Two Years and Eight Months Behind the Wheel of a Panamera

Many people assume that a large sedan is difficult for women to drive. But is that really true? After nearly two and a half years with a Panamera, here’s what I’ve found.

First, a little about my driving history. Readers might think I’ve always loved Porsches and driving, but it was quite the opposite. I started driving about five years ago, and only became a Porsche fan around three years ago. It’s all fairly recent.

I got my driver’s license at 18, but between then and turning 31, I drove a car only about five times. For years, I was a “paper driver” with a clean, gold license. And why was I so determined to get my license at 18 when I never drove—especially since I paid for it entirely with my own savings? Even now, I can’t explain what I was thinking back then (-_-)

A Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 Owner’s Wife

I married my husband when I was 30. At the time, he drove a Mercedes-Benz SLK 350.

Whenever we went for a drive, my husband would ask, “Want to drive?” But back then, I always refused: “No. Absolutely not.” Our neighborhood was full of hills, and we needed a car for almost everything, yet I got around by bus or train every day. I wouldn’t even go to the local supermarket during the week. Instead, my husband drove me there every weekend, and we stocked up on groceries.

Then I became pregnant with our first daughter, and I started thinking, “If the baby gets a fever or something happens, I really need to be able to drive.” My husband also told me, “You have to learn to drive before the baby arrives.” So I finally got behind the wheel and managed to handle the round trip to our local supermarket.

But I had no desire to drive anywhere else. Even when my husband and I went out for a drive and he said, “Want to drive? You really need to get more practice!” I’d insist, “No, it’s tiring. The supermarket and back is plenty.” (At the time, even a 10-minute drive left me exhausted.) I stayed firmly in the passenger seat.

One day, I got home a little early from work and found a message from my husband:

Could you drive to Umeda and pick me up tonight?

…

……What (*_*)??

He wanted me to meet him near the Hilton Plaza in Umeda (probably a familiar spot only if you live around Osaka, Kyoto, or Kobe…)—right in the heart of the city, with seriously heavy traffic. My first thought was, “No way!” But for some reason, that day I made up my mind: “I can’t keep going like this. I have to do it today!” I got ready, climbed into the SLK, and took the wheel. Who knew becoming a mother could make you this brave? lol

It takes about 40 minutes to get from home to Osaka using the expressway. I made it there in one piece. It was scary, but I handled the traffic in Osaka much better than I expected. (Maybe everyone just got out of my way because I was forcing my little SLK into traffic.) I came away thinking, “I can actually drive!” And from then on, I felt comfortable driving anywhere.

Looking back, maybe my husband’s approach was a little like throwing me in at the deep end—but it worked out well.

From an Audi A3 to a Panamera Test Drive

After our child was born, a household of three couldn’t get by with just a two-seat SLK, so we bought an Audi A3 as our family car. I drove it most of the time, but at first I scraped and bumped it here and there, and it seemed like I was constantly taking it in for repairs.

A few months after my husband ordered a Boxster, I went with him to a Porsche Center for the first time. He suggested, “Let’s go test-drive the Panamera.” The car was enormous—about 20 cm wider than my Audi A3, which was 1,785 mm wide, and more than five meters long. I assumed my husband would be the only one taking it for a drive, but midway through the test drive, our sales consultant, H, asked, “Since we’re here, would you like to drive it too?”

“Are you kidding? I can’t drive something this big! And it’s left-hand drive!” I protested, but my husband and H talked me into it. And how was it? I was completely, absolutely blown away.

I was impressed by the Panamera’s performance, of course, but I was also surprised by how easy it was to drive despite its size. Sitting behind the wheel, I could feel how big the car was, but once I started driving, it felt almost as if I were in a car a size smaller. Even through corners, I never felt the car being pulled outward by centrifugal force or had that “whoa, steady!” sensation.

You can feel how solidly the car is built, which gives you a reassuring sense of protection. And because the steering responds the way you expect, the Panamera never felt as huge as it looked. That’s when I realized it could be an easy car for women to drive, too.

So, What’s the Verdict?

After two and a half years of Panamera ownership, I’ve come to this conclusion:

The wives who feel least confident behind the wheel may be the ones who should consider driving a Panamera.

As I mentioned, the Panamera is easy to drive. It also has ParkAssist, which uses audible alerts to warn you about nearby obstacles. As long as you pay attention to those warnings, you’re unlikely to scrape or bump into anything.

There’s one more thing I really want to emphasize: people don’t tailgate or cut in front of the Panamera.

On highways and regular roads, other drivers tend to leave a comfortable gap. If you signal well in advance, they’re also very likely to let you in, making it easier to drive safely and with confidence. I don’t think it would be quite the same in a kei car or a compact car, where you may need more driving skill to feel just as comfortable.

Of course, the Panamera is a car built to make driving fun, so choosing one purely for those reasons isn’t really the point. Still, if you’re a woman who thinks, “The Panamera is too big for me to drive,” I really hope you’ll take one for a test drive—you might be surprised.