In production since 2019, the Porsche Taycan has maintained its position as one of the most engaging EVs to drive and, of course, stands for a luxury product. There’s also something that has changed, namely the used prices of the Taycan, whose current depreciation is at record-high values.
This news will obviously bring different vibz, depending on whether you’re looking to buy or sell a Taycan. However, we can tell you that the evolution of the first-ever Porsche production EV’s depreciation is normal (we’ll get back to that).
Porsche Taycan buying guide
Before we discuss Taycan depreciation, you should know the Tyacan range is comprised of two main layers and one extra version. First off, we have the standard (the only one where you can get a single-motor RWD version alongside the usual dual-motor AWD) and the Taycan S. The extra model mentioned above is the Taycan GTS, which hit the market in early 2022. Next up, we have the Turbo and Turbo S.
As far as powertrains go, the Taycan S is the pick of the range. While it can’t match the pace of the Turbo models, it can deliver engaging acceleration up to its 155 mph (250 km/h) top speed.
The Zuffenhausen automaker offers three body styles: the Taycan sedan/hatchback, the Taycan Sport Turismo shooting brake/wagon, as well as the Taycan Cross Turismo lifted shooting brake/wagon.
In terms of the body style, the Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo offer not just extra boot space, but also superior headroom for the rear passenger compared to the standard Taycan.
The Cross Turismo rides 20 mm higher than the other two versions, or 30 mm if you go for the optional off-road pack. However, this also commends a premium, so you should probably pay extra if you know you’ll be using the EV on rough terrain.
The cheapest Taycans in the US
For the sake of comparison, we’ll start by mentioning the MSRPs of the Porsche Taycan range vary between $90,900 for the base model and $197,500 for the Turbo S Cross Turismo. However, there are some important caveats here.
For instance, the Porsche list of optional extras is famous for its size and complexity. Then there’s the fact that the Turbo S is not just more powerful than the Turbo, but also packs a lot of the latter’s optional features as standard.
Returning to used Taycans, we’re obviously talking about cars that are in good condition here, but if you’re curious about the costs of buying a crashed Porsche and fixing this, perhaps Mat Armstrong’s 718 Cayman S rebuild video can help.
The most affordable used Porsche Taycans in the US (the base model) sits at around $75,000. However, as noted by YouTuber Fourwheel Trader, who fully cover the depreciation analysis in the video below, you’re not going to find too many units at this price.
Moving on to the Taycan 4S, the average value at the time of press sat at $99,000. This represents a $10,000 gap compared to the average price of a base Taycanm which is quite a change compared to the $20,000 gap in their MSRPs.
Prices for used Taycan Turbo and Turbo S models: you’ll have to pay about $120,000 for a used Taycan Turbo, which stands for a $20,000 gap compared to the 4S. As for the Turbo S, this sits at about $140,000—listing the $20,000 gap between this and the Turbo means we should also remind you their MSRPs are $35,000 apart.
Porsche Taycan depreciation
As with many other vehicles, be they EVs or ICE units, the models sitting higher in the range show the most depreciation. And, for now, we’ll be comparing Taycan prices between May 2022 and May 2023.
So, the base model and the Taycan S is 16.3% cheaper ($17,000) for the sedan/hatchback and 20.5% ($27,000) for the Cross Turismo. Switching to the Taycan S, the sedan/hatchback lost 21.5% ($34,000), while the Cross Turismo dropped by 21.5% ($34,000).
Taycan Turbo S models are now 26.3% more affordable ($50,000 or 25% of the new vehicle value) than they were in May of last year. The depreciation on the Taycan Turbo is slightly less aggressive, sitting at 23% ($25,000).
Up to May 2022, prices for used Taycans had been increasing due to the effects of the global health crisis and we are now seeing a decrease (perhaps a return to the pre-pandemic depreciation levels), but note this is true for the overall used vehicle market.
However, the extent to which Turbo and Turbo S Taycans arguably stands out (we know, this is not the best news if you bought one in 2021 or early 2022).
Another interesting statistic: the premium you have to pay for a Turbo S has dropped by 50%, going from $33,000 to $16,000.
Now, if we look at the Porsche Panamera (getting a facelift for 2024), which can arguably be considered the ICE equivalent of the Taycan, the situation is largely the same.
Depending on what Taycan model you bought new, the first-year depreciation sits at 20 to 30%, so customers looking for a more budget-conscious path can buy a Taycan that’s at least two years old.
And, if we are to fully get back to pre-pandemic depreciation rates, cars should lose up to one-third of their initial value in their first year, while each subsequent year should take a 10% toll. Of course, as with the rest of this story, you shouldn’t take this as financial advice. And we encourage you to do your own research when purchasing a vehicle, be it used or new.
What the future holds for the Taycan
We have to start by mentioning that Porsche offers an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty for the Taycan battery.
Another important point is that Porsche is set to introduce a facelifted Taycan by the end of 2023, with one of the main changes expected to be a tri-motor version to rival the 1,020 hp Tesla Model S Plaid that has recently received a Track Package mainly adding carbon-ceramic brakes—here is the EV doing its freshly-unlocked 200 mph top speed.
And while the 2024 Taycan revamp is expected to add to the depreciation of existing cars, the fact that these EVs benefit from over-the-air (OTA) updates means the impact could be slightly smaller than in the case of vehicles released in the past.
It’s the end of 2023 and the Taycan market has crashed
The Taycan market has crashed. To be more precise, Porsche Taycan prices have dropped by about 40% compared to the height of the market, which occurred in May 2022. Then again, EVs in general have the most significant depreciation of any major vehicle type, so it’s normal that the Taycan is depreciating more than the Panamera, its equivalent ICE model, even with the latter having received a new generation for the 2024 model year.
Four Wheel Trader further followed the Taycan market up to and including the current month, covering the base/S, GTS, as well as Turbo/Turbo S.
For 2023, Porsche Taycan prices are down by an average of 28% compared to the previous year. As a tip, buying a used Taycan that’s just one year old will save you some serious money, so you don’t necessarily need to look at old or high-mileage examples. Plus, new Taycans currently sitting at dealer lots are discounted (for one, 30% of Taycans that were on inventory back in August, still sat at dealers earlier this month, with discounts ranging between 6 and 9%.