One week after 6 years in Tesla Model S to Taycan Turbo

[BoilerG]

I know there are a lot of comparisons, but wanted to share my week 1 thoughts because I know lots of Tesla drivers are eyeing the Taycan.

Here’s what stands out (on the non driving/performance stuff)
1. The Model S is a great looking car. The Taycan is in a different category of style and design.
2. The MS never felt solid. The way the car feels when you shut the door, hit a bump in the road, or drive down the highway - it always felt a bit thin and cheap. The Taycan feels SOLID. You feel the quality. You see the quality. I never felt like I was driving a luxury car with the MS. One close of the door in the Taycan and you know it’s in a completely different league.
3. A lot of people give the Tesla software an edge. I’m not so sure the gap is that big. Wireless Apple Carplay is incredible - the latest PCM is fast and smooth - the customization of the various screens is awesome. Sure, there are things the Tesla is slicker with (like handling podcasts), but the Porsche has a HUD, the passenger screen, and the haptic feedback are really useful as well. It is actually easier to use at times because I’m not reaching across a 17in screen to do things. I was expecting laggy software from what I read, but everything has been smooth and super responsive.
4. The 18 way seats fit like a glove. I would feel fatigue in the Tesla seats (I’m 6’2” with long legs). These seats contour in every possible way and it’s incredibly comfortable.
5. The space inside and in the trunk is a little smaller, but it’s not an issue. I attribute this to the Tesla being a hatchback, but leg room/etc was pretty comparable. Rear seat head room is a little smaller so long drives with tall adults may be uncomfortable.
6. The ability to customize these cars gives each one uniqueness. Tesla has like 5 colors and two wheel types so nearly all cars look alike. Boring.
7. The one thing that Tesla is clearly better on is the charging software. The Porsche charger and software are not intuitive. Like, why make up a term like Direct Charging? The language is confusing (IE charge as fast as possible to a minimum charge of X). In the Tesla, they made it super simple to slide the charge level in car or at a charger.

Driving:
1. The Tesla can accelerate, but it doesn’t inspire confidence. And it handles like a boat with a horrible turning radius/feel. I curbed the rear wheels a couple of times (and I’m super careful). The Taycan feels like an extension of my hand. I feel in absolute control on every corner, every turn, and I still don’t know the limits. This is an engineering marvel with driving dynamics. Driving enthusiast's understand that handling is more important than a 0-60 launch. So, I may not beat a Model S Plaid in a 0-60 shootout, but the Porsche is more exhilarating to drive.
2. I had the FSD with Tesla. It’s no where near ready for prime time so I won’t even review that. It’s actually dangerous that it’s out there being marketed as FSD. The Enhanced Autopilot was really good on the highways. Innodrive isn’t quite as good as EAP, but in my limited testing, it does a good enough job.

Make no mistake - Tesla changed the industry with the Model S and did a lot of remarkable things. I have a lot of respect for what they’ve accomplished. But Porsche has created the best performance electric car in the world. It’s 95% the performance of a 911 Turbo on a track but a luxurious daily driver. I LOVE this car. I enjoyed my Tesla. But I look for reasons to drive with the Taycan.

 

[Redhot2474]

I know there are a lot of comparisons, but wanted to share my week 1 thoughts because I know lots of Tesla drivers are eyeing the Taycan.

Here’s what stands out (on the non driving/performance stuff)
1. The Model S is a great looking car. The Taycan is in a different category of style and design.
2. The MS never felt solid. The way the car feels when you shut the door, hit a bump in the road, or drive down the highway - it always felt a bit thin and cheap. The Taycan feels SOLID. You feel the quality. You see the quality. I never felt like I was driving a luxury car with the MS. One close of the door in the Taycan and you know it’s in a completely different league.
3. A lot of people give the Tesla software an edge. I’m not so sure the gap is that big. Wireless Apple Carplay is incredible - the latest PCM is fast and smooth - the customization of the various screens is awesome. Sure, there are things the Tesla is slicker with (like handling podcasts), but the Porsche has a HUD, the passenger screen, and the haptic feedback are really useful as well. It is actually easier to use at times because I’m not reaching across a 17in screen to do things. I was expecting laggy software from what I read, but everything has been smooth and super responsive.
4. The 18 way seats fit like a glove. I would feel fatigue in the Tesla seats (I’m 6’2” with long legs). These seats contour in every possible way and it’s incredibly comfortable.
5. The space inside and in the trunk is a little smaller, but it’s not an issue. I attribute this to the Tesla being a hatchback, but leg room/etc was pretty comparable. Rear seat head room is a little smaller so long drives with tall adults may be uncomfortable.
6. The ability to customize these cars gives each one uniqueness. Tesla has like 5 colors and two wheel types so nearly all cars look alike. Boring.
7. The one thing that Tesla is clearly better on is the charging software. The Porsche charger and software are not intuitive. Like, why make up a term like Direct Charging? The language is confusing (IE charge as fast as possible to a minimum charge of X). In the Tesla, they made it super simple to slide the charge level in car or at a charger.

Driving:
1. The Tesla can accelerate, but it doesn’t inspire confidence. And it handles like a boat with a horrible turning radius/feel. I curbed the rear wheels a couple of times (and I’m super careful). The Taycan feels like an extension of my hand. I feel in absolute control on every corner, every turn, and I still don’t know the limits. This is an engineering marvel with driving dynamics. Driving enthusiast's understand that handling is more important than a 0-60 launch. So, I may not beat a Model S Plaid in a 0-60 shootout, but the Porsche is more exhilarating to drive.
2. I had the FSD with Tesla. It’s no where near ready for prime time so I won’t even review that. It’s actually dangerous that it’s out there being marketed as FSD. The Enhanced Autopilot was really good on the highways. Innodrive isn’t quite as good as EAP, but in my limited testing, it does a good enough job.

Make no mistake - Tesla changed the industry with the Model S and did a lot of remarkable things. I have a lot of respect for what they’ve accomplished. But Porsche has created the best performance electric car in the world. It’s 95% the performance of a 911 Turbo on a track but a luxurious daily driver. I LOVE this car. I enjoyed my Tesla. But I look for reasons to drive with the Taycan.

I agree, I don’t think the PCM is as bad as people make it out to be …and I’m coming from a Tesla

 

[Hirschaj]

I look for reasons to drive the Taycan

This!

 

[anonymouse]

One of the things I will most most is the reassurance from PIN-to-drive. This would be so easy for Porsche to add.

 

[RingoDingo]

I agree, I don’t think the PCM is as bad as people make it out to be …

It's a long way from where it first was. I will say finding a lot of menu items in the PCM is still a challenge, 1 year in. I feel like I have to hit the elipses button . . . to find anything useful.

 

[philbur]

I don’t think the SW is as bad as people think either. And I like having some buttons. The biggest thing is building the screens into the dash vs just gluing on a tablet like all the other cars. Haptic Touch is really nice!

 

[SergeyIndy]

@BoilerG, very useful comparison, wonder if you could share you build.
Never driven a Tesla, but saw a Plaid at my Porsche dealer's lot for sale, nothing special to it as far as looks are concerned, and where will you be doing all that speeding that it does so well, if it does not handle that well the rest of the time?

 

[outie]

The PCM is fine until it isn’t. More than once I’ve experienced these issues on my 2022 GTS:

- not loading personal profiles, only guest profile available (Porsche server issue I think)
- PCM just spinning with circle at start and never loaded until 2 finger reboot
- not PCM but I reclined the seat back for a quick nap waiting for kid and back up to drive off. Next time I unlocked the seat back automatically reclined almost crushing my 2 kids who were getting in the car.
- if you have kids all the entertainment features available on the Tesla is god send that is not available on the Taycan. The passenger screen is pretty useless in all honesty.
- did I mention the backup camera on the Tesla is far more useful and better?

 

[anonymouse]

- did I mention the backup camera on the Tesla is far more useful and better?

oh yes. Only a couple of days in but the Taycan reversing camera completely baffles me. I just can’t figure out how I am supposed to make sense of the swivelling fisheye.

 

[BoilerG]

@BoilerG, very useful comparison, wonder if you could share you build.
Never driven a Tesla, but saw a Plaid at my Porsche dealer's lot for sale, nothing special to it as far as looks are concerned, and where will you be doing all that speeding that it does so well, if it does not handle that well the rest of the time?

My build was pretty well equipped. Tech Package, with Innodrive, Performance Package, Premium Package, and a little interior customization. I plan to keep this car for awhile so wanted to have most of the options. I didn’t opt for the Burmester (I was tempted, but the listening environment in a car doesn’t really benefit from high end sound).

 

[BoilerG]

oh yes. Only a couple of days in but the Taycan reversing camera completely baffles me. I just can’t figure out how I am supposed to make sense of the swivelling fisheye.

Good point. The fisheye is disorienting. I am slowly getting used to it, but sometimes I disable it. My sales consultant says I’ll grow to love the wide angle because you can see cars coming when reversing out of a parking spot, but currently, I’m more concerned I’m going to hit something because I’m a little disoriented with the fishey.

 

[tchavei]

My sales consultant says I’ll grow to love the wide angle because you can see cars coming when reversing out of a parking spot

This!

Today I noticed it for the first time. I went to pick up launch, didn't have a parking spot so squeezed in perpendicular to the main road. After getting the food, I had to back out of the spot directly into the main road. Like in any other car, you couldn't visually see incoming traffic but I looked down and voila! I could see cars approaching dozens of meters away. Made it the easiest reverse into a blind main road ever.

 

[Henke]

I know there are a lot of comparisons, but wanted to share my week 1 thoughts because I know lots of Tesla drivers are eyeing the Taycan.

Here’s what stands out (on the non driving/performance stuff)
1. The Model S is a great looking car. The Taycan is in a different category of style and design.
2. The MS never felt solid. The way the car feels when you shut the door, hit a bump in the road, or drive down the highway - it always felt a bit thin and cheap. The Taycan feels SOLID. You feel the quality. You see the quality. I never felt like I was driving a luxury car with the MS. One close of the door in the Taycan and you know it’s in a completely different league.
3. A lot of people give the Tesla software an edge. I’m not so sure the gap is that big. Wireless Apple Carplay is incredible - the latest PCM is fast and smooth - the customization of the various screens is awesome. Sure, there are things the Tesla is slicker with (like handling podcasts), but the Porsche has a HUD, the passenger screen, and the haptic feedback are really useful as well. It is actually easier to use at times because I’m not reaching across a 17in screen to do things. I was expecting laggy software from what I read, but everything has been smooth and super responsive.
4. The 18 way seats fit like a glove. I would feel fatigue in the Tesla seats (I’m 6’2” with long legs). These seats contour in every possible way and it’s incredibly comfortable.
5. The space inside and in the trunk is a little smaller, but it’s not an issue. I attribute this to the Tesla being a hatchback, but leg room/etc was pretty comparable. Rear seat head room is a little smaller so long drives with tall adults may be uncomfortable.
6. The ability to customize these cars gives each one uniqueness. Tesla has like 5 colors and two wheel types so nearly all cars look alike. Boring.
7. The one thing that Tesla is clearly better on is the charging software. The Porsche charger and software are not intuitive. Like, why make up a term like Direct Charging? The language is confusing (IE charge as fast as possible to a minimum charge of X). In the Tesla, they made it super simple to slide the charge level in car or at a charger.

Driving:
1. The Tesla can accelerate, but it doesn’t inspire confidence. And it handles like a boat with a horrible turning radius/feel. I curbed the rear wheels a couple of times (and I’m super careful). The Taycan feels like an extension of my hand. I feel in absolute control on every corner, every turn, and I still don’t know the limits. This is an engineering marvel with driving dynamics. Driving enthusiast's understand that handling is more important than a 0-60 launch. So, I may not beat a Model S Plaid in a 0-60 shootout, but the Porsche is more exhilarating to drive.
2. I had the FSD with Tesla. It’s no where near ready for prime time so I won’t even review that. It’s actually dangerous that it’s out there being marketed as FSD. The Enhanced Autopilot was really good on the highways. Innodrive isn’t quite as good as EAP, but in my limited testing, it does a good enough job.

Make no mistake - Tesla changed the industry with the Model S and did a lot of remarkable things. I have a lot of respect for what they’ve accomplished. But Porsche has created the best performance electric car in the world. It’s 95% the performance of a 911 Turbo on a track but a luxurious daily driver. I LOVE this car. I enjoyed my Tesla. But I look for reasons to drive with the Taycan.

Good post and I would agree with most of this. The PCM thing is spot on. Sometimes I want to press a damn button or at least get some haptic feedback. The Tesla obsession with having almost everything on a touch screen is exactly what you expect from a company that has software rather than car industry experience - not saying that is a bad thing but there are pluses and minuses. I think Tesla OTA updates are a lot better than Porsche, they have a better charging network and better charging software. That's about it.

 

[Archimedes]

This!

Today I noticed it for the first time. I went to pick up launch, didn't have a parking spot so squeezed in perpendicular to the main road. After getting the food, I had to back out of the spot directly into the main road. Like in any other car, you couldn't visually see incoming traffic but I looked down and voila! I could see cars approaching dozens of meters away. Made it the easiest reverse into a blind main road ever.

I’ve been saying this for a year and a half, every time someone complains about the fish eye. It’s awesome at seeing laterally when reversing. I love it.

 

[JRNJTAYCAN]

Great review. I first went to buy a MS as the Taycan was never on my radar.
Because of the crappy service I got from three different MS dealers I looked at other options.
While at the last dealership a customer asked if I looked at the Taycan. At the time I did not know that this car existed.

He is my take away, the MS is a family car first and an electric car second. Where as the Taycan is a luxury sports car that just happens to be electric!

I know there are a lot of comparisons, but wanted to share my week 1 thoughts because I know lots of Tesla drivers are eyeing the Taycan.

Here’s what stands out (on the non driving/performance stuff)
1. The Model S is a great looking car. The Taycan is in a different category of style and design.
2. The MS never felt solid. The way the car feels when you shut the door, hit a bump in the road, or drive down the highway - it always felt a bit thin and cheap. The Taycan feels SOLID. You feel the quality. You see the quality. I never felt like I was driving a luxury car with the MS. One close of the door in the Taycan and you know it’s in a completely different league.
3. A lot of people give the Tesla software an edge. I’m not so sure the gap is that big. Wireless Apple Carplay is incredible - the latest PCM is fast and smooth - the customization of the various screens is awesome. Sure, there are things the Tesla is slicker with (like handling podcasts), but the Porsche has a HUD, the passenger screen, and the haptic feedback are really useful as well. It is actually easier to use at times because I’m not reaching across a 17in screen to do things. I was expecting laggy software from what I read, but everything has been smooth and super responsive.
4. The 18 way seats fit like a glove. I would feel fatigue in the Tesla seats (I’m 6’2” with long legs). These seats contour in every possible way and it’s incredibly comfortable.
5. The space inside and in the trunk is a little smaller, but it’s not an issue. I attribute this to the Tesla being a hatchback, but leg room/etc was pretty comparable. Rear seat head room is a little smaller so long drives with tall adults may be uncomfortable.
6. The ability to customize these cars gives each one uniqueness. Tesla has like 5 colors and two wheel types so nearly all cars look alike. Boring.
7. The one thing that Tesla is clearly better on is the charging software. The Porsche charger and software are not intuitive. Like, why make up a term like Direct Charging? The language is confusing (IE charge as fast as possible to a minimum charge of X). In the Tesla, they made it super simple to slide the charge level in car or at a charger.

Driving:
1. The Tesla can accelerate, but it doesn’t inspire confidence. And it handles like a boat with a horrible turning radius/feel. I curbed the rear wheels a couple of times (and I’m super careful). The Taycan feels like an extension of my hand. I feel in absolute control on every corner, every turn, and I still don’t know the limits. This is an engineering marvel with driving dynamics. Driving enthusiast's understand that handling is more important than a 0-60 launch. So, I may not beat a Model S Plaid in a 0-60 shootout, but the Porsche is more exhilarating to drive.
2. I had the FSD with Tesla. It’s no where near ready for prime time so I won’t even review that. It’s actually dangerous that it’s out there being marketed as FSD. The Enhanced Autopilot was really good on the highways. Innodrive isn’t quite as good as EAP, but in my limited testing, it does a good enough job.

Make no mistake - Tesla changed the industry with the Model S and did a lot of remarkable things. I have a lot of respect for what they’ve accomplished. But Porsche has created the best performance electric car in the world. It’s 95% the performance of a 911 Turbo on a track but a luxurious daily driver. I LOVE this car. I enjoyed my Tesla. But I look for reasons to drive with the Taycan.