A Used Porsche Taycan EV Is A Screaming Deal
As Porsche’s bold foray into the EV world, the Taycan is a well-built high-performance sedan that just happens to be electric. In fact, the Taycan is unabashed in its electric status—so much so that the highest-end models feature the ‘Turbo’ moniker inscribed across the rear trunk. Its driving experience, build quality, and range (we’ll get to that later) are top-notch, but there’s an issue: new, it costs a small ransom when new.
But there’s a strategy to get around that $91,000 entry-level price, and that’s buying one used. Assuming the perspective of a prospective used car buyer, Porsche Taycans have become bargains, relatively speaking. While new Taycan buyers might go overboard in the buffet of options, these additional features don’t necessarily translate to proportionately higher used prices.
For instance, a 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo with 18,100 miles sold on Cars And Bids last month. Despite having an original MSRP of $191,900, the next owner picked it up for $100,000—47.8% depreciation in just over three years of ownership.
A different 2020 Taycan Turbo on the site with 22,800 miles had a similar significant price reduction. With an original MSRP of $175,250, the used example only retained $89,000 of its original value—a 49.2% reduction in value.
Your choices get even better on Cars.com. Here’s one with just 20,747 miles for $66,500 or a 4S with under 30,000 miles for $68,995. Not bad, all things considered.
While higher-trim level cars typically lose more money than lower-trim ones, there are still deals to be had with entry-level Taycans. The rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive 4S Taycans are now available from the upper-$60,000 price range.
While they’re still expensive, they are vastly cheaper than when they were new. But should you venture out and buy one of these?
Porsche Taycan: The Specs
To secure a solid deal, buyers must consider the various trim levels. And for the Taycan, there’s a lot—all of which can rapidly change in price. In 2021, the Porsche Taycan RWD started at $81,250 and the Turbo S started at $188,900. Yes, for a slightly larger battery pack and more powerful electric motors, buyers would have to set aside $107,650, more than double the price of a Tesla Model Y Performance ($52,490).
- Taycan RWD Performance Battery: 79.2kWh battery and up to 402 horsepower
- Taycan RWD Performance Battery Plus: 93.4kWh battery and up to 469 horsepower
- Taycan 4S Performance Battery: 79.2kWh battery and up to 522 horsepower
- Taycan 4S Performance Battery Plus: 93.4kWh battery and up to 562 horsepower
- Taycan GTS: 93.4kWh battery and up to 590 horsepower
- Taycan Turbo: 93.4kWh battery and up to 670 horsepower
- Taycan Turbo S: 93.4kWh battery and up to 750 horsepower
It’s important to note that Porsche did not introduce the rear-drive Taycan variants until the 2021 model year and the GTS didn’t release until 2022. This affects their used pricing, which will generally stay in this structure.
- Taycan RWD: starting in the upper $60,000s
- Taycan 4S: starting at $70,000
- Taycan Turbo: starting in the upper $80,000s
- Taycan Turbo S: starting at $110,000
- Taycan GTS: starting at $120,000
Since Porsche loves creating a sometimes unnecessary number of trims, there is another Taycan series called the Turismo. The Turismo lineup offers a hatchback design with more storage space. The Turismos began shipping for the 2022 model year, and since they’re relatively new, they are not easy to find.
- Taycan 4 Cross Turismo 4: 93.4kWh battery and up to 469 horsepower
- Taycan 4S Cross Turismo: 93.4kWh battery and up to 562 horsepower
- Taycan GTS Sport Turismo: 93.4kWh battery and up to 590 horsepower
- Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo: 93.4kWh battery and up to 670 horsepower
- Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo: 93.4kWh battery and up to 750 horsepower
The Turismo series is intriguing as it offers the 93.4kWh Performance Battery Plus option as standard and all models come with AWD. If practicality and light offroading (driving over gravel) is your style, the Turismo might be your best bet. Though, they’re quite pricey now as they just haven’t been out on the market that long yet.
- Taycan 4 Cross Turismo 4: starting in the low $80,000s
- Taycan 4S Cross Turismo: starting at $110,000
- Taycan GTS Sport Turismo: no data available
- Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo: starting in the mid-$140,000s
- Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo: starting at around $150,000
Incredible All-Around Performance
The elephant in the room with the Porsche Taycan is its poor range estimates. Depending on specification, most Taycans have EPA-rated range estimates in the low 200-mile arena. Compared to other EVs, such as the Tesla Model S Plaid’s 348-mile estimate (with 21-inch wheels), the Taycan just doesn’t appear to compete. However, the EPA’s figures don’t say everything. In real-world driving, the Taycan’s range is genuinely impressive.
In our 70-mile-per-hour range test, the 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid achieved 300 miles in real-world conditions. This was a 12.0 percent reduction from its 348-mile EPA rating and the Plaid secured 3.3 miles per kilowatt-hour. Under similar testing conditions, we experimented with a 2023 Porsche Taycan RWD (Performance Battery Plus), with an EPA rating of 225 miles. The Taycan secured 3.66 miles per kilowatt-hour, achieving a total range of 305 miles. In other words, the Taycan went 35.8 percent further than its EPA estimate.
With that said, range is actually one of the Taycan’s strong suits. Plus, when it comes time to attend to a low battery, the Taycan’s 800V architecture allows for incredibly rapid charging, so long as it’s on an ~800V charger. The sleek sports sedan can accept up to 270 kilowatts of power, which delivers a 5 to 80 percent charge time in just over 22 minutes.
Regarding on-road performance, the Taycan is more a less a Porsche that happens to have an electric powertrain. With excellent driving dynamics and plenty of power, especially in the 4S and higher versions, Porsche’s DNA flows throughout the vehicle.
That said, there are some electro-specific negatives. One of which is the lack of a true one-pedal driving experience, a feature that Volkswagen has a vendetta against. Then again, when carving through the canyons, drivers probably won’t have one-pedal driving on their minds.
Should You Buy One?
For those wanting a Taycan to presumably add to the stable, there are several things to note. Despite being an EV (requiring little maintenance in theory), this is Porsche’s first fully electric vehicle. Acknowledging this, there just isn’t any long-term data on the cars, and most are still within their four-year or 50,000-mile basic warranty periods. The Taycan has an optional air suspension and many bells and whistles that may not last the life of the car. Simply put, despite having a simple powertrain, it’s still a luxury car.
Considering this, it’s best to secure a Taycan that still has some of its four-year 50,000-mile warranty remaining. Even with several months remaining, it can give new owners the chance to notice any abnormalities that could warrant a service appointment. But there’s another option: buying certified pre-owned. While trending more towards the $75,000 mark and above, there are Taycans available that come with an additional (and substantial) two-year unlimited mile warranty on top of the already remaining basic warranty.
Since the CPO adds to the balance of the four-year, there are some examples that come with a longer warranty period than they did new. Even with two years, most concerns should be minimized. It’s just important to note that at the end of the day, it is a Porsche. If anything does go wrong, it won’t be cheap to fix, so tread with caution. Beyond the basic warranty, all Taycans come with an eight-year or 100,000-mile battery warranty.
Verdict
At around $70,000 or less, a used Porsche Taycan is now at a more digestible price point. Its brand pedigree and avant-garde 800V technical underpinnings make the Taycan an incredibly fascinating EV. Especially when compared to other electric offerings, the Porsche Taycan exudes an exotic presence in a landscape of abstruse aero designs.
But the Taycan isn’t for everyone. It’s still expensive and long-term reliability is up in the air. But if you can secure a certified Taycan for a reasonable price, it might be the move.
Will its badge of prestige captivate you to make the purchase?
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