Item: Porsche Panamera 2016-2023
Rating: 5

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Anyone on the hunt for a luxurious four-seat grand tourer will surely have the Porsche Panamera high on their list of potential buys – if not right at the top.

This is a striking super-saloon that is almost peerless in its ability to blend blistering pace with stunning dynamics and cosseting high-end refinement.The first-generation Panamera is looking like great value these days – if you can overlook its flaws.

Porsche’s modern 3D badging better ties the Panamera to its siblings, but it’s the thin red strip of LEDs that unites it with the current 911
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

It was extremely fast and good to drive, but it didn’t quite clear the high bar set by rivals such as the Audi RS7 and BMW M5 due to a clumsy ride and tricky hatchback boot.

Instead, we would recommend forking out for the more stylish and sophisticated second-generation ‘971’ version: a bona fide greatest hit from Weissach, and one that can be yours for as little as £30,000.

If you’re not already taken by the comfort, space, speed and versatility on offer, you will certainly be hooked by the diverse range of petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains that are available.

Of the petrols, there’s the 325bhp 3.0-litre Panamera (available with four-wheel drive), the 4S with a twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 and the 456bhp plug-in E-Hybrid, which enhances that punchier V6 with a useful boost from an electric motor.

The PHEV is one of the most accessible versions today, but it is just as compelling for the fact that it can do 0-62mph in 4.6sec and 31 miles on electric power – although not at the same time.

Up top, the Turbo S E-Hybrid has a 542bhp twin-turbo V8 and a 134bhp electric motor for a combined 671bhp (that’s more than a Maserati MC20), for a blisteringly quick 0-62mph time of 3.5sec – and it still has a 31-mile EV range.

That said, it’s a bit too heavy to offer the same sweet sporting balance as its siblings, and a well-used example will cost you around £50,000.

We wouldn’t bother with the V8 GTS variant: it’s seriously fast and dynamically competent but a bit too stiff-legged to fulfil the luxury saloon/GT brief.

If you’re after an oil-burner then the 4S Diesel is a very tempting package. With 416bhp and 627lb ft from its mighty twin-turbo V8, it can accelerate rapidly, but it also makes for effortless cruising. It’s a refined lump but still has a gritty V8 edge, and you’ll get close to 40mpg on motorway stints.

All flavours of Panamera are lavishly appointed, with tactile metal brightwork and plush materials throughout. The 12.3in touchscreen (with sat-nav and DAB radio) is intuitive and easy to use, but the haptic buttons in the centre console are a bit fiddly.

Head and leg room are good, and despite its rakish roofline, taller passengers won’t want for space in the back.

If you need an extra layer of practicality, the Sport Turismo ‘estate’ is the one to go for: a tidy 45k-mile V6 hybrid example will cost you around £50,000.

The facelift in 2021 brought styling tweaks and uplifts in power to various models, but if we were to pick one from that lot it would be the Turbo S.

It makes 621bhp and is a true do-it-all luxury Porsche, with bucketloads of performance plus agile, incisive handling and impressive ride comfort.

Engine and bodystyle aside, the Mk2 Panamera is a brilliant luxury GT car that can be exuberant and fun but also calm and assured, while putting you right at the centre of the action.

From £30k, it’s a bargain you might regret missing.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 10

Used Porsche Panamera 2016-2023 review

A multi-talented sporting GT with an unmatched range of abilities

Good

Epic powertrain

Impressive economy means colossal range

Magnificent handling compromise

Bad

Still not exactly beautiful

There are roomier GT cars on sale

Even more expensive than the previous one

RELIABILITY

Is the Porsche Panamera reliable?

Overall, the second-generation Panamera is a reliable, well-built luxury GT, hence reliability shouldn't be a cause for concern. Being a Porsche, running costs are high, especially if you get your car serviced or repired at a main dealer.

That said, there are plenty if reputable independent specialist which can carry out high standard repairs for a more reasonable fee.

Gearbox: Take a long test drive to run the car up through the gears. Rough shifting, jerkiness or a delay in the engagement of a gear could spell issues with the PDK automatic ‘box. The cause can vary (internal sensor, control module, clutch).

Suspension: Be wary of any car fitted with air suspension. Any leaks can cause it to sag or sit lower than normal. Faulty air compressors can also cause the suspension to inflate or deflate infrequently.

Other things to watch out for are a broken height sensor, blocked valves or a busted control module. Just one new air strut can exceed £1000.

Engine: A drop in coolant level or engine overheating could mean that the coolant expansion tank or water pump has failed. A new water pump can cost between £200 and £350.

Overheating at idle is typically caused by a broken auxiliary coolant pump. A new one costs between £70 and £200.

Electrics: A frozen infotainment system, screen or audio malfunction are all common examples of electrical and software gremlins. Updating the car’s software regularly can prevent this.

Drive battery: The battery in a hybrid model can wear over time. If buying a high-mileage car, check the EV range against its official claimed figure.

Body: Make sure the rear spoiler moves as it should. Its actuators can fail, preventing it from raising at the defined vehicle speed. A replacement wing can cost around £1400.

An owner’s view

Andrew palmer: “I’ve owned four Panameras, among most alternatives, like BMW M5s and Audi RS6s – my current one being a 2023 Turbo S E-Hybrid. The Panamera is the best all-around car I’ve come across and I’d describe its defining characteristic as composure: it makes every competitor seem too harsh or busy or too soft; you can sense its Bentley GT underpinnings. The driving position is tremendous and the PDK gearbox is snappy and smooth. Road noise is quite loud because of the wide tyres, and I’ve had a few issues with the climate controls. Listen out for a rattle from the panoramic roof and creaky front suspension.”

Also worth knowing

You can take your Panamera to your nearest Porsche dealer for a 111-point inspection of its exterior, interior, engine and more, and if it passes, you will be able to buy a Porsche Approved Warranty.

Service and maintenance costs are high, especially if you go via a main dealer. A 60,000-mile or six-year service can cost around £2000-£3000.

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

More stylish and easier on the eye that its predecessor

Hydraulically damped mounts for improved ride comfort

Cons

Still not the prettiest luxury saloon

The Panamera’s existence no longer provoked raised eyebrows or deep sighs, but its appearance remained a debatable virtue.

The ‘realignment’ Porsche described when it launched may not have leaped from the page, but closer attention revealed a conscientious effort to edge the design closer to that of the Porsche 911.

I’d like to play around with the configurator to see how much warmer the cabin ambience can be made with the right material choices
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

At the back, the roofline was 20mm lower than before, and gained a more recognisably Porsche ‘flyline’ profile, augmented by four-point brake lights and an LED strip linking them. Other proportional tweaks included a 30mm wheelbase extension and a reduced front overhang.

The Panamera sat on the MSB modular architecture developed by Porsche from within the Volkswagen Group. The platform’s versatility allowed a long-wheelbase version to be built simultaneously at the same factory in Leipzig.

The body used more aluminium than before, adding the body sides and roof to the aluminium door panels, bonnet, tailgate and front wings of the previous model. Ultra-high-strength, hot-formed steels were deployed elsewhere, most notably for the passenger cell.

The front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension components were mostly aluminium too. Efforts to improve ride comfort included a hydraulically damped mount for the lower wishbone and lighter dampers in the standard Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system, while the optional air suspension, used three-chamber springs with around 60 percent more volume for a far wider spread of spring rates.

All fed into Porsche’s 4D-Chassis Control system, which transferred data from each individual sensor to make previously independent, reactive chassis functions part of an integrated response.

Alongside these changes, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport, Torque Vectoring Plus and rear-axle steering also featured. The latter was carried over from the 911 and allowed a much more direct steering ratio than was previously permitted.

If that wasn't enough, the engine line-up was easily deserving of its own dedicated engineering section.

We opted to test the 4S, the first Panamera to combine a V8 diesel and all-wheel drive, but we might have easily chosen to drive the 434bhp 2.9-litre V6 or the 542bhp twin-turbo 4.0 V8, which were both new at the time.

The 4.0-litre diesel was the least powerful of the three, with 416bhp, but its claimed 627lb ft produced from 1000rpm without the aid of electric turbochargers made it far too intriguing to set aside for later.

INTERIOR

Pros

Excellent driving position makes it feel more sporting

More space in the rear for adults

Larger screens and digitalised instrument cluster had boosted technological appeal

Cons

Haptic touchscreen isn't the most satisfying to use

Touchscreens reveal plenty of finger marks when the ignition is off

The first Panamera was memorable to sit in. Its big, yet form-fitting, cabin was reminiscent of that of the Porsche Cayenne, except low-slung and therefore better for the business of driving.

The experience in the second-generationc car was familiar: the same gun-emplacement position, dictated by a chin-high scuttle and colossal centre console.

The rear seat infotainment screen is impressive, but the fact you can’t hook a smartphone up to it and watch Netflix seems like an opportunity missed
Nic Cackett
Road tester

But the detail had been altered by what Porsche called the ‘digitalisation’ of its cabins. Two 7.0in high-resolution displays were added to the instrument cluster: the left-hand side delivered ‘Speed and Assist’ and the right ‘Car and Info’. Between the two sat the rev counter, still pleasingly analogue.

The main touchscreen of the PCM infotainment system monopolised the dashboard.

The 12.3in display extended the full width of the centre console and catapulted the Panamera into the technology big league.

With the ignition off, you might have thought that Porsche had used the display to tidy away the multitude of buttons that previously festooned the console, but it was just the physical nature of the switches that had gone.

Turn the car on via a key-replacing knob and the console sprang into life, revealing an array of touch-sensitive functions that nudged your fingertips with haptic feedback.

This wasn't immediately satisfying, but wasn't out of place next to the shift-by-wire gearlever and computerised air vents.

The centre console loomed just as big in the back, equipped with its own infotainment screen and HVAC panel. More importantly, the space around the two seats had improved and the near-claustrophobic cocooning sensation of the old model had lifted.

The rear was still snug for such a big car, but scallops taken from the lower roofline and the longer wheelbase ensured that adults were a little more comfortable.

The high-decked boot remained, but it’s big enough at 495 litres, and the 40/20/40 split seats flopped forward to offer 1304 litres and a flat floor. Overall, it felt luxurious, high-tech, handsome, practical and indefinably sporting.

Qualitatively, the Porsche Communication Management system was very decent, if an acquired taste. Porsche had always endeavoured to keep the software sombre, grown-up and sophisticated, but that hadn't always facilitated its ease of use.

This was perhaps its biggest overhaul yet, having been inflated to fill a vast display and furnished with a tile-shaped set of functions on the home screen.

Some extra fanciness had been absorbed, too, including useful features such as proximity sensors, Apple CarPlay and Porsche Connect, and less useful ones such as being able to write on the screen and twirl the map around with two fingers (we’re driving, remember?). It did the basics well, though.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

V8 diesel deilvers outstanding performance and traction

Diesel lump has sporting character with pleasing exhaust note

Smooth gearbox works well in both auto and manual mode

Cons

Diesel is louder at idle than equivalent petrol

4.0-litre V8 Porsche Panamera diesel engine

In terms of outright speed, the Panamera 4S diesel surpassed most benchmarks set by like-for-like grand tourers and could be considered alongside the quickest super-saloons you might buy.

The V8 diesel Porsche outsprinted the last BMW M5 we figured as far as 60mph and gave the impression that it might even go a tenth or two quicker still if we'd have tested it in dryer conditions. Needless to say, it had unflappable traction.

The engine spins heartily all the way to 5000rpm, so you don’t do as much paddle-shifting on the straights as you might expect
Nic Cackett
Road tester

In terms of refinement, the Panamera was as well isolated and quiet as anything intended for a markedly sporting audience.

It wasn't the most luxurious GT of its kind, but in the light of other talents, it was a brilliant compromise.

Real-world fuel economy and range was as outstanding as the acceleration. This was a near-43mpg cruiser with a 90-litre tank, capable of more than 800 miles between fills.

That was a formidably strong hand for any GT, and yet the Porsche played its cards with a flourish. The twin-turbo V8 had an energetic timbre distinct from that of the Audi SQ7, and felt smooth and settled on part throttle but revved with greater drama and edge.

It was matched to a quite brilliant automatic gearbox, which operated with superb speed and instant lock-up in manual mode but obliged with smartly and intuitively chosen ratios in ‘D’.

That gearbox effortlessly harnessed the obvious strengths of a big diesel and juggled them against the need to deliver a sporting sense of range. It also allowed you to interact with and enjoy the incredible motor as much, or as little, as you felt like.

One might have expected that an obvious compromise of having a big diesel engine in a car such as this might be a shortage of mechanical richness, but the V8’s engine note was quite pleasing: not gruff and not silken but almost tuneful at times.

It made for a louder idle than an equivalent petrol might have, but was the optional 21in wheels and the chassis compromise that define the cruising refinement, which was still good if not outstanding.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Wonderfully judged steering and chassis delivers excellent grip, handling and body control

Air sprung suspension keeps the body well in check in Sport

Supple and pliant ride in normal mode

Cons

More biased towards handling prowess than comfort

Those with money to spend on a four-seat GT had plenty of options to choose, from the demure and luxurious to the hardcore and driver-focused.

It was for Porsche to lean towards the latter end of that dynamic spectrum and deliver outstanding comfort and effortless distance-covering ability along with an engaging sporting edge – and that was exactly what the Panamera 4S Diesel did.

Select Sport+ mode and the Panamera dives into tighter bends with brilliant agility, flatness and balance, and maintains that poise under power on exit
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

There was more. So much about this car was the ideal manifestation of how you would want a big sporting GT to be, from the deliciously incisive pace and heft of its steering to the chassis’ wonderfully judged, mass-disguising meeting of grip, balance, handling response and body control.

Then there was the uncommonly natural and progressive feel of the air-sprung ride in calmer moments and the way the four-wheel drive system added traction and stability without dampening cornering poise or corrupting the steering.

There would likely have been customers who would have preferred something more pillowy, or the more traditional purity of a steel-sprung, rear-driven, petrol-engined car. But nothing could come closer to keeping both of those customers happy at the same time than the Panamera.

The steering deserves a special mention. Nowhere else would you find an electromechanical rack on a car this heavy, with 21in alloys and, in our test car’s case, an optional four-wheel steering set-up that felt this natural.

From its expertly rendered weight, positivity, directness and consistency to the way it telegraphed ebbing grip under the front contact patches, it was excellent.

But not quite as clever, perhaps, as air-sprung suspension that produced such outstanding body control in Sport mode while allowing it to feel so compliant and cosseting in Normal.

At all times the chassis had a sense of damping authority and close, gradual ride control that few like-for-like systems could equal.

The Panamera’s lateral body control, crispness of steering response and wonderful cornering balance were all so good that you could easily imagine you were driving a much smaller, lighter car.

Some of this was down to the effect of the four-wheel steering system, which allowed Porsche to fit a quicker rack and a more alert handling tune than otherwise.

But the upshot was a car that felt incredibly well hunkered down and engaging when driven hard, and whose sense of poise extended to genuine handling adjustability that was rare for something with four driven wheels.

The optional 21in rims and low-profile, wide-section tyres weren't unaffected by surface water, of course. But considering it was a four-wheel-drive, two-tonne, air-sprung diesel GT, the Panamera did its maker’s sporting pedigree enormous credit.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

We already touched on fuel economy, but not in enough detail to highlight that the Panamera 4S Diesel’s 42.8mpg touring test result was quite exceptional for a car of its performance and size.

Strong residuals back up the high list price. Three years in a 640d costs almost as much; S500 is even more
Nic Cackett
Road tester

A 90-litre fuel tank was, in effect, standard on the 4S Diesel in the UK and as a result, the Panamera would cruise for up to 846 miles between fills – much farther, surely, than anyone would be willing to drive it without stopping.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 10

Used Porsche Panamera 2016-2023 review

A multi-talented sporting GT with an unmatched range of abilities

Good

Epic powertrain

Impressive economy means colossal range

Magnificent handling compromise

Bad

Still not exactly beautiful

There are roomier GT cars on sale

Even more expensive than the previous one

The Panamera has always had its detractors.

Those who hated the way the last car looked would unlikely be drawn to its successor.

A multi-talented sporting GT with an unmatched range of abilities
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

There was also be those who couldn't accept that a four-door pseudo-saloon belonged at the summit of Porsche’s model hierarchy, in the place once taken by the elegant Porsche 928 coupé. Such grumblings weren't unheard of even among Autocar road testers.

But the mk2 Panamera’s success was in its ability to wipe away any reservations about what it was via by the sheer breadth and brilliance of its talents.

In the 4S Diesel in particular, Weissach had a car that was astonishingly complete for a modern GT. Fast, tactile, smooth, easy to drive, poised, engaging, comfortable, spacious and long-legged, its versatility was incredible.

Porsche had added such strength to this car, from cabin to chassis to engine and elsewhere, that it stood apart from any sub-£100,000 GT on the market at the time.

For that, and in recognition of Porsche’s enduring ability to make a better driver’s car wherever it turns its gaze, five stars was the only possible verdict.

Sam Phillips

Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website.

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport.

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

Matt Saunders

Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Tesla Roadster, Ariel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren Senna, Renault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.