The Model S. Photo taken from Tesla.com.
With these kinds of specs, it’s easy to see why the brand exploded in popularity during the past few years. For the longest time, it seemed like nobody could match the appeal of a Tesla; unit now.
The release of the Porsche Taycan, one of Porsche’s first electric vehicles, had everyone wondering whether the great American car manufacturer could actually be beaten at their own game.
The Taycan is focused on performance, which is understandable, considering it comes from the Porsche brand. The model comes in three forms, the 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S, the last being the most speed-oriented. It gets up to 750 horsepower, and completes 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds. These are amazing specs, but are they enough to match the famous Model S?
The Taycan Turbo S. Photo taken from Porsche.com.
Well, the Tesla does the sprint to 100 km/h in 2.4 seconds, triumphing over the Porsche in the acceleration department. However, the German vehicle can almost catch up in the top speed department, reaching 261 km/h as opposed to the Tesla’s 262. The Taycan has a bit of an advantage in endurance, however, as according to Roadandtrack.com, the Tesla can only engage its most high-performance mode at a certain temperature, and when conditions aren’t working out, the Porsche is able to outspeed it consistently.
The Taycan seems to have a small advantage in this situation, but performance is only one aspect of a car. When you look at other parts of the equation, the Tesla begins to redeem itself.
The German car is a great deal more expensive than the Model S, starting at $213 900 compared to $133 700. Neither are cheap cars, but $80 000 is a big difference.
The Tesla travels up to 596 km on a full charge, compared to the Taycan’s maximum of 450. In terms of cargo space, the Taycan has a total of 79.3 L of front cargo space and up to 404.9 in the rear. The Porsche trumps the Tesla’s 59.5 L in the front, but falls short on the back when compared to the 744.7 that the American vehicle has.
All this looks good for Tesla on a spreadsheet, but according to Robbreport.com, when you actually compare them in person, the Taycan’s build quality is far superior to its main competitor’s and by comparison, the other vehicle feels cheap and lazily constructed. Jalopnik.com states that one side of the trunk of their Model S they tested could fit two coins in the panel gap, whereas the other side only held one. The website says that, “‘The tailgate is installed completely crooked,’ the narrator says. ‘Same goes for the doors.’”
The Tesla may seem amazing and untouchable on paper, but the effect the terrible build quality has on the driving experience nullifies the slight performance advantage it has. And, as for the practicality aspect, its reliability will likely be worse than the Porsche’s when it gets a chance to be fully tested a few years down the road, as Consumer Reports considers Tesla’s reliability to be below average.
Though it may seem like a small disadvantage compared to the many pluses of owning a Tesla, in the end, the bad quality takes its toll and brings down an otherwise stellar car.
At Tesla’s price point, it’s expected to have at least passable build quality, so this is a big drawback. At $80 000 more, though, you want the Porsche to have all these things and more, something which it can’t always deliver on.
In the end, the Tesla gives you what no one else can, but also fails to deliver what’s essential. The Porsche gives you all you want and more, but at a huge cost that some may think isn’t worth it.
Come back next week for more news from the world of cars.
- Daniel Shah
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