Zander Drives Cars

Purist brands often have the hardest time adapting to new changes. More specifically, purist brand fans have the hardest time adapting to new changes. Every time a brand like Porsche releases a car that isn’t a new generation of 911, the internet goes ablaze about how everyone has “lost their ways,” or something like that. So, about two years ago when Porsche announced their new electric car, the Taycan, you can guess what happened next. Listen, to all you skeptics out there, I can assure you that Porsche hasn’t “gone down the rabbit hole.” The Taycan is worthy of its Porsche badge.

There are three different flavors of Taycan: The Taycan sedan, the Taycan Turismo, and the Taycan Cross Turismo. I drove the 3rd. The Cross Turismo is, in all honesty, an offroad wagon. Offroad wagons are a huge niche in the automotive world. They combine the practicality of a wagon, with the ruggedness of an SUV. Personally, I think it looks great. The cladding on the sides makes it look more capable than it really is, and the lifted ride height mixed with the large rims also suits this car rather well. Aside from that, the overall look of the Taycan is one that I don’t find offensive at all. It’s subtle but just flashy enough to garner a second look on the road. Also, it’s a wagon: need I say more? Look at that behind. Practical and sexy.

Like all Porsches, the interior is as solid as you can get. Even in this base model everything in here feels and looks great. No plastics, no rattling, no loose fitments. The design of the Taycans interior is very modern without being overwhelming to the senses. That being said, there were some things that I wasn’t a huge fan of. The first of them is the air vents. They look very good and I appreciate how they were designed to feel integrated into the dashboard, but they aren’t manually adjustable. Not as in “you have to control them via the screens,” but as in they physically don’t move. This makes it super challenging to control airflow in the car and creates heat dead zones. The second thing I wasn’t a fan of was the rear legroom. I’m 6’2, and the rear legroom is very, very tight. I know that not everyone will have this issue, but if your tall friend has one of these, always aim for the shotgun. Also, speaking of the backseat, the missing middle seat makes spreading out uncomfortable, as your thighs just keep hitting the plastic in the middle of the bench.

Like most high-priced modern cars, most functions of the Taycan are controlled via screens. Specifically, the lower control screen under the main screen. A lot of screens here. I know the stigma around these types of screens is to immediately write them off as useless, but as far as these things go, the unit on the Taycan works quite well, and I had no trouble with the touch controls at all. You can control your seats, climate, and even some functions from the upper screen from here.

As for the main infotainment screen, it is also quite a good unit to use. the icons are large and well-placed and it isn’t difficult to find your way around the UI. It has all your main functions, as well as your vehicle settings, all of which aren’t complicated to figure out.

The driver’s screen on the Taycan is where I found most of my issues. Before we get to that, however, let’s start with the good. The Taycan’s screen is nice and large and very configurable. You can see everything from tire pressure to average speed, what song is playing, and even what the current speed limit is. I particularly like the map feature and will always advocate for any VW product that has it.

Alright: the bad. Here’s the deal: I have no issue with haptic controls. I know that is a controversial statement, but I haven’t understood the hate. The haptic controls on the Taycan would be a great example of controls I don’t hate, but their location is on the side of the display screen. They control the ride height, traction control, and regenerative braking. While you can control all of these functions from the aforementioned lower control screen, it is annoying that their main placement is so annoying.

Even though this Taycan 4 is essentially a base model, you still do get quite a bit of stuff. This particular car has heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate controls, wireless CarPlay and wired Android Auto, Bluetooth, a Bose Soundsystem, rain-sensing wipers, lane-departure warning system, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic brake assist, and a top-view 360 camera.

Because this is a Porsche, you can spend varying amounts of money adding all kinds of equipment to this car, but there isn’t much else that you can add that would make this car any more comfortable. Maybe a wireless charger, but this base model has everything that you would really need. Although I do need to point out the lack of USB-C ports, for a $107,000 car, not having one is a bit of a surprise.

The Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo (try saying that four times) is powered by an 83.7 kwh battery producing 375hp and 386-lb ft of torque, sending power to all four wheels. 0-60 is 4.8 seconds, and it has a top speed of 137 mph. The range isn’t great, conflicting numbers say everything from 215 miles to 235 miles. Both of these seem equally correct yet equally disappointing considering the high price of this car.

That being said, the limited time you’ll have with the Cross Turismo will be fun. Even though this is a very heavy car, it carries its weight very well. This car definitely drives like a Porsche. It handles much better than expected, and while not perfect, gives you the illusion of driving a lighter and smaller car than you really are. Ride comfort is also pretty good, with the car handling rougher asphalt surprisingly well. As for acceleration, there isn’t a lot of mid-range speed, but like all Porsches, the more money you spend, the faster you go. Overall, this can and will hit that sporty itch you will have if you buy one.

I’m conflicted with this car. For one, I think this is a very solid product. It looks great, has excellent build quality, and drives great. But, the range, especially at this price point, is disappointing. If you have the chance to drive one, do it, it won’t disappoint you, but if you’re looking for a cross-country road trip machine, this isn’t your best bet. If you buy one, which I’m not saying you shouldn’t, just know your limits. With that in mind, you’ll enjoy it.

Huge thank you to Skylar and Mike from Porsche Hunt Valley for letting me come down and drive this Taycan. Porshce Hunt Valley recently moved locations and now has a brand new, two-story dealership that any Porshce or non-Porshce enthusiast would be impressed by. I highly recommend stopping by! Click here to view their site.