Used 2018 Porsche Panamera 4S Sedan Review

The Porsche Panamera was redesigned from the ground up just a year ago. It got new looks, new engines and a bevy of tech upgrades. But for Porsche, that's apparently not enough. The 2018 Porsche Panamera gets two big additions: the Panamera Sport Turismo and the Turbo S E-Hybrid. The Sport Turismo has an expanded hatchback area that gives the Panamera an almost wagonlike profile, while the Turbo S E-Hybrid packs more power than almost any car Porsche has ever made.

With a whopping 680 horsepower and 626 pound-feet of torque, the Turbo S E-Hybrid will out-accelerate most sports cars on the planet (Porsche estimates it will go from zero to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono package). That would be impressive on its own, especially from such a big, luxurious sedan, but the same car can be plugged in and charged for, Porsche says, about 30 miles of electric-only range. Last year's Panamera was already performance-focused and conspicuously luxurious. It's even more so for the 2018 Panamera.

Notably, we picked the 2018 Porsche Panamera 4S as one of Edmunds' Best Sports Sedans for this year.

The 2018 Porsche Panamera is available in three different body styles, with five different powertrains. Equipment levels change as you climb up the ladder, but no matter which one you choose, each Panamera is highly customizable. Essentially, if you're buying a Panamera, you're spoiled for choice.

At the bottom of the ladder, there's the only rear-wheel-drive Panamera, the base trim. From there, everything else is all-wheel-drive: the Panamera 4, Panamera 4S, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, Panamera Turbo and Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Everything above the base trim is also offered in the Executive body style, which is a longer version of the Panamera that adds nearly 6 inches of rear legroom. The 4, 4S, 4 E-Hybrid and Turbo models are also available in a Sport Turismo body style, which has a bigger hatchback cargo area. All Panameras come with an eight-speed automatic transmission and four seats (a middle rear seat is optional).

The base Panamera comes with quite a bit of standard equipment, including a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 (330 hp, 331 lb-ft), 19-inch wheels, Porsche Active Suspension Management (also known as adaptive suspension or PASM), LED headlights, automatic wipers, a panoramic sunroof, a power hatchback trunklid, power-folding and auto-dimming side mirrors with heating, a two-way adaptive rear spoiler, front and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, keyless ignition (without keyless entry), partial leather upholstery, eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating, driver-seat memory settings, dual-zone automatic climate control, a manually adjustable steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks, Bluetooth, a wide-view 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system (including a navigation system, Apple CarPlay and a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot), and a 10-speaker audio system with satellite and HD radio and USB and auxiliary audio inputs.

The Panamera 4 keeps the same standard equipment utilizes the same single-turbo 3.0-liter V6 as the standard model but adds all-wheel drive. The Panamera 4S keeps the all-wheel-drive powertrain, but it swaps the engine to a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 (440 hp, 405 lb-ft) and adds a unique dual exhaust system. The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid gets the 2.9-liter engine along with an electric motor and a 14-kWh lithium-ion battery (for a combined 462 hp, 516 lb-ft) with approximately 30 miles of all-electric driving range. To support the extra weight of the battery pack, air suspension is standard on the hybrid models.

The more performance-oriented Panamera Turbo makes use of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 (550 hp, 567 lb-ft), 20-inch wheels, adaptive headlights, an adaptive air suspension, a four-way adaptive rear spoiler, quad tailpipes, keyless entry and ignition, a power-adjustable steering wheel, dark walnut wood trim, synthetic suede roofliner and pillar trim, full leather upholstery, 14-way power front seats with memory settings, heated rear seats and a 14-speaker Bose audio system.

At the top of the ladder, there's the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, which adds the hybrid components to the 4.0-liter turbo V8 (for a combined 680 hp and 626 lb-ft). Essentially, standard equipment is the same as on the regular Turbo with the addition of 21-inch wheels; ceramic composite brakes; the optional Sport Chrono package (launch control, a dash-mounted stopwatch, an Individual driving mode for a custom feel, a dedicated Sport button and performance-oriented displays); and a second air-conditioning system to cool the car while it's parked.

There's a long list of stand-alone or bundled options for pretty much every trim level since Porsche believes that owners should be able to customize their cars to personal taste. You can have the 4 and the 4S with most of the Turbo's standard equipment. Additional highlights for the rest of the lineup include various wheel, paint, interior trim and leather specifications (with multiple two-tone interior treatments on offer), speed-sensitive steering assist, a sport exhaust, power-closing doors, a heated steering wheel, a 21-speaker Burmester audio system, 18-way adaptive sport seats, eight-way power rear seats with memory function, ventilated front and rear seats, massaging front and rear seats, four-zone climate control, a rear touchscreen interface, power rear sunshades and a dual-screen rear entertainment system.