Living with a 718S, impressions after a few weeks

[boxtaboy]

Ah, there's someone else that thinks like me.  When I first started driving, I had a car with an automatic. I liked it but it didn't excite me enough so I learned how to drive a manual. Had the manual for 12 yrs and then I bought a Benz coupe that I thought would be nice enough for me to enjoy, even if it was an auto. Big mistake. After 4 yrs, I decided I had missed driving manual and stopped by a Porsche dealer and saw my current car. Drove it and fell in love with the manual again. It's been 15 yrs since. Manuals involve you. The day Porsche gets rid of the manual will be a sad day....I'll have to move to BMWs. 

By the way, I apologize to the original poster for taking the discussion in this thread off topic. Now back to living with the 718.  

[Daniel Joseph]

On 22/11/2016 at 9:14 PM, Araf said:

 

Slow.  My 18s seem worse than my 19s were, which surprises me.  Maybe the extra give of the taller sidewall deforms more before the tyre skips?  

Because of the usage my 981 gets, I need to do little low speed manoeuvring on full lock, but I was intrigued by the above comments.  I took the car out this morning to an empty car park and tried it out.  Sure enough, there was a distinctive "thunk-thunk" noise which you feel through the steering when manoeuvring at low speeds on full lock, going either forward or in reverse.  I guess that I must have noticed this previously, but put it down to loose gravel or stones under a tyre.

BoXa.net is just brilliant! ???.  Without it,  I'd be fretting that there was something wrong with my steering geometry and schlepping back to my OPC (seventy miles away) to be told "They all do that, sir."

As @Jason986S says elsewhere,  this query comes up so often, ithe would be worth making it a sticky for the automotively inept like me?.

[Jason986S]

@Araf might be able to help make a sticky thread as a newly appointed general in command of this ship?

[Araf]

22 minutes ago, Jason986S said:

@Araf might be able to help make a sticky thread as a newly appointed general in command of this ship?

I could but then we couldn't all show our brilliance by answering newbie questions.

How about someone starting a thread entitled "They all do that sir" where the common queries are all posted?  It would have to be in general Boxster Chat, rather than the model subsections. 

[Jason986S]

3 minutes ago, Araf said:

I could but then we couldn't all show our brilliance by answering newbie questions.

How about someone starting a thread entitled "They all do that sir" where the common queries are all posted?  It would have to be in general Boxster Chat, rather than the model subsections. 

I'm sure a thread of that title and content already exists?

[Araf]

So it does.  DJMC's wheel thread.  

[Stuart21UK]

3 hours ago, Araf said:

So it does.  DJMC's wheel thread.  

god help us dont make that a sticky...he'll come back

[Araf]

Just now, boxsternoob56 said:

god help us don't make that a sticky...he'll come back

I could change his title, and then reuse it though.

[Stuart21UK]

1 minute ago, Araf said:

I could change his title, and then reuse it though.

I can imagine something with the word 'litigation' in it perhaps?

[Araf]

 

[Happy Days]

6 hours ago, boxtaboy said:

 

By the way, I apologize to the original poster for taking the discussion in this thread off topic. Now back to living with the 718.  

No problem! Actually, having been out for a long drive in the dealers loan car today, I can also declare that I'm in the manual shift club. And so is my wife, would you believe!

[boxtaboy]

24 minutes ago, Happy Days said:

No problem! Actually, having been out for a long drive in the dealers loan car today, I can also declare that I'm in the manual shift club. And so is my wife, would you believe!

Long live the manual!

[Araf]

I'm a manual fan, just not for the daily drive to work.  If it was just for weekends.....

[Happy Days]

Ok. Another dislike and a few likes. 

The auto dimming mirrors. They only dim about 80% of the glass area on the inner mirror and about 90% of the exteriors. 

That means you get a 5mm or so area right around the outside edge of the glass that does not dim the full beam from the car behind and occasionally you get blinded. Not a HUGE problem, but it's a little niggle. And it is the wee small things that count in an expensive car. 

On the positive side, the sport button is good on the twisty stuff. The whole car seems to want to get up and go a whole lot more. 

Ive just completed an 80 miler cross country on rural Irish roads at night on greasy roads. This thing is amazing! Hardly a need to drop down a cog at all, full torque available at almost any speed on any gear. Well, if you're in 6th at 30mph it might take a second or so to spool up, but above 2000 rpm full beans are available. In any gear. 

My sat nav is usually pretty accurate at calculating ETA. This trip I was able to complete in 1.5 hours compared to the sat nav guess of 2 hours. Must have been traveling rather rapidly...

[Stuart21UK]

you can also send ETA texts using the PCM when in Satnav mode in case you didn't know (at least you can on a 981)

[Happy Days]

Not sure if I'd want to do that!

Another thing I learned last night on the way back from my Irish trip cross country - the car definitely has more talent than the driver. Is is so damned fast, that frankly, I can't keep up. As I have got older, the levels of 'balls' have surely dropped. I was being followed last night by some sort of SUV - the guy obviously knew the road well whereas for me it was a first time drive. The 718 was able to breeze past him on a straight (one of only about a half dozen on a 50 mile stretch) but he was able to keep up well on the twisty bits. It was light rain and very dirty and twisty roads and I didn't want to put my three week old car over a ditch. But credit to the SUV driver, he kept up fairly well as he knew what was coming. Enjoyable trip home nonetheless. Now where's my hose...?

 

For the curious, the twisty section of road was from Dundalk to Mullingar as part of my trip home. It would be a great road in daylight / dry conditions!

[Whaleblue]

I can identify with that ^ !

On my test drive I grew and grew in confidence over the few hours I was in the car(s), but never felt I was pushing anywhere near its limits.

In truth, those limits are so far out it would likely be irresponsible to push them on the vast majority of public roads.

[guest1]

On 07/12/2016 at 3:09 PM, Happy Days said:

Not sure if I'd want to do that!

Another thing I learned last night on the way back from my Irish trip cross country - the car definitely has more talent than the driver. Is is so damned fast, that frankly, I can't keep up. As I have got older, the levels of 'balls' have surely dropped. I was being followed last night by some sort of SUV - the guy obviously knew the road well whereas for me it was a first time drive. The 718 was able to breeze past him on a straight (one of only about a half dozen on a 50 mile stretch) but he was able to keep up well on the twisty bits. It was light rain and very dirty and twisty roads and I didn't want to put my three week old car over a ditch. But credit to the SUV driver, he kept up fairly well as he knew what was coming. Enjoyable trip home nonetheless. Now where's my hose...?

 

For the curious, the twisty section of road was from Dundalk to Mullingar as part of my trip home. It would be a great road in daylight / dry conditions!

I remember many a twisty road in both north and south when I was growing up -- coupled with the propensity to "create" an extra lane it was a good way to learn to drive.  Now that I am doing some work in NI, I've been driving around and found the new Dublin bound motorway (the tractor I passed on it made me laugh out loud, only in the south .....) but what a hair raising experience when you then hit the A1 section in the north.

Glad to hear that you are -- on balance -- loving the car.

[Biat]

On 23/11/2016 at 11:29 AM, ooid said:

I think it's a great car. If the engine proves to be reliable, 718 would have no other competitor in the market. I was not brave enough to make any purchase move last year even though I really liked the look and the rest, judging by porsche's previous engine history. If it's reliable in the next few years, it would be great/affordable choice for both brand new and used owners.

Those were my thoughts too but having tested the competition I am very pleased with my decision to purchase rather than hang on. Took delivery earlier this month and so chuffed with it.

[Happy Days]

Update

I have just re-read this thread - my god I was a whinger when I bought this car new! I have to say that I got used to the niggles but they are stupind and they still remain. I still don't like the Hold function - I also have a Macan and as it's PDK it works perfectly in that car. The lack of space in the car to put anything is legendary. I now keep the phone in an ar*e pocket, and hardly ever use CarPlay. In fact, the only time the phone is plugged in is to charge it up. No decent apps that I would need on Car Play. Little room in the car to put even a spare pair of specs!

Changed the tyres at 19,500 to Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S - totally transformed the car from highly strung to useful. No more skitting around in car parks on full lock and the drive is, well, smoother all round with the same grip levels. Just feels right to me. Highly recommended even though they are not N rated.

Love the way you can drop the hood while driving off using the one touch facility.

The auto dip mirrors don't annoy me as much as they did, but they're still a stupid design. I was getting constantly blinded in the first few months.

My favourite accessory is still the heated steering wheel - when used with the heated seats it provides a lovely place to be in the winter, roof on or off. Mine is a daily driver, so these functions are worth while to me.

Glad I specced a manual for a blast around the open and traffic free roads that we have around here. However, I must be getting older as I like the PDK on the Macan. Next car, I will have to seriously think about the choice.

One thing I wish I had specced was the two tone leather interior. I went for blue leather, and while lovely, remains in second place for me. I absolutely love the grey / blue combo and I regret that my SA talked me out of it. He reckoned the light seats would get stained by jeans - so I relented.

In sport mode there is a lovely backfire when changing from 1st to 2dn at exactly 4250rpm. Great on a narrow street and small boys just delight when it happens.

Still enjoying every mile!