The Porsche 911 is easily one of the best sports cars in history, but like many coupes of its kind, it's not very practical. The cargo compartment is small and the rear seats aren't even suitable for most children. The good news is if you're seeking similar thrills with the convenience of a sedan, you're in luck. The 2021 Porsche Panamera masterfully fills that role.
Like the 911 lineup, the Panamera is offered in a dizzying array of choices. There are three available body styles plus eight trim levels that deliver varying degrees of performance. For 2021, some Panamera models receive power increases, hybrid models gain larger batteries, a new Panamera 4S E-Hybrid debuts, and last year's Panamera Turbo becomes the more powerful Turbo S.
Whichever Panamera you choose, you're guaranteed to get one of the best sport luxury sedans available. Check out our Expert Rating below to get our in-depth analysis of this year's Panamera.
The 2021 Porsche Panamera comes in three body styles: the regular Panamera sedan, which actually has a hatchback-style trunk; a longer-wheelbase Executive model with additional rear seat legroom; and the Sport Turismo, which has a wagon-like profile and additional cargo space. There are also many trim levels available that are distinguished by different drivetrains and features, but not in every body style. These include the base Panamera, Panamera 4, Panamera 4S, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, Panamera 4S E-Hybrid, Panamera GTS, Panamera Turbo S and Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
NOTE: This video is about the 2018 Porsche Panamera, but since the 2021 Porsche Panamera is part of the same generation, our earlier analysis still applies.
2021 Porsche Panamera
2021 BMW M5
You get a lot more with a BMW M5 compared to the Panamera. The BMW packs 600 horsepower and more standard features, and with a starting price slightly less than the Panamera 4S, it definitely holds a price advantage. Going with the Porsche, though, gives you greater flexibility with body styles and options.
There are other, more affordable Mercedes-AMG GT sedans in the lineup, but our pick goes to the V8-powered AMG GT 63. It costs more than the Panamera GTS and has more power and traditional Mercedes luxury, but it isn't quite as athletic.
The Audi RS 7 (or the less expensive S7) is a great alternative to the Panamera. For similar money, you'll get more standard features from the RS 7, and the 591-horsepower V8 should get your blood pumping just as hard.
The Porsche Panamera packs Porsche performance into a more usable body than the historic coupes that built the brand's reputation. Available with a V6, V8 or hybrid powertrain, in rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, as a sedan or liftback, and in regular or long-wheelbase versions, the Panamera offers a staggering array of choices. And based on our experience, they're all good to drive.
First, caveat lector: We've only driven the new 4S E-Hybrid so far. And the one we did drive was quite a ... uniquely specced car. It was also a German-market model. That means not only did the navigation not work here in the U.S., but all sorts of bits from the exhaust to the engine tuning are ever so slightly different from the eventual U.S. model.
The new 4S E-Hybrid's acceleration is only a few tenths off the current Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, with a maximum claimed 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds (3.6 seconds for the Executive). That kind of power in a car that's likely to tip the scales over 5,000 pounds made us glad for the carbon ceramics, even if they did make limo stops in the long-wheelbase Executive devilishly hard. (Did we mention nobody would spec a Panamera this way?)
The occasionally grabby low-speed behavior of those massive carbon-ceramic brakes aside, we had very, very few complaints. Porsche's efforts with the car's suspension were designed to create a wider window between comfort and sport settings, and they succeeded. The ride won't be mistaken for an S-Class, but in Normal mode it does an admirable job evening out bumps. The Executive's longer wheelbase certainly helped as well. The trade-off is noticeable body motion if you forget to switch to Sport before tackling a corner. Few cars change personality so completely at the push of a button.
Porsche doesn't have official EPA range numbers yet, but maximum range is sure to increase from the current 14 miles. Even at 75% charge, our car estimated more than 20 miles of available electric range (but remember, German model, not final, YMMV, etc.). It seems likely that if it's left plugged in overnight, you'll be able to handle an average commute without ever firing up the V6. And while the car isn't very electrifying to drive without the gas motor switched on, it's certainly more than passable as a commuter.
Porsche hasn't done much to the interior beyond a new steering wheel and a new clock face (which you'll be able to buy as a matching watch from Porsche Design, of course), so our basic praises and complaints about the interior still stand. Construction and materials are impeccable, and there's a surprising amount of room up front (and a perhaps unsurprising amount of room in the back of the Executive model, which is Legroom City). But visibility runs the gamut from "eh" to "is there a car behind me?" and the low-set windows make the interior feel tighter than it really is. Oh, and the piano black center console creates blinding glare if the sun hits it just right. Invest in some polarized lenses if you're picking up a Panamera in sunny Southern California.
Again, not much has changed. Porsche is pushing improvements to voice commands and has introduced wireless Apple CarPlay, but our German-spec tester and 3-year-old Samsung mobile didn't really allow us to test either. A full verdict will have to wait until we get a U.S. model in for official testing sometime next year.
Edmunds saysThe Porsche Panamera does a better job of being all things to all people than it has any right to. It's a comfortable sedan; it's a sharp, confident sports car; it's a plug-in capable of short stints of all-electric driving (if you spec it that way); and it's very, very good at almost everything it does.
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2021 Porsche Panamera:
The least-expensive 2021 Porsche Panamera is the 2021 Porsche Panamera 4 Sport Turismo 4dr Wagon AWD (2.9L 6cyl Turbo 8AM). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $98,000.
Other versions include:
