Audi RS6 Performance Takes on Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

On paper, it's a 5-door luxury German car with an 8-speed gearbox, all-wheel-drive and a 4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. So, does that mean that the Panamera Turbo is the same as an Audi RS6 Avant, only much more expensive?

While Porsche charges you at least €160,000 for its Turbo-badged wagon with a 550 horsepower engine, The 605 horsepower Audi RS6 performance only costs €120,000. So that suggests the Panamera is a huge ripoff.

That's why this review from Mr. JWW tries to look at what he describes as "stuff you can't Google," like how it feels to be behind the wheel or what you're paying for.

The Panamera feels like a Porsche, while the RS6 drives like an Audi... naturally. But what that means is there is an extra layer of steering feel, of neutrality in the Panamera Sport Turismo. Meanwhile, the quattro system is built for sheer speed, but not precision.

Another difference between the two, according to the review, is the size. The Sport Turismo feels massive on the road. But it's also more planted and features a better 8-speed gearbox of the PDK sort.

Interestingly, Mr. JWW's RS6 has a similarly colored interior, with light ivory leather. However, it feels completely outdated. Porsche's new interiors have decreased their reliance on buttons and really stepped up their game in the screen department.

He says he's just as happy going slowly in the Panamera as he is going fast, which is both a good and a bad thing. The exhaust system isn't as vicious as that of the RS6 performance, but it could be better suited for longer journeys and everyday use.

Unfortunately, we do agree that the Panamera ST should have looked way better based on the concept that originally previewed it.