Things I hate about my Taycan

[feye]

Anyway, let s say that again, whoever designed the arm rest deserves a prize… every time I open it I wonder how on earth that thing got approval to be produced like that!!

Is it the same on the J1.2?

I never open it!

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[ct4s]

I wouldn’t even call it a charger. It just super heats the phone and doesn’t let it die.

My wireless phone charging hardware is being replaced this week under warranty.
Getting the car back next week and will update you if it's fixed or no different.

 

[slothinker]

No, I'm almost always in "A" mode unless I get flashed.

However, it's good to know that this is my problem and not something that annoys anyone else. (Certainly for the color blind it would be a problem, but I can't make that excuse.)

Following up ... I had a passenger watch the "A" mode while I was driving. When we approached a vehicle (or other shiny object) the high dropped as expected. However the color did not change from it's blue hue. Maybe this is unique to my car or to the model and year but there isn't any instrument panel indication that high beams are on or off. I don't necessarily hate this but it's annoying and also occasionally annoying oncoming cars because as good as it is, the automatic switching isn't perfect.

 

[whitex]

Following up ... I had a passenger watch the "A" mode while I was driving. When we approached a vehicle (or other shiny object) the high dropped as expected. However the color did not change from it's blue hue. Maybe this is unique to my car or to the model and year but there isn't any instrument panel indication that high beams are on or off. I don't necessarily hate this but it's annoying and also occasionally annoying oncoming cars because as good as it is, the automatic switching isn't perfect.

What year is your Taycan? Do you have Matrix headlights? While disabled in the US, maybe you got yours enabled (IIRC there was a batch of cars which went out with wrong firmware, there was a recall for that). With adjustable beam feature, that is exactly how they would be working.

Alternatively, in some recent update (whether OTA or dealer installed, my car was just there in January), there was something updated that causes my car to every once in a while to lose the high beam functionality - i.e. not even ability to flash them. Putting the car in Park and disabling automatic headlights and then enabling them again, fixes it. So far it happened twice in 2 months, first time was right after last service visit. Worth noting my car is moderately modified/recoded, so I attributed this to perhaps Porsche software being never tested on a configuration like mine, but it could indicate that there was some change in software recently around high beams (since I've had my car modified for a long time now, but this only started happening this year after most recent service visit).

 

[slothinker]

What year is your Taycan? Do you have Matrix headlights? While disabled in the US, maybe you got yours enabled (IIRC there was a batch of cars which went out with wrong firmware, there was a recall for that). With adjustable beam feature, that is exactly how they would be working.

Alternatively, in some recent update (whether OTA or dealer installed, my car was just there in January), there was something updated that causes my car to every once in a while to lose the high beam functionality - i.e. not even ability to flash them. Putting the car in Park and disabling automatic headlights and then enabling them again, fixes it. So far it happened twice in 2 months, first time was right after last service visit. Worth noting my car is moderately modified/recoded, so I attributed this to perhaps Porsche software being never tested on a configuration like mine, but it could indicate that there was some change in software recently around high beams (since I've had my car modified for a long time now, but this only started happening this year after most recent service visit).

My car is a '21 RWD. I don't believe I have Matrix headlights and haven't gotten a recall on that. Other than the instrument panel, I have no issues with adaptive headlights.

 

[SteveDC]

Not in mine over the last 2 years.
Never had to open a window, I was mildly concerned since a number of people attributed phone problems to their car having insulated glass on forums but for me never a problem. The A5 through Wales has a few poor spots but not worse than I have experienced with other cars.

I haven't tried the wireless charging.

Are you connected to Carplay when you have these problems?

I believe the car has a special antenna that engages when the phone is charging in the armrest, providing extra range. I read this somewhere about a year and a half ago. Either here or in the manual somewhere.
I’m in general agreement with most posts in this thread. I would like a more narrow and somewhat shorter car. Navigating inside commercial garages can be a real challenge with all that width. Same when trying to edge into a parking spot for charging and the guy in the next space over is close to the line.
But so much fun to ease this baby on down the road.

 

[I888I]

Whilst I absolutely love owning my Taycan and cannot think of an EV I would prefer, there are some absolutely shockingly bad annoyances, some of which I believe are still present in facelift.

Charging

Interior

Exterior

Other

Despite all these genuine annoyances I do love the car, it drives like nothing else I have tried and it looks amazing.

Anyone else agree/disagree with these?

Subject: Jimmy, Time to Break Up with Your Taycan?

Dear Jimmy,

It pains me to say this, but… I think it’s time. You and your Taycan? It’s just not working out. Maybe it’s time to see other brands?

Meanwhile, I’ve been happily cruising in my GTS, clocking in 50,000 km in just over a year with zero drama. Every drive still puts a grin on my face—yes, even now.

Let’s break it down:

• Charging? Plug & play, baby! Whether at home (22kW) or on the road with IONITY/FASTNET (up to 260kW), it’s smooth sailing—no stress, no sweat, no tears.

• Interior? Atacama beige and black Olea leather—pure class, a lounge on wheels. My Nine-Volt charger sits pretty in the first cup holder, working flawlessly. Armrest storage? Plenty, just not mid-drive acrobatics. The two rear bucket seats? Rarely used, but reportedly comfy. And the PCM? No distracting spaceship nonsense, just clean, intuitive controls.

• Cameras & Sensors? No drama. Loads of ways to use them, and the infrared camera is a lifesaver in foggy conditions.

So, while I’m floating on cloud nine with my Taycan, it sounds like you’re stuck in a bad relationship. And if a car doesn’t make you happy, what’s the point? Maybe it’s time to swipe left on Porsche and see what else is out there…

Just saying.

Cheers,

 

[Jimmyblanco]

Subject: Jimmy, Time to Break Up with Your Taycan?

Dear Jimmy,

It pains me to say this, but… I think it’s time. You and your Taycan? It’s just not working out. Maybe it’s time to see other brands?

Meanwhile, I’ve been happily cruising in my GTS, clocking in 50,000 km in just over a year with zero drama. Every drive still puts a grin on my face—yes, even now.

Let’s break it down:

• Charging? Plug & play, baby! Whether at home (22kW) or on the road with IONITY/FASTNET (up to 260kW), it’s smooth sailing—no stress, no sweat, no tears.

• Interior? Atacama beige and black Olea leather—pure class, a lounge on wheels. My Nine-Volt charger sits pretty in the first cup holder, working flawlessly. Armrest storage? Plenty, just not mid-drive acrobatics. The two rear bucket seats? Rarely used, but reportedly comfy. And the PCM? No distracting spaceship nonsense, just clean, intuitive controls.

• Cameras & Sensors? No drama. Loads of ways to use them, and the infrared camera is a lifesaver in foggy conditions.

So, while I’m floating on cloud nine with my Taycan, it sounds like you’re stuck in a bad relationship. And if a car doesn’t make you happy, what’s the point? Maybe it’s time to swipe left on Porsche and see what else is out there…

Just saying.

Cheers,

Dear I888I,
Thank you for your kind thoughts and concern about my relationship with my tremendous turbo!

I’m glad you’re happy in your relationship and delighted the car is flawless in your eyes!

As far as my relationship, it does look like you missed the main point as many have, best car I have owned (Porsche and other brands) but I think it’s fun to point out the silly design errors, some which have continued into the facelift.

What car would turn my head? None at the moment, perhaps the Taycan v2 whenever it’s released!

E-motoring sure seems to be emotional for folks! Hope your honeymoon period extends to many more 50k years! I’ve done about 40k in mine and they have been amazing, including the quirks!

 

[snstevens]

Were you not aware that you could test drive the car before you bought it? It certainly seems you would’ve been happier with some sort of Kia and we would have been happier not hearing your whiny complaints on the Taycan Forum.

While I don’t have any issues with charging or the back seat configuration, I tend to agree with the other OP observations.

That said, best car I’ve ever owned ?

 

[cometguy]

Cameras are positioned poorly and the view from them is what I imagine a fish with a swollen eye sees.

I think a fish with swollen eyes might see better than what these cameras show. It takes me 10x longer to back into spots with my Taycan because of the bad rear camera(s) than it does to back in my Volvo (with far superior cameras). No excuse for Porsche's bad cameras. The new Macan EV has better cameras, but not a lot better.

My negatives regarding the Taycan are a little different. (1) The center console storage area is perhaps the worst in the auto industry; the door and access are just dreadful. Porsche brilliantly designed one of the best center-console areas in the industry in the new Macan EV: great center-console storage bin under the armrest, better cupholders recessed down low so you can't knock into your cups accidentally, and a really nifty lower storage bin in front of the cupholders with a much better situation for placing and charging your phone. Why couldn't Porsche copy that great center-console design in the newly refreshed Taycan?

(2) I hate the Taycan's exterior door handles; Porsche corrected that mistake in the new Macan EV by putting regular door handles back. Why the extra complexity of electronic receding door handles, and extra cost, with something that can break or not work properly? It certainly doesn't reduce air drag by much (not as much as large wheels and roof glass do). Electronic door handles were a "solution" to a problem that didn't exist.

(3) One thing that Porsche made a mistake in the Macan EV was not correcting the mistake of frameless doors that we have in the Taycan. Structurally, frameless doors are less safe. Practically, they can cause problems if they don't retract properly when opening the door, and I find myself always reaching for the glass when pulling the door open (normally one reaches for the door frame surrounding the glass). Just bad design.

(4) I may be in the minority here (probably not amongst those Taycan owners who've had broken roof glass), but I dislike roof glass. Why do Europeans get to have an all-metal roof standard, but Americans can't choose? At least in the new Macan EV (where Americans must get the roof glass whether they want it or not), there's a closing cloth cover to cut out unwanted sunlightl. Roof glass adds weight (reducing range), unwanted sunlight, and cost; is prone to crack/break; is difficult to keep clean; and is less safe in terms of a rollover.

(5) I vastly prefer the physical switches for climate controls that Porsche wisely brought back in the Macan EV (to the haptic switches in the Taycan). But more importantly, nobody likes piano-black shiny, sun-glare-reflection-prone, fingerprint-prone surfaces on the interiors of cars. Porsche has that in all its current 4-door cars, sadly. It's one of the biggest complaints of car owners today, and it begs the question as to why automakers don't just make matte-black non-reflective surfaces standard inside all vehicles?

(6) the lack of dual sun visors for both front-seat occupants is bad -- not corrected in the Macan EV either, which also suffers from the single sun visor not going back far enough (and being unable to slide back) on the side window. Porsche has dual sun visors in the Cayenne, so why not in all of its 4-door vehicles???? I think this should be required by regulation to be standard in all vehicles, as solar glare is a huge safety issue responsible for many accidents.

(7) the frunk opening button on the key fob is annoying; I have accidentally opened the frunk more than once when pushing the lock button on my key fob. And, the Macan EV has a frunk that opens all the way when you push the button (vs. the Taycan, where it's a two-step process, with you having to fiddle with the frunk latch after unlocking the frunk).

(8) can't get heated windshield in Taycan (like you can in Cayenne and Macan); this is a great feature to have (clears windshield of frost, condensation, etc., faster than blown-air defrosters and without the noisy air blasting).

(9) no one-pedal driving.... This is one of the biggest complaints that Porsche gets about its BEVs (and it hasn't put it into its Macan EV, either). Porsche should put in the option so that drivers can use it if they want to (and don't have to if they don't want to). I even have one-pedal driving in my Volvo PHEV, and would like to see it in the Porsche PHEVs, as well. It's a great feature to have in stop-and-go traffic.

(10) electronic air vents; they did correct this in the Macan EV (where they went back to manual air vents).

And I haven't even mentioned the frustrations with the infotainment/instrument-panel software. ... It's ok, but I note that the maps, navigation voice controls, and digital displays are not as good as they were in Porsches five years ago, which is disappointing. My former Macan ICEV had a dial to zoom in and out quickly on the map, which is a great feature to have and one that I used often. That same old Macan also had a spare wheel/tire under the rear cargo area, which I did use once in 3 years; I wish that the Porsche BEVs were made with space in the frunk for a spare wheel/tire that owners could optionally request.

Also, "ct4s Bob" noted in this thread that Porsche should be reading comments here to get good design ideas from actual owners of their cars. I think that any automaker's CEO who doesn't have people dedicated to following owner forums online for direct input from their consumers should be fired; and, furthermore, they should have people responding to comments of owners (at least selectively), as members of each major forum. I have only seen this once or twice in a car forum, where an official from the automaker's HQ was present to engage the community in answering questions.

 

[f1eng]

(3) One thing that Porsche made a mistake in the Macan EV was not correcting the mistake of frameless doors that we have in the Taycan. Structurally, frameless doors are less safe. Practically, they can cause problems if they don't retract properly when opening the door, and I find myself always reaching for the glass when pulling the door open (normally one reaches for the door frame surrounding the glass). Just bad design.

It is impossible to produce attached flow along the side of a car using framed glass (or guttering) so these are a design choice for low drag, not "bad design".
Most people's comments are "me problems" relating to their taste and I am sure the companies take them into account but many (most?) owners won't have a technical clue why the engineering choices are made.

I don't like the centre console lid though, and can't think of a technical reason why it is so bad.

 

[snstevens]

I think a fish with swollen eyes might see better than what these cameras show. It takes me 10x longer to back into spots with my Taycan because of the bad rear camera(s) than it does to back in my Volvo (with far superior cameras). No excuse for Porsche's bad cameras. The new Macan EV has better cameras, but not a lot better.

My negatives regarding the Taycan are a little different. (1) The center console storage area is perhaps the worst in the auto industry; the door and access are just dreadful. Porsche brilliantly designed one of the best center-console areas in the industry in the new Macan EV: great center-console storage bin under the armrest, better cupholders recessed down low so you can't knock into your cups accidentally, and a really nifty lower storage bin in front of the cupholders with a much better situation for placing and charging your phone. Why couldn't Porsche copy that great center-console design in the newly refreshed Taycan?

(2) I hate the Taycan's exterior door handles; Porsche corrected that mistake in the new Macan EV by putting regular door handles back. Why the extra complexity of electronic receding door handles, and extra cost, with something that can break or not work properly? It certainly doesn't reduce air drag by much (not as much as large wheels and roof glass do). Electronic door handles were a "solution" to a problem that didn't exist.

(3) One thing that Porsche made a mistake in the Macan EV was not correcting the mistake of frameless doors that we have in the Taycan. Structurally, frameless doors are less safe. Practically, they can cause problems if they don't retract properly when opening the door, and I find myself always reaching for the glass when pulling the door open (normally one reaches for the door frame surrounding the glass). Just bad design.

(4) I may be in the minority here (probably not amongst those Taycan owners who've had broken roof glass), but I dislike roof glass. Why do Europeans get to have an all-metal roof standard, but Americans can't choose? At least in the new Macan EV (where Americans must get the roof glass whether they want it or not), there's a closing cloth cover to cut out unwanted sunlightl. Roof glass adds weight (reducing range), unwanted sunlight, and cost; is prone to crack/break; is difficult to keep clean; and is less safe in terms of a rollover.

(5) I vastly prefer the physical switches for climate controls that Porsche wisely brought back in the Macan EV (to the haptic switches in the Taycan). But more importantly, nobody likes piano-black shiny, sun-glare-reflection-prone, fingerprint-prone surfaces on the interiors of cars. Porsche has that in all its current 4-door cars, sadly. It's one of the biggest complaints of car owners today, and it begs the question as to why automakers don't just make matte-black non-reflective surfaces standard inside all vehicles?

(6) the lack of dual sun visors for both front-seat occupants is bad -- not corrected in the Macan EV either, which also suffers from the single sun visor not going back far enough (and being unable to slide back) on the side window. Porsche has dual sun visors in the Cayenne, so why not in all of its 4-door vehicles???? I think this should be required by regulation to be standard in all vehicles, as solar glare is a huge safety issue responsible for many accidents.

(7) the frunk opening button on the key fob is annoying; I have accidentally opened the frunk more than once when pushing the lock button on my key fob. And, the Macan EV has a frunk that opens all the way when you push the button (vs. the Taycan, where it's a two-step process, with you having to fiddle with the frunk latch after unlocking the frunk).

(8) can't get heated windshield in Taycan (like you can in Cayenne and Macan); this is a great feature to have (clears windshield of frost, condensation, etc., faster than blown-air defrosters and without the noisy air blasting).

(9) no one-pedal driving.... This is one of the biggest complaints that Porsche gets about its BEVs (and it hasn't put it into its Macan EV, either). Porsche should put in the option so that drivers can use it if they want to (and don't have to if they don't want to). I even have one-pedal driving in my Volvo PHEV, and would like to see it in the Porsche PHEVs, as well. It's a great feature to have in stop-and-go traffic.

(10) electronic air vents; they did correct this in the Macan EV (where they went back to manual air vents).

And I haven't even mentioned the frustrations with the infotainment/instrument-panel software. ... It's ok, but I note that the maps, navigation voice controls, and digital displays are not as good as they were in Porsches five years ago, which is disappointing. My former Macan ICEV had a dial to zoom in and out quickly on the map, which is a great feature to have and one that I used often. That same old Macan also had a spare wheel/tire under the rear cargo area, which I did use once in 3 years; I wish that the Porsche BEVs were made with space in the frunk for a spare wheel/tire that owners could optionally request.

Also, "ct4s Bob" noted in this thread that Porsche should be reading comments here to get good design ideas from actual owners of their cars. I think that any automaker's CEO who doesn't have people dedicated to following owner forums online for direct input from their consumers should be fired; and, furthermore, they should have people responding to comments of owners (at least selectively), as members of each major forum. I have only seen this once or twice in a car forum, where an official from the automaker's HQ was present to engage the community in answering questions.

Seems like some of these points are "user preference" items rather than an indictment of Porsche's design choices. I'm a 5 years owner of the Taycan (1 year of 2020 and 4 years of 2021), and here are my thoughts/preferences on the 10 items noted in case someone at Porsche decides to take user input ? --

1) Center Console - Agreed. Poor design that doesn't latch in the "Up" position. Also, the J1 I Taycan has a useless wireless phone charger.

2) Door Handles - Love that they retract, and love the smooth look.

3) Frameless Doors - Love them from the moment I got the car. It is super easy to clean the windows, and no one grabs glass to close the door in my family. Just wish they had somehow been able to implement the Mission-E concept with no B pillar ?

4) Glass Roof - Simply love the glass roof! The noise and thermal insulated glass makes it seem like it solid steel, and I don't ever have cabin heating/cooling issues. Also, the occasional passenger in the back has lots of head room and comments on the nice look.

5) Physical Switches - I'd like buttons on the rearview mirror for HomeLink, but otherwise I have no complaints. At one point Porsche littered the console area of a Panamera with buttons, and boy did I hate the look of that. Just dust collectors, and frankly most switches don't get used that much.

6) Extended Sun Visor - Agreed. This would be nice to have.

7) Frunk Opening - Not an issue for me.

8) Heated Windshield - Yep, good idea. Should be in J1 II, but apparently it is not.,

9) One Pedal Driving - Absolutely hate this! One of the reasons I got a Taycan vis-a-vis a Tesla (prior to knowing Musk was a Nazi of course) was I found one pedal driving to be an awful driving experience. I think Porsche came up with 3 solid options for the Taycan.

10) Electronic Air Vents - Love them. The Taycan has the best balanced interior heating/cooling of any car I've owned.

No Number) Cameras - Yep, I'd prefer cameras without as much fisheye effect. However, this is something I've gotten used to, and at times like the wide angle view when backing out of a parking spot.

No Number) PCM & OTA Updates - It would be great if there were a way to upgrade the entire PCM so that it was both more reliable in its startup AND would allow for OTA updates. Hell, I'd pay $2k-3k for that (Porsche - Are you reading this!!)


Like I said, most of this comes down to user preference, and that is always a moving target. I love that auto companies try new things.

I remember when the first automated window controls first came out. They were panned by so many as both safety and reliability issues. I don't think you can find a car with manual window cranks today.

 

[SergeyIndy]

@cometguy, sounds like Taycan is not a good fit for you with so many complaints with clear rationale behind all points. I totally get it, I liked so many things in my Acura TSX that were executed so perfectly by genius Japanese engineers that I wonder why other companies did not copy them, but life goes on and you learn to appreciate new designs. I learned to appreciate and work around some limitations of the Taycan and at present have nothing that escalates to your level of dissatisfaction, not to say that your points are not valid. You seem to like the Macan EV design, but it is an SUV after all and they had to please the masses with conventional vents and switch gear - more practical but not as spaceship cool as the Taycan. One thing, I would disagree with you is the Macan EV key redesign that deviates from all Porsches with the frunk, which makes you open the frunk all the time unintentionally using your other Porsches keys muscle memory.

 

[Murph7355]

....
I don't like the centre console lid though, and can't think of a technical reason why it is so bad.

It feels to me like it's in the wrong place - too far back.

 

[bn8959]

@cometguy, sounds like Taycan is not a good fit for you with so many complaints with clear rationale behind all points. I totally get it, I liked so many things in my Acura TSX that were executed so perfectly by genius Japanese engineers that I wonder why other companies did not copy them, but life goes on and you learn to appreciate new designs. I learned to appreciate and work around some limitations of the Taycan and at present have nothing that escalates to your level of dissatisfaction, not to say that your points are not valid. You seem to like the Macan EV design, but it is an SUV after all and they had to please the masses with conventional vents and switch gear - more practical but not as spaceship cool as the Taycan. One thing, I would disagree with you is the Macan EV key redesign that deviates from all Porsches with the frunk, which makes you open the frunk all the time unintentionally using your other Porsches keys muscle memory.

I was given a Macan EV loaner - first thing I immediately did, in the OPC car park with the service rep - open then frunk- marginally embarrassing- ‘oh, they’ve changed the order of the buttons’ they said ?

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