Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo

Make
Porsche
Segment
Wagon

The infamous moose test is conducted all over the world by various organizations and publications. The rules are the same for each car, and only the width of the cones is adapted for each individual vehicle. Porsche, known for its sharp-handling sports cars, previously put in a good showing in this test with the Taycan Turbo S.

The Taycan's sibling, the Taycan Cross Turismo, was not as lucky and is the latest victim of the test, so sit back for a few seconds and have a laugh at Porsche's expense. On the very first attempt at completing the test at 77 km/h or roughly 48 mph, the test driver bails on the test, knowing that a cone was about to get mauled by a 5,000-pound quasi off-roader.

To Porsche's credit, the moose test has a way of humbling cars you would not expect to do poorly. The new BMW M4 also failed, but for oversteering on the exit. The Mustang Mach-E failed too, but the Tesla Model Y did very well.

We were stumped by the Porsche's failure, if only because the Taycan sedan did so well. The journalists at km77 were also perplexed. The Taycan Cross Turismo passed the test at 74 km/h (46 mph) but failed to get to the Taycan's speed of 78 km/h (49 mph). The weight difference between the two cars tested was only 55 lbs, as weighed by the people who did the test.

The tires are also the same size but not from the same brand. And that's what made the Cross Turismo suck so badly at this test.

In Europe, the Cross Turismo comes standard with Goodyear Asymmetric 3 tires. These tires were designed specifically to perform better in the rain. Over here, the Cross Turismo comes standard with high-performance summer tires. More specifically, Michelin Pilot Sports. In short, the test is not relevant to a US audience. The Taycan sedan used in km77's test was equipped with a set of Pirelli P Zeros.

Even though Porsche technically failed the test, the test driver stated that the Cross Turismo felt good. He liked the fast steering, minimal body roll, and subtle ESC. He also called the car "safe and predictable."

Another interesting thing you might not know about the moose test is that it requires the driver to keep his foot on the gas (or on the volts?) for the test duration. Another moose test is more applicable to real-world situations, where the driver is supposed to lift, though you'd be hard-pressed to find any journalist willing to partake in that specific ISO test.

Even the International Organization for Standardization admits that the moose test is only relevant to a small part of a car's overall handling characteristics. The full ISO breakdown states that "any given vehicle, together with its driver and the prevailing environment, constitutes a closed-loop system that is unique. The task of evaluating the dynamic behavior is therefore very difficult since the significant interaction of these driver-vehicle-environment elements are each complex in themselves."

Still, it is fantastic to watch expensive cars get humbled. It's also a worthwhile reminder of the big difference between summer and all-season tires.