The 2023 Panamera is one of the most athletic luxury sedans available. It's also fairly practical thanks to its hatchback design. But there are also some downsides, such as a needlessly complicated user interface and high price.
Part of the second Panamera generation introduced for 2017
What is the Porsche Panamera?
Want a 911? Need four doors? Congratulations, now you own a 2023 Porsche Panamera. The hatchback-style luxury sport sedan retains an impressive level of refinement for its size and an unreasonable amount of fun and functionality to boot. The Panamera is available in a few different body styles, from hatchback to extended-wheelbase sedan and, like all Porsches, the list of available options can bring the price beyond eye-watering if you so choose.
Porsche has not officially said what's in store for the 2023 Panamera, but we expect it to receive a few updates. Full electrification is the buzzword on the lips of everyone in the motoring world, but Porsche has decided to kick that can down the road just a little bit longer. Instead, possible changes include more range or power for its plug-in hybrid Panamera (it currently gets just over 30 miles on a full charge), styling updates, and other under-the-hood tweaks to get the most out of the mild hybrid system mated to its latest powerplants.
These changes are not official yet but appear imminent as the Panamera faces off against the Edmunds Top Rated Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and the Genesis G90.
Edmunds says
The Porsche Panamera is a mid-pack player in our luxury sedan rankings, but under-the-hood improvements could help it make a move up the field. Check back with Edmunds in the coming months for more complete information and a full review of Porsche's 2023 Panamera.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2023 Porsche Panamera 4dr Sedan (2.9L 6cyl Turbo 8AM) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.22 per gallon for premium unleaded in California.
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Porsche Panamera from 2008-2022.
$908/yr
vs. $729/yr for Average Luxury Fullsize Car
Frequency
The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).
2.07x/yr
vs. 1.74x/yr for Average Luxury Fullsize Car
Severity
The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).
24.6%
vs. 14.7% for Average Luxury Fullsize Car
powered by RepairPal Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.
2018 Porsche Panamera 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8AM)
I have had the car for 9 months and driven 14K miles... The handling and performance is superb until the transmission can't decide on a gear. Sometimes "reverse gear is unavailable." (It's a Porsche, I don't need reverse). No really, can't select reverse! Electronics remind me of a Christmas tree, there is always some warning light on. Don't worry if one disappears another will take its … place. This is truly impressive. The soft touch doors fail intermittently. Cruise- control cuts out. Alarm goes off. Engine loses drive when turning and crossing traffic,(T-bone anyone?) Traction control is always a bump away... Had a o2 sensor fail. Car would not start. Had a fuel sensor fail, car would not start. So far 4 trips to the shop, totaling 18 days without the car. Buyer reconsider, there are other good looking cars out there that actually work. I am pursuing this vehicle as a Lemon.
road handling great...electronics suck
4 out of 5 stars
Seabolt, 07/26/2018
2018 Porsche Panamera 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8AM)
The redesign was a huge hit. The 911-ish back end vs the old 'fat butt' is a smart move. Road handling excellent. MPG surprisingly good (28 hwy). Electronics suck and the driver interface was evidently designed by committee. Sometimes CarPlay works...sometimes not. Takes forever for the software to load every time you start the car. Too many ways to control the same thing … (climate, media etc) - and a lot of it is not intuitive. Audi electronics are far better. (my 5 yr old Mercedes CLS was more advanced). Two of the five clusters on my dash currently 'out' (dark). First time it happened (then went back on) dealer said they couldn't find a cause. Front end suspension squeak unable to resolve, though great dealership service
Starting off, the looks on this car are gorgeous. It stands out from the crowd of "boring" looking cars and can give you some unwarranted attention on the road or driving in town. Most people won't know that the car is a Porsche however they'll know when they hear it. So my car: a Panamera 4S Sport Turismo (a mouthful to say haha) is Volcano Grey Metallic with the 21 inch high gloss … black rims. It has the standard interior in black (enough for me as there's still leather everywhere in the car), Surround View Camera (360 degree camera system that I highly recommend getting if you don't want to scrape your front bumper or expensive rims), Sport Package (which includes the sports exhaust system in black **when put into sport or sport + the car pops and crackles on each up shift and downshift, sport chrono pack **makes the car faster with a faster 0-60 and higher top speed @180mph, and rear axle steering **a must for such a large car like this). I recently picked up the car this month of July 2018 and have already driven nearly 800 miles on it. Talking about the driving dynamics, the car handles so smoothly and there is no transmission out there that shifts as quick or as smoothly as the PDK. The Sport Turismo (fun fact) comes standard with a 3 level air suspension. If you're wondering how much of a lift the car can get, it is approx 0.5 inch or more. With the sport chrono option, you're also able to do launch control (and don't worry, you can do this an unlimited amount of times) which is an exhilarating experience. Moving onto the interior and daily usability of the technology inside. At first, all this tech can seem daunting and confusing at times. However, it took me personally around 20-25 min playing around with all the settings to fully understand the car (it's basically a giant iPad). One of the cool things about the navigation is that it can be put into 3D Google Earth mode. It's very easy to input destinations or look for certain places without putting in the destination. For the media, you have Bluetooth, jukebox, aux, Sirius XM, and more. My car does not have the extra $5k Burmester Speaker system but has the standard Bose system which still sounds fantastic. In regards to daily driveability and interior space, the sport turismo offers a little bit of more room than the standard panamera but has a lower loading height (if you want a more detailed video, I'd recommend watching Doug Demuro's review of the car on YouTube). The car in normal mode is alright and what I would consider to be the "boring" mode. The air suspension soaks up bumps very well even with my car's 21 inch rims. In sport or sport plus the chassis and suspension become more stiff and the engine becomes more responsive and "alive". I was surprised that even in the most stiff, most fun mode (sport +) that the car still rode very smoothly (props to Porsche engineering). Overall, if you're in the market for a wagon for the family but you still want it to drive like a sports car, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo satisfies both aspects. If you have any more questions about this car or my review, feel free to DM me on instagram @sportturismo_4S.
Update: multiple electronic issues including a complete shut down while driving. Trim coming off. Carpet buckling without any use. First car I ever regret purchasing. Sorry to say.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 Porsche Panamera, so we've included reviews for other years of the Panamera since its last redesign.