2020 Porsche Taycan Review: The Driver's EV

It's finally here. After a long build-up, Porsche's first all-electric car has arrived in the shape of the stylish Taycan. With Tesla having been established as the benchmark for EV performance and driving range, can the Porche Taycan spoil Elon Musk's party? In the case of the base, six-figure Taycan 4S, up to 563 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque enables a 0-60 mph dash of 3.8 seconds. According to the international WLTP cycle (EPA mileage estimates have yet to be announced), the 4S' maximum estimated range works out to 288 miles. By comparison, the base Tesla Model S Long Range Plus is over $20,000 less expensive, gets to 60 mph a tad faster (3.7 seconds), and can travel over 100 miles further on a single charge. Does this spell doom and gloom for the Taycan, then? Not quite. Because while Tesla's on-paper figures remain unbeatable, the Taycan brings Porsche's dynamic prowess to the mix. It handles with sports car-like sharpness, can seat four comfortably, and boasts Porsche's outstanding build quality. Pricey it may be, but the all-electric Taycan is a triumph for Porsche.

What's the Price of the 2020 Porsche Taycan?

In the USA, pricing for the 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S starts at an MSRP of $103,800, significantly less than the $150,900 required to get behind the wheel of the Taycan Turbo. The base price excludes tax, licensing, registration, and Porsche's destination charge of $1,350.

By comparison, the Tesla Model S starts at $79,990 and even the Model S Performance (with a 0-60 mph time of just 2.4 seconds) costs less than the Porsche Taycan 4S at $99,990. However, the Taycan 4S does have the advantage of qualifying for a federal tax credit of $7,500, whereas tax credits for new Teslas expired at the end of last year.

2020 Taycan Exterior

Dimensions

2020 Taycan Performance

Handling and Driving Impressions

It's here that the Taycan deviates most from the standard EV recipe. It wasn't enough just to make this car fast - the Taycan also needed to adhere to Porsche's time-honored reputation for building exceptional driver's cars, regardless of the segment, body style, or drivetrain. It's safe to say, then, that expectations are high. But the electric Porsche Taycan is off to a promising start as the underbody battery provides the car with a desirable low center of gravity. An adaptive air suspension is standard and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) continuously adjusts the damping force, with the dual benefit of maintaining a comfortable ride and resisting body roll.

On the road, it all adds up to something special, especially for an electric vehicle. The ride leans more towards firm than soft, but it's never uncomfortable and bumps are dispensed with quickly, without disrupting the calm in the cabin. Steering responses are incredibly precise and, in general, the Taycan does a better job of concealing its heft than the muted Panamera - a lot of the Taycan's more planted feel is down to that low center of gravity we mentioned. Powering out of corners reveals that there is more grip here than most will use, and most of the time, Comfort mode is perfect as it doesn't make the Taycan so floaty that you stop enjoying the experience. Is there the kind of connectedness you'd get in a 911? No. But the Taycan is a far more engaging steer than the Tesla Model S, and certainly one of the benchmarks for driving pleasure in an EV.

Rear axle steering and Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV+) add an even greater sense of agility to the drive, but mostly, we're relieved that enough Porsche DNA has been engineered into the base suspension setup. Its electric powertrain may get many of the headlines, but let there be no doubt that the Taycan's chassis shines just as brightly.

2020 Taycan Interior

2020 Taycan Trunk and Cargo Space

Warranty

Verdict: Is the 2020 Porsche Taycan A Good Electric Car?

Porsche's first-ever EV is a remarkable achievement because, despite dispensing with a combustion powertrain, it retains the pin-sharp driving experience that is the hallmark of every Porsche. Compared with the Tesla Model S, the Taycan is a much more engaging driver's car; the fact that it feels like you're seated in a 911 and the availability of the Electric Sound Control feature show Porsche's determination to make piloting the Taycan as immersive as possible. It also looks fantastic, blending familiar design cues with futuristic touches, and the cabin's build quality is several notches above the Model S, even though all those screens can be fussy to operate at times. In isolation, the 4S' performance and range are impressive, but it's hard to ignore the fact that the base Tesla Model S is just as quick, can travel 100 miles further on a single charge, and comes in at over $20,000 cheaper. The Model S is also more spacious and can accommodate far more cargo. So, despite Porsche having had many years to study its close competition, the Model S remains a formidable hurdle. But if we were to choose one of these cars with our hearts, it would have to be the Taycan.

What Porsche Taycan Model Should I Buy?

Nothing comes cheaply with the Taycan, but we'd start off by ticking the box for the Performance Package as it elevates the 4S' driving dynamics another few levels. We'd also upgrade to the mid-tier Bose sound system, the 18-way adaptive front seats, and add the front digital passenger display, if only to turn the cockpit into a full-on spaceship. Including destination, the final price works out to over $115,000, still some way off the Turbo but much more expensive than the Tesla Model S.

2020 Porsche Taycan Comparisons

2020 Porsche Taycan vs Porsche Cayenne

Both the Taycan (an all-electric car) and the Cayenne (an SUV) represent extensions of Porsche's portfolio that would have once been unimaginable. Of course, we've had many more years to get accustomed to the Cayenne, but like that car, we anticipate that the Taycan will be met with initial trepidation… until you test drive it. Just as the Cayenne set a new dynamic benchmark for SUVs, the Taycan is set to do the same for EVs. But at the price of the 4S, what Cayenne could you get? Well, nothing, actually - the Cayenne S is over $15,000 less expensive and the Cayenne Turbo is over $20,000 pricier. In either case, you're getting one of the best driving SUVs on the road, and the Cayenne is also a much better bet for accommodating rear-seat passengers and cargo (the trunk measures 27.1 cubic feet, almost ten cubes more than the Taycan's two storage areas). The Taycan feels sportier behind the wheel, though, thanks to its lower center of gravity and slippery design. It's also just as quick as the Cayenne Turbo. It really depends whether you want old-school turbocharged muscle in a brawny SUV, or new-age electric power in an ultra high-tech sedan.

2020 Porsche Taycan vs Tesla Model S

It's telling that the Tesla Model S has been around for nearly ten years and yet remains a close match for the brand new Taycan. In Performance guise, the Model S will leave the Taycan S for dead in a straight line, demolishing 0-60 mph in only 2.4 seconds (a whole 1.4 seconds quicker than the Taycan 4S). However, some real-world tests have shown that Porsche's performance claims for the Taycan are on the conservative side; the Taycan has also been shown to repeat its acceleration runs without the drop in performance and increase in heat build-up that affects the Model S. Still, the Model S Performance is marginally cheaper, has a much bigger trunk, and can travel about 60 miles further on a single charge. It's when you aren't comparing specification sheets side by side that the Taycan claws back points; not only is it super comfortable, but the Taycan is a far more enjoyable drive than the Model S, with sports car handling that'll leave you in no doubt that this is a real Porsche. While not as spacious, the Taycan's interior is also much better built than the Model S'. And, once you factor in the federal tax credit of the Taycan, its value proposition improves. The Model S will still be the more practical choice for many, but the new Taycan is a more exciting EV.