2021 Porsche Taycan Pros and Cons Review: Electric Soul
The Taycan thoroughly communicates its Porsche-ness.
2021 Porsche Taycan Pros and Cons Review: Electric Soul
One of the most intense debates we had during our 2021 Car of the Year program concerned the 2020 Porsche Taycan’s efficiency. “You are looking at the least efficient fully electric vehicle currently produced today, period,”we wrote last year. It’s that lack of efficiency that ultimately worked to hold the Taycan back from the Golden Calipers. A year later with a new, more efficient single-motor rear-drive variant, is 2022 now the time for the Porsche Taycan to shine?
When it comes to our performance of intended function criterion, the Taycan absolutely smashed it out of the park. Where many automakers rely on design to express their brand values, the Taycan rests on its engineering. “A true Porsche that just happens to be an EV,” industry expert (not to mention godfather of the Dodge Viper and Ford GT) Chris Theodore said. “Holds its own against 911s.” The Taycan is quick—though not fast—and feels well balanced and neutral through bends. It’s easy to push to your limits and find its limits.
It also won praise for its supple, buttoned-down ride and stellar styling. “The Taycan proves performance car enthusiasts don’t have to fear a soulless future of electric propulsion,” executive editor Mac Morrison said. “It’s enjoyable to drive, understeers less than the Audi version, allows you to rotate it into corners, and it looks fantastic.”
But like the dual-motor Taycans at last year’s Car of the Year program, it wasn’t all roses for the more affordable rear-driver. For starters, there’s the two-speed transmission. Ostensibly included to give the Taycan an autobahn-friendly top speed of 143 mph, the transmission is clunky at the speeds owners will most likely drive, leading us to wonder out loud if the idea of wrapping the motor’s rotor in carbon fiber to allow the motor to spin upward of 20,000 rpm as others are doing is a more elegant solution than a transmission. Also on the subject of speed, in its default setting Range mode on the Taycan limits the car to 60 mph, virtually ensuring no owner will ever use it. Thankfully that can be adjusted in the car’s intuitive infotainment system.
We are also less than enthralled with the brake tuning. The Taycan has has little to no deceleration when off-throttle, and the one-pedal driving modes do little to slow the car. “The choices are off, on, and auto, and I can feel no difference between them,” technical director Frank Markus said. A true one-pedal drive mode–as found on most EVs on the market–remains on our wish list.
There are no perfect Car of the Year winners, but the Taycan remains a little too imperfect to earn the Calipers this year. But as Detroit editor Alisa Priddle said, “It’s a deserving finalist. I’ll take the keyfob anytime.”