Photo: Porsche AG and Tesla Inc
In the wise words of Mike Tyson, ‘everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,’ and the following is sort of a ‘mea culpa’ story about theory and practice.
Can a Tesla Model X and a Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo co-exist in the same garage or are they forever doomed to be part of contrasting shopping lists?
In theory, this question should have only one answer, and despite the somewhat similar pricing, size and performance between the two, the Model X and the Taycan in Cross Turismo guise are very different, yet almost identical when all the cards are on the table.
Let’s imagine for a minute we are not talking about a Porsche and a Tesla, but about two random performance crossovers powered by electrons, which both models are.
Based on the same platform as the Model S sedan, the Model X is an odd thingamagig that combines the interior space and easy access of a minivan with the ride height and traction of an SUV.
The gimmick represented by the ‘falcon doors’ is just that, a gimmick, same as the not-always-reliable and not-yet-100-percent-ready FSD system, but is enough to make it stand out even more among other SUVs of similar size, while the efficiency of its two motors is without question a huge quality compared to other EVs with similar performance.
I have to remind you that as long as we’re not talking about bonkers versions like the Plaid or the previous Ludicrous, Tesla used to occupy the top spots in EPA’s EV range list.
Sure, the Lucid Air has completely revamped that list, now occupying the first six places, but Tesla can still hold its own.
On the other hand, the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is a gorgeous looking five-door sports car, with much less interior and luggage room compared to the Model X, but which offers no compromise when it comes to performance, both in a straight line or the twisties.
Essentially a shooting brake on stilts version of the low-slung Taycan, its demographics are no way near those of the Model X, no matter how many drag races you will see between the two.
Everything above is theory, but not many people will argue with it, and it’s likely that most will agree that if you’re in the hunt for a Porsche you will never look at a Tesla, or vice versa.
In short, if you’re in the market for a specific mode of transportation it’s not uncommon to begin a form of exclusive arrangement with the brand you’ve decided upon from then on.
But is that 100 percent true, though? Will a member of the Church of Elon Musk never look at another carmaker after buying a Tesla? Is a Porschephille now stuck with Zuffenhausen products after he realizes that no other carmaker can deliver the same type of driving pleasure?
A rather short but rather eye-opening test drive with a Porsche Taycan 4S has completely re-wired my brain recently, and I will try to explain in what way it has managed to do that.
For some reason, almost everyone and their uncle has decided that the Taycan is an awesome sports car that lacks most of the qualities of a Tesla and then left it at that.
I was also one of those people, judging the electric sedan in the context of interior and luggage space, comfort and electric range, things that according to the official numbers and common opinion aren’t exactly great, right?
Sure, it has a frunk, just like a Tesla, but you can only fit a couple of small backpacks in there, and despite the long wheelbase, the interior feels more like a long 911 with two extra doors instead of a full-size sedan or an SUV, like the Model X does.
Comfort shouldn’t have been high on the engineers’ lists when they developed the Taycan either, shouldn’t it?
Well, like I said, all that theory becomes something else after you take a drive with Porsche’s first ever electric production car.
I need to remind everyone that we live in an era when a family of crickets is likely to sound louder than a V8-powered luxury sedan that has been fitted with a gas particulate filter, so the spaceship sounds emitted by an electric car are not annoying but actually welcomed.
The Taycan is more comfortable than you think, with the three-chamber air suspension filtering most road imperfections, the interior space is more than enough for four fully grown humans, and the total luggage space is not unlike that of a Porsche Macan if we’re looking at the Cross Turismo version.
On top of it, despite the much lower official range estimates when compared to a Telsa, in the real world it’s actually one of the most efficient electric cars you can currently own, especially in the context of the performance it can deliver.
On the other hand, a Tesla Model X is seen as a drag strip king that will swallow a large family and its luggage, but can’t hold a candle over the Porsche in the twisties, right?
Well, this is where I arrive at the point of the story, and that short Taycan test drive has managed to make more sense than reading or watching tens of reviews, official specifications and other such trivial information, which can sway someone to like or dislike any product even before seeing it in person.
My conclusion is that, money not being an issue, the modern perfect garage can not only include two electric cars, but two that are essentially the vehicular embodiments of the two main characters in the movie Step Brothers.
Yes, the future is here, and you can drive it. And choosing to buy a Tesla Model X and seeing it as the perfect eco-friendly family car shouldn’t be in the detriment of a Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, or vice versa. The electric crossover/shooting brake from Zuffenhausen can be almost as family friendly and efficient while also delivering that old-school Porsche feeling that no other car but a Porsche can.
For those trips where you need (a lot) more room for activities inside and better access to both the trunk/frunk and the interior of the car, the Model X will do just fine, offering slightly better range (not much better, though) than the Porsche as well and without losing any of that bonkers straight-line performance.
So, while we’re currently watching the slow - and maybe painful for some - death of the internal combustion engine, why not benefit from the best of what electric cars can offer? And the two that offer the best that money can buy, at least until other carmakers or startups like Lucid come along, are Tesla and Porsche, hands down.
In theory, this question should have only one answer, and despite the somewhat similar pricing, size and performance between the two, the Model X and the Taycan in Cross Turismo guise are very different, yet almost identical when all the cards are on the table.
Let’s imagine for a minute we are not talking about a Porsche and a Tesla, but about two random performance crossovers powered by electrons, which both models are.
Based on the same platform as the Model S sedan, the Model X is an odd thingamagig that combines the interior space and easy access of a minivan with the ride height and traction of an SUV.
The gimmick represented by the ‘falcon doors’ is just that, a gimmick, same as the not-always-reliable and not-yet-100-percent-ready FSD system, but is enough to make it stand out even more among other SUVs of similar size, while the efficiency of its two motors is without question a huge quality compared to other EVs with similar performance.
I have to remind you that as long as we’re not talking about bonkers versions like the Plaid or the previous Ludicrous, Tesla used to occupy the top spots in EPA’s EV range list.
Sure, the Lucid Air has completely revamped that list, now occupying the first six places, but Tesla can still hold its own.
On the other hand, the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is a gorgeous looking five-door sports car, with much less interior and luggage room compared to the Model X, but which offers no compromise when it comes to performance, both in a straight line or the twisties.
Essentially a shooting brake on stilts version of the low-slung Taycan, its demographics are no way near those of the Model X, no matter how many drag races you will see between the two.
Everything above is theory, but not many people will argue with it, and it’s likely that most will agree that if you’re in the hunt for a Porsche you will never look at a Tesla, or vice versa.
In short, if you’re in the market for a specific mode of transportation it’s not uncommon to begin a form of exclusive arrangement with the brand you’ve decided upon from then on.
But is that 100 percent true, though? Will a member of the Church of Elon Musk never look at another carmaker after buying a Tesla? Is a Porschephille now stuck with Zuffenhausen products after he realizes that no other carmaker can deliver the same type of driving pleasure?
A rather short but rather eye-opening test drive with a Porsche Taycan 4S has completely re-wired my brain recently, and I will try to explain in what way it has managed to do that.
For some reason, almost everyone and their uncle has decided that the Taycan is an awesome sports car that lacks most of the qualities of a Tesla and then left it at that.
I was also one of those people, judging the electric sedan in the context of interior and luggage space, comfort and electric range, things that according to the official numbers and common opinion aren’t exactly great, right?
Sure, it has a frunk, just like a Tesla, but you can only fit a couple of small backpacks in there, and despite the long wheelbase, the interior feels more like a long 911 with two extra doors instead of a full-size sedan or an SUV, like the Model X does.
Comfort shouldn’t have been high on the engineers’ lists when they developed the Taycan either, shouldn’t it?
Well, like I said, all that theory becomes something else after you take a drive with Porsche’s first ever electric production car.
I need to remind everyone that we live in an era when a family of crickets is likely to sound louder than a V8-powered luxury sedan that has been fitted with a gas particulate filter, so the spaceship sounds emitted by an electric car are not annoying but actually welcomed.
The Taycan is more comfortable than you think, with the three-chamber air suspension filtering most road imperfections, the interior space is more than enough for four fully grown humans, and the total luggage space is not unlike that of a Porsche Macan if we’re looking at the Cross Turismo version.
On top of it, despite the much lower official range estimates when compared to a Telsa, in the real world it’s actually one of the most efficient electric cars you can currently own, especially in the context of the performance it can deliver.
On the other hand, a Tesla Model X is seen as a drag strip king that will swallow a large family and its luggage, but can’t hold a candle over the Porsche in the twisties, right?
Well, this is where I arrive at the point of the story, and that short Taycan test drive has managed to make more sense than reading or watching tens of reviews, official specifications and other such trivial information, which can sway someone to like or dislike any product even before seeing it in person.
My conclusion is that, money not being an issue, the modern perfect garage can not only include two electric cars, but two that are essentially the vehicular embodiments of the two main characters in the movie Step Brothers.
Yes, the future is here, and you can drive it. And choosing to buy a Tesla Model X and seeing it as the perfect eco-friendly family car shouldn’t be in the detriment of a Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, or vice versa. The electric crossover/shooting brake from Zuffenhausen can be almost as family friendly and efficient while also delivering that old-school Porsche feeling that no other car but a Porsche can.
For those trips where you need (a lot) more room for activities inside and better access to both the trunk/frunk and the interior of the car, the Model X will do just fine, offering slightly better range (not much better, though) than the Porsche as well and without losing any of that bonkers straight-line performance.
So, while we’re currently watching the slow - and maybe painful for some - death of the internal combustion engine, why not benefit from the best of what electric cars can offer? And the two that offer the best that money can buy, at least until other carmakers or startups like Lucid come along, are Tesla and Porsche, hands down.
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