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    Porsche interior quality

    Just ordered a BMW 325i Touring, but compared to BMW the Porsche (997/987) interior looks really cheap. The quality and finish of BMW is so much better. Alu is alu and not some painted plastic. guess that's why I replaced half of my interior with Carbon

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    I have brand new 330I and 997S and sadly I have to agree BMW has a better finish. The 996 was even worse than the 997. Porsche spends most of the money on the engine, trans and suspension while MB and BMW spend nearly half of the monies on luxury and half on the drive train.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    True but then again compare the finish of a 997 to that of a Gallardo, F430 etc...
    IMO Porsches are leagues ahead. Even compared to Astons, Porsches seem to be better built...less flair yes, but quality wise, better. well at least in the cars I've been in.


    Guys these are sports cars....Interiors are not supposed to be such a big factor (to me at least)... I know these cars cost a lot of $ but IMO the driving experience alone is worth it...

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    I don't consider Porsche a luxury car so I don't even bother comparing them to Mercedes/Jaguar/BMW interiors. In fact, IMO Volvo has a super nice interior, much nicer than Porsche. But if what we wanted was a sweet, plush interior, then we would go over to those brands and buy one of their 2 ton tanks to enjoy them.

    Porsche's about the drive -- and frankly, I like the austere interior in the 987/997's --it's very functional without drowning you in endless laminated wood.

    FYI, I got carbon fiber too -- gives my Porsche some character

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    BC997J said:
    True but then again compare the finish of a 997 to that of a Gallardo, F430 etc...
    IMO Porsches are leagues ahead. Even compared to Astons, Porsches seem to be better built...less flair yes, but quality wise, better. well at least in the cars I've been in.


    Guys these are sports cars....Interiors are not supposed to be such a big factor (to me at least)... I know these cars cost a lot of $ but IMO the driving experience alone is worth it...



    I agree 100% that's why I keep buying Porsches. I would have bought them even if they had no interior

    I want my car simple and don't care for the bells and whistles BMW and MB offer. Give me the good looks of a Porsche + the drive train and all I will want is a seat and a steering wheel

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    ajcastaneda said:
    I don't consider Porsche a luxury car so I don't even bother comparing them to Mercedes/Jaguar/BMW interiors. In fact, IMO Volvo has a super nice interior, much nicer than Porsche. But if what we wanted was a sweet, plush interior, then we would go over to those brands and buy one of their 2 ton tanks to enjoy them.

    Porsche's about the drive -- and frankly, I like the austere interior in the 987/997's --it's very functional without drowning you in endless laminated wood.

    FYI, I got carbon fiber too -- gives my Porsche some character



    No arguements there, Porsche has a well built enough of an interior. It's simple, plain and sporty + functional

    Re: Porsche interior quality


    No arguements there, Porsche has a well built enough of an interior. It's simple, plain and sporty + functional



    Not sure the 997/987 dash is simple, too many buttons. I would prefer a more racy look (carbon/alu) and maybe get all functionalities in an IDrive type of control. this way the dash looks less busy..

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    I've got a 987S and a 325i Sport Package. I don't think the interior on the BMW is better quality - I'm perfectly happy with the interior - the parts may be a little lighter to save weight and improve performance but that does not mean bad quality- the look is sporty and functional without unneceassary extras- I like that. Yes the aluminum option is painted on and that looks cheap, but I think the 987/997 interiors are miles ahead in looks and quality compared with the 986/996.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    Louis said:
    I've got a 987S and a 325i Sport Package. I don't think the interior on the BMW is better quality - I'm perfectly happy with the interior - the parts may be a little lighter to save weight and improve performance but that does not mean bad quality- the look is sporty and functional without unneceassary extras- I like that. Yes the aluminum option is painted on and that looks cheap, but I think the 987/997 interiors are miles ahead in looks and quality compared with the 986/996.



    Not even a contest with the 986 -- the 986 was like a $68 from Brooks Brothers, compared with a $300 Brioni shirt look of the 987/997. IMO aluminum looks okay when used sparingly - but once you start getting the "aluminum package" oh brother....looks tacky.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    The basic 997 has a better interior than a basic 3-series or a basic 5-series. I still own my high-end 5-series, and comparing it against my full-leather 997, both are quite similar in terms of interior quality.

    However, when it comes to the 7-series, its a totally different ball game. Porsche has no chance against BMW and Mercs in the high-end. But again, Porsche makes sports cars, not GTs. They're not intended to be "nice".

    Also, IMHO, AMG interiors are the best in comparison with other German automakers.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    Oxonian said:
    The basic 997 has a better interior than a 3-series or a 5-series. I still own my high-end 5-series, and comparing it against my full-leather 997, both are quite similar in terms of interior quality.


    However, when it comes to the 7-series, its a totally different ball game. Porsche has no chance against BMW and Mercs in the high-end. But again, Porsche makes sports cars, not GTs. They're not intended to be "nice".

    I kind of agree, in a Porsche you need to cover every bit of plastic by either leather or carbon to make it look nice. As we all know an expensive option.

    On the new BMW 3 and 5 series just the seats and some door panels are leather, but the rest looks high quality. If it is high quality that will show over time.

    I'm happy with my full leather Boxster S with carbon package, because as mentioned I drive it, not look at the dash. I just noticed the quality difference when ordering the BMW.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    have a 986 and a 330i (E36)...
    day and night, BMW interior much better....

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Looks like the combox Porsche+BMW is not infrequent on this board :-)

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    Oxonian said:
    ...But again, Porsche makes sports cars, not GTs. They're not intended to be "nice".



    In fact in several magazines that I recently read (I'll try to find them and scan the paragraphs) they specifically point out that Porsche is leaning more towards GT cars than Sports, they consider GT3 a true sports car from Porsche and the rest fall under GT catagory even the turbo .

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    Jeannot said:
    Looks like the combox Porsche+BMW is not infrequent on this board :-)



    As long as the sportscar is a Porsche and the practical car a BMW!

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    Ron (Houston) said:
    Quote:
    Oxonian said:
    ...But again, Porsche makes sports cars, not GTs. They're not intended to be "nice".



    In fact in several magazines that I recently read (I'll try to find them and scan the paragraphs) they specifically point out that Porsche is leaning more towards GT cars than Sports, they consider GT3 a true sports car from Porsche and the rest fall under GT catagory even the turbo .



    I have to disagree. Examples of GTs include: SL-class, 6-series, Jaguars, Bentleys CGT. Porsches will never offer the luxury that those automakers provide. Its a totally different product positioning strategy.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    My 3 was fantastic inside but after 3 sets of discs, 3 sets or rear top shock mounts, lower front wishbones (bearings shot), 2 new cam positoion sensors, thermostat, air con panel, wiper sensor etc etc I decided that perceived quality isn't everything. I bought my first Porsche 911. Now I have my second. Guess what. Nothing broke.

    If I want luxury inside I know to go elesewhere. But for a proper sports car and durability I believe Porsche has it

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    Oxonian said:
    Quote:
    Ron (Houston) said:
    Quote:
    Oxonian said:
    ...But again, Porsche makes sports cars, not GTs. They're not intended to be "nice".



    In fact in several magazines that I recently read (I'll try to find them and scan the paragraphs) they specifically point out that Porsche is leaning more towards GT cars than Sports, they consider GT3 a true sports car from Porsche and the rest fall under GT catagory even the turbo .



    I have to disagree. Examples of GTs include: SL-class, 6-series, Jaguars, Bentleys CGT. Porsches will never offer the luxury that those automakers provide. Its a totally different product positioning strategy.



    Ahhhh, short memeories or very young minds. My all leather 928 interior is more luxurious and better crafted than any new car i have been in including volvo's, mercs, and the new 6 series bmw.

    Porsche knew how to make the best interior and hopefully will once again. It is the reason why the interior was never altered in 17 years of production on the 928.

    The marketing slogan was "nothing as fast is as luxurious and nothing as luxurious is as fast". They know how to do it, they just have to go back to the future and take control back from the bean counters.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    They won't do that when there's lots of profit and people keep buying. Lack of R&D and cheap interiors has never hurt Porsche.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    racerx said:
    Quote:
    Oxonian said:
    Quote:
    Ron (Houston) said:
    Quote:
    Oxonian said:
    ...But again, Porsche makes sports cars, not GTs. They're not intended to be "nice".



    In fact in several magazines that I recently read (I'll try to find them and scan the paragraphs) they specifically point out that Porsche is leaning more towards GT cars than Sports, they consider GT3 a true sports car from Porsche and the rest fall under GT catagory even the turbo .



    I have to disagree. Examples of GTs include: SL-class, 6-series, Jaguars, Bentleys CGT. Porsches will never offer the luxury that those automakers provide. Its a totally different product positioning strategy.



    Ahhhh, short memeories or very young minds. My all leather 928 interior is more luxurious and better crafted than any new car i have been in including volvo's, mercs, and the new 6 series bmw.

    Porsche knew how to make the best interior and hopefully will once again. It is the reason why the interior was never altered in 17 years of production on the 928.

    The marketing slogan was "nothing as fast is as luxurious and nothing as luxurious is as fast". They know how to do it, they just have to go back to the future and take control back from the bean counters.



    Would argue a $150K 997TT (w/essentially every relevant leather (and performance/convenience) option) has a more elegant/ergonomic interior than any sports/GT car on planet, incl AM/B/F/Lambo/Merc/etc, w/only rival being '07 S/SL65 (not 55)....

    When I eval car interiors I consider various factors....key fob, qual/quan of leather and stitching, lack of visible plastic/sharp edges, no. of closed, usable interior stg compartments, seats (grip/adjustability/comfort/crashworthiness, esp headrests), dash layout/readability, steering wheel texture/thickness, etc etc....

    Sure, std P interiors are often plasticky, but so are most premium cars' (just look at/feel/use many of F's Fiat-like buttons/door pulls/door lock switches, etc...and headrests and seats that don't seem very crash-engineered )....compare loaded to loaded....IMO, P interiors offer a uniquely outstanding balance of performance car ergonomics and safety w/GT car elegance, along w/outstanding build quality.....

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    VKSF said:
    Quote:
    racerx said:
    Quote:
    Oxonian said:
    Quote:
    Ron (Houston) said:
    Quote:
    Oxonian said:
    ...But again, Porsche makes sports cars, not GTs. They're not intended to be "nice".



    In fact in several magazines that I recently read (I'll try to find them and scan the paragraphs) they specifically point out that Porsche is leaning more towards GT cars than Sports, they consider GT3 a true sports car from Porsche and the rest fall under GT catagory even the turbo .



    I have to disagree. Examples of GTs include: SL-class, 6-series, Jaguars, Bentleys CGT. Porsches will never offer the luxury that those automakers provide. Its a totally different product positioning strategy.



    Ahhhh, short memeories or very young minds. My all leather 928 interior is more luxurious and better crafted than any new car i have been in including volvo's, mercs, and the new 6 series bmw.

    Porsche knew how to make the best interior and hopefully will once again. It is the reason why the interior was never altered in 17 years of production on the 928.

    The marketing slogan was "nothing as fast is as luxurious and nothing as luxurious is as fast". They know how to do it, they just have to go back to the future and take control back from the bean counters.



    Would argue a $150K 997TT (w/essentially every relevant leather (and performance/convenience) option) has a more elegant/ergonomic interior than any sports/GT car on planet, incl AM/B/F/Lambo/Merc/etc, w/only rival being '07 S/SL65 (not 55)....

    When I eval car interiors I consider various factors....key fob, qual/quan of leather and stitching, lack of visible plastic/sharp edges, no. of closed, usable interior stg compartments, seats (grip/adjustability/comfort/crashworthiness, esp headrests), dash layout/readability, steering wheel texture/thickness, etc etc....

    Sure, std P interiors are often plasticky, but so are most premium cars' (just look at/feel/use many of F's Fiat-like buttons/door pulls/door lock switches, etc...and headrests and seats that don't seem very crash-engineered )....compare loaded to loaded....IMO, P interiors offer a uniquely outstanding balance of performance car ergonomics and safety w/GT car elegance, along w/outstanding build quality.....



    If I checked off every interior option (like leather area PCM, and dome light leather upholstery, etc.) I would expect it to come close to the top interiors, but not beat out any of the true luxury interiors - as you mentioned a 55/65, or any Bentley or Rolls Royce interior...

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    In reading this thread, rennteam contributors have made several good points. Yes the 997 interior is far better than the 996. Yes plastic is plastic but does the usage look cheap, does it detract from the interior? No the 997 interior will never be a Bentley or Rolls Royce. Those vehicles are for an entirely different clientel. The two questions remaining are (1) Do you feel that Porsche interiors are a good value for the money (2) What interior changes would you like to see in upcoming models?

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Porsches are made to drive a "clean line" - therefore the interior should match this philosophy IMO.
    My father, being a retired "old school" architect and designer, strongly influenced by the German Bauhaus architecture with it's clean lines and "no decorative gimmicks" approach made very positive comments when he had a closer look to the 9X7 models for the first time. He said something like: absolutely not what you would expect in such an expensive car - and it was definitely meant as a positive comment

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    I was comparing the interior to a BMW 3 series, also very clean lines I think. Never to a RR or Bentley.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    I woould even support even 'cleaner' interior. Whilst the finish in a 997 clearly feels higher quality, the simplicity of the 996 was certainly attractive even if the quality and feel of some of the plastic wasn't.

    My biggest criticism of the 997 is the plethora of buttons and so-on in the middle-necessary I suppose and easy to use once you know them. But when you turn off the entertainment system at night, just look how much clearer and 'cleaner' the interior looks in comparison. It would nice if that were more achievable in the day.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    The 996 interior was fine BUT you needed a lot of leather parts, expensive. The wood package was nicer for the 996, now it looks like CF is the way to go as alu are only painted "alu look".

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Hmm. I own a 328i and I'm shortly moving to a 997S.

    I entirely respect other people's subjective opinions but my own view is that the 997S is a wonderful 'clean' and sporty interior. OK, the 52 black buttons in the centre console could have been tidied up with one rotating knob and an 'iDrive' type interface BUT nonetheless, there's a wonderful feeling everytime you get into a 997 interior. I love the way you feel everything has a purpose. It just feels like it's built to last forever. Maybe they use cheap looking plastics, well, just replace those bits with something else e.g. CF, wood, alu-look...whatever takes your fancy.

    I've seen how interiors last in various cars. I sat in a demo car that had obviously been used a lot but it still looked great. You should see the leather in my BMW. 36,000 miles and it looks like a different colour!! Just doesn't last.

    As for the wood in BMWs, Mercs etc, as Jeremy Clarkson said 'the wood they use looks like it's never seen a tree before'!

    Somehow, I just don't think wood belongs in a sports car.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Quote:
    racerx said:
    Porsche knew how to make the best interior and hopefully will once again. It is the reason why the interior was never altered in 17 years of production on the 928.

    The marketing slogan was "nothing as fast is as luxurious and nothing as luxurious is as fast". They know how to do it, they just have to go back to the future and take control back from the bean counters.



    I agree . I guess those posting that a Porsche interior should be just " OK " compared to say a MBZ didn't own German cars in the 80s. My '87 911 ( and the higher end 928 ) had a far nicer interior than even an S class of the era. Or any BMW or Audi.And the aroma of the full leather interior was probably rivaled by only a Bentley of the time.
    Today it's the reverse - with Porsche interiors equal to today's VW. The one execption back then was the low end 944 series. It always felt like a VW interior- but then the 924 from which it arose was developed as a possible VW model and " passed " over to Porsche to sell. Unfortunately , today's low end cars ( Boxster/Cayman ) have pretty much the identical interior to the 911 series- thanks to Porsche's General Motors -like bean counters.
    So it's dumbed down on purpose- to make more money.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    MKW - dumbed down is correct, and especially for money. If you wanted to get the best quality in the interior of today's Porsches you'd have to check off every interior leather/wood/carbon fiber upgrade to bring it up to the older Porsches. However, an upside to this is allows each driver to have a wider range of flexibility in equipping their interior (e.g. one Porsche has leather PCM trim, the other doesn't but has leather for visors, etc.). As I told Porsche-Jeck many weeks ago, you can think of Porsches like snowflakes, two are never really the same (unless you get a demo car or just order a bare-bones stock model from Germany).

    Easy-

    I too think wood belongs in luxury cars but at least Porsche gives you the option of appointing your vehicle luxuriously. IMO the interior on a sports car should be more well, sporty -- carbon fiber and aluminum come to mind. But we do have the option of making our cars like a luxe cruiser -- super soft supple leather, wood EVERYWHERE, and well, you know.

    Re: Porsche interior quality

    Are BMW puttng leather on the dash nowadays then?

     
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