eric strauss

... the extra wheelbase and overall length seems a bit of a putoff to me. The new Panamera is so gorgeous as they managed to shorten the wheelbase a bit over the previous model that gives it a great stance. However, everyone is doing it in order to better capture the markets in Asia, where rear set space is a key consumer demand.

sleeeepguy

I've been looking at the new Panamera to replace my A8L TDi, so the Pana performance is not even close. I drove the new 4S and it's a spectacular car. I also drove the Pana Turbo which isn't as raw as an RS7 but gives you a much more refined car w ridiculous performance and if money is no object it's not even close. The Pana Turbo all day. Even Size wise the Pana is better in every seat in the car. What I'm going to chose though, is the Panamera 4S Tourismo (wagon) I love the look and the utility. If I could afford the Turbo version which I sat in at the NYC auto show in April I would do it in a heartbeat.
Get the car you love!

chicagoA6

I debated trading in both our A7 (MY15) and our 911 (MY13) for an RS7 or new-gen Panamera. We only needed one car. Our Audi dealer rep is a good friend so he gave us a CPO RS7 (MY16) for a day to test drive.

The RS7 is basically a muscle car wrapped in an Armani suit. Sexy... Raw... Scary fast... and that sound.... To quote Clarkson its like having a crisis moment every time you step on the accelerator. The car does feel heavy and lot of body roll. However, driving in the city the suspension is complaint. I loved it, but its starting to feel a bit dated.

We only had a couple hours with the new Panamera (4S) and like sleeeepguy says its a spectacular car. Very refined and while not as fast as the RS7, but does feel more sporty and drives much lighter. Basically it feels like my 911 - which is good. The tech in the car is next gen compared to the RS7.

In the end we ended up keeping the A7, but traded the 911 in for a new 911 GTS. What became apparent to me was neither the RS7 or Panamera would replace my 911 for the pure sportscar experience.

You might also want to check the new E63s.