Should I buy a used Taycan before the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve collapses?

[69Mach390]

These are used Taycan prices in the last few months. This’ll be small potatoes compared to what’s to come in the following months. We have:

- GCC finding out their oil infrastructure will take years to repair to get production up to pre-war levels. Current export levels are inflated by months of production that got held up in the strait.

- US finding out that you can’t just draw the strategic reserve down to zero or you’ll collapse the caverns. Which effectively halves the useable reserves, that are already at the lowest they’ve been since their creation.

- China halving their total oil imports, keeping prices down. What if they start buying again?

- US deciding that Iran’s gonna be the next forever war, despite Iran’s ability to control the strait.

giving us the perfect oil 9/11 which will probably lead to the next global recession. Come to think of it maybe that’ll push luxury EV prices down when rich people decide they need liquidity to snap up peoples’ homes at fire sale prices?

Like always the future is impossible to predict. But it almost never turns out as doom and gloom as the current headlines predict.

But as far as a recession goes, if you want to see about 5.6 trillion reasons the US isn’t on the verge of recession, Google “US household checkable deposits.”

Short version- US households have 5-6x as much cash sitting in bank accounts as we did in 2019. People may complain about high gas prices, but they can afford it o pay them for the foreseeable future.

The US also only gets about 7% of our oil through Hormuz. If things are prolonged we can ramp up production that we shut down in recent years (like in the Gulf of Mexico where it wasn’t worthwhile to drill when prices got too low).

In the end, who knows though? This is just one factor in a very complex global economy. And like you said, maybe a recession would drop prices of luxury products.

Either way, not much you can do about it and if you find a car you want to buy at a price you’re willing to pay……. Buy it. No real point trying to wait around guessing what may happen.

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[j.w.s]

Young professional in America with decent savings and no debt but an ICE car (paid off), should I buy a used Taycan ASAP before the strategic reserve collapses and used EV prices skyrocket? Can comfortably buy lowest spec high mileage Taycans in full but the ones with decent options will need financing.

Of course I could buy any other cheaper EV but I really like the Taycan.

Maybe there’s other things to be worrying about than buying an EV if the strategic reserve actually collapses?

"Buy an EV" (and charging at home) can be a good financial move - a great move if you also have Solar. And "buy a Porsche" can be a good lifestyle move. But "buy a Porsche for financial reasons" usually doesn't work out, sorry.

 

[snstevens]

Why thank you!!

September 30th, 2025 my warranty ran out. Prior to that time a friend had lowered the sun visor and it completely snapped. At that point the card 10,000 mi on it, after me complaining about it. It I got it covered even though it was considered wear and tear. (That would have been at least $900 for just the part I think plus labor .) I also had some weird software error (yellow) And took it into the dealership. They did a massive software download and the car was fine after that. That would have cost $1,000 if it had not been covered.

Then after September 30th, my heater went out last winter. Turns out that's covered under extended warranty!

If you're in the US and you want the cheapest rates, I put a recommendation somewhere in the forum of a Porsche dealership that offered excellent rates. I want to say she was in Austin, tx or maybe San Antonio. I want to say that the quote I was considering was about $4,800 for 4 years. Keep in mind I already have the extended battery warranty. Also wear and tear is not covered, so I figure, my main concern is a software issue. So I rolled the dice. I'm a lucky woman.

You're thinking of @kelliporsche

Check out this link for more info.

 

[MoniqueDenver]

As it happens, I was thinking of her coworker, Linda. In Sep 25 I reached out to several Porsche dealerships and Linda (and I presume Kelly) had the best rates.


Linda Villarreal

Finance Director

Porsche San Antonio

(210) 738-3499

(888) 316-1754 fax

Porsche San Antonio

11600 IH-10 West San Antonio, TX 78230

 

[WindOfTheDog]

The principal is that no one ever owns a car forever, so leasing versus ownership is when you account for depreciation cost. With ownership the moment you sell the car you realized (accounted for/booked) depreciation whereas leasing is the concept of booking depreciation upon every payment versus for ownership booking depreciation upon the sale.

Now with leasing there are other additional unique costs, for example you are technically also borrowing against an asset value so there is financing cost (interest/money factor), in addition to documentation fees. Obviously there are also lease specific conditions related to mileage vehicle upkeep etc. Sales tax is also unique as you're only paying the sales tax at a prorated amounts based on the total value of the use of the asset not the full value of asset. (Whereas in a purchase you pay taxes on the full value of the asset up front)

So what he is saying is the lease has a stated residual value which is the value of the car the depreciation is computed against during the lease term In many situations with EVs, the residual value is over estimated based on actual values of the car so therefore you are paying less depreciation in a lease and likely less overall costs when you consider all associated lease costs over ownership.

I myself chose ownership for only two reasons:
1. I was able to negotiate the price more advantageous for me such that I'm able to beat the lease residual

2. I have a 4-5 year ownership horizon.

Ace, to be clear, yours was a new vehicle? And then you asked about leasing it, and they told you the residual value? You compared the apple to Apple of one car as a buy versus lease?

Young professional in America with decent savings and no debt but an ICE car (paid off), should I buy a used Taycan ASAP before the strategic reserve collapses and used EV prices skyrocket? Can comfortably buy lowest spec high mileage Taycans in full but the ones with decent options will need financing.

Of course I could buy any other cheaper EV but I really like the Taycan.

Maybe there’s other things to be worrying about than buying an EV if the strategic reserve actually collapses?
[/
Bob sez:
Although I appreciate this forum I take it with a grain of salt just like I take chat with a grain of salt. Chat helped me buy my Taycan and get what I wanted. Even gave opinions when I put in a Vin for a particular vehicle.

1. ChatGPT said:
   Probably not because of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Those are two fairly separate decisions.
   Here's how I'd think about it:
   • The SPR is unlikely to "collapse" in the senseof suddenly making gasoline unavailable. The reserve has been drawn down and replenished at different times over the decades. Even if inventories became very low, the more likely effects would be increased vulnerability to supply disruptions and potentially higher or more volatile oil prices—not an immediate breakdown of fuel availability.
   • A used electric vehicle like a Porsche Taycan isn't a direct hedge against SPR levels.Electricity prices and gasoline prices arerelated only indirectly. If oil prices spike, charging an EV is often still cheaper thanfueling a comparable gasoline performance car, but electricity prices have their owndrivers.
   The bigger question is whether a used Taycanis the right purchase on its own merits.
   Pros:
   • Depreciation has been steep, so usedexamples can be much better values than new.
   • Excellent performance and driving dynamics.
   • Low routine maintenance compared with manyluxury gasoline cars.
   Cons:
   • Battery degradation and charging performance should be evaluated carefully.
   • Out-of-warranty repairs can be expensive.
   • Insurance, tires, and brakes are costly.
   • Resale values may continue to soften as newer EVs enter the market.
   If your concern is energy security, a few alternatives may make more sense than rushing to buy because of the SPR:
   1. Buy the vehicle that best fits your long-termneeds and budget.
   2. If you choose an EV, ensure you have reliablehome charging if possible.
   3. Maintain some flexibility (e.g., don't stretchyour finances based on a prediction about oil markets).
   So unless you already wanted a Taycan, I wouldn't use fears about the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as the deciding factor. If you areshopping for one, the better questions are:
   • Can you charge at home?
   • Which model year and battery size are you considering?
   • Are you comfortable with luxury EV ownership costs after the warranty expires?
   If you tell me your budget (for example, $45k, $60k, or $80k) and annual mileage, I can help you judge whether a used Taycan is likely to be a good buy for your situation

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