Over the last 70 years, Porsche has racked up some of the most storied achievements in motorsports history while building paradigm-shifting vehicles for consumers. So perhaps it should come as little surprise that its first venture into a purely electric vehicle wouldn’t be half-hearted. 

The four-seat Taycan debuted in 2020 to intense anticipation. Comparisons to Tesla’s Model S began the moment the Mission E concept version of the Taycan appeared at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show and will likely continue as long as both models are extant.

The 2021 Porsche Taycan doesn’t offer as much range as electrified competitors, but offers a high-performance driving experience unmatched by rivals. Porsche

But this binary comparison of the two ignores the fact that they’re very different vehicles. The Taycan isn’t so much a Model S competitor as it is the perfect combination of Porsche’s iconic 911 sports car, its larger Panamera sedan and electrification. Where it trails the Model S in range, efficiency, price and acceleration times, it excels in powertrain durability, dynamic handling and flawless build quality.

While the Model S is a beast in straight-line acceleration (and the new Plaid model even more so), the Taycan prefers the curves. That’s not to say the Taycan is anywhere near a lightweight: the 4S weighs in at a cool 4,954 pounds, about 1,500 pounds more than Porsche’s current 911 4S. 

But the magic of the Taycan is how well it hides its weight as it hustles through mountain passes or cloverleaf onramp sections. The Model S is heavy, but everything about the Taycan–the steering feel, the nuances of the road, the feedback from the tires–says this car is far lighter than what the scales say. 

Another high-speed trick is the Taycan’s two-speed transmission. Every rival in the segment (at the time of this writing, at least) have a single-speed gearbox. Adding a second gear to an EV adds the same benefits more gears bring to gas-powered vehicles: better efficiency at high speeds and improved acceleration at low speeds. 

In addition to this win-win proposition, the gear-change ability also makes the Taycan feel like a traditional gas car when the gears change. It’s a visceral piece of feedback that’s both intensely satisfying and skilled at distracting from the powertrain’s true source of energy. 

Also unique to the Taycan is its unrivaled ability to successfully predict the batteries’ remaining range of power. It is able to accurately account for driving style and environment to estimate remaining range. This helps reduce vestigial range anxiety born out of other EVs’ inability to convey actual miles leftover, not just the optimistic version.  

 The Taycan’s exterior design is both striking and understated, a difficult combination to pull off. The rear end seen here is particularly sleek, highlighted by the horizontal light signature that it shares with a variety of other Porsche models.  Porsche

The rest of the Taycan 4S’s driving experience is straightforward and comfortable. It’s an eminently capable road-trip car, thanks to its near-silent cabin and laundry list of features and amenities to keep its occupants engaged and refreshed. 

The base rear-wheel-drive Taycan starts at $84,050, including a $1,350 destination fee, but before any incentives or rebates. This version has a a 79.2-kWh battery that powers a single motor and delivers 321 horsepower (402 horsepower on overboost with Launch Control Mode) and 254 pound-feet of torque. It can travel an estimated 200 miles on a single charge.

Adding the larger 93.4 kWh battery is an extra $5,780. The “Performance Battery Plus” ups available horsepower to 375 (469 on overboost) and torque to 263 pound-feet. Total range is 225 miles.

The all-wheel-drive 4S starts at $105,510 with destination. Its primary upgrade over the base model is a second motor in the front that works with the rear motor to drive all four wheels (as Porsche’s long-standing nomenclature rules dictate, the ‘4’ means it’s all-wheel-drive while the ‘S’ denotes that it’s a step above the base model). The standard 4S comes with a 79.2 kWh battery and 199 miles of range. Output on the 4S increases to 429 horsepower (522 on overboost) and 472 pound-feet of torque and range drops to 199 miles. It also adds an adaptive air suspension.

The Performance Battery Plus package on the 4S costs $5,570 and ups range to 227 miles of range, which is the most range in the entire lineup. Max horsepower with the 93.4-kWh battery is 482 (562 on overboost) and torque is 479 pound-feet. Porsche says when equipped with the larger battery, the Taycan 4S can move from zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds in Launch Control Mode. Others have reported even faster times.

Nineteen-inch alloy wheels as well as black or white exterior paint and a choice of partial leather black, dark grey or a combo of black and limestone are standard. An expanded palette of exterior color is available and range from $800 for colors such as Frozen Blue Metallic to $3,150 for Carmine Red. Upgraded seat surface range from $4,130 to $7,140. A vegan option (“Race-Tex”) is available in a handful of colors for $4,700.

Other standard amenities include: eight-way power seats that are heated up front, a slick 16.8-inch curved digital instrument panel, a touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto as well as a 10-speaker audio system. There are two USB-C ports in the center console and two in the rear. The 60/40-splitting rear-seat backrest also have a folding center armrest.

The Taycan’s interior has some of the best build quality in the industry and features a tech-heavy setup with plenty of touchscreens. That includes the optional front passenger screen seen here, a $1,130 option.  Porsche

The list of standard advanced driver-assistance safety technology is short, and as such it affects the Forbes Wheels overall safety rating. Standard safety tech includes a pre-collision warning and braking (“Warn and Brake Assist”), lane-keep assist and parking sensors on the rear and front. Other safety tech is available as part of add-on packages.

The Premium Package ($7,310) buys a panoramic glass roof, LED headlights, a Bose audio system, seat ventilation, ambient lighting as well as Lane Change Assist and a 360-degree camera. The Premium Package on the 4S ($7,400) adds LEX matrix headlamp with automatic headlights (“Dynamic Light System Plus”) and 14-way power seats. Lane Change Assist a la carte is $950 or can be paired with Remote Park Assist for $2,250. On its own a 360-camera costs $1,200.

A Technology Package ($5,300) adds a passenger display, a head-up display, Remote Parking Assist and adaptive cruise control. ACC on its own casts $2,050, and when paired with lane keeping assistance costs $3,610 (this combination costs $2,050 on the 4S). Porsche InnoDrive ($3,610) combines adaptive cruise control with GPS and navigation data and lane-keeping assistance for a semi-autonomous driving experience that helps fight driver fatigue (and frustration) on long road trips or while slogging through traffic.

A Burmester 3D premium audio system can be added for $7,000 on either trim.

A Performance Package is available on the 4S ($6,430) and adds features such as rear-axel power steering, dynamic chassis control, torque vectoring and a Porsche “Sport Sound.”

All of these items add up and push the out-of-pocket price north of $100,000 quickly, especially when equipping the Taycan with safety features that should be standard on luxury vehicles whether gas or battery powered. It’s also stiff in comparison to Tesla’s latest Model S Plaid, which comes loaded and starts a tick under $130,000 before any incentives.

Most Taycan models are four-seaters, though a fifth center seat in the rear (pictured here) can be optioned. No matter the number of seats, the Taycan’s interior is surprisingly spacious, though it still will feel tight to those used to the Model S.  Porsche

After these two versions come a set of Taycan Turbo variants—the Turbo and Turbo S. Consider the ‘Turbo’ nomenclature a formality at this point. Both use two motors, power all four wheels and come with the larger 93.4 kWh battery. 

The Taycan Turbo starts at $152,250 and has up to 616 horsepower (or 670 in overboost mode), while the Turbo S starts at $186,350 and comes with 616 horsepower (or 750 in overboost mode). 

The most obvious competitor to the Taycan is Tesla’s Model S, though as we mentioned, the two cars’ personalities and strengths are different enough that they can and should coexist peacefully. 

While the Taycan seems like a smaller car, the two are closer than expected. Both the Porsche and the Tesla are the same length—195.4 inches versus 195.7 inches. They’re within a tenth of an inch of one another when it comes to width (the Tesla is 77.3 inches wide while the Porsche is 77.4 inches wide) and their wheelbases are 114.2 inches for the Porsche and 116.5 for the Tesla. 

Yet if the Taycan only feels smaller on the outside, it’s smaller on the inside. Cargo room for the Taycan measures in at 16 cubic-feet compared with Tesla’s 28 cubic-feet. Passenger volume inside the two cars? Look for 88 cubic-feet in the Porsche and 95 cubic-feet in the Tesla. The Porsche is about the same weight of the Tesla (4,954 pounds to Tesla’s 5,003 pounds), though it feels much lighter on its feet.