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OCTOBER 5, 2019
gives it a 0-to-60 miles-per-hour time
of only 3.0 seconds. If that’s not fast
enough for you, then there’s the Taycan
Turbo S which has 750 horsepower and
774 pound-feet of torque for a 0-to-60
miles-per-hour time of only 2.6 seconds.
Top speed is 161 miles per hour and it
can do a quarter mile in as little as 10.8
seconds. It has performance covered.
There’s also a unique two-speed
transmission, which helps with the
Taycan’s performance. First gear puts
the focus on acceleration for when
you’re initially starting out. Second gear
focuses on both efficiency and main-
taining power reserves for travelling at
higher speeds.
The driver can also tailor the ride in
the Taycan with a choice of drive modes.
Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, and Indi-
vidual drive modes, which are common
to Porsche vehicles, but the Taycan gets
one more. A unique Range mode maxi-
mizes efficiency to get the best possible
range from the electric battery.
While performance is a key part of
the Taycan’s appeal, it’s also an electric
vehicle, so charging times are impor-
tant.TheTaycancanchargefrom5per-
cent up to 80 percent of its full charge
in as little as 22.5 minutes, which makes
it easy to manage even over longer road
trips.
Also important for an electric vehicle
are range and fuel economy. Unfortu-
nately, neither the EPA-estimated fuel
economy nor the estimated driving
range have yet been announced. Expect
those numbers in the coming months.
Any car with those kinds of perfor-
mance numbers needs to have equally
strong braking capability. The Taycan
is equipped with one of two brake sys-tems. There are Porsche Surface Coated
Brakes that are steel with a tungsten
carbide coating on the Turbo, or Porsche
Ceramic Composite Brakes on the Turbo
S. Either option ensures plenty of stop-
ping power.
The interior of the Taycan features an
array of screens including a free-stand-
ing instrument cluster. Next to this is a
10.9-inch infotainment display with the
option for a second passenger display
screen that creates a uniform glass band
across the dashboard.
This thoroughly modern and sleek
interface was created specifically for the
Taycan, reducing the number of physical
knobs. Instead, it favors touch controls
and voice controls that respond to the
command, “Hey, Porsche.”
In addition to the luxurious leather
interior common to luxury cars, the Tay-
can is offered with a leather-free option,
which is a first for Porsche. The use of
recycled materials throughout the inte-
rior enhances the sustainable concept of
driving an electric vehicle.
This is a luxury car in keeping with
the Porsche brand image, so it has pric-
ing that follows suit. The base Porsche
Taycan Turbo has a starting price of
$153,310 while the Taycan Turbo S
comes in at $187,610. Those are launch
prices, which are set to drop roughly
$2,500 after the initial launch period.
It’s not the most affordable electric
vehicle you can buy, but that was never
Porsche’s goal. Its goal was to build an
electric vehicle that was first and fore-
most a Porsche. From its styling to its
driving dynamics to its advanced tech-
nologies, the Porsche Taycan promises
performance car enthusiasts the drive
they crave with the efficiency of an elec-
tric vehicle. Look for the Porsche Taycan
to arrive in dealerships later this year.EXTRA CAREQ.I am about to purchase a Certi-
fied Used 2016 Toyota Corolla LE with
44,400 miles on it. The dealership is
suggesting I purchase a Toyota Extra
Care Platinum vehicle service con-
tract and a Tire and Wheel Protection
Platinum Plus Plan for a total cost of
$2,324. I’m retired, and I only drive
about 1,200 miles per year. I hope to
keep this vehicle as long as possible.
The loan I’m considering would be for
six years. I would like your opinion as
to whether these plans would be worth
purchasing.A.The Toyota Corolla is a very
dependable vehicle, and — considering
the limited mileage you drive — I don’t
see the extra coverage as necessary.
Regarding the loan: If you financed
$12,000 at 3.5 percent interest for six
years, you would pay $13,321 for the
car. If you shorten the loan to three
years, you would pay $12,658. Only you
can decide if lower payments are worth
the extra overall cost.OLD-FASHIONED OILQ.I just purchased a new Ford
Ranger and made an appointment
at the dealership to change the oil at
1,000 miles. The dealer said no ap-
pointment was needed, and they didn’t
want to see the truck until 10,000 miles
or one year. I’ve always changed the oil
on a new vehicle at 1,000 miles to get
the metal particles out. Is this an old-
fashioned idea?A.The idea of changing the oil
within the first 500 to 1,000 miles
made a lot of sense years ago for
just the reasons you mentioned — to
remove any metal contamination from
the oil that could cause long-term wear.
Today engines are run/tested, and
machine work and assembly are far
superior than years ago. I would follow
the recommendations in the owner’s
manual and check the oil level on a
monthly basis.HILL START ASSISTQ.I have a 2015 Subaru Forester.
Occasionally, the “Hill Start Assist”
warning light appears when going
uphill in traffic. I think that it might be
due to applying the brake in stop-and-
go traffic and stepping on the gas pedal
almost at the same time. Does this
act bring on the light? The light does
not remain on, and it doesn’t come
on again when traffic eases. Also, it
never comes on when in traffic on level
surfaces. Is this something that I need
to have Subaru check out for a $139
diagnostic test?A.The “hill-assist” system keeps
the car from rolling when on a hill by
applying the brakes for a few seconds.
The system doesn’t work on flat roads
because it isn’t necessary. From your
description, it sounds as if the system
may be malfunctioning. In the owner’s
manual is a procedure to disable the
hill-assist feature, but then the light is
on at all times. If you don’t want to be
annoyedbythehill-assist light,thenit
would make sense to have the condi-
tion diagnosed and repaired.DRAINED BATTERYQ.I’m thinking about buying an
electric car, and I’m curious about
something: Does AAA provide road
service any more often to people with
electric cars? Do electric cars run out
of juice more often than people with
internal combustion cars?A.AAA provides road service to all
types of vehicles, and electric vehicle
owners call us the majority of time for
the same reasons as people who drive
gasoline cars. The typical road service
calls are for flat tires (many E/Vs don’t
have a spare tire), keys locked in the
car, and road service after a traffic
crash. The number of battery-related
calls are few and far between.John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor.
He has over 40 years of experience in
the automotive business and is an ASE
certified master technician. Email your
car question to [email protected].Should I purchase the ‘extra care’
package for my vehicle?
PORSCHE
From D1ASK THE CAR DOCTOR
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