Porsche 911 was ranked as the most reliable car of 2021 by U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). But most Porsche cars haven’t received positive reviews. They tend to have tons of engine-related issues. These mixed facts often leave car buyers in confusion as to whether to buy Porsches or not? And are Porsches reliable or not?
Let’s dig deeper into queries about Porsche and things that are kept hidden from car buyers.
Are Porsches Reliable?
Porsche cars tend to be problematic and are less reliable as compared to their Japanese and American counterparts. This doesn’t mean they are not good cars. Porsche has produced some of the most powerful engines in automobile history. Porsches are packed with high-end features. Porsche is also the pioneer of galvanizing cars.
Yet it has failed to impress car geeks around the globe at times. The reasons for this are high defect frequency and expensive maintenance.
Do Porsches Last Long?
Like most German cars a Porsche can last from 100,000 to 150,000 miles. They are precisely designed to last longer. If your Porsche is driven at an average of 15,000 miles per year then it will last somewhere between 10 and 15 years.
This life span is better as compared to other German-made cars and some American cars as well. Those cars will last less than 100,000 miles. But it is shorter in comparison to highly reliable Japanese and Korean cars, which will last up to 200,000 miles easily.
Also read: Are German Cars Expensive to Maintain? How Exactly?
Do Porsches Tend to Rust?
Porsche are some of the best all-weather cars. Porsche cars are well-protected against rusting. Their chassis is covered with protective coatings and the side panels used in Porsche are completely galvanized. Due to these arrangements, Porsche cars do not tend to rust.
Porsche was the first company to commence use of hot-dip galvanized side panels in cars. In 1979, the Porsche 911 was the first car constructed with galvanized side panels. Porsche offered a 6-year warranty against rusting to all buyers of 911 models. This warranty offer stands testament to the quality of exterior in Porsche cars.
Are Porsches Expensive to Fix?
Porsche is one of the most expensive brands to fix. The fixing cost of Porsche is slightly higher in comparison to the other cars of similar segment. A Porsche mechanic can charge somewhere between $500 and $800 for a general checkup. These prices add up quickly if you have some other issue with your car.
There are two main reasons for the super expensive fixing costs of Porsche cars. The luxury brand factor adds a lot to the maintenance cost of Porsche. The second reason is the shortage of skilled mechanics. Both these factors contribute to the high costs of fixing a Porsche.
Also read: Are Porsche Parts Expensive? The Full List
Are Porsches Comfortable?
Porsche cars offer soothing and relaxing rides. They make use of high-end technologies like adaptive dampers and smart suspension to amplify your driving experience. Comfortable seating and spacious cabins that offer plenty of leg and headroom are unique selling points of Porsche.
This comfort is enhanced even more while driving on highways. Porsche cars are an amalgamation of sassy and innovative features. Most of these features have to do with rider and passenger comfort. This makes Porsche cars worth your money at least as far as comfort is concerned.
Trending Video: How to Easily Bring Back to Life any Old Car Battery and Save Tons of Money (click to watch)
What are the Most Common Problems with Porsches?
Porsches tend to be problematic, but which car isn’t. Following are the most common problems with Porsche cars.
- Cooling System Failure
- Bearing Failure
- Worn out Timing Chains
- Electrical Failure
- Bad Transmission
Cooling Issues: The issue of coolant leakage is most common with Porsche. What makes this issue even more serious is the absence of clear symptoms for leakage. Leaked coolant doesn’t drip onto your garage. The bottom seal makes it impossible for it to reach the ground. Rather it is collected inside the engine cylinder. So, you wouldn’t even know and all your coolant would be gone.
Cost: $500
Engine Issues: Bearing and timing chain failures are pretty common with Porsche cars. Several instances have been with Porsches where excessive smoke was noticed to come out of the exhaust. These are few reasons why Porsche engines are not among the most reliable.
Cost: $1200
Electronic Issues: Electrical issues are common with all German cars. Porsches also have twisted electronics. This bars you from enjoying most of the high-end features.
Cost: $750
Transmission Issues: Harsh clinking sound can be heard from Porsche transmission while the gear is shifting. This might lead to a severe breakdown costing you a fortune.
Cost: $1500
Also read: 5 Serious Reasons Why Mercedes are so Expensive
Are Porsches Safe?
Porsche cars are strong in the safety department. Most of them have received a 5-star rating from Euro NCAP. Porsches are made from solid metal and are known to have appreciable structural integrity. They are well-equipped with all standard safety features.
Features like adaptive cruise control, 3d airbags, lane keep assisting, collision warning, and a post-collision warning system to reduce the effects of secondary impact are employed in Porsche cars. These safety technologies make Porsches safest for on-road driving.
Also read: Porsche 928 vs. 968- Differences Explained!
Is the Quality of Elements in Porsches Good?
The quality of elements in Porsche cars is somewhat compromised. All German auto manufacturers have suffered a major blow to their quality in recent times. The prime reason for this decline in quality is to compete with cheaper cars on market.
Porsche has to compete with cheaper cars of luxury segments as well. So, in an attempt to cut their business they had to compromise on quality protocols, in order to keep costs down. The result of which is sub-standard car parts that are prone to failure.
Do Porsches Depreciate Fast?
This might come as a surprise to many but most Porsche cars indeed hold their values. In fact, the coupe 911 is the top-ranked sports car in terms of best resale value. The car is known to hold a staggering 62.8% of its value even after 5 years of operation. This depreciation value is better than the depreciation of Japanese and Korean budget cars.
If there is one thing common in all expensive cars is that they depreciate very fast. But that’s not the case with Porsche. Porsche cars have the best resale values among luxury cars. They are known to depreciate very slowly with time.
More about Porsche depreciation here.
Does Porsche Offer Good Engines?
Porsche has the best engines to offer. They are built to be high-performing. The engines on these cars churn out loads of power. All-new Porsche 911 GT3 RS has a four-liter, six-cylinder naturally aspirated engine capable of producing 520 horsepower and 470 Nm of torque. But this is not even close to the best engines made by Porsche.
Let’s take a look at the list of the most powerful Porsche engines:
- Porsche 918 Spyder 875 hp
- Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo 750 hp
- Porsche Taycan Turbo S 750 hp
- Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid 690 hp
- Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Executive 690 hp
- Porsche 911 GT2 RS 690 hp
- Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid 671 hp
- Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo 670 hp
- Porsche 911 Turbo S 641 hp
- Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT 631
Are Porsches Expensive to Maintain?
Porsches share the downside of expensive maintenance with other luxury brands. Oil and filter change of a Porsche can cost you $400 and a major service can cost you around $1100. But you cannot expect any less from a luxury brand.
These figures are not fair at all, considering that major maintenance can cost way more than this. Another point to consider is that Porsches tend to be high maintenance, so these costs might add up to several thousand dollars per annum.
Are Porsches Expensive to Insure?
The insurance of Porsche cars carry a substantial price tag. The brand ranks 33 on the list of most expensive to insure among 36 brands. The average annual cost of insuring a Porsche is approximately $2000. This cost is extremely high as compared to Korean, American, and Japanese cars as their insurance cost less than $1000.
Porsche cars carry a hefty price tag which makes their insurance rates soaring high. Although there are lesser chances for these cars to be stolen but due to their high problem frequency and expensive maintenance, insurance firms tend to keep premiums high.
Are Porsches too Expensive to Buy?
All Porsche cars are extremely expensive to buy. The brand is known to produce high-performing exotic sports cars, so you cannot expect them to come at a cheaper price. The cheapest Porsche on the market is the 2021 Macan and you can get its base model for $53,000.
The vintage Porsche cars have staggering prices since they are extremely rare to come by. 1970 Porsche 917K is the most expensive Porsche car to be sold at an auction. This car was sold at an exclusive price of $14 million. Leaving aside the prices of vintage vehicles, Porsche has produced some crazily expensive regular cars.
Following is the list of most expensive Porsche cars:
- 2021 Porsche 935 $1,666,798
- Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach Package $1,544,080
- Track 2005 Porsche Carrera GT-R upgraded by GPR $1,025,127
- Porsche 911 R $549,000
- 2018 Porsche 911 GT2RS $470,906
Also read: Top 5 Countries that Make the Most Reliable Cars
What are the Most and Least Reliable Porsches?
Porsches have had their fair share of ups and downs. Over its course, it has produced some of the most reliable cars like the Porsche 911 Carrera & Porsche 918 Hybrid. On the other hand, it has produced some of the worst cars in terms of reliability such as the Porsche Panamera & Porsche Boxster/Cayman.
Most reliable Porsches
Porsche 911 Carrera: Porsche 911 is so reliable that it was ranked as the most dependable vehicle in the J.D Power survey. It beat all Japanese and Korean cars on that survey to win the title. Porsche 911 reported only 57 problems per 100 vehicles. This is 3 times below the average industrial value.
Porsche 918 Hybrid: Porsche 918 is closely related to 911 in terms of reliability. It is a trendy sports car that received an overall 10 out of 10 ratings for reliability in the user survey.
Least reliable Porsche
Porsche Panamera: More than 47% of Porsche Panamera were known to suffer from major defects. This makes it one of the least reliable cars produced by Porsche.
Porsche Boxter/Cayman: Only 25% of Porsche Cayman encountered a major problem but 10% of these defects were engine-related. That’s what makes this car so poor.
Also read: Are Maserati Parts Expensive? (12 Examples)
Are There any Better Porsche Alternatives?
The best alternatives for super expensive Porsche cars are other cars from the luxury segment like Chevrolet Corvette, Lexus LC500, and Ford Shelby Mustang. These cars share many common features with Porsche. They are fierce, bold, and offer sound performance.
Chevrolet Corvette C8: It sure has the looks of a Porsche. Chevrolet Corvette is jam-packed with features and all set to give you a full-on riding experience.
Lexus LC500: You can substitute your Porsche car with a Lexus LC500 as well. This beauty comes at $101,000. Its healthy engine can produce 471 hp to fulfill your power hunger.
Ford Shelby Mustang: Shelby was created as a high-performing model of Ford Mustang. It has a solid 5.2-liter V8 engine capable of producing 760 horsepower. It has to be on your list if you want to substitute your Porsche.
References:
porschewestpalmbeach.com, pistonheads.com, rennlist.com, motor1.com, stevesimports.com, motorandwheels.com, businessinsider.com, presskit.porsche.de, encycarpedia.com, quora.com, automobile.com, jamesedition.com, carbuzz.com, motortrend.com, whatcar.com, moneyinc.com, newsroom.porsche.com
