When it comes to used cars, there are multiple ways of looking at them. Some buyers want something that’ll cost cheap, run cheap and and get them comfortably and reliably from point A to B, while others might not care all that much about running costs as long as the purchasing price is attractive enough.
The first-generation Porsche Panamera arguably falls under that second category, and according to Doug DeMuro, it represents amazing value for money.
The key here is to want people’s attention. The reviewer emphatically states that the Panamera is a statement car and because its shape hasn’t changed much over the years (the first-gen model came out in 2009), most casual people will likely have no idea how old your four-door Porsche fastback really is.
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The ride in the review is a 2012 Panamera, equipped with the 300 HP V6 gasoline engine. This configuration is typically the cheapest you’ll find in the U.S. on the used car market for this particular Porsche model – mostly because it’s the slowest variant.
Yet, even though it’s a base-spec Panamera from 8 years ago, the sedan is still capable of hitting 60 mph in just 5.6 seconds, which let’s face it, is still adequately fast for a large four-door family car, regardless of model year.
In the end, you’re still left with a reasonably comfortable, imposing and really pleasant-to-drive car, not to mention a posh badge that should impress literally anyone who can’t tell a first-gen Panamera apart from the second-gen model – and that’s most people.
The reviewer also argues that he’d rather have a used Panamera as opposed to the equivalent Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7-Series in terms of reliability, although if you’re having this debate with yourself, you definitely need to consider where you live, because in most places, maintenance on a Porsche costs considerably more than on a Mercedes or BMW, even if we’re talking flagship models.