New Audi E-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan: costs
With hugely powerful electric motors, the Audi E-tron GT and Porsche Taycan are two of the most thrilling performance cars you can buy. But which one has the upper hand?...
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security
Going on list prices, the Taycan costs more to buy, and adding the Performance Battery Plus (£3906) to match the E-tron GT’s 93kWh battery only widens the gap.
It works the other way too, though. If you want air suspension on the E-tron GT (to match the Taycan), you have to add the Comfort and Sound Pack Plus (£8910). That makes it £1200 pricier than a Taycan with an equal-sized battery.
Still, that pack adds lots of other goodies, including ventilated, 18-way electrically adjustable front seats, Matrix LED headlights and extended nappa leather trim. And even without it, the E-tron GT has more creature comforts, including power-folding door mirrors, keyless entry, rear climate control and bigger wheels.
Both cars are predicted to depreciate glacially, so your investment should be relatively sound. When you’ve factored in all the costs you’re likely to face during three years of ownership, though, the E-tron GT is likely to work out around £1900 cheaper for the average cash buyer.
What about financing? Put down a £10,000 deposit on a four-year PCP finance deal (assuming 8000 miles a year) and the Taycan will set you back £928 per month, which is £55 more than you’ll pay for the E-tron GT. If you’re a company car driver, you’re quids in either way. The current EV tax breaks mean that a 40% taxpayer will pay just £1491 in benefit-in-kind tax (until April 2024) for the E-tron GT. Choosing the Taycan will mean a slightly higher cost of £1634.
They can both be charged at a rate of up to 270kW, which means a 10-80% top-up can take as little as 20 minutes. Chargers that powerful are few and far between, mind, and the more commonplace 100kW chargers will boost their batteries by the same amount in around 40 minutes. Use a typical 7kW home wallbox and a 0-100% charge will take roughly 13.5 hours.
The Taycan received five stars (out of five) for overall safety when tested by Euro NCAP. It was noted that there’s a reasonable risk of adults and children sustaining whiplash injuries, but crash protection was otherwise good. The E-tron GT hasn’t been tested, but it would be a huge shock if it performed vastly differently.
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