2023 Porsche Taycan

Porsche’s Taycan all-electric sedan made waves years before it was launched as a production model, turning heads at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show as the Mission E concept. It hit the market for the 2020 model year to considerable fanfare and quickly became Porsche’s best-selling car in Europe, despite a high price tag and less range than Tesla and other rivals. Buyers were won over by its awe-inspiring all-wheel-drive handling and bulletproof (and cutting-edge) electric powertrain, to say nothing of its eye-catching exterior design and forward-looking interior. 

Porsche has rolled out additional Taycan variants since then, including the base rear-wheel drive version, a trio of wagons, and a performance-oriented GTS model. For 2023, the Taycan lineup gets small but meaningful tweaks, including enhanced thermal management of the battery and better charging management, a revised powertrain strategy, wireless Android Auto capability, integrated Spotify connectivity and subtle updates to the user interface and icons in the infotainment system. Porsche’s continued enhancements of the Taycan lineup are well-founded, as more competitors are joining the luxury sedan fray on a regular basis. The Tesla Model S has always been the car the Taycan is most often compared to, despite the Tesla’s more grand touring sensibilities versus the Porsche’s four-door sports car ethos. Lucid’s Air and Mercedes’ EQS have also launched recently, and BMW’s i7 is due soon, though all three of those track more closely to the Tesla than the Porsche, since like the Model S, they promise better range, more interior space, and more luxury amenities than the Taycan. To that end, Audi’s e-tron, which shares the Taycan’s platform, is probably the closest rival to the Porsche in terms of priorities.

The Taycan is the driver’s EV, rivals be damned. The unmatched (and intangible) handling qualities set the Porsche apart from anything else on the market and illustrate why this smaller, less-plush, (sometimes) more expensive and shorter-ranged sedan can look the Model S in the eye without blinking. Whether it’s the rear-wheel-drive Taycan base model, the volume-selling 4S version, the jack-of-all-trades GTS iteration or the running-against-the-laws-of-physics Turbo and Turbo S models (to say nothing of the marginally more practically Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo wagon versions), there’s a Taycan for everyone. 

Everyone, that is, who has a bank account with between $88,000 and $192,000 in it, before selecting from Porsche’s lengthy and costly à la carte options menu. While the Taycan may not be able to match its competitors’ interior space or swankiness, true sybarites will find plenty about the Taycan to keep them happy. The build quality is unparalleled among its peers, the tech edge from the trio (or quartet) of screens mixes nicely with soft leathers and supportive seats, and road and wind noise are non-existent. Plus, the Taycan has eye-catching style for days, provided the driver is after that. 

Unfortunately, the Taycan adheres to Porsche’s maddening options setup, wherein buyers must add to their already pricey vehicle amenities that they’re likely expecting, including tech and safety features that should be standard fare on such a price tag. So budget extra for things like lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, power-folding mirrors or a reasonable sound system.

Performance: 14/15

The base Taycan is a rear-wheel-drive sedan with 321 horsepower in regular driving, with 402 horsepower on tap using the car’s “Overboost” feature for short periods. Torque maxes out at 254 pound-feet. This car has a 79.2 kWh battery as standard and a single electric motor. Range is 200 miles per the EPA; an optional larger 93.4 kWh battery brings range to 225 miles. All Taycan models have a unique two-speed automatic transmission.

Next in line is the all-wheel-drive (and dual-motor) Taycan 4 Cross Turismo wagon with 375 hp (with 469 using the Overboost feature). It features a larger 93.4 kWh battery. Range is 215 miles. The Taycan 4S adds more power to mix for 429 hp (522 with Overboost), dual motors, and either 199 miles of EPA range (79.2 kWh battery) or 227 miles of range (93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus).

For performance-minded buyers who don’t want to step up to a Turbo model, Porsche has you covered with the latest addition to the Taycan lineup: the all-wheel-drive Taycan GTS sedan and Sport Turismo wagon. These models bump power up to 509 hp (590 using Overboost) and add a variety of trim and suspension tuning upgrades. 

The Taycan Turbo sedan and Cross Turismo models take things further with 616 horsepower (670 using Overboost). They have 212 and 204 miles of range, respectively, per the EPA. Finally, the Taycan Turbo S sedan and Cross Turismo models have 616 horsepower (750 using Overboost).  They have 201 and 202 miles of range, respectively, per the EPA. 

Steering feedback is sublime and lends a feeling of direct communication with the road that the Model S can’t replicate. The Taycan 4S also feels lighter than its 4,773-pound curb weight suggests.

The only complaint about the car’s handling would be the brakes: The pedal didn’t have the even, linear feel you’d hope for on a performance car of any ilk. Instead, it felt overly synthetic, though drivers will adapt to its feel over time.

Range, Energy Use & Charging: 10/15

The Taycan 4S with the Performance Plus battery is rated by the EPA at 227 miles of driving on a single charge. Real-world driving reveals closer to 240 miles on a single charge, and the Taycan excels at providing an incredibly accurate estimate of the vehicle’s range. Many EVs still struggle to accurately predict how many miles of range the car has, fluctuations based on the current driving scenario. Not so in the Taycan.

The Taycan’s 800-volt architecture means it can charge from 5% battery to 80% in as little as 23 minutes, provided it’s plugged into a DC fast charger. Normal DC charging (a 50 kW station) will fill up the battery from 5 to 80% in 93 minutes.

Unfortunately, the Taycan’s range lags considerably behind the Model S (405 miles) and the Lucid Air Dream (471 miles). Like the Taycan, Lucid’s Air has an 800-volt setup, allowing ultra-fast charging. Tesla’s Model S does not have such a setup and isn’t expected to switch to one in the near future. 

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 8/15

The Taycan has not been evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for crashworthiness. The Taycan did receive a five out of five-star rating from the Euro NCAP. Standard active safety features on the Taycan include lane keep assist and front and rear parking sensors.

Other active safety features often standard on vehicles costing tens of thousands of dollars less than the Taycan must be added as options. These include adaptive cruise control ($2,050), lane change assist ($950) and a 360-degree parking camera ($1,200).

Comfort & Room: 9/15

The Taycan seats four people (compared to most sedans that seat five) and while the interior looks small if you’re standing outside the car, the levels of comfort inside are impressive. Not only can you fit a rear-facing car seat in the back without pushing the front passenger’s seat into the dashboard, but taller passengers also fit in the rear seats without discomfort. 

One key option to consider is the glass roof, which opens up the Taycan’s cabin and helps it feel more spacious. Nevertheless, if interior space is essential in your luxury electric sedan, the Taycan will come up short against the EQS, Model S and Lucid Air. 

The seats themselves were fantastic: firm without being hard and very well bolstered so as to aptly keep you in place during spirited driving. 

 Infotainment: 11/15

The Taycan’s interior is centered around a trio of screens that display and control the car’s functions. The driver has a 16.8-inch curved screen for the instrument panel, flanked by a small collection of physical buttons. 

Drivers can configure this display in a variety of ways, including a full-map setup with the navigation system; audio controls, trip computer, ADAS function and performance data can all be displayed. 

Then there’s the main 10.9-inch infotainment screen at the center of the dashboard, below which sits a 8.4-inch digital screen to control many of the infotainment and climate control functions. This lower screen supplants most physical buttons inside the Taycan’s cabin, and to good effect. As an added bonus, the screen has a slight haptic feedback that confirms you’ve properly hit the control you’re after.

For another $1,100, Taycan buyers can add a fourth screen, set in the dashboard in front of the front passenger. This 10.9-inch unit allows the passenger to control many of the navigation and audio functions of the car. For 2023, Porsche added wireless Android Auto connectivity, in addition to the existing wireless Apple CarPlay system the Taycan comes with. 

The Taycan also has a pair of USB-C ports in the front of the cabin and a second set in the rear seats. There’s also wireless smartphone charging in the center console between the two front seats.

Cargo Space & Storage: 7/15

As one might imagine when looking at it, cargo space is not the Taycan’s strong suit; not even the wagon models offer decent cargo space, so plan (and pack) accordingly. The Taycan sedan offers 2.9 cubic-feet of storage space in the front trunk and 14.3 cubic-feet in the trunk. The Cross Turismo and Sport Turismo wagon models bump that rear cargo space up to 15.8 cubic-feet. 

Those figures are dwarfed by the Model S, which, according to its owner manual, has 3.1 cubic-feet in the frunk and 25 cubes in the trunk (remember that the Model S is a hatchback, so it will inherently have more space). 

Style & Design: 10/10

Porsche made waves in 2015 when it revealed the Mission E, a sleek, four-door concept that supposedly hinted at Porsche’s future electric plans. Four short years later, Porsche revealed the production Taycan as a 2020 model. It turns out the Mission E was far more than a hint; it was a near-production ready Taycan hiding in plain sight. 

Not only is the Taycan unmistakably forward-looking, but it’s one of the more unique designs on the road. No one will mistake this car for anything else, which is the kind of statement you want to make when spending north of $100,000 on a car. That’s a good thing, considering the company the Taycan keeps. The Tesla Model S has aged better than most anything else on the road today and the Lucid Air flaunts another unique sedan aesthetic. 

Inside, the Taycan oozes with stout build quality and Germanic attention to detail. While Tesla and other EV newcomers may struggle to match their more established counterparts’ levels of construction, Porsche is leading the way, not only with this Taycan but with everything else in its lineup.

Is the 2023 Porsche Taycan Worth it? Which Taycan is the Best Value? 

No Taycan is cheap, and unfortunately many features and amenities that are often standard (even on cars that cost half as much as this Porsche) must be added. Thus, any Taycan model’s base price quickly balloons upward with even modest options added. 

But with a little discipline at the dealership, a base rear-wheel-drive Taycan ($86,700), or a lightly optioned 4 Cross Turismo or 4S ($107,950) will still give you all of the flash and nearly all of the thrills as the higher-end models, but with a savings of tens of thousands of dollars. 

The savvy-buy is the 4 Cross Turismo ($99,150 for 469 horsepower and the much-appreciated extra cargo space) with either the Technology Package ($5,300 for that fourth interior screen, a head-up display, remote park assist, lane change assist and adaptive cruise control) or the Premium Package ($5,930 for 14-way power seats that are ventilated, lane-change assist, a 360-degree parking camera, power-folding mirrors and Porsche’s fancy Dynamic Lighting System). 

Or grab a $135,000 GTS sedan, which offers a Turbo-like fun quotient (plus the Turbo’s rear motor and power inverter), 590 horsepower, the best drag coefficient of the entire Taycan family, unique suspension and powertrain calibrations and sportier front bumpers. 

The 4S sedan and wagon variants are as much performance as most people will ever want or need, so don’t feel compelled to pay up for a Turbo model. Not only does it have neck-snapping acceleration (zero-to-60 mph happens in 3.8 seconds, according to Porsche, but their figures are often conservative), but the handling on this model is where the car earns its Porsche crest and sets itself apart from its more-powerful competitors. 

The Taycan feels very much like a $100,000 vehicle; the doors close with a resounding thud, the wind and road noise is non-existent and harsh potholes barely register when you hit them dead-on.  

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the 2023 Porsche Taycan?

The Taycan is an expensive car to insure, but so are its peers. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium between $3,814 to $6,534, depending on which version, though this averages all 50 states. A Lucid Air owner might pay around $4,000 (or more) per year, while the Tesla Model S Plaid is $5,468 and the sedan Audi RS e-tron is $5,939. For a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.