We got our Taycan about 7 weeks ago and I just picked up my brand new Model S and I wanted to give some of my initial impressions and comparisons between the two cars. Things I like about each car and things I don't particularly love.
Let's start with my Model S:
I had a 2016 S90D which I replaced by a 2023, non-plaid. 21" Wheels, Yoke, Blue Exterior, White Interior, EAP and a 3 month trial of FSD.
To begin with, like many of you have told me, Kudos to Tesla on the much improved build quality. No big panel gaps, no mis-aligned door trim. Car just feels better (almost stronger). A noticeable improvement from my 2016 car.
The responsiveness of the UI is unreal and in typical Tesla fashion, the tech is absolutely wonderful and sooooo intuitive. My old Model S didn't have air suspension so this new one drives much better than my oldie. The app (although the same) is quite good (at least compared to the abysmal Porsche app). My range at 100% is just over 600km but that's probably not real, especially not in the winter. The car is fast, too fast for me (did I really just write that???). God bless the guys who drive Plaid, I don't know how you do it. When I smash the accelerator on this one, it scares the bejesus out of me. Even though my Model S is essentially the same car since the 2016 refresh, I think it still looks good and stylish.
I used FSD for the first time in my life and even though I'm "older" I'm not a dinosaur, but truth be told, FSD scared the sh*t out of me. It worked quite well, but it is far from perfect or ready for prime time IMO.
One of the misses on this car is something I CHOSE on purpose. The Yoke. I don't like it. I wanted it, I wanted to try it and I'm sure I will get used to it, but I have a hard time beleiving it is superior or equal to a regular steering wheel.
No matter, I fell in love with the Model S in 2016 and that love affair continues.
On to my Taycan (actually it's my wife's car).
The Taycan is a 4S, with the 21" Mission E wheels, the 93.4KW battery and about every option Porsche could fool us into buying (which was pretty much everything).
Let's start with the good... this is a driver's car. I used to say this about my Model S, but now that we've got the Taycan, it's different. Nothing and I mean nothing I've ever driven has given me the kind of pleasure I get from driving the Taycan. It is pure joy. The steering is tight, the ride is smooth, it holds the road better than my old 911, or my b-i-l's R8. It begs you to drive it like you're on a track at all times. Looks are entirely subjective but for me, when we have the Mission E's on it (we use winter rims which aren't quite as nice), but to me it's one of the nicest looking cars on the road and certainly my favourite looking EV.
The interior screams quality. Everything about how this car is put together is perfection.
Driving experience aside, the Taycan misses the mark on technology in a lot of places. First and foremost, to me it is almost counter-intuitive in most of its tech. Programming charging is non-sensical and even after 7 weeks, I still haven't figured it out to perfection. The Porsche app also sucks to a point of being unusable.
Next, for some reason Porsche gives you like 3 ways to perform the same task. Some people like that sort of flexibility but I don't. So, for example you can raise or lower the suspension at least 3 ways and maybe 4 and sometimes you have to go through menu after menu. I also never used CarPlay or Android Auto until we got the Taycan and I have to say I like them both. I love using Waze in the Taycan, pretty cool.
Range: This has been the abysmal failure, which I've yet to figure out. My 100% range with the Taycan is about 350km. I find it is much closer to being accurate than in my old Model S, but still, 350km kinda sucks. Add to that, the Taycan is about $65k more than my Model S.
Charging- I have a lectron adapter so I've been able to use my Tesla wall connector to charge the Taycan and I also get 3 years free with Electrify America/Canada for road trips. Interestingly though, for whatever reason, the Taycan charges much slower than my Model S both at home and at a Chargepoint charger at work. I get 30km per hour at work with the Model S and only 24km with the Taycan. Can't seem to figure out why. I get about 65km/h at home with the Model S and about 48km/h wit the Taycan. I have a feeling I've probably loused up some setting.
Porsch Inno Drive is terrible. Maybe I don't know how to use it, but everytime I've used it, it seems to want to bounce me back and forth in my lane but can't really hold me steady. I think it sucks.
I would still highly recommend both cars but I will give you some of my preferences in a nutshell.
- Driving comfort, handling, excitement and feel goes to the Taycan.
- Exterior looks, goes to the Taycan for me (totally subjective)
- Quality of the materials used, goes to the Taycan. Just feels more "luxurious".
- Tech... Model S by a mile
- Ease of use and UI intuitiveness... big edge to the Model S.
- Charging - both home and the broader SC network, big edge to the Model S
- Driver assistance features... another big win for my Model S
- "Fun Factor" - Tie. The Taycan is more fun to drive, but all of the nerdy techy stuff in my Model S levels the playing field.
All in all, I find these to be two quite different cars but both are amazing in their own ways. Given that the Model S is about 65k less than the Taycan 4S, I'd give the overall edge to the Model S, but I wouldn't get rid of the Taycan for a second Model S. I enjoy how different they are, what each brings to the table.
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"2020 Porsche Taycan 4S 79kWh Front" by Vauxford is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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