Used Porsche Taycan (2019 - )

We awarded the Porsche Taycan high marks when we tested the car as new at launch, but we wanted to revisit the model and see just how well it performed with a few thousand miles under its belt.

With that in mind, we borrowed an 18-month old Taycan from the Porsche press garage with almost 11.5k miles on the clock. Now, that might not sound like a particularly high mileage figure, but this was a press car and that meant motoring journalists up and down the country had been putting this vehicle to the test with very little consideration given towards the battery’s longevity. 

It's fair to say they were very hard miles, so we wanted to explore how well the battery was holding up and also features such as the interior, upholstery and infotainment set-up.

The four-door Porsche Taycan is without doubt a head turner that will attract admiring glances wherever it passes. And although our test car was 18-months old it didn’t show a single sign of aging.

Boasting stunning Frozen Berry Metallic paintwork with 20-inch Taycan Turbo wheels, high gloss black window trims and privacy glass, along with gorgeous curves and lines, the Taycan looks as good now as the day it first graced the roads.

And the interior is just as impressive. Admittedly, that ‘new car’ smell had gone, but the Blackberry leather upholstery was in perfect condition. 

There is an infotainment touchscreen where the navigation settings, smartphone connection, audio and car settings are located along with a number of other features. And below this is a separate screen for all the climate settings. 

But the main focal point is the 16.8-inch curved screen behind the steering wheel with up to five configurable views. This is where all the vital data such as speed, charge levels, range etc can be clearly viewed.

Everything is perfectly positioned for ease of use and comfort levels are exceptionally good thanks to supportive sport seats with eight-way powered settings. It’s worth remembering the Taycan’s driving position derived from the iconic 911 so all high expectations are easily met.

Our Porsche Taycan was powered by the more powerful 93.4kWh battery thanks to the addition of a Performance Battery Plus feature costing an extra £4,049. This not only increases the battery capacity, but also the car’s range, performance and the speed of charging.

With 476hp and 357Nm, the Taycan can power its way to 62mph from a standing start in 5.4 seconds and maxes out at 143mph. It features a two-speed transmission and there are drive modes called Range (which limits the top speed to 80mph), Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Normal Individual.

When we set off, the battery was charged to 99 per cent with a driving range of 189 miles showing. But this figure can instantly be dismissed as it is based on recent driving activity and we knew the car had completed an exceptionally long motorway run before charging.

The figure that was most important to us was the starting mileage of 11,407 miles on the clock. Over the next two hours, we tested the Taycan in a variety of settings ranging from busy town centres, motorways and twisting B roads to get a proper experience of day-to-day ownership.

We completed a total of 75 miles during the drive and used 25 per cent of the battery capacity. If you take those figures into account then this car has a driving range of 300 miles per charge – the official figure is 302 miles.

And it’s worth considering we were driving the car in August so started with the air con on its coolest settings, but by the time we returned the seat heaters were activated. So, in all honesty, we were hardly trying to conserve the battery range.

As for the performance, the Taycan was just as rewarding to drive now as it was at launch. The handling is exceptional and the balance through tight corners is perfectly poised with confident levels of grip throughout.

The Porsche Taycan is a beautifully styled four-door sports saloon that stretches 4,963mm in length, is 1,966mm across (with mirrors folded), 1,394mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,900mm.

With such dynamic looks you would expect the interior space to be cramped, but the Porsche designers have very cleverly utilised every inch of cabin space. This has resulted in a practically thought-out cockpit with all controls and readouts perfectly positioned for driver useability. 

Up front two six footers can stretch out in absolute comfort and, in the back, there is Porsche’s 4+1 layout with two ‘proper’ seats and a smaller space in the middle – this is a £336 option. A couple of adults can sit comfortably enough over a lengthy journey provided the front seats are not pushed too far back. 

That third seat in the back is only really suitable for youngsters and they won’t be too happy to be put there.

Beneath the bonnet is a storage space for up to 84 litres of kit, which is ideal to store away the charging cables. The boot can swallow 407 litres, but that 4+1 seating option means the car features 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats as opposed to 60:40 ones, and the seats can be dropped flat to open up even more space.

In addition, there is a locking glovebox, a central armrest with a cubby beneath and two deep cup holders. A further two cupholders can be found in the rear of the car and there are decent-sized door pockets throughout.

With fast charging available, a 5 to 80 per cent battery boost can be completed in 22.5 seconds.

Our 18-month old Taycan cost £72,850 when it was sold new, but even back then the wealth of options took the price up to £86,235 with the Performance Battery Plus accounting for £4,049 of the extra cost.

Today’s car is priced at £79,200 without any options, so if the same add-ons were factored in, the vehicle would be very close to the £100k mark.

With the Porsche Taycan producing zero carbon emissions, it benefits from a number of Government-led incentives, including free road tax and the exemption from Congestion Charge and low emission zone fees. In addition, owners are not penalised for buying a car costing in excess of £40k like owners of traditional ICE models. 

However, these encouraging financial bonuses will all be changing in 2025 as the Government begins to claw back money from EV drivers.

But, for now at least, this vehicle is still an attractive car for business owners with an excellent Benefit in Kind tax rating of just two per cent. 

In all honesty, we expected the Taycan to be showing some signs of wear and tear, but there was nothing of note no matter how closely we looked. The upholstery was in pristine condition. The handling was just as sharp as we remembered and that battery is simply first class.

The Taycan comes with an eight-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty and it can undergo a state of health check-up, but only if a customer believes there may be an issue. To date, no checks have been deemed necessary.

And with the figures we were seeing during our test drive, it seems this battery will run and run still delivering peak performance without the slightest hint of trouble.