Porsche Panamera (09 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 11 Apr 2013
4.5
Porsche broke with its sports car tradition when it launched the Cayenne 4x4 in 2003 and the Panamera marks another big step - it's the first ever four-seater saloon to be produced by the carmaker.

At almost five metres long it offers luxuriously spacious travel, especially for those in the back, helped further by a refined ride.

2.5 out of 5

Running costs

With a considerable price tag, Porsche Panamera running costs aren't cheap but it does hold its value well so you'll get a large chunk of what you initially spent if you decide to sell or trade in for a newer model. Fuel economy isn't a strong point for petrol models (the Turbo returns an average of just 23mpg) but the diesel returns a reasonably healthy 43.5mpg on average. As you'd expect, insurance is extortionate. On the plus side, service intervals are lengthy with a minor service required every 20,000 miles or two years. Porsches traditionally hold on to their resale values well. The diesel model depreciates the least while, predictably, the Turbo variants lose the greatest percentage of their value over time. The Hybrid is also susceptible to a greater rate of depreciation than other Panameras but its 159 g/km CO2 figure means it dips under the Company Write Down Allowance threshold of 160g/km allowing its price to be offset against tax at 20% per annum for fleet and company car drivers.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£2,031 - £2,769 *

Diesel

£1,459 - £1,459 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 134p and diesel 138p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Minor service every 20,000 miles or every two years. Major service every 40,000 miles or every four years.

Warranty

Two years/unlimited miles

Road tax (12 months)

£165.00 - £490.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
    159
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
    293

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

A large four-seater sports car with a V8 engine is never going to be particularly environmentally friendly but Porsche has made efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. For best Porsche Panamera emissions go for the Hybrid with 159g/km but the diesel isn't bad either with 172g/km. PDK models come with a start/stop function which cuts the engine in traffic and then automatically restarts again when moving off. This means that the standard S fitted with the PDK gearbox emits 253g/km of CO2 and averages 26mpg. Surprisingly, that's competitive with other large saloons with similar power.

Find the exact engine and CO2