Am i going to regret a RWD Taycan purchase?

[Ciprianbadic]

Hey guys,

In June i had a chance to get order a RWD or 4S and i chose the RWD. My spec came out to 113k and my 4S build was 132k. Not a life changing difference but i thought i would save some $ as I have a 992 gt3 in the garage and the assholes were charging me a 10k adm. I have never driven a Taycan RWD however it seems to have very similar performance stats to my Model Y on paper. I know the porsche driving experience will be 100x better however its bothering me that a car so expensive wont have the grunt. I know EVs are much easier to drive then ICE cars for daily use. Has anyone been through this and can share some insight.

Im confused on what the right thing is to do, if i do cancel i much rather wait for the refresh model. Considering its a 135k RWD Taycan out the door im not so sure its the right call.

Thank you!

I owned my RWD for 9 months and it’s literally the best choice. Anything over 140k is too much for an Electric Car even if it is a Porsche. I ride the hell out of mine and I don’t feel the power decrease because I don’t live by 0-100 accelerations. Yes, its noticeable the drop in accelerations but anything over 40km/h is more than decent. With RWD you get 85% of the car for a lot less money.

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[slothinker]

I have a ‘22 RWD and couldn’t be happier. It’s heavily specced and it’s incredibly nimble…it feels like a significantly smaller car. I don’t even care about the off the line acceleration, it’s still faster than 90% of cars on the road.

People are acting like it accelerates like a Honda Civic lol. It’s not all about straight line driving and top end speed. If people want to just go fast, get a Plaid.

I test drove a 4s and yes, it accelerated faster from a standing start, but that’s not worth the 20k price difference that I used to buy another car. I have ZERO regrets with my RWD. You’re going to love it!

I'd think it's faster off the line than 97-98% of what's out there. Motor Trend wrote "Nevertheless, Porsche claims the base Taycan can zip from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds with either battery; I expect we could knock that number down to 4.8 seconds or so in the real world." I truly can appreciate wanting to have one of the fastest cars on the planet (me too!) but that doesn't make 0-60 in 5ish seconds sluggish.

 

[JamesP]

I have just taken delivery of a RWD ST. I test drove 4sCT and RWD Coupe back to back in Feb. The 4S was definitely a more “planted” car owing to the 4WD but the RWD to my mind was a more direct drive owing I suppose to the reduced weight at the front.
For me it’s a town car and in the UK in London you are lucky to get to 30mph before a set of lights / a speed camera or a queue! So all out performance was not such an issue. I traded the faster 0-60 which I’ll never use for RWS and some other choice extras.

either way you will enjoy it!

 

[mcr21]

Yes, central London with our cars is often frustrating I recommend Cotswolds for some fun countryside driving!

I have just taken delivery of a RWD ST. I test drove 4sCT and RWD Coupe back to back in Feb. The 4S was definitely a more “planted” car owing to the 4WD but the RWD to my mind was a more direct drive owing I suppose to the reduced weight at the front.
For me it’s a town car and in the UK in London you are lucky to get to 30mph before a set of lights / a speed camera or a queue! So all out performance was not such an issue. I traded the faster 0-60 which I’ll never use for RWS and some other choice extras.

either way you will enjoy it!

 

[thinkbusiness]

It’s a personal thing. RWD is quick enough imho. The fun of doing launches and fast accelerations at the traffic lights wears off pretty fast. Look at your use case and make choices with regards to the options that fit your use case. For me having RAS was a great choice and on our countryside roads we have a speed limit between 50 and 70 km/h. Highways are 120 km/h and sometimes 90 km/h.

I don’t see where I would benefit from 0-100 in 2,8 seconds so much to warrant an extra 25K or much more. But that’s entirely personal of course.

 

[Fish Fingers]

I find it strange that so much is made of 0-60 times?

What about weight, handling and steering feel?
RWD excels in all of those.

Worse in bad weather conditions though.

 

[kempez]

Worse in bad weather conditions though.

Living in the UK, that’s why I wouldn’t pick the RWD. I had a (2019), C63 for a while which was a total blast, but my RS3 was so much more planted and safer in the wet. As soon as it rained, you just couldn’t deploy much power. Considering how often it rains here, it’s a big consideration for me.

 

[ruartur]

I got the RWD and I also have a 911. The Taycan is a big sedan. It doesn’t really feel like it’s meant to do 0-60 drag races. It’s more of a luxury cruiser. It’s a bit slow off the line and feels like it’s software limited. As soon as you get to about 30-40 mph it becomes an effortless powerhouse. I can tell you that I’ve never felt the need for more power in a Taycan. It just doesn’t lend itself to that style of driving. The 911 on the other hand just begs you to push it. In a 911, I would try to go for the higher spec because that’s more of a car that begs you to drive it hard. The Taycan is a luxury cruiser.

 

[BMonte13]

I got the RWD and I also have a 911. The Taycan is a big sedan. It doesn’t really feel like it’s meant to do 0-60 drag races. It’s more of a luxury cruiser. It’s a bit slow off the line and feels like it’s software limited. As soon as you get to about 30-40 mph it becomes an effortless powerhouse. I can tell you that I’ve never felt the need for more power in a Taycan. It just doesn’t lend itself to that style of driving. The 911 on the other hand just begs you to push it. In a 911, I would try to go for the higher spec because that’s more of a car that begs you to drive it hard. The Taycan is a luxury cruiser.

RWD owner here. To speak to your point I was cruising at about 40mph in a two lane residential a couple weeks ago when a lucid pulled up next to me and gave me the look. Didn’t think I stood a chance but I gave him the nod anyway and gunned it. To my surprise it was dead even before we both bailed at about 90+ so as to not lose our license. Lucid owner laughed and gave me the thumbs up. Granted I don’t know Lucids well enough to know what trim he was in but I was also in friggin range mode.

 

[XLR82XS]

RWD owner here. To speak to your point I was cruising at about 40mph in a two lane residential a couple weeks ago when a lucid pulled up next to me and gave me the look. Didn’t think I stood a chance but I gave him the nod anyway and gunned it. To my surprise it was dead even before we both bailed at about 90+ so as to not lose our license. Lucid owner laughed and gave me the thumbs up. Granted I don’t know Lucids well enough to know what trim he was in but I was also in friggin range mode.

Single motor Lucid than it makes sense. The dual-motors variants are fast (~700-1100hp) and if it was a Sapphire - forget it. Those are 1200+hp.

 

[jkoya]

I have a CT 4. It is a 4 WD but I was also in doubt between a 4 and 4S. And it has the performance plus battery as standard

like mentioned before by others. It is more than fast enough in daily driving. Especially if your familie is the car. No regrets with the 4 CT. I have 30K in options and had set myself a budget. Could also have gone for a 4S with 10k in options but I think I like the options more than the 0-60 times.

not 100% sure but I have read somewhere that the PB + battery had better accelerations for overtaking. 0-60 both are the same.

Same here. Decided on the CT4 instead of the 4S, as the main purpose was going to be a Costco hauler. The cost savings was used to purchase a 2023 Mini Cooper SE Iconic, for the local places with small parking spaces. BTW - the Mini Cooper electric is a blast to drive !!

 

[4thPcar]

The RWD is a great car! Since you already have a GT3 you won't need to scratch the speed itch with this one.

My experience driving the RWD is that you only notice the lack of speed off the line. During any passing or accelerating manuever you will have far more power at your disposal than you likely have road to use.

It's a great car and also has the longest range. Sorry about the ADM, I hate that crap.

Totally agree with this sentiment. I've had the 911s and while not a GT3, I've no particular need to be the fastest vehicle on the freeway. Been there, done that, and will be challenged by BMW 3 series drivers no matter what Porsche I drive. Based on their driving behavior, they have the death wish that I don't share. In the end, a faster car will just catch up to traffic sooner. The RWD is a great car especially if spec'd properly.

 

[Redhot2474]

I have just taken delivery of a RWD ST. I test drove 4sCT and RWD Coupe back to back in Feb. The 4S was definitely a more “planted” car owing to the 4WD but the RWD to my mind was a more direct drive owing I suppose to the reduced weight at the front.
For me it’s a town car and in the UK in London you are lucky to get to 30mph before a set of lights / a speed camera or a queue! So all out performance was not such an issue. I traded the faster 0-60 which I’ll never use for RWS and some other choice extras.

either way you will enjoy it!

Beauty. Is that CWM color? Interior color?

 

[Emokeff88]

My reply to this question hasn't changed since the release of the RWD. If your ego has to drag races at every stop light or you have roads available to stretch it's legs then get the 4S. If you live in highly populated areas as I do and spend a considerable time in traffic and value range get the RWD. Im from Florida where a 4S would get smoked by most performance cars anyway, there's always someone faster so who cares. I had a stage 2 RS3 on E85 and a Carrera GT pulled up next to me one day (example), not everything has to be 0-60 and if it is look at the Tesla plaid not Taycan 4S. That being said the RWD is faster in comparison to 90% of the "normal" cars around you at a given time. People also tend to over look the RWDs handling characteristics (preference). In my daily life I'm often glad I didn't get the 4S as it would've been a waste of money just for a badge and a bump in power I can never use but everyones situation is different.

 

[WuffvonTrips]

I got the RWD and I also have a 911. The Taycan is a big sedan. It doesn’t really feel like it’s meant to do 0-60 drag races. It’s more of a luxury cruiser. It’s a bit slow off the line and feels like it’s software limited. As soon as you get to about 30-40 mph it becomes an effortless powerhouse. I can tell you that I’ve never felt the need for more power in a Taycan. It just doesn’t lend itself to that style of driving. The 911 on the other hand just begs you to push it. In a 911, I would try to go for the higher spec because that’s more of a car that begs you to drive it hard. The Taycan is a luxury cruiser.

The RWD is a great car. But I don't think that a more powerful variant encourages being pushed that much less than a recent 911 would in a similar environment. E.g. in the hands of a professional racing driver-
Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo VS 911 Carrera

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