for 'seatbelts in silver')
Last month at a glance: Panamera haters rejoice - it's gone! But that doesn't mean Chris is any less impressed with what it achieved.
Previous reports:
Panamera gets winter boots
Marmite anyone?
Bye bye diesel Jag, hello diesel … Porsche?
Discussion
Guffy said:
Subjective i know, but if one is spending £60k+ on a car, surely it has to look nice!
Familiarity has been friendly to the Panamera design IMO. This subtly specced car in particular looks like a handsome offering. There are some horrible footballer spec white turbos getting around, however I actually like the look of the panamera.I have to question those figures - not the 38mpg from the portly Porker, which is very impressive but still believable, but the quoted/estimated 26mpg from an E61 535d in similar conditions?
I have a 330Ci (petrol) with 99,000 miles on the clock, this is driven enthusiastically pretty much everywhere and I achieve 31mpg on my brisk 80 mile commute.
Equally, a friend of mine has an E91 330D Touring and, with 4 people and fully loaded with snowboarding paraphernalia, showed 40mpg at a fair lick back from the Alps.
I would therefore expect around 35mpg from a 535d - which, for an engine launched about 5 years previous to the Porkers', is about right and pretty competitive I would say?
I have a 330Ci (petrol) with 99,000 miles on the clock, this is driven enthusiastically pretty much everywhere and I achieve 31mpg on my brisk 80 mile commute.
Equally, a friend of mine has an E91 330D Touring and, with 4 people and fully loaded with snowboarding paraphernalia, showed 40mpg at a fair lick back from the Alps.
I would therefore expect around 35mpg from a 535d - which, for an engine launched about 5 years previous to the Porkers', is about right and pretty competitive I would say?
Not enough space in the Panamera for my lot to consider unfortunately.
But this is VAG, right, so we can dream about filling a niche: how about sticking this drivetrain into Skoda Superb estate? Space and Q-car boxes ticked.
Seriously though, are there any Audis (A6 estate?) that use the same engine and gearbox?
But this is VAG, right, so we can dream about filling a niche: how about sticking this drivetrain into Skoda Superb estate? Space and Q-car boxes ticked.
Seriously though, are there any Audis (A6 estate?) that use the same engine and gearbox?
Mike_C said:
I have to question those figures - not the 38mpg from the portly Porker, which is very impressive but still believable, but the quoted/estimated 26mpg from an E61 535d in similar conditions?
I have a 330Ci (petrol) with 99,000 miles on the clock, this is driven enthusiastically pretty much everywhere and I achieve 31mpg on my brisk 80 mile commute.
Equally, a friend of mine has an E91 330D Touring and, with 4 people and fully loaded with snowboarding paraphernalia, showed 40mpg at a fair lick back from the Alps.
I would therefore expect around 35mpg from a 535d - which, for an engine launched about 5 years previous to the Porkers', is about right and pretty competitive I would say?
I get 33MPG from my 535D on average. I have seen 40 on a long run taking it easy.I have a 330Ci (petrol) with 99,000 miles on the clock, this is driven enthusiastically pretty much everywhere and I achieve 31mpg on my brisk 80 mile commute.
Equally, a friend of mine has an E91 330D Touring and, with 4 people and fully loaded with snowboarding paraphernalia, showed 40mpg at a fair lick back from the Alps.
I would therefore expect around 35mpg from a 535d - which, for an engine launched about 5 years previous to the Porkers', is about right and pretty competitive I would say?
nightflight said:
Mike_C said:
I have to question those figures - not the 38mpg from the portly Porker, which is very impressive but still believable, but the quoted/estimated 26mpg from an E61 535d in similar conditions?
I have a 330Ci (petrol) with 99,000 miles on the clock, this is driven enthusiastically pretty much everywhere and I achieve 31mpg on my brisk 80 mile commute.
Equally, a friend of mine has an E91 330D Touring and, with 4 people and fully loaded with snowboarding paraphernalia, showed 40mpg at a fair lick back from the Alps.
I would therefore expect around 35mpg from a 535d - which, for an engine launched about 5 years previous to the Porkers', is about right and pretty competitive I would say?
I get 33MPG from my 535D on average. I have seen 40 on a long run taking it easy.I have a 330Ci (petrol) with 99,000 miles on the clock, this is driven enthusiastically pretty much everywhere and I achieve 31mpg on my brisk 80 mile commute.
Equally, a friend of mine has an E91 330D Touring and, with 4 people and fully loaded with snowboarding paraphernalia, showed 40mpg at a fair lick back from the Alps.
I would therefore expect around 35mpg from a 535d - which, for an engine launched about 5 years previous to the Porkers', is about right and pretty competitive I would say?
I wasnt a fan of the panamera at all until I had a good look around one in the flesh and I have to admit I was converted.
the proportions to me are excellent and its just a nice place to be.
personally if i had the dosh, I would love a Turbo S variant but with a starting price north of £120k for the base model its a tad rich! lol!
the proportions to me are excellent and its just a nice place to be.
personally if i had the dosh, I would love a Turbo S variant but with a starting price north of £120k for the base model its a tad rich! lol!
I agree with the sentiments that road driving (in the UK) is becoming more about getting to a location and therefore a form of transport as opposed to a fun experience (not that I like that it has come to this). So would you rather do 38 mpg in a diesel or 25mpg in a more fun car and sit in traffic for 85% of your time where performance is meaningless.
The roads in the UK are becoming more and more clogged and fast road cars are becoming less and less relevant, unless you are lucky enough to have some traffic free roads easily accessible (lucky beggars). Track days/motorsport are becoming more and more prevalent as a result.
I have taken the crazy decision, some might say, in buying a Smart Brabus roadster coupe, for the reason that, it returns 50mpg, it is fun enough, and for people saying that they are slow, I got frustrated on the way down to Goodwood Press day because I couldn't drive above 5/10ths on the way there or back and yes I could overtake, but when you are in a queue of traffic 10-20 cars long there is simply no point.
I have driven all sorts of Ferraris, Lambos, Porsches etc, and they frustrate as much as they deliver due to the road conditions that we all have to deal with.
I think that Toyota/Subaru with the GT86/BRZ are moving in the right direction, realising that driving enjoyment is as much about feel and interaction, and the act of physically driving as opposed to willy waving headline figures for performance that if attained in front of many parties would be frowned at, let alone what Plod would think.
Efficient, light weight, involved driving machines are becoming more and more relevant(for some), fuel is going one way, a car that can achieve early 20's in mpg will render itself impossible for most to run in the next 10 years due to the aforementioned fuel prices.
Classic car ownership is a release from the some of the problems above, as many of these cars can be driven at 7/8 tenths on the road safely, giving a level of feedback modern cars can not hope to provide.
The more and more I think, the more a Lotus Elise S1 looks like a winner for a long term investment.
The roads in the UK are becoming more and more clogged and fast road cars are becoming less and less relevant, unless you are lucky enough to have some traffic free roads easily accessible (lucky beggars). Track days/motorsport are becoming more and more prevalent as a result.
I have taken the crazy decision, some might say, in buying a Smart Brabus roadster coupe, for the reason that, it returns 50mpg, it is fun enough, and for people saying that they are slow, I got frustrated on the way down to Goodwood Press day because I couldn't drive above 5/10ths on the way there or back and yes I could overtake, but when you are in a queue of traffic 10-20 cars long there is simply no point.
I have driven all sorts of Ferraris, Lambos, Porsches etc, and they frustrate as much as they deliver due to the road conditions that we all have to deal with.
I think that Toyota/Subaru with the GT86/BRZ are moving in the right direction, realising that driving enjoyment is as much about feel and interaction, and the act of physically driving as opposed to willy waving headline figures for performance that if attained in front of many parties would be frowned at, let alone what Plod would think.
Efficient, light weight, involved driving machines are becoming more and more relevant(for some), fuel is going one way, a car that can achieve early 20's in mpg will render itself impossible for most to run in the next 10 years due to the aforementioned fuel prices.
Classic car ownership is a release from the some of the problems above, as many of these cars can be driven at 7/8 tenths on the road safely, giving a level of feedback modern cars can not hope to provide.
The more and more I think, the more a Lotus Elise S1 looks like a winner for a long term investment.
I'm not a Porsche must ONLY build sportscars purists so I have huge respect for the fact that Porsche have built a very well made, comfortable 4 door with a great range of engines and decent driving characteristics. However I really wish to God that they'd done something a bit more cohesive with the looks. A stretched 911 is NOT a good look IMO and I really wish Porsche would take a bit of a risk on some of their cars and step away from the 911 jelly mould sometimes.
Still the Cayenne has been improved immensely from it's original 911 on stilts look with each facelift iteration and is now rather a handsome beast with it's own identity so I'm hopeful the Panemara will go the same way. Bring on the next Panamera facelift.
Still the Cayenne has been improved immensely from it's original 911 on stilts look with each facelift iteration and is now rather a handsome beast with it's own identity so I'm hopeful the Panemara will go the same way. Bring on the next Panamera facelift.
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