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My wife has a 2015 Macan Turbo and, if I do as I'm told, she lets me drive it! I hate to admit (being "old school"), the vehicle is superb. The "PDK" (It's really an AUDI DCT) is delightful and Sport/Sport Plus is addictive. Although we don't really need them, we got a set of factory 19-inch wheels with winter tires and they're great...Really saves the 21-inch Turbo wheels from getting beat up with salt and pot-holes. The 18-way sport seats have high bolsters and could get tiresome if you're in and out frequently but, once in them, you're planted. I'm sitting here trying to think of something we don't like about it and nothing comes to mind. OTOH, I'd have to think twice about selling your GT4, though.
Macan has been a great vehicle. Drives and corners incredibly well.
Downside:
Routine service costs are criminal.
Definitely needs snow tires, even if you get the all season tires with it.
Depreciates faster than a stone sinking in a toilet.
Emasculated males in minivans and insecure males in 'Stangs will want to race you.
And you will leave them in the dust
I'm attempting to find something better than the Macan for a daily. The depreciation does bug me as do the service costs.
I looked at BMW's, but I've owned a couple and they suffer from the same issues and mine have not been reliable. Mercedes are worse. Can't find a Lexus I really like, I've really liked the Audi and its not impossible I'd get another.
IMHO, you may find another vehicle that's more expensive but not better. Find a good, low-mileage Turbo still under warranty and let someone else take the depreciation. The Macan depreciates less than most similar vehicles and took an award for doing so a few years back. As for maintenance, DIY or find a good independent shop. Plenty of tutorials here: www.macanforum.com
I like almost everything about my Macan GTS except the transmission. But if you can live with an automatic, it’s a very well executed blend of practicality and fun driving experience. Think logical evolution of a hot hatch you might have driven in your 20s/30s. It’s bigger, faster, more practical and well suited for the next decade of your life.
Just as an additional info
I became to know the Macan in 2013, since the shop where i maintained my 993 hosted a Macan team for desert and extreme climate tests for Porsche.
The Porsche guys told me that Walther Roehrl was heavily involved in the suspension setup for the car, and imho you can really feel that. Every time you jump out of the car you're surprised how high the car still is as your mind thinks you jump out of a sportscar.
IMO the turbo is nice but overkill. A nice GTS with a cobb tune is just as nice and has all the things you would want. I had an 04 Cayenne turbo and 15 cayenne GTS and IMO the Macan GTS is just an all around better ride unless you need the space. IMO a CPO is the way to go. Let someone else take the depreciation and don't use a dealership to maintain it find a decent independent and save a boatload of money.
IMO the turbo is nice but overkill. A nice GTS with a cobb tune is just as nice and has all the things you would want. I had an 04 Cayenne turbo and 15 cayenne GTS and IMO the Macan GTS is just an all around better ride unless you need the space. IMO a CPO is the way to go. Let someone else take the depreciation and don't use a dealership to maintain it find a decent independent and save a boatload of money.
Have you considered a previous gen sq5? Drives like a tall s5 and you can get them in the 20s or 30s now. It’ll still depreciate but has less far to fall. Not as sporty as a Macan in the handling department but it’s no slouch and the supercharged 6 is wonderful. For a daily driver it would be perfect since it is more functional than a Macan with better audio, better reliability, more space, and an arguably nicer interior.
I have one and it’s the perfect stablemate to the 993. Similar performance envelope but goes about it in a very different way.
I have a 2017 GTS Macan and love it. I had been considering a Cayenne GTS for a couple of years but just couldn't get too excited about them for some reason; maybe it was the milquetoast styling. I then saw a Macan on the road and decided to test drive one. After a few minutes, I fell in love with the PDK shifter and the sharp handling, and made the decision to pull the trigger.
My GTS has sport plus, and I enable it for every drive since it makes for about as sharp of an experience as you can expect for a CUV in this price range. It's really amazing how well it turns and handles. I also usually have the air suspension set on the firmest setting and love how well this thing rides, even on rough roads.
I have the 14 way seats and thought the 18s were too much (and this is coming from a guy who had no issue getting in and out of a deep racing seat). Even when the Macan is driven briskly, the 14s hold me just fine. The better half thought the 14s were more comfortable as well.
My GTS has the Spyder wheels, a look that I love. All of the cars I own have mesh-style wheels, so the design was spot-on for me.
Car has only seen snow once, and it wasn't very deep, so I can't comment on that performance aspect. I have an Acura TL for salt road driving.
Downsides: 1) Like Rudy, I do long for a pure manual trans, but that's a real pipe dream nowadays. 2) The cargo capacity is small, a factor that was made even more apparent for me since I was coming from a gen 1 Sequoia with big hauling capacity. However, I knew I was trading that off in the pursuit of handling and ride. The 2007 Sequoia I had rode like crap and handled like crap, in contrast to the 2002 Sequoia I had that rode well but handled like crap. I put up with that nonsense for far too long. 3) This is a very thirsty vehicle and needs to be refilled quite often, even when driven sedately. Didn't buy this for fuel efficiency, though. 4) There have been some issues with the transfer cases, requiring an expensive replacement if out of warranty. The PDK trans (an Audi unit) has had reports of issues, but I think these are not too common.
I looked at Audi SQ5s (and liked them), but the Macan is better in so many ways. The Audi's steering wheel felt too loose and light, similar to a lifeless gaming wheel. Also, I couldn't left foot brake in the SQ5, something that the Macan does perfectly with no engine cut out.
Question about Macan and GT4! Wrong forum, but .....
I hate to admit (being "old school"), the vehicle is superb. The "PDK" (It's really an AUDI DCT) is delightful and Sport/Sport Plus is addictive. Although we don't really need them, we got a set of factory 19-inch wheels with winter tires and they're great...Really saves the 21-inch Turbo wheels from getting beat up with salt and pot-holes. The 18-way sport seats have high bolsters and could get tiresome if you're in and out frequently but, once in them, you're planted. I'm sitting here trying to think of something we don't like about it and nothing comes to mind. OTOH, I'd have to think twice about selling your GT4, though.
