What's the best alternative to the Taycan?

[prj]

From newer cars that are coming out:

1. Polestar 5, but Polestar has it's share of problems and the dealer network isn't great.
2. AMG GT EV

Everything else is surely a downgrade. Maybe not on the reliability front, but on the driving dynamics. If the driving dynamics aren't the number one priority, then you can most likely shop around and find something from Geely or XPeng, that's going to be a much better EV, just not a better car.

To be honest it's really the AMG GT if it's not a flop.
As to what you can buy right now? There isn't anything similar. At least compared to the J1.2 with the PAR, which is why I bit the bullet and just went for the J1.2.

My Porsche dealer does not take longer than a couple days to look at my car though.

It still got a suspension fault with less than 200km on the clock from new, and the driver side window rattles when you hit the frequency just right.
Can't say the quality is great, but at least it's being fixed
The drive is just sublime as ever though, and it looks nice. Less nice after they butchered the front end, but still nice.

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[jk981]

@prj thoughts on the EV M3? How come that doesn’t make the list? I guess we don’t know much about it yet other than the quad motor layout.

 

[prj]

@prj thoughts on the EV M3? How come that doesn’t make the list? I guess we don’t know much about it yet other than the quad motor layout.

I think it's a bit too far away. The AMG GT is at least supposed to be coming out this year, but the BMW was somewhere in 2027 I thought.
I tried to limit it to cars you can either buy or are coming out shortly.

Btw the Zeekr (Geely) 7GT mentioned here seems pretty cool. It can never replace the Taycan, but I'm thinking about one as the second car in the family.

 

[babylou66]

Reliable, somewhat fun to drive and roomier than Taycan = Tesla Model 3 Performance

Lucid Air is now well sorted and somewhat fun and has amazing packaging. Maybe not available in UK?

Geely/Volvo/Zeekr/Polestar are terribly unreliable.

I'm waiting on my Cayenne EV order for my daily.

 

[69Mach390]

I feel like with some of the suggestions made on this thread people didn’t notice that “prestige” was on the wish list.

Likely won’t help on the reliability:service side, but the Lotus Eletre or Emeya would be a contender-

https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/lotus/emeya-saloon-2023/first-drive

 

[prj]

I feel like with some of the suggestions made on this thread people didn’t notice that “prestige” was on the wish list.

Likely won’t help on the reliability:service side, but the Lotus Eletre or Emeya would be a contender-

https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/lotus/emeya-saloon-2023/first-drive

That's also Geely though... So it's much the same like the Polestar and Zeekr.

 

[gnr3312]

The Zeekr looks like a Lincoln MKT. Pass.

 

[TehPenguin]

Isn't Audi ruled out since it shares much of the tech platform with the Taycan?
(And if Audi dealers are somehow able to fix cars quicker, why can't Porsche send some Taycans to them?)

Trust me, the Audi dealers are no better. Plenty folks on the Audi forums saying "well, if you paid the Porsche premium you'd get the premium service..."

 

[TehPenguin]

I feel like with some of the suggestions made on this thread people didn’t notice that “prestige” was on the wish list.

Likely won’t help on the reliability:service side, but the Lotus Eletre or Emeya would be a contender-

https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/lotus/emeya-saloon-2023/first-drive

If you're used to Porsche handling, you're going to be severely disappointed with the Emeya:

 

[69Mach390]

If you're used to Porsche handling, you're going to be severely disappointed with the Emeya:

I don’t think your description matches the review in the video.

Had to make it 25 minutes in for them to describe the handling. They said it was “responsive” but compared to the Etron GT RS it’s “not quite as good.”

That’s a long ways from “severely disappointed.”

Either way, it’s still worth considering based on the OPs criteria.

 

[sandjunkie]

There is no substitute.

 

[whitex]

Isn't Audi ruled out since it shares much of the tech platform with the Taycan?
(And if Audi dealers are somehow able to fix cars quicker, why can't Porsche send some Taycans to them?)

As a matter of fact in the past Porsche got priority on parts like heaters (for Taycan vs. eTron GT). Audi Techs use Porsche software for eTron GT maintenance. The situation is reversed with the Macan EV (which is an Audi platform, so Porsche techs have to use Audi tools, etc).

 

[TehPenguin]

I don’t think your description matches the review in the video.

Had to make it 25 minutes in for them to describe the handling. They said it was “responsive” but compared to the Etron GT RS it’s “not quite as good.”

That’s a long ways from “severely disappointed.”

Either way, it’s still worth considering based on the OPs criteria.

Yeah, sorry, wasn't in a place to link to the timecode. And "severely" is an exaggeration.

Keep in mind that was a J1 GT, so no PAR.

Its also worth watching the launches in that video, it was on a slippery road and the Emeya was squirrely whereas the GT was planted. Autotrader also had issues with launches, Rory had to stop because he was feeling sick, never had that happen before.

Maybe I'm just bitter because I was expecting a Lotus EV and they delivered a Chinese EV with Lotus badges instead.

 

[whitex]

that's the problem with this entire thread - the assertion that there is a viable alternative to the Taycan…there simply isn't - there are however acceptable compromise choices, but they are all a compromise - no question…

there is no alternative.

No car out there is problem free. I remember thinking that switching from Teslas to Porsche would mean a fully debugged and finished product (which is how I explained to myself why Porsche took so long to put out an EV). I was wrong. Taycan definitely drives better overall (some features require modding though to fix, like Porsche hiding max power behind launch control), but after over a decade with Model S'es and now 3 years with a Taycan, I just traded one set of problems for another.

I had a realization at one point. I liked the Model S but stayed with the them (bought 4 of them over a decade) because of the service Tesla used to provide to early adopters, and I left after their service went downhill once they hit the mass market with the Model 3 (and then Y). I am getting good service for my Taycan now, and that combined with me liking the car a lot, is likely to keep me with the Porsche brand, unless they ditch EVs from their lineup, or their service ends up going down in quality, or they jack their prices into the stratosphere, or... and this is a big one, someone else comes up with a car that excites me more (there isn't one out there now that I am aware of).

 

[daveo4EV]

the Porsche owner delima…

#1 do you wanna love the car when it's working
#2 do you wanna love the car when it's being serviced/repaired

pick one…

a lot of people optimize for #2 - they end up driving a crappy car because it doesn't ever need to be fixed - never mind that it's a crappy car - I prefer to like the car when it's working and tolerate the car when it needs some TLC…

I've owned a lot of cars over the years - and Porsche's since 2008 - there is no such thing as greener grass - only different landscaping choices but eventually you still find the crab grass and weeds…

my Porsche are sooooooo much better than the alternatives when they are working I will happily tolerate them when they aren't knowing that if we can get them repaired they will be back to good again…and when they are good, they are oh sooo good…

and if Porsche refuses to "make their cars good" again - well I've had some success getting them to work with me to achieve acceptable outcomes - sometimes at great expense to the Porsche organization - but I've either been made happy and moved on, or they eventually get the car back to working well enough that I'm happy again to keep the car…but it takes time and effort and is not for the faint of heart…

again returning to the two choices at the top of this posting…

pick one…

but if you think another brand is going to be "better" - well at the end of they day you can encounter situations with all of them where they will disappoint you and no one vendor is universally good or perfect or defect free.

why do you drive that crappy "[insert] midrange ho hum bland brand vehicle here] oh it's so great cause it never needs reparis and dealer service is great if I do need repairs. Do you like actually driving it? What do you mean, it's a car, there's nothing to like or dislike, it gets me from point a to point b and I don't have to worry about it…but do you enjoy driving it? I'm confused by your question…" - they've never owned/driven a good car nor would they recognize one even if it dropped in their lap…but it's great when it needs service so rarely, but they never actually enjoy driving it.

People who pride themselves on never buying a car as expensive as my Porsche's and wouldn't be caught dead believing paying more for something might mean it's actually better in some dimensions get into my cars all the time. And most of them comment - wow this is a nice car - and then follow up with the statement for hte record but I'd never be caught dead paying that much for a car - it's just stupid - but wow this is a nice car…they can not reconcile paying too much money for something that is better than average (and let's be clear we all pay too much money for our Porsches) - but their is nothing quite like them on the market…and once you know, experience, and understand the differences - it's oh so hard to go back and nothing else ever quite scratches the itch…

I'm reminded of this every time I'm in a rental car- even a "good" rental car…

Porsche's are too much money
sometimes Porsche's are too much frustration
sometimes Porsche will not make you happy and you just have to move on
sometimes Porsche simply will not acknowledge a mistake or defect
but rarely will you find something better or even equal at any price…

I believe this entire post, it's my opinion, it's my personal experience, and it's my curse…I'd jump at the chance to stop being a Porsche victim - if only I could find something that even comes close…

if you find it and it's truly better or even equal - let me know - I'll be next inline for your referral to your dealer - and I'll trade my Porsche's on the spot…

friendly bet you can't find it…but you can compromise for alternative product with a different set of trade offs…but then you're back to the two choices at the top of this posting.

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