2014 Audi RS 7 vs. 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S: Track Tested

Edmunds.com

2014 Audi RS 7 vs. 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S: Track Tested

Clash of the super sedans: We recently track tested the all-new 2014 Audi RS 7 vs. the 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S. See how they performed.

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dfelix70

This RS7 is one impressive piece of machinery. Gorgeous, fast, and handles beautifully. Want one now.

desmolicious

Holy smokes.
Gimmee gimmee gimmee!

bassrockerx

i'm not taking anything away from the rs7 that is FAST but i'm wondering if it was a traction issue with the panamera. did you try burnouts first? i'm wondering if the 4s might have a quicker 1/4 mile. no doubt the porsche will fly by the rs7 by the half mile mark

dfelix70

@bassrockerx, not sure what you're referring to. The Turbo S has all-wheel drive standard.

dfelix70

Again @bassrockerx, I do think the acceleration differences come down to transmission tuning. Audi is now known to have jumpy throttles throughout their model ranges (it's been mentioned in sporadic reviews but I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned more frequently). In "spirited driving" tests, that feels great, but, to me, in day-to-day driving, it's not smooth at all. But that's one reason today's Audis come off the line so quickly.

pommah

Yeah, but what kind of mileage does it get? I can get 50 mpg in my Prius.

emajor

pommah,
You can also become a flyspeck in the rearview mirror of one of these cars in the blink of an eye while the driver literally and figuratively brushes your tincan aside on their way to doing whatever the heck it is he does to afford a $100K vehicle. I can guarantee he isn't envying your 50 mpg.

bankerdanny

I would take the S7 over the Panamera even if the Porsche was much faster. The Audi is so much more attractive than the awkwardly proportioned Panamera, plus it costs $70k less, $70 freaking THOUSAND dollars.

pommah

And I can get 165 MPGe in my Leaf. Take that Panamera! I be gettin' all the babes now!

aston_dbs

LOL @ pommah's sense of humor...

Edmunds, I'm still waiting on the comparo between the 4 Germans:
CLS 63 - RS7 - (this) Panamera - M6 GranCoupe (the sexy beast where my eyes are currently set on)

marcos9

I'm happy the RS7 is stateside, although I still prefer the RS6 Avant. In terms of looks in this comparo, it's a no-brainer - the RS7 takes the cake. My only gripe is that the RS7 is pretty much no wider than the A7. No fender flares that differentiated the RS model from their base models.

noburgers

I saw a S7 on the road yesterday for the first time--a real head turner. Nice to know it is so capable to go with those looks.
Good write-up, Chris.

noburgers

@pommah enjoying the sense of humor. You will be getting all the "green" chicks that don't shave

lions208487

Looks wise, the RS7 wins hands down, and performance wise they're pretty much even.

pommah

And they is wild, let me tell you!

Seriously, you wonder why the young men aren't into cars so much?

darthbimmer

The RS7 won by a nose in most of the timed categories AND is $70k cheaper? Wow. That spare $70k will buy a lot, even for the very well heeled.

themandarin

Further cannibalistic activity by VW Group

g35buf

Just more proof that top-to-bottom of the product line, no one does it better than the VW Group. I've owned nearly every brand of vehicle - or so it seems - in the past 30 years and my favorites always comes from the VAG group. People love to bash VAG reliability but the reality is that in the last 7-8 years, the difference between say a Honda Civic and VW Golf in terms of real world problems is negligible. Even if it wasn't, I'd trade the daily driving experience of the Audi A4 3.2 6MT I had for the life- sucking drive of a car like the ' oh so reliable' Toyota Camry.

noburgers

@g35buf even more so if the car is leased