Gus,

Interesting how the PCC is way off for you and me. My total MPG is 48 on the PCC but it displays around 510 on a full tank of gas. With time, I feel I will stop looking at the stupid estimates altogether and just drive knowing I will get anywhere from 650 miles to 800 miles or more on one tank of gas in mixed driving.

On a related note on things that annoy me, I feel that the xenons on the Panameras suck. They are just not bright enough and the cut off is abrupt. I intend to raise the right headlight just a little bit. I sometimes have trouble seeing the road ahead at night as the lights dip a bit more than I would have liked. The lights on my 2012 Cayenne are super nice and bright. I checked the headlight lens on the Panny and they are shiny and clear.

 

I do believe that there are a couple of major releases that need to made to this software before it's even close to fully baked.

I'm looking at the PCC right now. The wife drove her 43 miles to work this morning, but it's showing 2 miles of E range remaining. She averaged a paltry 36.2mpg on that trip.

Fuel range is shown to be 185miles with 4/10th of a tank remaining.

 

The funny thing is that it's really a design issue. Writing code to calculate this stuff is trivial, once you have the instruments to measure the pertinent information, such as fuel usage and fuel remaining in the tank. The battery is less so, since you have to calculate discharge rates, though I imagine that's largely solved with a lookup table rather than formulas, but that the displayed gas range is so goofy is clearly a matter of someone not thinking the issue through.

 

According to the Porsche site, the eHybrids also charge during regular driving (not just in eCharge mode) as you let off of the gas during cruising... I think they call it "sailing" or something. Similar to downhill charging, but it gets some charge during regular level road cruising. The drive-train completely decouples from the motor to reduce drag and charges the battery some. I assume this is the reason you are seeing better hwy mileage even after the battery is depleted.

And reading the Xenon headlight comment... I am glad I opted for the full LED headlight system (on the Cayenne). I like a well lit road at night.

 

I am hyper critical of vehicular lighting systems due to the nature of the roads where I live.

I find the performance of the standard Bi Xenon headlight group in the PSeH to be in the good/very good category. I have full LEDs on my E63S and find the light output to be inferior to that of other Mercedes Bi Xenons. Both in quality and color. I have no experience with the Porsche LED system, but I'm not left wanting for something better.

$0.02

 

going to adjust the headlights tonight and see if it makes any difference. I am just not impressed with the PDLS on the Pannys.

 

Update: Big difference now that they the headlights are adjusted. I may readjust if they are a bit too high but ~I can see clearly now~. Haven't had incoming traffic flash their high beams at me so it might be ok.

I used a hex key. There are tiny little holes on the side as the bolt is recessed and you can't see it unless you shine a flashlight. I tried to find the settings using my Durametric tool to adjust the height but there exists none.

 

That's good to hear mickey. I was surprised to hear your displeasure with the standard lighting. While it's not the best I've ever seen, I wouldn't consider them to be a weak point in the car. Plenty of that elsewhere... rain sensing wipers, sat radio reception, turn signal stalk, PCM interface, etc.

On our heavily-optioned car, the dealer ordered it with the base stereo unit. I actually think it sounds great. Really clear and accurate. Not much power, but it actually performs much, much better than the base HK-branded equipment in my E63.

 

I noticed that in my Good To Know app (for the Cayenne at least) it gives specifics on how to aim / adjust the lights. Shows how many feet to park away from a wall and at what measurement (on the wall) the lights should hit for the ideal setting. It may also be in the Panamera version. That way you would know if you are above or below the factory suggested level.

 

I have seen that for the Panamera app too. Know exactly what you are talking about. I on the other hand parked the Cayenne and Panny side by side, headlights on and compared and adjusted the light projected against the garage door.

@ace, one thing that I do love re: the Panny is the bose audio. I have the same in the Cayenne but this one sounds much much better than others I have heard. Pop in a DVD-Audio or DTS DVD and the sound is really something.

 

Did some long distance driving for Christmas. Boston -> Vienna, some joyriding in the Virginia countryside because the relatives wanted to know what it was like to drive around in a Porsche, Vienna -> New York, and then New York -> Boston.

Gas mileage on the first leg was 33 MPG, a little less than I've seen in the past for highway cruising. I think it's because I spent a lot more time at 70 MPH than in my previous trips. The first tank ran 580 miles, 18 gallons. I still had meaningful reserves when I refueled, but I had to turn through a gas station to correct a navigation error and it felt stupid not to stop.

Second fill was at 560 miles, 18.6 gallons. That's less, but that wasn't straight highway cruising, and I had some spirited back roads driving on that tank. I got to see the yellow "mind your fuel range!" warning for the first time.

I don't know that I'll ever see 600+ miles to the tank. There's clearly about 2 gallons left in the tank when the warning light comes on, but I'm not minded to push the limits, particularly since 550+ miles is about 80% more range than I ever saw with the Supra.

Electric usage should theoretically stretch that, but even on my ~8 mile shopping trips, I always end up using some gas. Sometimes it's because the car seems to want to exercise the gasoline engine, and disables electric driving for reasons unclear. Sometimes it's just that I want to feel some of that acceleration that I paid for. Driving on the electric motor alone is just way too sedate for me if I don't have traffic limiting me.

On the positive side, the electric drive excels in certain situations. Like being stuck on the Mass Pike for 30 minutes, stop and go, 5 MPH traffic, because of a major accident. That was a huge pain in a car with a gasoline engine and manual transmission, where I was always struggling to limit the power I was delivering. With the electric motor / automatic transmission, I just let off the brake and it efficiently inches forward.

 

Full tank from San Francisco to Van, Washington, was a 11 hr trip. would have made it one one full tank if I didn't hit traffic up in the mountains.

 

My latest gas fill-up - 19.4 Gallons, 848.4 Miles. Worse than last time but I knew that since the electric only range is diminished greatly. Regardless this is awesome. I have kind of figured out which mode to use when (e-Charge, Electric only, hybrid etc). A lot of my "get sandwhich" chores are on electric only. A few > 25 miles I drive on hybrid and if I have charge left on my way back, I use all battery. Hybrid easily gives me 32-35 mpg. I don't have a lead foot and its mostly easy driving and "coasting"

Also just noticed my last gas fill up was mid November. Funny how you forget how long it has been since I had been to the pump (checked the date of my first post)...

Happy New Year to you all!

 

My foot isn't lead. It's spring-activated, not dragged down by gravity.

The way I look at it, if I didn't enjoy vigorous acceleration when I can get it, I wouldn't have purchased a 416 HP car. I'd have bought a BMW i3 or maybe the plug-in Accord.

Highway efficiency tends to be 33-35 MPG, depending on speed. 70 MPH driving definitely uses a bit more gas. Displayed MPG for city driving is often 40-50 MPG, but of course it doesn't count electricity when I do that.

Winter's definitely cut down on range. In ran out of battery power on my 8 mile trip today, and that's with the car insisting that it wanted to use gas for some stretches.

Which it tends to do after the first time it switches from electric to gas. I'm not sure what that's about. I thought it might be extended rest periods, but now that it's cold it's doing it all the time, even if I drove for hours 2 days ago.

 

Gus,

IMO that is where the Panamera e0Hybrid shines. One can enjoy vigorous acceleration if one feels like it or enjoy the mpg when you don't. Its a win win compared to other hybrids...to each his own I guess.