A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs!

FrozenRobert · May 28, 2022

Last Winter (late Feb. 2022) I put in a small deposit on the Tesla website for a Model 3 LR, just as a lark. I thought the delivery times were so extreme I wouldn't get the car until July. My plan was to take delivery, drive it home, and "flip" it because of the massive demand and price inflation on EVs currently going on in 2022.

Well, two weeks ago, the friendly Tesla rep called and said "Your car is in! When would you like to pick it up?"

Needless to say, I was a bit flabbergasted, and also scrambling to put together the remainder of the purchase price before delivery day.

I have had the car for 2 1/2 weeks now, and I thought some Taycan owners might like to read my impressions of driving both of these EVs -- the differences, the "quirks and features" (thanks Doug de Muro) etc. and my final conclusions.

First, the spec on my 2022 Model 3:

YEAR: 2022
MODEL: Tesla Model 3, Long Range + $2000 speed upgrade
COLOR: Dark Grey Metallic
FSD: NO
EXTRAS: Paid $1000 for the 19" aluminium wheels, they look way better than the fugly dark grey pizza disks from the factory
MANUFACTURED: Fremont, CA

Here's some photos:

Porsche Taycan A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs! Z_TES_ - 1 (2)

Porsche Taycan A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs! Z_TES_ - 1 (3)

Porsche Taycan A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs! Z_TES_ - 1 (4)

Porsche Taycan A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs! Z_TES_ - 1 (5)

Porsche Taycan A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs! Z_TES_ - 1 (6)

Porsche Taycan A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs! Z_TES_ - 1 (7)

Porsche Taycan A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs! Z_TES_ - 1

IMPRESSIONS:

POSITIVES:
o Fit & finish are excellent! No gaps, no rattles, no missing pieces. 100% quality all around.
o Handling is sporty-like, steering is tight, although the ride is a bit bumpy and road noise is quite present (especially at freeway speeds) -- much more than the Taycan
o TONS OF STORAGE SPACE!!! Love the fold-down seats and multiple trunks etc.
o Visibility is fantastic
o Seats are extremely comfortable
o Massive arm rest / front storage cubby, phone wireless charging, etc.
o TESLA APP is much better than the Porsche version -- sorry, just gotta be honest
o Blind spot monitoring is fantastic with signal / camera activation
o Voice recognition is much better than Porsche
o Acceleration is mind-blowing ... low 4 second range I'm assuming, super fun!
o SENTRY MODE for keeping bad guys away
o DOG MODE (which I use quite often), great idea
o Overall a very enjoyable 4-door AWD sedan

NEGATIVES:

o THE SCREEN. DID I MENTION THE SCREEN??? WHY??? HOW??? WHY??? NO!!!

It's an absolute nightmare to take your eyes off the road to manipulate even the most basic functions of daily driving. The NHTSA must be screaming about this. It's the worst distraction in ANY car I've ever driven.

o If you look hard enough, CHEAP COST SAVING PLASTICS abound. Disappointing for a car at this price point.

o NO APPLE CARPLAY / ANDROID AUTO. NADA.

o Road noise is really unacceptable for a car that costs this much. I measured 90db at 80km/h (~57 mph) on the freeway. Way too loud.

o The extreme minimalism of the interior is just not effective or useful. I thought the Taycan was a bit odd with the haptics -- this thing has NO BUTTONS. It's all through the screen. Crap.

o The learning curve of driving this car is immense. Again -- the SCREEN. You have to learn menus and sub-menus and more oddities to just get road-worthy. And I'm a pretty tech-savvy guy. The Taycan is much more intuitive.

The internet is basically right on this one: Teslas are designed by Gen-Z'ers who love video games and consider "driving" some antiquated oddity.

Let me know what you guys and gals think. Love to hear your comments.

Porsche Taycan A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs! Z_TES_ - 1 (10)

zzy45 · May 28, 2022

I read through the post and didn’t find the answer to my question, so are you still “flipping” it? The wait time is still long and demand is high I think?

FrozenRobert · May 28, 2022

In Canada, 20-25 week wait time (official from Tesla).

Private sale, people are paying $12-15K above sticker.

I'm on the fence for now.

Sidicks · May 28, 2022

Interesting post, thanks.
From what I’ve read, and from the people I’ve spoken to who have owned these cars, they are really designed for people with quite different requirements and priorities.
if you want a tech-fest and the car to do things for you, the Tesla is great and very effective at what it does. The self-drive technology is a league above. The price also means it’s better value for money.
However, if you want a car to drive and to handle well, and you‘re the sort of person who goes out for drives on a Sunday morning just for the fun if it, then the Taycan is the only real choice. I’m very much in the latter amp, hence my decision for the GTS variant of the Taycan.
I’d be interested to know if these views are shared by others?

fgwinn · May 28, 2022

FrozenRobert said:
.......
o Fit & finish are excellent! No gaps, no rattles, no missing pieces. 100% quality all around.

I think you may change your mind about the finish after a few months of ownership. The thing I hated most about my 2018 Model 3 was the way bird turds would ruin the clear coat. Before I traded the Tesla on the Taycan I used a Griot's Garage buffer and correcting cream to restore the finish so that the damage was less noticeable.

daveo4EV · May 28, 2022

compare charging it to the Taycan at a fast charger - and lack of buttons - there is a LOT of functionality if you master the voice commands - no buttons required.

live with it - over time you'll come to be less negative.

ithinkmac · May 28, 2022

as noted in countless other threads. Teslas are not as bad as this forum makes it sound. It's a great bang for what you're paying. The screen and menu issues will become less and less of an issue once you get used to it. You're used to PCM, and just retrain your brain for the Tesla OS.

Charging infrastructure and not having to worry about your wife or daughter charging a car in the middle of night @ Walmart makes my Tesla the goto car for my kids.

I love both for what they offer. No hate to either brand. They do what they do. Once Tesla opens up charging network in NA, I think the Porsche will gain another notch on my likability list. I have early Teslas with build quality issues, my '21 is way better than my '16, and I'm glad to hear your '22 is great.

-ThinkMac-

Margrock · May 28, 2022

FrozenRobert said:
Last Winter (late Feb. 2022) I put in a small deposit on the Tesla website for a Model 3 LR, just as a lark. I thought the delivery times were so extreme I wouldn't get the car until July. My plan was to take delivery, drive it home, and "flip" it because of the massive demand and price inflation on EVs currently going on in 2022.

Well, two weeks ago, the friendly Tesla rep called and said "Your car is in! When would you like to pick it up?"

Needless to say, I was a bit flabbergasted, and also scrambling to put together the remainder of the purchase price before delivery day.

I have had the car for 2 1/2 weeks now, and I thought some Taycan owners might like to read my impressions of driving both of these EVs -- the differences, the "quirks and features" (thanks Doug de Muro) etc. and my final conclusions.

First, the spec on my 2022 Model 3:

YEAR: 2022
MODEL: Tesla Model 3, Long Range + $2000 speed upgrade
COLOR: Dark Grey Metallic
FSD: NO
EXTRAS: Paid $1000 for the 19" aluminium wheels, they look way better than the fugly dark grey pizza disks from the factory
MANUFACTURED: Fremont, CA

Here's some photos:

IMPRESSIONS:

POSITIVES:
o Fit & finish are excellent! No gaps, no rattles, no missing pieces. 100% quality all around.
o Handling is sporty-like, steering is tight, although the ride is a bit bumpy and road noise is quite present (especially at freeway speeds) -- much more than the Taycan
o TONS OF STORAGE SPACE!!! Love the fold-down seats and multiple trunks etc.
o Visibility is fantastic
o Seats are extremely comfortable
o Massive arm rest / front storage cubby, phone wireless charging, etc.
o TESLA APP is much better than the Porsche version -- sorry, just gotta be honest
o Blind spot monitoring is fantastic with signal / camera activation
o Voice recognition is much better than Porsche
o Acceleration is mind-blowing ... low 4 second range I'm assuming, super fun!
o SENTRY MODE for keeping bad guys away
o DOG MODE (which I use quite often), great idea
o Overall a very enjoyable 4-door AWD sedan

NEGATIVES:

o THE SCREEN. DID I MENTION THE SCREEN??? WHY??? HOW??? WHY??? NO!!!

It's an absolute nightmare to take your eyes off the road to manipulate even the most basic functions of daily driving. The NHTSA must be screaming about this. It's the worst distraction in ANY car I've ever driven.

o If you look hard enough, CHEAP COST SAVING PLASTICS abound. Disappointing for a car at this price point.

o NO APPLE CARPLAY / ANDROID AUTO. NADA.

o Road noise is really unacceptable for a car that costs this much. I measured 90db at 80km/h (~57 mph) on the freeway. Way too loud.

o The extreme minimalism of the interior is just not effective or useful. I thought the Taycan was a bit odd with the haptics -- this thing has NO BUTTONS. It's all through the screen. Crap.

o The learning curve of driving this car is immense. Again -- the SCREEN. You have to learn menus and sub-menus and more oddities to just get road-worthy. And I'm a pretty tech-savvy guy. The Taycan is much more intuitive.

The internet is basically right on this one: Teslas are designed by Gen-Z'ers who love video games and consider "driving" some antiquated oddity.

Let me know what you guys and gals think. Love to hear your comments.

I had a beloved 2018 Tesla Model S, and my hubby (who is a “car guy”) persuaded me to get a 2022 Taycan Cross Turismo. What a MISTAKE! I have had the Taycan for just over a month now, and completely regret going to the Porsche. I could argue that the Taycan doesn’t have Apple CarPlay either, as mine rarely comes up connected. I have done numerous connect/disconnects and “forget this device” to try to get it to come on. As a matter of fact, the display screens on the Taycan are blanked out (including the climate control) and cameras more than they come on. I have had the Porsche Nav come up in German (the search bar), and I am completely dissatisfied. At least with Tesla, regular SW updates got rid of any glitches that showed up. With Porsche you get the “old school” bring it in to the service department of the dealer as if it was a burnt spark plug issue or something. If anyone wants to buy this Porsche abomination from me, so I can go back to Tesla world, I would be happy to oblige!

hitmonlee · May 28, 2022

Margrock said:
I had a beloved 2018 Tesla Model S, and my hubby (who is a “car guy”) persuaded me to get a 2022 Taycan Cross Turismo. What a MISTAKE! I have had the Taycan for just over a month now, and completely regret going to the Porsche. I could argue that the Taycan doesn’t have Apple CarPlay either, as mine rarely comes up connected. I have done numerous connect/disconnects and “forget this device” to try to get it to come on. As a matter of fact, the display screens on the Taycan are blanked out (including the climate control) and cameras more than they come on. I have had the Porsche Nav come up in German (the search bar), and I am completely dissatisfied. At least with Tesla, regular SW updates got rid of any glitches that showed up. With Porsche you get the “old school” bring it in to the service department of the dealer as if it was a burnt spark plug issue or something. If anyone wants to buy this Porsche abomination from me, so I can go back to Tesla world, I would be happy to oblige!

Why not put it up for sale or at least as a feeler? Genuine suggestion. Sounds like you really care about a car's tech/software, which isn't really where Porsche shines.

Margrock · May 28, 2022

hitmonlee said:
Why not put it up for sale or at least as a feeler? Genuine suggestion. Sounds like you really care about a car's tech/software, which isn't really where Porsche shines.

You got that right! Porsche wouldn’t know a SW bug if it came up and bit them! The service manager at the dealership said to bring my car in so they could reload the SW. I asked why reloading buggy SW would fix the problem. Still waiting for an answer on that one. If Porsche doesn’t “get” the digital market, they shouldn’t have entered it. I didn’t spend that kind of cash to be a beta tester!

Jhenson29 · May 28, 2022

Margrock said:
I have had the Porsche Nav come up in German (the search bar), and I am completely dissatisfied.

I think you’re just looking for things to be angry about at this point.

But if I’m wrong and the search bar sometimes coming up in German is this troubling to you, then you really have the complete wrong car.

Margrock · May 28, 2022

Jhenson29 said:
I think you’re just looking for things to be angry about at this point.

But if I’m wrong and the search bar sometimes coming up in German is this troubling to you, then you really have the complete wrong car.

If it were only the German nav search bar I might think it was just quirky whimsy. I listed a bunch of other things as well, like no display screens at all, and I didn’t mention that at times it refuses to turn on at all, which I will mention now. I absolutely do have the wrong car, I expected a EV that actually was fully functional. Don’t get me wrong, my hubby has a GT3 and loves it. Porsche absolutely nails the internal combustion engine.

Hirschaj · May 28, 2022

Margrock said:
If it were only the German nav search bar I might think it was just quirky whimsy. I listed a bunch of other things as well, like no display screens at all, and I didn’t mention that at times it refuses to turn on at all, which I will mention now. I absolutely do have the wrong car, I expected a EV that actually was fully functional. Don’t get me wrong, my hubby has a GT3 and loves it. Porsche absolutely nails the internal combustion engine.

Sounds like you’re assuming everyone’s Taycan behaves that way. They don’t. It sucks that yours does and you should either get it fixed or sell it. Porsche still has a lot to learn about software but they seem to be making progress lately. I’d prefer they were already great at it but they are where they are. The car drives fantastic and mine has only had a few quirks so far (knock on wood). I hope you get whatever outcome is best for you.

gnop1950 · May 28, 2022

Hirschaj said:
Sounds like you’re assuming everyone’s Taycan behaves that way. They don’t. It sucks that yours does and you should either get it fixed or sell it. Porsche still has a lot to learn about software but they seem to be making progress lately. I’d prefer they were already great at it but they are where they are. The car drives fantastic and mine has only had a few quirks so far (knock on wood). I hope you get whatever outcome is best for you.

I agree. Admittedly I've only had my car for 3 weeks and 700 miles but so far the worst thing that has happened is I had to log out and back in to get CarPlay to work after an OTA update. Of course, that isn't something you'd need to worry about with a Tesla

I have zero complaints about the PCM or software at this point.

I appreciate what Tesla has done for the EV industry, but should I ever want an EV in that price range I'd probably opt for a Mach-E or say an EV6. I just can't get past the looks, especially the interior. I really think Tesla will need to up their game a bit with options at some point.

Margrock · May 28, 2022

Hirschaj said:
Sounds like you’re assuming everyone’s Taycan behaves that way. They don’t. It sucks that yours does and you should either get it fixed or sell it. Porsche still has a lot to learn about software but they seem to be making progress lately. I’d prefer they were already great at it but they are where they are. The car drives fantastic and mine has only had a few quirks so far (knock on wood). I hope you get whatever outcome is best for you.

Thanks for providing some perspective, in that this isn’t an endemic problem, although there are a lot of forum entries with experiences like mine. Perhaps people without issues don’t post because they are out having fun driving their Taycans. I would rather sell at this point, my confidence is completely shaken, particularly with the issue that the car wouldn’t turn on, and I was stranded in a dark parking garage by myself. Glad you are enjoying your Taycan experience.

A Taycan Owner Buys a Tesla: Informal Battle of Two (Very Different) EVs!

FrozenRobert

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zzy45

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FrozenRobert

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Sidicks

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fgwinn

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daveo4EV

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ithinkmac

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Margrock

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hitmonlee

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Margrock

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Jhenson29

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Margrock

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Hirschaj

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gnop1950

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Margrock

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