Compare the2024 Porsche PanameraVS 2024 BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Panamera are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Panamera and 8 Series Gran Coupe have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Panamera has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The 8 Series Gran Coupe’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Panamera helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard and even aims one of the vehicle’s headlights in the direction of the person or object. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Panamera has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the 8 Series Gran Coupe’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Panamera has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and automatically engage the brakes. BMW charges extra for Cross Traffic Warning on the 8 Series Gran Coupe and the 8 Series Gran Coupe’s Cross Traffic Warning does not include automatic braking.

Both the Panamera and the 8 Series Gran Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 1 place higher in reliability than BMW.

The Panamera has more powerful engines than the 8 Series Gran Coupe:

On the EPA test cycle the Panamera running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the 8 Series Gran Coupe:

The Panamera’s standard fuel tank has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the 8 Series Gran Coupe (21.1 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Panamera’s standard fuel tank has 5.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the 8 Series Gran Coupe (23.9 vs. 18 gallons).

The Panamera offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Panamera 4S/Turbo CCB’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the 8 Series Gran Coupe:

The Panamera offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

For better traction, the Panamera has larger standard tires than the 8 Series Gran Coupe (F:265/45R19 & R:295/40R19 vs. F:245/40R19 & R:275/35R19). The Panamera’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 8 Series Gran Coupe (F:275/35R21 & R:325/30R21 vs. F:245/35R21 & R:285/30R21).

The front and rear suspension of the Panamera uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the 8 Series Gran Coupe, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Panamera has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Panamera’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Panamera is 1.8 inches wider in the front than the average track on the 8 Series Gran Coupe.

For better maneuverability, the Panamera’s turning circle is tighter than the 8 Series Gran Coupe’s:

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Panamera’s available rear seats recline. The 8 Series Gran Coupe’s rear seats don’t recline.

Standard Trailer Stability Management on the Panamera uses the Porsche Stability Management sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 13% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

The Panamera’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The 8 Series Gran Coupe does not have an oil pressure gauge.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Panamera to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Panamera’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Panamera has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Panamera offers optional massaging front and rear seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 8 Series Gran Coupe.

The Panamera’s optional Remote ParkAssist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote ParkAssist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The 8 Series Gran Coupe’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.