Preowned Taycan 4s "as is" with some factory warranty remaining

[Freeewilly]

Unless they are offering a price to good to pass, I consider buying from Porsche CPO only.
Taycan is by far a car with most issues I've ever owned. Although all the issues are not serious enough for me to get it fix immediately, but it's nice to know I have plenty of time to address those issues at later time.

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[Jonathan S.]

“Also the extended warranty adds another 4 years up to 100K miles so you are likely going to be flying without a net on the rest of the car after you hit 100k which sounds like it will be in less than 2 years.“
The OP is planning to drive 75,000 miles in less than two years?

 

[Jonathan S.]

Unless they are offering a price too good to pass, I consider buying from Porsche CPO only.
Taycan is by far a car with most issues I've ever owned. Although all the issues are not serious enough for me to get it fix immediately, but it's nice to know I have plenty of time to address those issues at later time.

That’s exactly the issue: what is the value of another two years of factory warranty?
Definitely in the thousands of dollars.
But so is the likely discount from buying from a seller other than a Porsche dealership.

 

[zripp3]

I'm reading a lot about the warranties, and some of these recent replies shine a light on the issue (at least, as I see it).
1. The HV battery warranty is what it is (8/100) and neither a CPO, PSVP, nor 3P extended warranty can change that;
2. If a vehicle is going to be driven as I intend to use it (15-25k/year), then CPO doesn't matter if I'm getting an extended warranty. Here's why I say that:

Starting with 25k miles on a 2021:
- Factory warranty expires in April 2025
- If CPO, then the warranty extends to April 2027 with no mileage limit. Then in April 2027, I purchase an extended warranty (through Porsche or elsewhere) that, based on all options I've seen, has a mileage cap of 100k. At 15-25k miles/yr, I'll hit that cap before the duration of any warranty expires.
- If not CPO, then I purchase an extended warranty in April 2025 (through Porsche or elsewhere) that...caps at 100k. At my anticipated mileage, I'll hit that cap in 4-5 years - again, before the warranty duration expires.

So, either way, if I'm going to drive the car as much as planned, then I'm practically capped with any warranty option at 100k - which is the same for the EV battery. If my mileage was less than X,XXX/year, then maybe the analysis changes, but I just don't understand why the mileage math warrants sticking to just CPO options. Now perhaps that ultimately means I shouldn't be buying a Taycan with a questionable battery product (or an EV altogether), but all EV owners are betting on the come with respect to the longevity of the technology.

 

[Jonathan S.]

^ Generally agreed, but with the following points:

• Although I've been guilty of referring to various plans as "warranties" they're definitely not warranties, and are instead service plans, and despite how the Safe-Guard plans have the word "Porsche" on them and are sold at independently owned Porsche dealerships, the agreement is definitely between the car owner and Safe-Guard, with neither PCNA or any individual dealership being a party to the contract.
• Extended mileage plans are available from other companies, most prominently Fidelity, out to 122k miles. (Personally, I bought Safe-Guard, on the reasoning -- I hope correct! -- that the dealership is more likely to cope with any Safe-Guard disputes, since the dealership was the sales agent for the plan, and has experience working with Safe-Guard, whereas another plan, such as Fidelity, might be able -- even plausibly so -- to be dismissed as something they don't want to deal with.)
• The time duration of all these service plans is timed to the in-service date, so if you go the CPO route, and in April 2027 want to buy a Safe-Guard plan for just, say, another two years to run out to the 100k mileage, you'll need a 96-month plan. (Safe-Guard goes by months, even though they're always in increments of 12.)

In defense of CPO, at least it is something of value, which can be even be monetarily approximated, and choosing between two otherwise equally attractive deals will also be weighted toward whatever is CPO.
(Unlike the advice to avoid "depreciation" by leasing instead of buying, even though the anticipated diminution in resale value is paid for each month on a lease.)

 

[Gino]

I'm reading a lot about the warranties, and some of these recent replies shine a light on the issue (at least, as I see it).
1. The HV battery warranty is what it is (8/100) and neither a CPO, PSVP, nor 3P extended warranty can change that;
2. If a vehicle is going to be driven as I intend to use it (15-25k/year), then CPO doesn't matter if I'm getting an extended warranty. Here's why I say that:

Starting with 25k miles on a 2021:
- Factory warranty expires in April 2025
- If CPO, then the warranty extends to April 2027 with no mileage limit. Then in April 2027, I purchase an extended warranty (through Porsche or elsewhere) that, based on all options I've seen, has a mileage cap of 100k. At 15-25k miles/yr, I'll hit that cap before the duration of any warranty expires.
- If not CPO, then I purchase an extended warranty in April 2025 (through Porsche or elsewhere) that...caps at 100k. At my anticipated mileage, I'll hit that cap in 4-5 years - again, before the warranty duration expires.

So, either way, if I'm going to drive the car as much as planned, then I'm practically capped with any warranty option at 100k - which is the same for the EV battery. If my mileage was less than X,XXX/year, then maybe the analysis changes, but I just don't understand why the mileage math warrants sticking to just CPO options. Now perhaps that ultimately means I shouldn't be buying a Taycan with a questionable battery product (or an EV altogether), but all EV owners are betting on the come with respect to the longevity of the technology.

You’re rolling the dice like I am considering the possibility a huge battery cost surprise is looming after 100K which you will get to much sooner than I will. The big question is when will replacement batteries be reasonably priced? Until there are licensed & approved 3rd party EV battery replacement shops Porsche can charge whatever they want to motivate you to trade in your Taycan at a huge loss.
It really comes down to how cheap you can buy a Taycan from a private or non-dealer source. If it’s low enough then you may be able to swallow an expensive battery replacement.
There is no data yet to show the durability of the Taycan outside of the main battery so with the miles you plan to drive (25K+/year) you will be one of the first on this forum to find out the cost to replace the front & rear drive units which I anticipate will be at least $10K to $15K but likely more.
When you add that to a battery costing as much as $57K then you’d have to get the car pretty cheap.
Once we know the prices on the batteries and rebuilt drive assembly rebuild/replacement costs are then it won’t be so scary. I’m only driving 4K to 6K miles max per year on my Taycan since I have 3 other vehicles I drive 5K to 10K per year as well. My Taycan is on permanent vacation so I can wait until people running theirs hard can report on the reliability & lifetime of everything from the main battery to the drive modules and electronics.
Good luck!

 

[Jonathan S.]

I like the inherent contradiction between predictions that Taycans will be worth almost nothing in the future vs predictions that Taycan batteries will continue to be extremely expensive in the future.

 

[Travis]

You’re rolling the dice like I am considering the possibility a huge battery cost surprise is looming after 100K which you will get to much sooner than I will. The big question is when will replacement batteries be reasonably priced? Until there are licensed & approved 3rd party EV battery replacement shops Porsche can charge whatever they want to motivate you to trade in your Taycan at a huge loss.
It really comes down to how cheap you can buy a Taycan from a private or non-dealer source. If it’s low enough then you may be able to swallow an expensive battery replacement.
There is no data yet to show the durability of the Taycan outside of the main battery so with the miles you plan to drive (25K+/year) you will be one of the first on this forum to find out the cost to replace the front & rear drive units which I anticipate will be at least $10K to $15K but likely more.
When you add that to a battery costing as much as $57K then you’d have to get the car pretty cheap.
Once we know the prices on the batteries and rebuilt drive assembly rebuild/replacement costs are then it won’t be so scary. I’m only driving 4K to 6K miles max per year on my Taycan since I have 3 other vehicles I drive 5K to 10K per year as well. My Taycan is on permanent vacation so I can wait until people running theirs hard can report on the reliability & lifetime of everything from the main battery to the drive modules and electronics.
Good luck!

This is a truly strange rationale. You are not going to drive your car so you can collect data on its reliability? It’s a car, not a piece of artwork or real estate that could be considered an investment. If you are this concerned about the depreciation from driving a car, you can’t afford the car. The fact that you have 3 other cars suggests that isn’t the case. Why buy a car to not use it in an attempt to slow its depreciation. Drive it like you stole it, enjoy it, make enough money to buy a new one when this one reaches the end of its life. These cars are so heavily depreciated already so if you took a Taycan with $150k MSRP and in 5 yrs one has 25,000 miles, and one has 125,000 miles, your probably talking about a $20,000 difference in value. That’s $333/mn of additional depreciation saved to NOT drive your car, compared to the lost value of using the car. I would reevaluate your position.

 

[zripp3]

You’re rolling the dice like I am considering the possibility a huge battery cost surprise is looming after 100K which you will get to much sooner than I will. The big question is when will replacement batteries be reasonably priced? Until there are licensed & approved 3rd party EV battery replacement shops Porsche can charge whatever they want to motivate you to trade in your Taycan at a huge loss.
It really comes down to how cheap you can buy a Taycan from a private or non-dealer source. If it’s low enough then you may be able to swallow an expensive battery replacement.
There is no data yet to show the durability of the Taycan outside of the main battery so with the miles you plan to drive (25K+/year) you will be one of the first on this forum to find out the cost to replace the front & rear drive units which I anticipate will be at least $10K to $15K but likely more.
When you add that to a battery costing as much as $57K then you’d have to get the car pretty cheap.
Once we know the prices on the batteries and rebuilt drive assembly rebuild/replacement costs are then it won’t be so scary. I’m only driving 4K to 6K miles max per year on my Taycan since I have 3 other vehicles I drive 5K to 10K per year as well. My Taycan is on permanent vacation so I can wait until people running theirs hard can report on the reliability & lifetime of everything from the main battery to the drive modules and electronics.
Good luck!

I've already got two trucks that live in my garage and only get driven 5,000/yr but neither of them cost me anywhere near Taycan money - and they're far simpler machines that have significantly appreciated in value since I've owned them...

Good for you to have the disposable cash to buy this kind of vehicle and leave it sitting until you know whether you can afford to replace the battery. That ain't us.

This thread has gotten a bit derailed from my original purpose, which I've now resolved. I appreciate everyone's input. There are plenty of other threads that compare/contrast the pros/cons of CPO. Thanks again.

 

[Gino]

I like the inherent contradiction between predictions that Taycans will be worth almost nothing in the future vs predictions that Taycan batteries will continue to be extremely expensive in the future.

It’s actually not a contradiction. If the battery prices at Porsche or at least licensed 3rd party battery repair/replacement don’t come down in price then it will have a very negative impact on resale values on the used market.
There is still no evidence of prices coming down on the Taycan batteries but I anticipate they will at some point. Porsche can’t be seen as selling vehicles which would have the potential cost of $50K to $60K on a car that cost $100K 8 years or 100K miles earlier.
I don’t expect most batteries will require replacement for at least 12+ years which is easily half the lifetime of an ICE motor and 2X to 3X the cost to rebuild an ICE motor. If Porsche can’t get a full battery replacement down to $25K to $30K with another 8 year warranty or 100K miles then they will be in the ballgame. If not, I already know several 3rd party Porsche repair shops looking to capitalize on battery repairs & replacements no different than engine & transmission rebuilds.
It’s just a matter of time but I’m hoping by 2030 there will be more options.

 

[Jonathan S.]

^ If predictions come true that Taycans will be worth almost nothing in the future, then Taycan batteries will be far less expensive in the future, since used Taycans will be worth more for parts.

 

[Gino]

This is a truly strange rationale. You are not going to drive your car so you can collect data on its reliability? It’s a car, not a piece of artwork or real estate that could be considered an investment. If you are this concerned about the depreciation from driving a car, you can’t afford the car. The fact that you have 3 other cars suggests that isn’t the case. Why buy a car to not use it in an attempt to slow its depreciation. Drive it like you stole it, enjoy it, make enough money to buy a new one when this one reaches the end of its life. These cars are so heavily depreciated already so if you took a Taycan with $150k MSRP and in 5 yrs one has 25,000 miles, and one has 125,000 miles, your probably talking about a $20,000 difference in value. That’s $333/mn of additional depreciation saved to NOT drive your car, compared to the lost value of using the car. I would reevaluate your position.

I don’t try to drive the Taycan less I just don’t have the time to drive it very often when I’m on a plane 250K miles a year with no sign of slowing down.
I just keep vehicles for a very long time and don’t get the full value & protection from any warranty but at least every one of my vehicles is low mileage and spotless. I could be really considered a collector so when I drop dead my wife will probably sell off all my vehicles & keep only one.
Until then my risk on vehicles is only with my Taycan but not until 2030. After that I expect Porsche will have figured out EVs even though my local dealer thinks I should trade it in before the warranties end to avoid crazy repair costs. They’re just doing their job to try to make another sale. I will probably buy another Porsche in the next year since my wife hates when I drive the Taycan & leave her with one of the 3 older vehicles so I’m leaning toward an ICE Porsche which I can use on trips as well as around town and she would be happy to use just as well as the Taycan. She loves the Taycan & hates to drive anything that’s not so it’s pretty clear I need to get another Porsche so the average miles we drive each vehicle will be 2500 to 3500 miles like my 21 year old Boxster that got t-boned totaled back in 2021 with only 42K on it. It was perfect inside & out. Not a single scratch, ding or dent.
I just may get another one of those but the ICE version since I miss having a convertible.
For me cars are not a depreciating asset because I never sell them. I just will enjoy every one of them until I’m dead.

 

[Gino]

I've already got two trucks that live in my garage and only get driven 5,000/yr but neither of them cost me anywhere near Taycan money - and they're far simpler machines that have significantly appreciated in value since I've owned them...

Good for you to have the disposable cash to buy this kind of vehicle and leave it sitting until you know whether you can afford to replace the battery. That ain't us.

This thread has gotten a bit derailed from my original purpose, which I've now resolved. I appreciate everyone's input. There are plenty of other threads that compare/contrast the pros/cons of CPO. Thanks again.

I am lucky I don’t worry about the value of my Taycan or worry about not driving it much but that’s because I’m old and will never retire which keeps me on a plane just about every week.
I envy you and others who are younger and can play with their toys more often than I can. When it comes to warranties I am at the point in my life that by the time my Taycan warrantees are expired I may be getting close to expiring as well. If I don’t die I will surely be less active and maybe fighting Alzheimer’s by then so I won’t actually care about any of my cars.
My philosophy is to work hard, play hard & enjoy every day as if it is your last.
I’m very lucky but not sure for how much longer…

 

[Travis]

I don’t try to drive the Taycan less I just don’t have the time to drive it very often when I’m on a plane 250K miles a year with no sign of slowing down.
I just keep vehicles for a very long time and don’t get the full value & protection from any warranty but at least every one of my vehicles is low mileage and spotless. I could be really considered a collector so when I drop dead my wife will probably sell off all my vehicles & keep only one.
Until then my risk on vehicles is only with my Taycan but not until 2030. After that I expect Porsche will have figured out EVs even though my local dealer thinks I should trade it in before the warranties end to avoid crazy repair costs. They’re just doing their job to try to make another sale. I will probably buy another Porsche in the next year since my wife hates when I drive the Taycan & leave her with one of the 3 older vehicles so I’m leaning toward an ICE Porsche which I can use on trips as well as around town and she would be happy to use just as well as the Taycan. She loves the Taycan & hates to drive anything that’s not so it’s pretty clear I need to get another Porsche so the average miles we drive each vehicle will be 2500 to 3500 miles like my 21 year old Boxster that got t-boned totaled back in 2021 with only 42K on it. It was perfect inside & out. Not a single scratch, ding or dent.
I just may get another one of those but the ICE version since I miss having a convertible.
For me cars are not a depreciating asset because I never sell them. I just will enjoy every one of them until I’m dead.

While I don’t know what your other cars are, but I would all but guarantee they are in fact depreciating assets whether or not you drive them. A Taycan is not a collectible car. The concept to “save miles” and depreciation on your existing cars is to buy a new ICE Porsche makes no sense. The depreciation driving a new car off the lot vs the minimal added depreciation to your existing cars from added mileage in addition to age is going to be much higher other than in very unique circumstances. Your logic doesn’t add up. Sorry to high jack the thread this was just confusing advice regarding CPO, hedging future battery cost, future Taycan devaluation. Talk about overcomplicating something that just isn’t that complicated.

 

[Gino]

^ If predictions come true that Taycans will be worth almost nothing in the future, then Taycan batteries will be far less expensive in the future, since used Taycans will be worth more for parts.

That could very well be true but I expect Porsche will try to find a happy medium to make battery replacement equivalent to engine replacement cost.
If their batteries would last at least 10-12 years & cost no more than $30K to replace then I could live with that since my vehicle will be otherwise perfect with easily less than 100K miles by that point. I’m expecting my battery will last far longer than 10-12 years with range at least 60% to 70% by that time so buying a fresh battery pack at that time would be a “no brainer” for me even if the car is only worth $10k-$15K by then (or less).
I do expect the mechanical components of the Taycan are every bit as good as my 21 year old Boxster which was bulletproof from a reliability standpoint. Then again it should have been with only 42K on it over 21 years.
I’ll be lucky if my wife & I put 100K on it after 15 years especially if I buy another ICE Porsche to go with it and our other 3 vehicles.

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