Cars and Drivers

Top-Rated Porsche Sells Only 50,000 Cars a Year

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: July 30, 2016 9:25 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 5:06 am

Porsche scores at or near the top of most well-known research on car dependability and quality. It also sells fewer units than almost any of the other brands considered in these surveys.

The most recent case in point is the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. Porsche ranked in first place with a score of 877 out of 100. The average across all 33 brands measure was 801.

Porsche also topped two of the 12 car segments measured. Its Boxter was first in “Compact Premium Sporty Car” and its 911 in “Midsized Premium Sporty Car.”

Unlike many larger car companies, based on unit sales, Porsche only offers five models, each with a few variations: Boxter/Cayman, Cayenne, Panamera and Machan. Porsche until recently was primarily a maker of two-seat sports car. Its best-selling cars now are its sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

In June, Porsche sales were 4,482, up from 4,194 in June 2015. For the first half, sales were 26,708, up from 25,138.

The sales leader over the first half was the Macan, a small crossover/SUV. Porsche sold 8,129 of these. The low-end Macan has a sticker price of $47,500. The high-end Machan Turbo has a price tag of $76,000. Porsche does a good job of laddering price and additional features across all of its model lines. The fact that there are four versions of the Macan is an example.

The next best-selling car Porsche makes is its full-sized crossover/SUV, the Cayenne. Porsche sold 7,992 of these in the first half, about the same as the 8,003 the year before. The company has nine versions of this model, from the base vehicle, which has a price of $59,600, to the Cayenne Turbo S at $159,600.

The oldest of the Porsche models, the 911, sold 5,027 in the first half, compared to 5,207 last year. Sales of the least expensive part of the model line, the Boxter/Cayman, were 3,362, compared to 3,188.

Sales of the company’s Panamera sedan were 2,198, compared to 2,492 last year.

Maybe a brand with a few expensive models has a product quality advantage. After all, Jaguar is also near the top of the J.D. Power list.

Methodology: The 2016 U.S. APEAL Study is based on responses gathered from February through May 2016 from more than 80,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2016 model-year cars and light trucks who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership.