The 2018 Porsche Panamera is available in a myriad of trim levels including some high-performance ones and hybrid ones. The standard sedan is available in three trim levels with a starting price of $85,000. Despite being a base trim, it gets a plethora of features and techs on board right from the assembly line which includes Porsche Active Suspension Management system, 19-inch wheels, 8-way power-adjustable front seats with heating function, power-folding ORVMs with heating and auto-dimming functions, two-zone automatic climate control, power-operated trunk lid, automatic rain-sensing wipers, rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, panoramic sunroof, a two-step adaptive rear spoiler, and keyless ignition among others. Some of the optional features include 18-way adaptive ower-operated front seats, massaging and ventilation function for both the front and rear seats, power-adjustable rear seats, power-operated rear sunshades, heated steering wheel, a dual-screen rear entertainment system, a 21-speaker Burmester stereo, and four-zone automatic climate control among other features.

Which trim should you buy?

We would recommend the base trim since it offers more than adequate features for a great experience. However, the long list of optional features further enhances the experience as well.

The 2018 Porsche Panamera is powered by a standard 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 motor that delivers a decent 330 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. The power figures might not be the best in the segment yet it boils down to the fact that how the engine delivers all that power and torque. Under normal driving scenarios, the motor offers excellent refinement levels while dialing up to the sportiest settings gives out a slightly sporty note from the exhausts while the response from the throttle amplifies. Irrespective of the powertrain, the transmission remains the same, a brilliant 8-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission that offers quick and precise shifts. The 0-60mph time of the sedan is decent at 5.4 seconds while the quarter-mile comes up under 14 seconds.

The Audi A7 gets a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 under the hood that whips out a decent 340 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. It is almost evenly matched to the Panamera and is also marginally quicker than the latter as well. The Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 is the true stunner here with its commendable power and torque output of 402 horsepower and 443 lb-ft respectively. Also, it has the quickest acceleration times as well, covering 0-60mph under 4.9 seconds and quarter-mile under 13.7 seconds. The BMW 640i Gran Turismo is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter turbocharged I-6 motor that has 335 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque on tap.

How well does the Porsche Panamera handle?

Porsche designed the Panamera keeping in mind its reputation for building brilliant handling machines and the Panamera is just another example despite being a sedan. The Porsche Active Suspension Management system works like a charm in tandem with the adaptive suspension setup to offer the perfect ride quality and handling according to the settings selected. In normal settings, the car simply glides over the road soaking up almost everything while on the sportiest setting, the dampers do tighten up and steering becomes more responsive to offer a more immersive driving experience.

Braking performance

Porsche vehicles are known for their impeccable handling as well as braking performance too, and the Panamera is blessed with the same characteristics as well. The 13.8-inch front rotors and 13.0-inch rear rotors do tame the 4,000 lbs vehicle properly and offer a stopping distance of 109 ft, a solid feat in the segment.

The Audi A7 gets bigger front brakes at the front than the Panamera for its added curb weight and has a similar 109 ft of stopping distance to the Panamera. The Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 is stunning in the braking department too. It comes to a dead stop within 104 ft and has the biggest front brake rotors here. The BMW 640i takes second place here in braking performance when compared to the rivals with a stopping distance of 106 ft.

Modern luxury sedans are not so notorious gas guzzlers as they used to be a decade ago and vehicles like the Porsche Panamera offers a near-perfect blend of performance along with some decent mpg numbers as well. The 2018 Panamera returns an average of 21mpg within the cities while the highway mileage stands at 28mpg. The combined mileage is rated at 24mpg. The Panamera gets a respectable 23.7-gallon gasoline tank and when combined with its solid mpg numbers, the driving range figures come out to be quite awesome too such as 663 miles of highway driving range.

The Audi A7 is almost as fuel-efficient as the Panamera yet its smaller gas tank doesn’t allow it to return the impressive driving range numbers like the Panamera. The Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 impresses here too with its decent mpg figures despite being the most powerful and the quickest one among the competitors here. The BMW 640i is decently fuel-efficient too but its smallest fuel tank of 18.5-gallon fails to keep up with the commendable figures of the rivals.

The interior design theme of the Porsche Panamera has remained the same since its launch with that thick center stack but the interior now looks more premium and offers more refinement than before. The cabin gets appropriate luxury appointments with premium materials and metallic trim inserts along with semi-leather upholstery. The controls are within the reach of the driver yet, the capacitive buttons can be distractive to use while driving and the gear selector also requires some time getting used to as well. The front seats offer excellent support and comfort levels and so do the rear seats but disappointingly, the rear seats offer a 2 seating configuration by default. The total cargo capacity is extremely generous at 47.3 cu-ft with the rear seatbacks folded. 

The Audi A7 offers one of the best interiors in business at present with its high-tech features and a futuristic design with a dashboard dominated by two touchscreen displays. It also comes with some impressive set of features along with impeccable fit and finish levels to top it off. The rakish roofline at the rear hinders the rear headroom though. The Mercedes-Benz CLS 550’s cabin looks quite dull and outdated when pitted against the cabins of the rivals here. Moreover, the sedan also offers the smallest trunk space too. The BMW 640i has a well-crafted cabin with an elegant design and a refreshing design as well. The overall fit and finish levels are praiseworthy and the headroom and legroom on offer are ample.

Some standout interior features are:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control 
• Semi leather seats
• Eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating function
• Push-button start
• Auto-dimming IRVM
• Manually-adjustable steering wheel
• Driver memory settings
• 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks

What’s there to keep you entertained?

Apart from offering some of the best cabins out there, Porsche also offers a brilliant infotainment system onboard all its vehicles as well. The 2018 Panamera gets a wide 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display that runs Porsche’s PCM interface. By default, the system offers a handsome list of features that include Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a premium 10-speaker audio system, HD radio, and satellite radio along with an integrated navigation system as well.

Some infotainment features are:

• 12.2-inch touchscreen display with Porsche Communications Management interface
• Bluetooth
• Apple CarPlay
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• Integrated navigation system

Porsche vehicles do follow a specific design theme on the outside to stand out from the crowd hence none of its vehicles do get any overly-aggressive styling or sharp styling cues on the outside. As a result, the 2018 Panamera also gets a smooth, rounded, and curvy exterior design that looks sporty and elegant at the same time. The LED headlamps along with the four-point LED DRLs do grab all then attention and the blacked-out ait intakes mounted on the front bumper give the vehicle its much-needed sporty appeal as well. The rear end gets a long LED stripe that connects both the LED taillamp units to make it look like a single unit. The hatch-style trunk lid is fully power-operated while there’s also a two-stage adaptive rear spoiler too as standard.

The Audi A7 looks like one angry kid around the block by virtue of its aggressive front-end styling. Moreover, its rakish roofline at the rear gives it a fastback appeal. It has a shorter wheelbase than the Panamera and measures lesser than the latter in all other exterior dimensions as well. The Mercedes-Benz CLS 550, much like its interior, looks quite dated on the outside too yet, its overall design still has its own strength and a distinct appeal as well. The BMW 640i gets a catchy design at the front while its rear end might look like an afterthought owing to its slightly out-of-place tailgate figure.

Some standout exterior features are:

• 19-inch wheels
• Panoramic sunroof
• LED headlamps
• Automatic rain-sensing wipers
• Power-operated trunk lid
• Power-operated and auto-dimming ORVMs with heating function 
• A two-step adaptive rear spoiler

The steep pricing of Porsche vehicles usually makes both the IIHS and the NHTSA skip them for crash-testing and the Panamera also faces a similar fate as well. Despite that, the car comes with all the basics covered while a majority of the advanced safety electronics are offered as optional extras. The standard safety techs include a rearview camera and parking sensors at the front and rear. The optional features include a 360-degree parking camera, lane-keeping assist, and road sign recognition.

Some important safety features are:

• Rearview camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 360-degree parking camera(optional)
• Lane departure warning(optional) 
• Lane keep assist(optional)
• Road sign recognition(optional)
• Forward collision warning(optional)
• Night vision assist(optional)

Porsche Panamera vs Audi A7

The A7 is almost a mechanical twin of the Panamera and packs in better performance and a great interior design at a much lower price tag. The cabin of the A7 might offer cramped rear seats and a lower cargo space yet its futuristic design and high-tech features make up for it.

Porsche Panamera vs Mercedes-Benz CLS 550

The Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 is in dire need of an upgrade and it is still around the segment owing to its brute performance and excellent power figures. It is also quite cheaper than the Panamera and offers an excellent price to performance ratio.

Porsche Panamera vs BMW 640i

The BMW 640i is more oriented towards practicality rather than being a corner-carving machine as the Panamera yet, the latter almost nails all the aspects essential for a vehicle in the segment. Performance-wise, it trails the Panamera closely while the fuel economy department and the driving range figures are where it lacks in front of the latter.

As mentioned earlier, the Panamera intends to be everything at once and it is so, essentially. There are more strengths of the car than its weaknesses that include a spacious cabin with adequate luxury appointments, excellent comfort levels, a plush ride quality, excellent handling even out on the tracks, and excellent fuel economy too considering its sporty characteristics. Overall, if you don’t mind the steep price of the Panamera lineup, even the base model offers an excellent proposition with all its strengths.