My Husband Shares His Test-Drive Impressions

The other day, my husband came home after driving my brother-in-law’s new Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo. We took the cars to the Royu Driveway for a back-to-back comparison: the Panamera Turbo vs. the Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo. You can read about that test drive here.

→ Related article: What’s the Difference Between the Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo? Test Drive Comparison, Part 1

At the time, my husband said, “I’ll put together some thoughts on the differences between the Panamera and the Panamera Sport Turismo, too.” It sounds like he’s finally got his thoughts in order (laughs), so this time I’ll share what he told me about the key points from our comparison.

How Their Driving-Related Options Differ

My husband started with, “First, I should explain how the driving-related options differ between the Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo we tested.” Er, sure… (-_-;). Here’s the breakdown:

That’s the setup. With those differences in mind, here are my husband’s four takeaways from the test drive, followed by his overall verdict.

① Agility

The first thing my husband mentioned was this: “My first impression was that, with the standard chassis, the Sport Turismo felt more agile—in a good way.”

For small maneuvers around town, like changing lanes or overtaking, the Sport Turismo felt more in sync with the driver’s inputs. It reminded me of the Panamera 4S I test-drove at the dealership before.

I know what he means. I felt that agility, too. It was so light on its feet that I actually asked, “Wait, is the Panamera Sport Turismo a lot lighter than the Panamera?” My husband went on:

The Panamera feels a little smoother and more relaxed, while the Sport Turismo feels slightly lighter off the line, with a touch more nimbleness in its handling. Of course, they both share the same fundamental Panamera ride and character. I’d say it’s more a matter of one having a slightly stronger or subtler version of that character.

That makes sense. For reference, my husband says that, among the Panameras he’s driven, they rank from least to most substantial in feel like this:

Panamera 4S < 970 Panamera Edition < Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo < Panamera Turbo

I can see that. The Panamera Turbo feels more substantial than any of the other Panameras I’ve driven.

② Suspension Firmness

Next, my husband pointed out that “there isn’t much difference in ride comfort on regular roads, but the Sport Turismo lets you feel more of the roughness on coarse surfaces.” Now that he mentions it, I think he’s right. The difference wasn’t obvious most of the time, but bumps and rough patches did seem to come through differently. I asked him why that might be, and he said:

This is just a guess, but the Sport Turismo may have a slightly firmer suspension setup because it’s designed with carrying a lot of luggage in mind. Interestingly, the recommended tire pressures in the owner’s manual are slightly different for the Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo. Comparing the ‘standard pressure’ figures for the 21-inch summer tires, the Panamera Turbo is listed at F 3.1 bar/R 2.8 bar, while the Sport Turismo is F 2.8 bar/R 2.7 bar. Since the Sport Turismo’s pressures are a little lower, I suspect the suspension settings may also differ slightly.

Okay… I’ll admit, some of that went over my head, but I got the general idea (laughs). He continued:

They both have air suspension, but I think it’s fair to say that the Sport Turismo rides more like a car with conventional steel springs. It reminds me of the 970 Panamera Edition I used to own, which had steel springs. Personally, I might prefer the Sport Turismo’s ride.

He also said, “What’s interesting is that, based on this alone, you might expect the Sport Turismo to feel more luxurious, but in reality, it feels the other way around.”