When Porsche launched its first-ever all-electric vehicle, it stunned enthusiasts and malcontents alike. The Taycan was a watershed moment for Porsche. It represented all the poise, panache, and pizazz the Stuttgart engineering firm could pack in an everyday four-door cruiser. It’s no wonder that U.S. News & World Report has named the 2020 Porsche Taycan the best used luxury car to buy. It makes offerings from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes look and feel boring and old-fashioned.

2020 Porsche Taycan performance specs

The 2020 Porsche Taycan’s powertrain consists of two electric motors, one of two battery choices, and standard all-wheel drive. The base 4S drive mechanics offer a 79-kWh battery with a combined 429 horsepower (522 with overboost) and 472 lb-feet of torque. If a four-second 0-60 mph time isn’t good enough, three faster, more powerful configurations of 93-kWh motors are available.

• 4S: 482 horsepower (562 with overboost) and 479 lb-feet of torque
• Turbo: 616 horsepower (670 with overboost) and 626 lb-feet of torque
• Turbo S: 616 horsepower (750 with overboost) and 774 lb-feet of torque

Porsche says the Turbo can sprint to 60 mph in just three seconds. The Turbo S trim level cuts the time to 2.6 seconds, and both have a track-friendly top speed of 161 mph.

Apart from mind-blowing acceleration, the 2020 Taycan handles like it’s bonded to the asphalt itself. Weighing around 2.5 tons, the Taycan doesn’t handle like a 911 but feels much lighter around corners than it is. Standard air suspension mitigates body roll but also provides drivers with a sumptuous ride around town. Porsche aficionados may think the steering lacks strong feedback, but optional four-wheel steering provides welcomed assistance. Taycans are also available with a myriad of performance enhancements, such as carbon-ceramic brakes and Porsche’s Sport Chrono package.

There are downsides to this level of performance, though. At roughly 200 miles, the used Taycan’s range isn’t impressive. In fact, a better range can be had in a Kia or a Hyundai. However, using a 270-kWh charger, most of the range can be recouped in just 20 minutes.

2020 Porsche Taycan trim levels and interior features

Porsche pulled no punches with the 2020 Porsche Taycan’s performance, and neither did they with its magnificent, futuristic interior. All cabin materials are the highest-quality carbon fiber, leather, metal, and wood. Comfortable seats all around in a near-silent cabin culminate in one of the best places to be when commuting or canyon carving.

Each of the Taycan’s three trim levels takes high-tech to a new level, even beating out what Tesla has to offer. The brilliant dashboard is dominated by a curved and customizable 16.8-inch instrument cluster and an additional 10.9-inch touchscreen housed in the center stack. U.S. News says the displays are nearly devoid of physical buttons and knobs, thus presenting a learning curve for customers.

Regardless, here’s how the trim levels stack up:

• 4S: Partial leather upholstery, eight-way power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a 10-speaker stereo, and four USB ports.
• Turbo: Full leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, 14-way power-adjustable front seats, quad-zone automatic climate control, a passenger-side infotainment display, and a 14-speaker Bose stereo.
• Turbo S: Suede upholstery, heated, cooled, and massaging front seats that are power-adjustable 18 ways, a 21-speaker Burmester stereo, and a 150-kW onboard DC charger.

The used Taycan’s standard safety features include a rearview camera, parking sensors, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive LED headlights. The Turbo and Turbo S come with blind spot monitoring, a surround-view parking camera, adaptive cruise control, and night vision detection.

How much is a 2020 Porsche Taycan?

There is a slightly large, six-figure elephant loitering in the corner here. Pre-owned Porsches have historically been affordable to the average used car shopper—apart from GT3s, of course. But the Taycan was expensive when it was new, and used models are still just as pricey.

U.S. News says the average list price for a 2020 Porsche Taycan is $143,681. Prices range from $114,518 to $168,157 and vary depending on the vehicle’s condition, mileage, features, and location. Luckily, Porsche offers a certified pre-owned program for vehicles less than eight years old or with fewer than 100,000 miles.

Should you buy a used Porsche Taycan?

If you’re in the market for a used luxury car, you may not be looking to spend well over $100,000. Few on U.S. News’s list top $50,000. In fact, spending any more than you would on a Taycan puts you in the range of a Bentley or a Rolls Royce.

The Taycan is in a league of its own in terms of performance, quality, tech, and price. Although its range figures are lackluster and it’s extraordinarily expensive, if your expectations are high, the Taycan is the car for you.