Critique my build 22 4S

[SergeyIndy]

Hello from Indianapolis, I am an active member of the Macan forum but new to the Taycan forum so looking for build critique. I have been researching EVs in general, watching charging Taycan videos, and then a dealer let me drive a Base on a 400-mile round trip (seemed slow in town from standstill) and then a 4S around town (felt right) before creating my build. I am pressing them now to let me drive the 4S on a 600-mile round trip this week so we will see if they agree. The intended use is all year around in town since we still have at least 4 years of school drop off/pickup duties of a 6-foot tall 13-year-old teenager taking 2 hours each day, and then using it for work trips that I need to occasionally make toward the edge if Indiana short of Chicago (300 miles) with an EA station along route and then going to St. Louis (600 miles) with at least 3 EA stations along the way.

http://www.porsche-code.com/PNJA6VA2

Feedback I am looking for:

- I cannot seem to justify the leap to a bigger battery with benefits marginal in terms of incremental power/range vs. cost/weight for my use case
- I cannot seem to justify adding the 19.2 kW On-Board Charger ($1,680) as I do not see a case where I need to use it with EA stations around
- I am glad that I learned that On-Board 150 kW/400V DC Charger ($460) is a totally useless option in North America then it becomes a save
- I would like to have Mobile Charger Connect ($1,120) for home use since it has Wi-Fi management but cannot justify this spend and hoping to have the dealer to throw this in for free with purchase (anyone tried that?). Otherwise, I will just go with non-brand that can deliver 11kW max, knowing they will not communicate with the car.
- I am looking for input on PSCB ($3,490) option as I am conflicted on this having major issues with these brakes on my Cayenne Turbo expecting class action in regard to the unacceptable squeaking with Porsche finally issuing a TSB calling for rear rotors and all brake components replace but the catch is supply chain issues, so I am at the back of the line waiting on revised rotors. Otherwise, I am a squeal machine anywhere I go with school line heads turning to know where the annoying squeal is coming from, and it is me in the Cayenne. Anyone having this issue on the Taycan that typically starts around 10K miles, but my tech told me they see it as soon as 100 miles.
- I only just need ACC as I will not really use the rest of the Tech Package, but they make it so expensive on its own then by the time you check the Tech Package you are getting so much value for the additions.
- Both Base and 4S I drove had 14-way seats and they seem ideal as they are not too wide on the shoulders although I typically go for 18 on the two SUVs that we have. As a result, 14 ways can be optioned with massage cushions. I wonder if anyone has that and find it useful on long drives and I also assume it works with heating and cooling no problem.
- I do not like Matrix lights as they are too choppy and provide no Matrix functionality in the US, but I could not forgo the Premium Package to keep standard LED lights and just picking the rest of the options that I need most all standalone. I wonder if anyone has any intel if in the future when regulations allow and seem to be moving in that direction, Porsche can and will enable true Matrix lights functionality.
- I am concerned with extensive glitches with the car as I had driven the two with a Base totally losing XM radio as a feature on the PCM and only after a few stops and restarts it appeared back. My build if I order now is expected to arrive in 4-6 months which does not guarantee they fix anything if the PSCB issue is any indication with them producing and offering clearly flawed product year over year. The dealer told me that Taycan owners understand that the product is glitchy and willing to take it since they are getting something "new" sounding like half-baked on the electronics.

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[wurzitup]

Nice build. Love the color and the RS wheels.
I don't know if you're wanting to save any money, but I would-

Skip the Tech Package.
Skip the Performance Pack and add RAS a la carte. Isn't the air suspension so good that PDCC is kinda a moot point? And PTV I think I could take or leave.

For sure keep massage seats. Insulated glass seems to get good reviews.
PSCBs I don't really have any input on. I ordered them, love the look and performance and seem to be a good compromise between red brakes and ceramics.
As far as the squeal- I've owned 3 911s so I'm used to it. In fact on the GT cars I think its a bit of a badge of honor as it indicates high performance brakes. If you've ever hung out in a pit late or paddock, GT3 Cup cars squeal like crazy and I know it means huge high performance braking. Doesn't really bother me, but I've never heard it on a Cayenne and I know a different use case.
Isn't there an anti-squeal shim they can add or something?

Great looking build btw.
Congrats and good luck.

 

[SergeyIndy]

Nice build. Love the color and the RS wheels.
I don't know if you're wanting to save any money, but I would-

Skip the Tech Package.
Skip the Performance Pack and add RAS a la carte. Isn't the air suspension so good that PDCC is kinda a moot point? And PTV I think I could take or leave.

For sure keep massage seats. Insulated glass seems to get good reviews.
PSCBs I don't really have any input on. I ordered them, love the look and performance and seem to be a good compromise between red brakes and ceramics.
As far as the squeal- I've owned 3 911s so I'm used to it. In fact on the GT cars I think its a bit of a badge of honor as it indicates high performance brakes. If you've ever hung out in a pit late or paddock, GT3 Cup cars squeal like crazy and I know it means huge high performance braking. Doesn't really bother me, but I've never heard it on a Cayenne and I know a different use case.
Isn't there an anti-squeal shim they can add or something?

Great looking build btw.
Congrats and good luck.

@wurzitup,

This is very helpful and yes I am looking to save more, but this is the rationale.

Performance Package: I need everything in the Perf Pack but the PDCC as you are right on AS and just having low and heavy car like this there will not be benefit in town (may be in snow/ice) but by the time I pick individually then Tech Pack is a value. Specifically, I do need RAS as I have tight turns to get into my garage and PTV+ is a must where I live as we are the world capital of round abouts (1,400+ in Carmel Indiana) so both my SUVs have it and it works every turn so to speak. Also, contrary to common belief that PTV+ wears your brakes more, I found that totally opposite to be true since PTV+ strategically applies them and if you learn how to take turns without stepping on the brakes at all then it saves you hitting all the brakes on those turns.

Tech Package: I went with just ACC which is all I need but then this is half of the Tech Pack cost stand alone. Then you get 3 more tech features for the remaining 2K that I feel I may use some of the time, so the value of the Tech Pack was there. Remote Parking seems interesting although I would only use it while in the car since I do not use iPhone. Head-up makes me dizzy looking at it during the day but I can see it being helpful at night in combination with Night Assist (critical for our area with deer crossing roads everywhere). Second screen seems like an overkill, but I can see value in spreading information across the 2 but not during daily drive.

PSCB: I like to hear that you are not having issues because I do like them on the Cayenne for the no brake dust which is very material to me having to wash my cars on my own with brake dust duty being the worst part of the wash. The dealer showing me videos of the Porsche high performance squealing and I even told them that I saw the latest Diana movie (Spencer) and her 911 is squealing every time she brakes. I get the charm, but I do not like it when everyone thinks you are an idiot in the school pick up line and too lazy to fix your brakes and scare the children with the noise. I feel like a cat with a bell around my neck everyone is trying to find in the school pick up line.

 

[SergeyIndy]

I have not received much input on my build but that does not matter anymore. I appreciate all the great information that I learned but after careful consideration I told my dealer that I am not going to proceed with my 4S order (March build slot with April delivery plus a $3K discount that sounds too good to be true) so they can give the slot to someone else. I told them that after reading the stories about non-functional Heat Pumps on December 2021 deliveries, PSCB fix still unknown (I am waiting on replacement rotors for our Cayenne 3 months already under TSB), multitude of software issues related to: SOS button red, Porsche Connect registration, Porsche Support wait times, Charger recognition, Key Fob recognition, Radio lost, random Alarm, Vent issues with several I experienced for myself when testing the Base and 4S. I just cannot see me spending $170K all in including proper PPF/Ceramic coating and then dealing with these issues and then ending up in a loaner Macan (we have one already) for possibly weeks while waiting on parts or fixes. I am sure all this will be addressed in time, so my plan is to monitor how happy customers are with their deliveries in 2022 and then make another run at it. There seems to be so much pain and frustration among many so I do not think I can handle it after dealing with Macan issues (transfer case, brake booster, exhaust clamps, and then some) and now 2020 Cayenne issues (PSCB brakes, rear seats leather bubbling, door rattles with Bose, etc). This is while I am reading that Porsche is setting all kinds of sales records for 2021 with Taycan outselling Model S and X combined which means volume is more important than quality.

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