[Arcades]

I posted this in a private area with friends because they were about as curious as I was regarding this. Please keep in mind, these are MY thoughts only, not a professional driver who can probably notice a lot more minute differences than I can. I been also cross shopping SUVs in recent weeks, which included (in this order too btw) BMW X1, BMW X3, Porsche Macan, Porsche Macan S, Lexus NX Turbo F-Sport, and Lexus RX. I am not considering the X4, X5 and X6 mainly because I dislike the X4 and X6 looks, and there is a new X5 coming in about a year and a half, so I don't want to really think about it. Also, please keep in mind I am a BMW person through and through, I very much prefer German cars first over domestic and Japanese imports.

If you don't agree with what I thought about it, that is fine. Don't come to me and whine about it because I'm just going to straight up ignore you.

I went into the dealership around in the afternoon and met up with my uncle's contacts. I met the GM (I believe) as well as a few sales personal that knew my uncle, who had apparently purchased cars from them for well over 10 years now. Anyway, so I went to test drive the Macan first, then Macan S.

Macan is the Inline 4 2.0. Macan S is the V6 Twin Turbo, real turbos not scrolls and it was very different from what I have been driving in recent years. It didn't take too long for me to get used to it however because it reminded me almost immediately of my Jetta, since it was a VW it isn't too far of a departure from that, I mean VW, Audi and Porsche all share something similar. So... here are what I noticed, good or bad you can judge for yourself.


- I noticed right away a Porsche car feels heavy but drives light. Unlike BMW where it feels light and drives light. I know how odd that sounds but I'm sure all of you know Porsche is under the VW umbrella with Audi, so it has that characteristic of the VW cars, where it feels a bit heavy. That is where the similarity ends, it FEELS heavy but it isn't. The steering is light but the peddles are a tad on the heavy side, which is perfectly okay. That peddle feel reminds me a lot of VW but it reacts/bites right away unlike what I remember from my older Jetta. I love that when I got used to it because it immediately reminded me of my Jetta that I miss a lot.

- Macan S feels on a different level compared to the regular Macan. I'm not one to generally go mouth gaping over engine noises but the Macan S's V6 TT sounds extremely good. Macan just sounds very normal, if not far to mellow for my taste. Also the Macan S pulls amazingly fast, it didn't catch me off guard due to my M4 but it does have that, "woah" effect on me. Macan doesn't have that feeling, it is more of a cruiser than a bullet.

- PDK is a amazing transmission, something most car enthusiasts would know. I didn't realize how good it was until I was in it. Especially because I come from a M-DCT the difference in between the two is very noticeable for me. For one, the PDK has none of that lurching motion if you don't drive the car in a way the car wants you to drive. With the M-DCT, if you are just a bit too mellow with the gas, it gives you some fits which is the learching thing. (I know how to control that with my car but still there.) PDK feels extremely smooth, both on launch and just cruising. It doesn't have the inconsistencies like the M-DCT. PDK shifts are quiet and very fast, where in the M-DCT I can catch the car downshifting because I can feel it. There are quite a few times I can feel my M-DCT grabbing it's gears at 1, 2 and 3 (Downshifting only, I cannot actually feel the M-DCT grab gears up-shifting on Auto Mode.) With the PDK it shifts fast, quietly and does it pretty much to the point of you not even knowing it's doing it. It is a most definitely a step up from the M-DCT.

- Interior, ok this is something I don't know if it is a pro or con but the interior is... cluttered. I am not a huge fan of everything on the center console. Literally EVERYTHING is there, your AC/Heater, seating, stability control, Sport/Normal, everything. The amount of buttons on that enter console is just... weird. Aside from that, Porsche also puts it's infotainment stuff above all of these buttons already so, all of infotainment buttons sits on top of all of those buttons. The screen itself is a touch screen, with some buttons for some other stuff under that. So, there is just buttons all over the damn place. It is a very busy interior and I'm actually not a fan of the vents also, the plastic Porsche uses on it feels out of place.

- Seats are good There is a noticeable lack of legroom in the back seats but the seats are good. Putting alcantara on that doesn't feel like a gimmick but it grips you so. Good back support even w/o the 14 way seating thinggie.

- Cargo space is definitely not significant. The X1 and X3 is bigger and I would say even my 3er is comparable in that sense. It isn't big but you can stack things on top of it so... maybe?

- The thing I have always admired Porsche is they do not compromise their cars for volume sales, something Benz is starting to do and something BMW has been criticized for in recent years. (I really hate the X1's driving dynamics and the interior. The transmission is god awful, even when I got used to it.) I was very impressed with the Macan/Macan S and how it handles the road. I always slow down into turns because a lot of BMW cars have soft suspensions (like my 3er) that forces you to slow into turns so you avoid the car doing it's body roll crap. A stock Macan (not even a Macan S) apparently has almost none of those properties. I'm not even kidding during the test drive, Eugene who was helping me instead of the GM who was busy, told me I don't need to slow into the turns because Macan has very minimal body roll. I noticed this but due to my 3er DD habit I still slow into turns. Macan has very, very minimal body roll, I think the Macan S slightly improves on this. (Edit: This might or might not be an option thing.)

- Turn radius of the Macan is also surprisingly good. I was able to do a 360 turn over and over in this little parking spot area where I might get rather close with my 3er. Mind you this is still a SUV, so being able to do that is pretty impressive. Not to mention what I said above regarding the lack of an noticeable body roll, along with this turn radius it is pretty good.

- Rear view mirror on the Macan/Macan S is hilariously small. I get the rear window is small so the rear view mirror matches it to fit but... it's just dinky that is about the only word I can come up with to describe it.

- Exterior looks of the Macan looks like a Porsche. Generally Porsche cars make very attractive looking cars, minus the previous Panamera which looks pretty dumb from the back. Macan looks attractive and nice... Yeah...

- As I started trying to get a better idea of where I am sitting at, price wise, with a Macan S. I noticed while building it on the Porsche site, Porsche gouges you HARD with options. Literally everything for a Porsche is an option. While yes that is good and you can customize your car to your liking, but everything costs you. It adds up fast. It is very much like every other European (German especially) cars where options adds up very fast. With BMW, you generally can get away with just a base car because you get more than enough with just a base car, this isn't exactly the case with Porsche. Yes, technically you can do this with every single car but some of the base stuff on Porsche leaves a lot to be desired. Honestly the only thing I added happened to be LEDs, Bose, Porsche Connect and PTV+, all the other little things added to that nearly to 8k+. BMW, for as many people who complains, bundle stuff so you don't have to always add everything. One option group like Executive Package is usually enough. This isn't so with Porsche. That is a bit grrr. Although, it could just be me adding things again :P

- No HUD option. This is much more of a personal thing but BMW's HUD is (to me) one of the best in the business. I cannot see myself going to another BMW without it. Porsche has no HUD at all. I mean... if Japanese imports are doing this with their very affordable cars (Mazada... PRIUS?!) You think Porsche would at least consider it but... they haven't yet.


Overall, I didn't expect the Macan/Macan S to be this noticeably good. I am so used to BMW's little things here and there that the pros for the Macan makes a lot of BMW SUVs look pretty silly. Especially because the lack of a body roll comes standard where you need to ADD that in when it comes to BMW X's. I don't think I can even compare the Lexus NX to this. I mean I can try but why bother at this point. I have always driven German cars, VW or BMW, I don't think I can get into a Lexus when I know I will nip pick things I dislike about Japanese cars.

[DDD31]

Thanks for the review. I'm seriously considering a Macan S for my next vehicle and appreciate a normal driver's insight. I would love a 718 Cayman too but I don't think it'll be practical for a DD with our crappy roads and weather in Michigan.

[GuidoK]

- The thing I have always admired Porsche is they do not compromise their cars for volume sales

The cayenne, macan and panamera are proof that they do
But maybe I'm from a different generation.

Doesnt matter though, as every brand does that. They all sell out as their business is making money.

[scoobysaurus]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

The cayenne, macan and panamera are proof that they do
But maybe I'm from a different generation.

Doesnt matter though, as every brand does that. They all sell out as their business is making money.

Those 3 are high end vehicles that still drive like a Porsche is supposed to, taking into account the nature of the vehicle of course. It's cool with me as long as they're not making econobox FWD minivans

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by scoobysaurus

taking into account the nature of the vehicle of course.

you can apply that kind of reasoning to a FWD minivan too.
potato patato
Porsche used to be a sports car manufacturer and a lot more exclusive but few seem to remember that nowadays.
Now its mainly a VAG rebadger and building sportscars almost seems to be a side issue. But I dont blame them, lots of money to be made there.
VAG marketing machine at its finest.

[dgoldenz]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

you can apply that kind of reasoning to a FWD minivan too.
potato patato
Porsche used to be a sports car manufacturer and a lot more exclusive but few seem to remember that nowadays.
Now its mainly a VAG rebadger and building sportscars almost seems to be a side issue. But I dont blame them, lots of money to be made there.
VAG marketing machine at its finest.

You sound like an upset hipster

[GuidoK]

I'm way to old to be a hipster...

But its a fact that these cars are hugely profiteable for porsche and are sold in far greater numbers than their sportscars so that porsche isnt compromising their cars for volume sales simply isnt true and these cars are the proof of it.
So that choice of words stood a bit out for me.
It has nothing to do whether or not this car is better or worse than its BMW or Audi rivals.

[Arcades]

Originally Posted by DDD31

Thanks for the review. I'm seriously considering a Macan S for my next vehicle and appreciate a normal driver's insight. I would love a 718 Cayman too but I don't think it'll be practical for a DD with our crappy roads and weather in Michigan.

No problem

Originally Posted by GuidoK

I'm way to old to be a hipster...

But its a fact that these cars are hugely profiteable for porsche and are sold in far greater numbers than their sportscars so that porsche isnt compromising their cars for volume sales simply isnt true and these cars are the proof of it.
So that choice of words stood a bit out for me.
It has nothing to do whether or not this car is better or worse than its BMW or Audi rivals.

They don't. Porsche sells well due to their reputation not the amount of cars they have. Compared to BMW, Audi, Benz... Porsche's car line up is extremely small in comparison. Panamera, Macan, Cayenne, 911, Cayman and Boxster. That is their general line-up. In comparison, BMW has X1 to X6, 1 series to 6 series, never mind the up coming X7 and 7 series. Also all of the M models. Yes Porsche has a lot of trims for the 911 but that is the car they are known for, even if you do include these trims, Porsche line-up is still smaller then BMW.

Everyone on the BMW side has complained about BMW diluting things too hard, Benz is starting to do this too. Do you see Porsche do any of this or plan on it? As of yet no, they won't go under a Macan or Boxster. And it isn't like Benz/BMW where they have other models outside of the states, Porsche cars are the same across the world from what I understand.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by Arcades

No problem

As of yet no,

With 'as of yet' you mean 'in the last years'.
I'm talking about another era where they only made sportscars, and not daily people carriers build on generic platforms.
But from sportscars alone brand struggles in these days.
The fact that you compare porsche to bmw or audi or mecedes only underlines that. Porsche went from a sports car manufacturer to a generic car manufacturer that happens to make sportscars.
So they compromise to boost sales. The Macan, Cayenne and panamera are driven proof of that.
The Macan and cayenne are now their best sellers, their current bread&butter.
Their heritage is not comparable to bmw. BMW has always been a brand that makes models in all classes, and has mostly been strong in the smaller/average cars.
The current bmw brand as we know it, is modelled on fairly normal cars (neue klasse)
So I think porsche is diluting things more than BMW if you look at the history and where they came from. Its not a question of how expensive the cars are (porsche also made affordable cars in the past), but what they are.
If porsche didnt compromise for sales, they would be making sportscars, not SUV's.
Same goes for other recent manufacturers like Maserati and Bentley. All to boost sales. And brands like aston martin or ferrari will probably follow too. Stock holders want to see more return so its inevitable I think.

I'm not saying this to talk down on the Macan, from the ones youre comparing it to I'd also probably choose the macan if all the practical things would suit my needs.

Although all porsche models are the same in the US as in europe, the engines that they provide are not btw.

[smrtypants44]

Good review. Although isnt the X3 getting replaced next year not the X5?

[Arcades]

GuidoK

I know not all Porsche cars have the same engine. I stated this at the start. The standard Macan is a Inline 4. Macan S is a V6 Twin Turbo (not scrolls true turbos.) Not to mention, Macan is FWD only, Macan S is AWD w/ Rear Wheel bias. This is very evident when I drove it.

I know my cars and I won't hold your breathe believing Porsche will cave in and make another model below Macan. You can of course believe what you want to believe, I'm not gonna start a pointless argument online. Porsche has stated themselves recently they won't go below a Boxster and Macan. I believe them. They have no reason to.

Cayenne is not to "boost" sales, I don't see it that way. If you personally believe Panamera, Cayanne and Macan are the low standard for Porsche then you are way off base just because their line up used to be 911s.

I have friends in Europe so I also know people there see cars differently then we do here in the States, especially in LA. You also said you aren't talking down the Macan but you are still talking down the Macan just by your statements. Yes there are far more practical cars for it's price but that doesn't mean the Macan isn't a Porsche car. Which is not something I can say for the BMW X1. The X1, exterior wise is very much a BMW, interior wise and driving characteristic wise it isn't a BMW, not to me. As I posted on my OPing I'm not gonna keep replying to people who likes to argue just for the sake of arguing.

smrtypants44 X3 and X5 are being replaced to the new G chassis soon. X5 is getting the chassis based from the new three row X7.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by Arcades

I'm not gonna keep replying to people who likes to argue just for the sake of arguing.

Why would I be arguing for the sake of arguing?
My arguments are factually correct (porsche does really sell a lot more cayennes/macans than 911/718's)

I know my cars and I won't hold your breathe believing Porsche will cave in and make another model below Macan.

I never said or contradicted that. You're missing the point.
The cayenne and macan are proof that porsche is compromising to boost sales because they are designed to sell well. Porsche saw the succes of the X5 and set out to get a share of that market. Same for the Macan.
Porsche is driven on their heritage of sports achievements as a brand of sports cars. I dont see how a SUV fits in that philosophy. Therefore these models are to make money. Lots of money. And they do that job well looking at the sales figures. Its not for nothing that the cayenne is known as 'the car that saved porsche'. They saw the succes of the X5 (the car that pretty much invented that niche) and jumped on the bandwagon like so many brands.
So the statement that BMW and MB are compromising their cars for volume sales and porsche isnt, isnt true IMO

Look at it this way: how would you look at a ferrari SUV based on a fiat platform with an 2 litre 4 cyl? I mean, you're really keen to setting the bar at precisely that point. But for me its relative to where the brand came from, does it fit in it's heritage and philosophy
For them it would be really compromising...

You also said you aren't talking down the Macan but you are still talking down the Macan just by your statements.

If any, I'm talking the porsche brand down, not the Macan. It does what it's set out to do, really well.

Macan is FWD only

Are you sure about that?

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

Why would I be arguing for the sake of arguing?
My arguments are factually correct (porsche does really sell a lot more cayennes/macans than 911/718's)

I never said or contradicted that. You're missing the point.
The cayenne and macan are proof that porsche is compromising to boost sales because they are designed to sell well. Porsche saw the succes of the X5 and set out to get a share of that market. Same for the Macan.
Porsche is driven on their heritage of sports achievements. I dont see how a SUV fits in that philosophy. Therefore these models are to make money. Lots of money. And they do that job well looking at the sales figures. Its not for nothing that the cayenne is known as 'the car that saved porsche'. They saw the succes of the X5 (the car that pretty much invented that niche) and jumped on the bandwagon like so many brands.
So the statement that BMW and MB are compromising their cars for volume sales and porsche isnt, isnt true IMO

Look at it this way: how would you look at a ferrari SUV based on a fiat platform with an 2 litre 4 cyl? I mean, you're really keen to setting the bar at precisely that point. But for me its relative to where the brand came from, does it fit in it's heritage and philosophy
For them it would be really compromising...

If any, I'm talking the porsche brand down, not the Macan. It does what it's set out to do, really well.

Are you sure about that?

Fully agree. I remember when Porsche announced that they were manufacturing the Cayenne, the outcry was the same, if not more than the BMW enthusiast complaining about the state of BMW today. It's irrelevant if the Cayenne, Macan and Panamera are excellent in their respective segments, they were solely built to attract a broader audience from the 911.

Porsche should never say never to building a lower model under the Macan. BMW said they wouldn't do a lot of things they're doing now. I'm sure Porsche said they wouldn't consider a SUV but the automotive landscape and market changes and it forces manufacturers to change.

[dgoldenz]

Heaven forbid a business design products to make money. The comparison of Ferrari and Porsche is apples and oranges. Porsche just keeps making cars that are best in their class. In what world is more choice a bad thing unless you're a badge whore?

[Nivarox]

I like your review, thanks for posting ans sharing your experience . I have not driven one but only Porsche model I find attractive to my taste but it's many rivals in its class such as Land Rover Discovery Sport, VW Tiguan,Jaguar F Pace and BMW X Series .I would prefer all these over Porsche though

[Ochoa1801]

Nice job. I'm in the same situation my wife have right now f30, but the next year we want change this for X3,x5 o macan also with think about Land Rover

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by dgoldenz

In what world is more choice a bad thing unless you're a badge whore?

In the OP's world when he stated that Porsche is not compromising for volume sales and that porsche wont release a model below the Macan.
And somebody joked about bmw making econobox FWD minivans. More choice right? (and I agree, sometimes more choice isnt good)

[bobblehead]

the macan pdk is not the porsche 911 pdk, the macan is the reworked version of the Audi's DSG version.

[PoorLurker]

Arcades

You have to remember this when dealing with people - There are people who think that Porsche should ONLY build one thing. The 911.

Even I like to joke and say that any car that isn't a 911 from Porsche is a Porsh and only a 911 deserves to be called a PORSH-UHH (hold your pinky up)

Base model Macan seems like a great deal for the price. Get the painted door slats though. The Macan is pretty small and limited. The rear seat is also pretty tight for larger passengers.

Interior seems cluttered?

How I feel in a Porsche


How I feel in a BMW





More choice isn't always a good thing actually.

[Arcades]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Arcades

You have to remember this when dealing with people - There are people who think that Porsche should ONLY build one thing. The 911.

Even I like to joke and say that any car that isn't a 911 from Porsche is a Porsh and only a 911 deserves to be called a PORSH-UHH (hold your pinky up)

Base model Macan seems like a great deal for the price. Get the painted door slats though. The Macan is pretty small and limited. The rear seat is also pretty tight for larger passengers.

Interior seems cluttered?

How I feel in a Porsche
[img]http://7te.org/images/570x363/airpla...ht-1716357.jpg[/img]

How I feel in a BMW
[img]http://www.futurecarmodel.com/wp-con...s-1024x595.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/mp/usbYbnDGkF8x.gif[/img]


More choice isn't always a good thing actually.

For me, people who think that way live in a fantasy world. No matter where they are, car companies aren't here to satisfy you. At the end of the day they are a business first.

No car company is stupid enough to stick to one car forever. I'm already going to block him so whatever lol. "Car enthusiasts" with elites attitude pisses me off more than a lot of other stuff. Which is funny because if you love cars you should consider everything not just what you happen to like.

I considered the BMW Xs first and I didn't like them, probably my fault because I had too expectations for them.

[Crimson92]

I like the buttons on the console. Yes it's a little busy and took some getting used to on my cayenne but I get it now.

Porsche wants you to keep your eyes on the road. So rather that scrolling through menus to get what you need you simply press one button.

It's muscle memory for me now. I don't even look down.

[Arcades]

Crimson92

Yeah i was able to get used to the center console while during the test drive so it isn't like it's just completely in front of your face all the time. Can't say it's distracting, but I guess I'm not used to the complicated design.


bobblehead

I actually didn't know that. I probably/might would be able to tell the difference between the 911 PDK and the Macan PDK but it is probably minute enough that most won't notice.


Also my mistake on the turn radius. It is actually an option along with the stability but I cannot really confirm if the two car I both tested had it or not. I didn't ask.