Best Taycan entry point? Need your advice.

[magnitude]

I had to answer the same question for myself.

My summary was:
* Turbo S doesn't actually feel faster than the Turbo (on the road) – both are fast beyond legal
* Turbo already comes with the much bigger, non-corroding brakes
* Turbo S mostly adds expensive trim that is useless to me
* 4S needs a lot of extras and feels slower

--> Turbo

I added everything that improves the ride (PDCC, RAS, …) and I couldn't be happier.
Recently added 21" wheels, which are another improvement.

Same, for pretty much the exact same reasoning.

I figured, the Turbo is the fastest already. With the Turbo S, I'd just pay a massive premium for "slightly faster launch control". I haven't used launch control once, so far... I probably will eventually, but it's at most a once in a blue moon thing.

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[magnitude]

Personally I prefer cast iron discs for a road car and they are the least expensive to maintain.

It's worth noting that this only matters if they break down. The rotors for PSCB last virtually forever, it's very unlikely that you ever, ever need to replace them for wear... on an ICE. On an EV with regenerative breaking, which does not even use them most of the time, that is even more true.

On the other hand, that means I'm not sure the PSCB give any real advantage on a Taycan except for not rusting and staying shiny forever. They were on my car, so I'm not complaining, but it's certainly not an item I looked out for.

 

[Rock]

I’m a long-time 911 owner (currently own an 87, 97, 2021) and have been toying with getting into a Taycan. I was blown away by my test drive of the 4S last year.

While I could buy any model new, I’m thinking about buying a used model to hedge against changing battery tech and to take advantage of what seems like some good values in the pre-owned market.

So I’d love everyone’s advice…what’s the sweet spot of terms of year & trim? My cursory research leads me towards a 2020 Turbo but I’d love to get the group’s POV. The Turbo feels like 95% of the Turbo S performance and fast enough not to have buyers regret for getting a 4S and wanting more performance.

thanks!

I like my 2021 4s. It’s nicely equipped and listed for about $131,000. It’s plenty quick and handles great but I miss my 2015 911 cabriolet as it is worth almost what it cost when it was new and had one of the last normally aspirated 3.4L engines. The Taycan I will not hold its value like a 911 but is still an excellent choice. I’m getting about 250 miles per charge. Good luck with your choice!

 

[snstevens]

I read the entire thread and the recommendations are remarkably consistent so I won't repeat what you've already read.

Some items not mentioned that I've enjoyed and found benefit from include --

• Thermally & Noise Insulated Glass - You'll probably have a glass roof on your used Taycan, and this keeps the inside quite cool, plus the road noise is greatly attenuated.
• Onboard 150KW/400 V DC Charger - This won't help you for home charging, but the Tesla Super Charging network is opening up and my understanding is that this option will allow you to access it.
• Mission-E Wheels - I love the look of the 21" Mission-E wheels. Be prepared to get them fixed when you run into curbs though
• Automatic Charging Door - Ok, this is minor, but I like it a lot, mostly for the auto-closing feature when I drive away.

Also, as others have written I recommend a 2021 starting point to allow Plug & Charge at Electrify America, and honestly you won't go wrong regardless of which Taycan you buy.

 

[RAHRCR]

I believe that anyone could use the Tesla network )when it’s opened up) but without the 150kw/400V option, the charging speed would be limited to 50kw.

 

[daveo4EV]

I believe that anyone could use the Tesla network )when it’s opened up) but without the 150kw/400V option, the charging speed would be limited to 50kw.

this is correct - it's a matter of maximum speed of charge - without the upgrade the vehicle will be limited to 50 kW - with the option it will be limited to 150 kW (3x faster) - 30 min fast charging stop vs. 90 min fast charging stop.

to date there is no retrofit available from porsche service for this option.

 

[snstevens]

I believe that anyone could use the Tesla network )when it’s opened up) but without the 150kw/400V option, the charging speed would be limited to 50kw.

Thanks for clarifying the charging rate at Tesla superchargers without the 150 kW/400V option. I was unclear on that.

 

[f1eng]

It's worth noting that this only matters if they break down.

True of all car parts, of course, I have for 50 years had people complaining about either parts cost or how difficult their car would be to work on but actually if a car is reliable neither are that important.

My experience of composite brakes is in Formula 1 racing and here they are worn out in 200 miles at some circuits and much more expensive than road car ones.
The most likely reason to change a composite disc if not wear is usually chipping the edge whilst removing or fitting wheels and I wouldn't expect the sort of damage I have seen would need changing on a road car, nor are wheels removed often.

I prefer Cast Iron for pedal feel, they have a good and more consistent friction coefficient from cold to hot than other materials. We went composite in Formula 1 for weight, not performance. I first did development testing in 1982 and they took several years before they were better than cast iron in any way other than weight.

 

[or1]

True of all car parts, of course, I have for 50 years had people complaining about either parts cost or how difficult their car would be to work on but actually if a car is reliable neither are that important.

My experience of composite brakes is in Formula 1 racing and here they are worn out in 200 miles at some circuits and much more expensive than road car ones.
The most likely reason to change a composite disc is usually chipping the edge whilst removing or fitting wheels and I wouldn't expect the sort of damage I have seen would need changing on a road car, nor are wheels removed often.

I prefer Cast Iron for pedal feel, they have a good and more consistent friction coefficient from cold to hot than other materials. We went composite in Formula 1 for weight, not performance. I first did development testing in 1982 and they took several years before they were better than cast iron in any way other than weight.

I follow you in the arguments against composite (ceramic, PCCB) brake discs for a road car. But coated (PSCB) are iron inside as far as I know, aren't they? I haven't driven my PSCBs hard enough to feel how they are really hot, but to me the feeling is fine all the way from cold to normal. Maybe I haven't tested enough. I am ready to stand corrected if you have info on this.

But I still like them for looks, no brake dust (wheels stay clean for long) or rust, and probable longevity.

 

[f1eng]

I follow you in the arguments against composite (ceramic, PCCB) brake discs for a road car. But coated (PSCB) are iron inside as far as I know, aren't they? I haven't driven my PSCBs hard enough to feel how they are really hot, but to me the feeling is fine all the way from cold to normal. Maybe I haven't tested enough. I am ready to stand corrected if you have info on this.

But I still like them for looks, no brake dust (wheels stay clean for long) or rust, and probable longevity.

I assume it is the friction surface that matters and I am sure the PCCB plating on the disc is good, otherwise Porsche wouldn’t use it.

I am not against them, just feel the brakes on a Taycan are a cosmetic choice unless doing track days and I am perfectly happy with Cast Iron and it wasn’t logical to spend extra, for me.
I spent my extra cosmetic budget on getting rid of the shiny bits on the wheels!

 

[SergeyIndy]

This is more or less the conclusion I’m coming to, but I’m trying to find one used in the color I want


OP here..this is really good advice

I’m finding colors and interiors I don’t care for, so that may push me to a custom spec, new 4S

That is exactly what happens to many, part of the process. That is why 3 examples on the lot at my dealer are not selling for a long time. Then you need to get cracking on your new 4S build quickly, spin up a build with the code and share it here so we can review, it does not need to be perfect but as soon as you have most of what you want, you need to put down the deposit and put your place in line for the MY24 slot, then you can still modify your build until the lock date which could be months away from the time you place your order. Check my signature on the timing of mine.

 

[ARTAL EV]

I’m a long-time 911 owner (currently own an 87, 97, 2021) and have been toying with getting into a Taycan. I was blown away by my test drive of the 4S last year.

While I could buy any model new, I’m thinking about buying a used model to hedge against changing battery tech and to take advantage of what seems like some good values in the pre-owned market.

So I’d love everyone’s advice…what’s the sweet spot of terms of year & trim? My cursory research leads me towards a 2020 Turbo but I’d love to get the group’s POV. The Turbo feels like 95% of the Turbo S performance and fast enough not to have buyers regret for getting a 4S and wanting more performance.

thanks!

Just go with the 2022 Turbo S. Has soon as you purchase the 4S, you going to wish you went with the Turbo S. They drive pretty much the same around town, but when you want to “go” it GOES!!

 

[magnitude]

Just go with the 2022 Turbo S. Has soon as you purchase the 4S, you going to wish you went with the Turbo S. They drive pretty much the same around town, but when you want to “go” it GOES!!

I'm obviously biased, but isn't that exactly the same with the Turbo, as long as you don't launch control? (Which I haven't tried yet.)

 

[WuffvonTrips]

Turbo CT owner here. I continue to regard the 4S as the sweet spot and I'd be very happy to have one, though the extra cost of the Turbo was worth it for me for the brief but not infrequent bursts of extra performance I can use without alarming passengers or other road users. I assume that the cost premium of Turbo over 4S reduces substantially for used vehicles.
Cost options are generally pretty worthless on a used Taycan, so if buying used, fill your boots if you're lucky enough to find one that has your must-haves, but if buying new, keep an eye on the total and check to see if the next model version up would be a better deal once depreciation is taken in to account. Whatever route you take, with the impressive level of configurabiliity of a Taycan, it would be a shame to not end up with one that exactly satisfies your options and colour requirements.

 

[hhf2]

RWD is a sweet canyon carver, with the PB+ option.

But really annoyingly cock-blocked off the line. Given weight and power it should be faster than it is.

still, never felt I am lacking power…coming from a Tesla Model 3 DMP.

i can only recommend the RWD. It’s the 912 of Taycans.

If you prefer ceramic brakes and don't mind their cost, Turbo S may be worth that extra money. For performance the only difference versus Turbo is launch - driving performance is the same, with the same motors. A larger inverter in front with the Turbo S, yes, but the software is not set up to make use of it, it seems, except for launch.

Another thread here argues that a RWD Taycan is the best for active driving, with less weight in front and a different steering feel. So it depends, maybe they are all good in their own way.

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