i7 or Taycan

[pookiemalibu]

Ok, so I’m thinking about adding an i7 to the stable. Currently in a ‘21 X5MC lease that ends early next year. I think I want to keep it as it appears to be the last full petrol V8 X5M and it's a hell of a lot of fun.

That said, like others, I’ve been cross shopping a few EVs and with the aesthetics of the i7 really growing on me of late I want to start the arduous first task of researching, building and waiting for a new car. Presently, it’s basically been narrowed down to the i7 and a Taycan. Our Porsche SA is offering a Taycan S at MSRP. Haven’t seen too many data points for the i7 besides one lucky fellow who pulled 7% off in the Tri-State area. Porsche lease rates suck so +1 to BMWFS. As for the best of the rest: the Lucid Air look like George Jetson's Buick, the Rivian is fresh out of a Tron remake and I can't stand the thought of making Elon Musk any richer (read: dumber) by purchasing a Tesla.

So a few questions for the group:

1.) Which model: If I go w the i7, should I get the 50 or the 60 (70 seems stupid, might as well go Taycan Turbo for that kind of coin)? The consensus among the Taycan owners at TaycanForum is to go w the Taycan S w the bigger battery.

2.) Cashmere inlays/cloth seats vs. full merino leather: Looked at some pics of the press car w the smoke white seats and I saw what appeared to be denim bleeding into them already. Being a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy, so I’m concerned thst my preferred color choice may prove to be more trouble than it’s worth.

3.) Theatre Screen: such a cool add-on. Nothing like it anywhere. Worth $5K? Does anyone have one that can add some insight?

4.) Is the i7 eligible for the $7500 EV credit? The Taycan is, but not sure about the i7.

5.) Lead time on ordering: What is the experience here? The X5MC was about 3-4 months at the "height of the pandemic". Anyone experiencing delays?

6.) Rear Executive Seating: Highly doubt I'll be pulling a Kendall Roy and listening to Beastie Boys before a director's meeting. Also have kids, which make this seem even more impractical. Though I'll probably do the theatre screen, the rest just doesn't justify the added price.

Anything else, feel free to chime in...

[rollingtaser]

i evaluated porsche against bmw...

the thing is that it's not really comparable - the porsche is a sports car, the BMW not...

i decided against the porsche for two reasons:
1) impractical for daily use
2) drives too precisely, no fun at reasonable speeds (vs. the BMW that is not to meant to have fun with).

for your poll: it's difficult to answer, it depend's on what you want.
tesla is like an electric dacia on steroids and in no way comparable to the BMW.
i voted for the BMW but considering a more balanced and general approach the lucid air would be the best choice

[evanevery]

Actually, I'm trading in my Taycan Turbo S for an i7 M70... I'm done with Porsche...

They are completely different vehicles though so I would consider your primary goal: Performance or Comfort?

I've had a complete main battery replacement on my Taycan. I've had the A/C completely fail twice now. The big issue, though, is the completely brainless ergonomics on the user interface in the Taycan. Their #1 goal was to eliminate any/all buttons on the console - but they completely screwed up the user interface in the process. They could fix it via software but they haven't. (Go read my "Dear Porsche" threads on the taycanforum.com). If I saw a fancy "Porsche Designed" toaster in a department store - I would want to check if it actually could make toast...

Sour grapes: Porsche also refuses to sell me any of the vehicles I want (ie. a 992 GT3 RS to replace my M4 track car) so I'm pretty much done with that brand! I stuck my toe in the water with the Taycan and am not happy with how chilly the water is...

Additionally, I took delivery of an iXM60 last summer and find the car to be much more thoughtfully designed (from a user interface perspective) than the Porsche...

[TXSchnee]

If you want a sports sedan go with the Porsche, if you want a luxury sedan go with the i7. I traded my iX M60 in after 2 months, phantom braking, tons of issues with iDrive 8 and extremely uncomfortable seats. I have a ‘23 Taycan Cross Turismo 4S and love it. The i7 fixes a lot of the issues with the iX (iDrive and Seats) but not all of them. Both are expensive vehicles that will depreciate like a rock.

[pookiemalibu]

Originally Posted by evanevery

Actually, I'm trading in my Taycan Turbo S for an i7 M70... I'm done with Porsche...

They are completely different vehicles though so I would consider your primary goal: Performance or Comfort?

I've had a complete main battery replacement on my Taycan. I've had the A/C completely fail twice now. The big issue, though, is the completely brainless ergonomics on the user interface in the Taycan. Their #1 goal was to eliminate any/all buttons on the console - but they completely screwed up the user interface in the process. They could fix it via software but they haven't. (Go read my "Dear Porsche" threads on the taycanforum.com). If I saw a fancy "Porsche Designed" toaster in a department store - I would want to check if it actually could make toast...

Sour grapes: Porsche also refuses to sell me any of the vehicles I want (ie. a 992 GT3 RS to replace my M4 track car) so I'm pretty much done with that brand! I stuck my toe in the water with the Taycan and am not happy with how chilly the water is...

Additionally, I took delivery of an iXM60 last summer and find the car to be much more thoughtfully designed (from a user interface perspective) than the Porsche...

Yikes! A buddy of mine who is super into cars (actually bought two Ferraris in the same day) said the quality control issues w/ regard to electronics were horrible for the Taycan. Didn't believe him initially, but reading about it definitely makes me wary.

I find the sour grapes hilarious. The way they dangle allocations is bordering on being criminal. I read all the Rennlist threads about ADMs (never heard of that prior to buying a Porsche) and having to trade all your cars back to the same dealer -- often at a loss -- to get allocations for the GT cars was a completely absurd. That said, we did miraculously move up the chain on the 992 GT3 list when we bought my wife's car (the wait went from 18-24 months to 12 months). The Cult of Porsche is strong. It's kind of a turnoff, but it also makes you appreciate it more once you get the vehicle...sort of.

Now as for an RS, those things are asking $150K ADM's on top of the $250K-$300K sticker which is insane. I don't track cars, so it would be a garage queen and for that kind of coin I'd rather just get on the Ferrari SF90/F8 train. The RS just doesn't justify the price for me. Maybe if I could get my hands on one with a Tribute Package I would sell some of my spare organs and Legos to afford it, but the juice doesn't seem worth the squeeze in my income bracket. But I agree, they need to stop w/ the allocation/ADM games and just sell cars.

[pookiemalibu]

Originally Posted by rollingtaser

i evaluated porsche against bmw...

the thing is that it's not really comparable - the porsche is a sports car, the BMW not...

i decided against the porsche for two reasons:
1) impractical for daily use
2) drives too precisely, no fun at reasonable speeds (vs. the BMW that is not to meant to have fun with).

for your poll: it's difficult to answer, it depend's on what you want.
tesla is like an electric dacia on steroids and in no way comparable to the BMW.
i voted for the BMW but considering a more balanced and general approach the lucid air would be the best choice

I agree. The 7-series has always had a certain Succession-like subtly to it. Stealth wealth. You could be an average Joe (me) or a billionaire and not show it. Porsche has a bit more flare to it. For example, the MSRP on my wife's Macan S is $40K+ less than the MSRP of my X5MC, but when people hear she drives a Porsche, the reaction is different. Not sure why. But it's there.

Had to google Dacia. Please explain...lol

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

If you want a sports sedan go with the Porsche, if you want a luxury sedan go with the i7. I traded my iX M60 in after 2 months, phantom braking, tons of issues with iDrive 8 and extremely uncomfortable seats. I have a ‘23 Taycan Cross Turismo 4S and love it. The i7 fixes a lot of the issues with the iX (iDrive and Seats) but not all of them. Both are expensive vehicles that will depreciate like a rock.

Probably more luxury oriented. If I keep the X5MC then I've got the mid life crisis rocket ship covered. Need something that wife and I can (comfortably) haul the kids around in throughout the state. It doesn't have to hit 60 in under 4 seconds. Would be nice, but not a deal breaker.

Haven't looked at the Taycan CT. Any pics you care to share? They look cool on the configurator, not sure how I feel about getting down into a car though. How's the ride height/getting in and out? Also, did they get you on the payment? We leased and the lease rates are insane. Granted both cars are used primarily for business so the deduction (sort of) justifies the expense (rather drive it than give it to uncle sam), but when I price out a Taycan CT the monthly is easily $2K (I only lease cars).

[evanevery]

Originally Posted by pookiemalibu

...How's the ride height/getting in and out?...

My wife thinks the Taycan is similarly as hard to get in/out as our i8. (Yikes!) Not sure I agree, but she won't drive it (or the i8). If I "borrow" her iXM60 for the day then she has nothing to drive...

...at least with the i7 M70, I think she would drive it. It's easy to get in/out and it has the same basic iDrive interface as her iXM60...

[TXSchnee]

Here are some pics. The Cross Turismo sits about 20mm taller than the sedan, closer to normal sedan height. The B pillar is annoying to navigate if you are taller (I am 5’8”) but wasn’t a deal breaker. I have the 18 was Sport Seats and they are very comfortable. The rear seat has almost 4” more headroom and a bit more leg room as well. For around town, 1-2 hour drives, my 13 year old has been fine (she is just 1” shorter than I am). I paid MSRP for mine, $0 for allocation waiting list and $0 once order froze, nothing required to purchase on the dealership side. Was my second ordered car at my dealership, went on waiting list beginning of 2022, when ADMs were still common.

[pookiemalibu]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

Here are some pics. The Cross Turismo sits about 20mm taller than the sedan, closer to normal sedan height. The B pillar is annoying to navigate if you are taller (I am 5’8”) but wasn’t a deal breaker. I have the 18 was Sport Seats and they are very comfortable. The rear seat has almost 4” more headroom and a bit more leg room as well. For around town, 1-2 hour drives, my 13 year old has been fine (she is just 1” shorter than I am). I paid MSRP for mine, $0 for allocation waiting list and $0 once order froze, nothing required to purchase on the dealership side. Was my second ordered car at my dealership, went on waiting list beginning of 2022, when ADMs were still common.

Check your PMs.

Awesome looking car! Love the green. Looks like new money! My SA says no wait, I can get the car pretty quickly, but I've found a pretty reasonable dealer who doesn't seem to play games. They did bump up the money factor, but I made it clear I knew what they were doing and that it was part of the "game" to play to (a) reduce the ADM and (b) jump up the GT3 allocation list. Both well worth it in my mind.

Here's the problem: I'm 6'5" and if you're having issues at 5'8" with the B-Pillar (which I had to google I admit), I'm definitely gonna end up needing a knee replacement and I suspect I'll need an ice pack for bumping my head all the time. Being that tall, do you think I'd be comfortable?

The other alternative is the Taycan for Mrs. Malibu and trading in my X5MC for the i7. But I just love the damn X5MC so much that it's gonna be hard to part with (first true ///M car and all, custom to my spec) even switching the LCI would be tough. I either want full electric or full petrol.

[petercnj]

I just went through the same process. I evaluated numerous EVs and narrowed my options down to the Taycan and i7. Taycan drives great, but like a sports car with limited interior space. Just didn't think it would work for me as daily. Plus I only lease and 4S was around $2,500 and the GTS around $2,800 (MSRP and $7,500 rebate). And these two configs didn't have a crazy amount of options.

I ended up with a i7 - frozen deep grey with almost every option ($146,895 MSRP). I leased and got the $7,500 rebate plus around 7% discount.

[petercnj]

One other point - my wife has a 23 X5MC and we'll be rotating to mix up between gas and electric.

[pookiemalibu]

Originally Posted by petercnj

I just went through the same process. I evaluated numerous EVs and narrowed my options down to the Taycan and i7. Taycan drives great, but like a sports car with limited interior space. Just didn't think it would work for me as daily. Plus I only lease and 4S was around $2,500 and the GTS around $2,800 (MSRP and $7,500 rebate). And these two configs didn't have a crazy amount of options.

I ended up with a i7 - frozen deep grey with almost every option ($146,895 MSRP). I leased and got the $7,500 rebate plus around 7% discount.

Love to see some pics. What leather option? The cashmere inlays look great if you don't ever wear jeans or a fabric that bleeds.

[frankchn]

Went from a Taycan Turbo S to an i7 xDrive 60. I have a 911 for the fun drives, so I didn't need the performance/handling of the Taycan.

[hufington]

Someone mentioned that Porsche has cheapened material quality while increasing prices in '24 models in comparison to the '23 ones.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8JnHXn2/

[mattsrs]

Originally Posted by hufington

Someone mentioned that Porsche has cheapened material quality while increasing prices in '24 models in comparison to the '23 ones.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8JnHXn2/

They for sure did. I had a 22 Cayenne and recently sat in a 24 Cayenne. It definitely felt more platici and less solid. Looks cool and modern with more screens etc but I am sure the BOM is cheaper for Porsche. BMW is doing the same! If you get past G70 tech, IMHO they have cheaped out on the cabin material. Part of the door handles that house window switches is a massive piece of plastic. The light bar is all plastic and there are many other examples of cutting corners. All manufacturers keep giving us less for more $ and still wow us with giant screens in the dash

[TXSchnee]

Originally Posted by pookiemalibu

Check your PMs.

Awesome looking car! Love the green. Looks like new money! My SA says no wait, I can get the car pretty quickly, but I've found a pretty reasonable dealer who doesn't seem to play games. They did bump up the money factor, but I made it clear I knew what they were doing and that it was part of the "game" to play to (a) reduce the ADM and (b) jump up the GT3 allocation list. Both well worth it in my mind.

Here's the problem: I'm 6'5" and if you're having issues at 5'8" with the B-Pillar (which I had to google I admit), I'm definitely gonna end up needing a knee replacement and I suspect I'll need an ice pack for bumping my head all the time. Being that tall, do you think I'd be comfortable?

The other alternative is the Taycan for Mrs. Malibu and trading in my X5MC for the i7. But I just love the damn X5MC so much that it's gonna be hard to part with (first true ///M car and all, custom to my spec) even switching the LCI would be tough. I either want full electric or full petrol.

The green is Mamba Green Metallic, which was removed as an option on the ‘24, best non PTS color in my opinion. I got used to the B pillar after a few days, so getting in and out isn’t really an issue anymore, however since you are much taller than me or my husband (he is 5’11”) you would want to try a loaner for a day or two to see if you could live with it. I didn’t lease, and as far as I know, for my dealer any GT or special edition vehicle depends more on number of Porsches you have bought, plus return business with them. I have 2 kids, so outside of a 911 C4S we aren’t considering spending on a GT car. I will pm you back when I get a chance.

[pookiemalibu]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

The green is Mamba Green Metallic, which was removed as an option on the ‘24, best non PTS color in my opinion. I got used to the B pillar after a few days, so getting in and out isn’t really an issue anymore, however since you are much taller than me or my husband (he is 5’11”) you would want to try a loaner for a day or two to see if you could live with it. I didn’t lease, and as far as I know, for my dealer any GT or special edition vehicle depends more on number of Porsches you have bought, plus return business with them. I have 2 kids, so outside of a 911 C4S we aren’t considering spending on a GT car. I will pm you back when I get a chance.

Yea the PTS option is just exorbitant. I pretty much buy white or black cars. Mostly white cars. Pollen is too much of problem these days for black cars. I haven't gotten down into a car in a while so it would be a new experience. Our P-Car dealer here is the only game in town and don't have many cars on the lot, so I'd have to test drive it. We have two kids also, but my wife kinda wants a GT car as well. Our dealer is either ADM or history. At this point we may just pay the damn ADM and move on if we truly want to the car.

Thanks for your reply!

[evanevery]

You shouldn't have to pay ADM on a Taycan. (I didn't) Some dealers actually have them on the lot.

Pretty sure the only P-Cars which demand ADM are the 911 variants...

[pookiemalibu]

Originally Posted by evanevery

You shouldn't have to pay ADM on a Taycan. (I didn't) Some dealers actually have them on the lot.

Pretty sure the only P-Cars which demand ADM are the 911 variants...

No ADM on the Taycan, Macan or Cayenne so far. The GT3, SC and Dakar are the only one's I've been told have an ADM at my dealer. Probably applies to the higher end 718's/Boxster as well. I think Targa models may have a small ADM as well.

[Laguna Beach]

I’m in your boat at 6’5” also. Shorter legs taller torso so tougher to fit in cars. I really wanted the Taycan until I sat in it compared to the i7. Night and day. If you drive any distance at all Taycan will get tiring. However it handles like a slot car. A childish grin on my face the whole test drive but getting in and out was less than graceful and not without pain.
I7 is a perfect fit for me but also for an EV set up. Serene, smooth and effortless for a luxury sedan. With Taycan it feels like it’ll be boring after a while and zero luxury. Fit and finish is tight but austere and somewhat hard surfaces. Sports cars are supposed to feel visceral. Noise, gears turbos etc. Taycan is just nothing. Neck breaking but really not engaging like an ICE. Coming from an M6 they feel like polar opposites but it’s time for me to go luxury, quiet and, refined. 760 is lighter and faster by 800 lbs and .5 secs than i7 but the EV just feels so good. Never thought I’d say that or get an EV anytime soon. I7 changed my mind very quickly. In sport it is actually pretty darn good around the bends too. Certainly better than the last 7 I had which was a 2001 e38. Loved that car.

[petercnj]

pookiemalibu Attached are pictures of my i7 - frozen grey exterior with black interior. I'm having the ceramic pro installed and will post better pictures next week when I get car back.