Macan EV: Long time Model Y owner quick review of the Macan
10-02-2024, 10:02 AM
#1
Long time Model Y owner quick review of the Macan
The wife and I were lucky enough to have a few hours with the Macan 4 and the Turbo. We currently own a 40K mile Model Y Long Range with Full Self Driving and the Performance boost package would run you 62K today. I'll try to keep this short and to the point, but my brain sees shiny things when i try to type sometimes.
These EV's achieve the same goal, but they ago about it very differently and are defiantly for different clientele.
The Model Y Is very vanilla you get two chose a very limited amount of paint colors and black or white interior. That is it. You can chose 3 models Rear wheel drive LR AWD, or the performance. and that sums up it up. Your car is not going to be very different from the other million model Y's on the road. Macan EV, its a Porsche You can build it how you want it for the most part. Now the quick differences. Fit and finish hands down Porsche. Not even in the same ball park. The Tesla is not bad but I understand when people compare it to other 65k SUV's. Specs and dimensions they are almost identical on paper, but The model Y has allot more storage in the frunk. The rear cargo space is much larger and you have two sub floor caverns for storage the Macan only has the Frunk and behind the seats. Rear seat leg room is noticeable larger in the Y compared to the Macan which was disappointing to me with how small the trunk storage compared to our Y I'm not sure why the legroom is so tight back there, since spec wise they are so close. Driving styles the Tesla uses one pedal driving which is a popular characteristic of EV driving. If your not familiar pretty much push the go pedal to go and when you release it, it slows pretty quickly to controlled stop deepening on speed. It is awesome once you get used to driving this way. Performance from the Macan 4 was disappointing coming from our Y. If you had never driven another EV you would be wow this is amazing, so when we drove the Turbo it is much closer to the Performance and faster than our boosted Y. So we decided a Turbo is what we would buy if we end up doing so. Tesla is known for their software and rightfully so. Everything is easy to navigate to the display is lightning fast, and the best part of owning a tesla is actual useful feature updates that have made the car better over those two years. The radio is amazing, Tesla charging is the gold standard it just works all the time everywhere you plug the car in and it works Instantly. I have never ended up a charging station that was broken or did not work, unlike the Electrify America garbage that all other companies use.
Now the Macan EV. What a great machine. Fit and finish is amazing. This car was built for the everyday driver, You get in the car and its a modern Porsche with an all glass cockpit. Never driven an EV don't worry it drives like a gas car but better. Everything is laid out like you would expect it to be. No menus to navigate to turn on heated seats etc. Rear passengers can control their climate and heated seats from the rear (Tesla has to be done from the main screen) How does it drive. It drives like a Porsche hands down rides better, softer, and more direct than the Tesla. The tesla handles well, but not like a Porsche. The air ride takes all the day to day harshness out of the road which you can feel on the tesla. No one pedal driving on the Macan it is tuned to drive like a gas car, with the benefit of regenerative breaking when using the brake pedal to capture back that kinetic energy. The infotainment system which I believe I read is now based off Android which should make it better in the long run. The system was fine that I tested maybe a hair slow but not way better than allot of other cars out there. All the things, are in the spots you logically would look for them. So without an owners manual we were pretty much able to manipulate everything we wanted to try. The bose radio is OK, but I think I would opt for the Burmeister, The Augmented reality HUD is awesome takes a little to get used to but its pretty cool. Still is shipping with the CCS fast charging port despite Porsche going to use the NACS (Tesla Standard ) charger next year, so an adapter will be needed currently)
So where do we sit, after a few hours with it. The second row leg room, is not great and disappointing the frunk and rear storage not deal breakers but are smaller. The surround cameras on the Macan are not great either, far from what you would expect on a flagship 2025 model. The Performance of 4 was lacking to us and that puts us in a Turbo starting at 103K and built to spec we ended up at 130K. But man the turbo is awesome, Range should be better with the Porsche as they are using a 100KWH battery compared to Tesla's 81kwh. Since these two cars are geared to different buyers I get that but I'm sure there are some cross shopping. I don't think you can go wrong with either one, Especially if this is your daily driver. I know we are going to wait and see what happens to the EV market especially with how bad Tycans are depreciating, and also going to wait for the Tesla NACS charger for the superior super charging network, being able to use both would be a great benefit.
I know I may have forgotten something but please ask if you have any questions about either I'll try to help answer them.
RS
These EV's achieve the same goal, but they ago about it very differently and are defiantly for different clientele.
The Model Y Is very vanilla you get two chose a very limited amount of paint colors and black or white interior. That is it. You can chose 3 models Rear wheel drive LR AWD, or the performance. and that sums up it up. Your car is not going to be very different from the other million model Y's on the road. Macan EV, its a Porsche You can build it how you want it for the most part. Now the quick differences. Fit and finish hands down Porsche. Not even in the same ball park. The Tesla is not bad but I understand when people compare it to other 65k SUV's. Specs and dimensions they are almost identical on paper, but The model Y has allot more storage in the frunk. The rear cargo space is much larger and you have two sub floor caverns for storage the Macan only has the Frunk and behind the seats. Rear seat leg room is noticeable larger in the Y compared to the Macan which was disappointing to me with how small the trunk storage compared to our Y I'm not sure why the legroom is so tight back there, since spec wise they are so close. Driving styles the Tesla uses one pedal driving which is a popular characteristic of EV driving. If your not familiar pretty much push the go pedal to go and when you release it, it slows pretty quickly to controlled stop deepening on speed. It is awesome once you get used to driving this way. Performance from the Macan 4 was disappointing coming from our Y. If you had never driven another EV you would be wow this is amazing, so when we drove the Turbo it is much closer to the Performance and faster than our boosted Y. So we decided a Turbo is what we would buy if we end up doing so. Tesla is known for their software and rightfully so. Everything is easy to navigate to the display is lightning fast, and the best part of owning a tesla is actual useful feature updates that have made the car better over those two years. The radio is amazing, Tesla charging is the gold standard it just works all the time everywhere you plug the car in and it works Instantly. I have never ended up a charging station that was broken or did not work, unlike the Electrify America garbage that all other companies use.
Now the Macan EV. What a great machine. Fit and finish is amazing. This car was built for the everyday driver, You get in the car and its a modern Porsche with an all glass cockpit. Never driven an EV don't worry it drives like a gas car but better. Everything is laid out like you would expect it to be. No menus to navigate to turn on heated seats etc. Rear passengers can control their climate and heated seats from the rear (Tesla has to be done from the main screen) How does it drive. It drives like a Porsche hands down rides better, softer, and more direct than the Tesla. The tesla handles well, but not like a Porsche. The air ride takes all the day to day harshness out of the road which you can feel on the tesla. No one pedal driving on the Macan it is tuned to drive like a gas car, with the benefit of regenerative breaking when using the brake pedal to capture back that kinetic energy. The infotainment system which I believe I read is now based off Android which should make it better in the long run. The system was fine that I tested maybe a hair slow but not way better than allot of other cars out there. All the things, are in the spots you logically would look for them. So without an owners manual we were pretty much able to manipulate everything we wanted to try. The bose radio is OK, but I think I would opt for the Burmeister, The Augmented reality HUD is awesome takes a little to get used to but its pretty cool. Still is shipping with the CCS fast charging port despite Porsche going to use the NACS (Tesla Standard ) charger next year, so an adapter will be needed currently)
So where do we sit, after a few hours with it. The second row leg room, is not great and disappointing the frunk and rear storage not deal breakers but are smaller. The surround cameras on the Macan are not great either, far from what you would expect on a flagship 2025 model. The Performance of 4 was lacking to us and that puts us in a Turbo starting at 103K and built to spec we ended up at 130K. But man the turbo is awesome, Range should be better with the Porsche as they are using a 100KWH battery compared to Tesla's 81kwh. Since these two cars are geared to different buyers I get that but I'm sure there are some cross shopping. I don't think you can go wrong with either one, Especially if this is your daily driver. I know we are going to wait and see what happens to the EV market especially with how bad Tycans are depreciating, and also going to wait for the Tesla NACS charger for the superior super charging network, being able to use both would be a great benefit.
I know I may have forgotten something but please ask if you have any questions about either I'll try to help answer them.
RS
Last edited by rescueswimmer; 10-02-2024 at 11:26 PM.
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10-02-2024, 10:47 AM
#3
The wife and I were lucky enough to have a few hours with the Macan 4 and the Turbo. We currently own a 40K mile Model Y Long Range with Full Self Driving and the Performance boost package would run you 62K today. I'll try to keep this short and to the point, but my brain sees shiny things when i try to type sometimes.
These EV's achieve the same goal, but they ago about it very differently and are defiantly for different clientele.
The Model Y Is very vanilla you get two chose a very limited amount of paint colors and black or white interior. That is it. You can chose 3 models Rear wheel drive LR AWD, or the performance. and that sums up it up. Your car is not going to be very different from the other million model Y's on the road. Macan EV, its a Porsche You can build it how you want it for the most part. Now the quick differences. Fit and finish hands down Porsche. Not even in the same ball park. The Tesla is not bad but I understand when people compare it to other 65k SUV's. Specs and dimensions they are almost identical on paper, but The model Y has allot more storage in the frunk. The rear cargo space is much larger and you have two sub floor caverns for storage the Macan only has the Frunk and behind the seats. Rear seat leg room is noticeable larger in the Y compared to the Macan which was disappointing to me with how small the trunk storage compared to our Y I'm not sure why the legroom is so tight back there, since spec wise they are so close. Driving styles the Tesla uses one pedal driving which is a popular characteristic of EV driving. If your not familiar pretty much push the go pedal to go and when you release it, it slows pretty quickly to controlled stop deepening on speed. It is awesome once you get used to driving this way. Performance from the Macan 4 was disappointing coming from our Y. If you had never driven another EV you would be wow this is amazing, so when we drove the Turbo it is much closer to the Performance and faster than our boosted Y. So we decided a Turbo is what we would buy if we end up doing so. Tesla is known for their software and rightfully so. Everything is easy to navigate to the display is lightning fast, and the best part of owning a tesla is actual useful feature updates that have made the car better over those two years. The radio is amazing, Tesla charging is the gold standard it just works all the time everywhere you plug the car in and it works Instantly. I have never ended up a charging station that was broken or did not work, unlike the Electrify America garbage that all other companies use.
Now the Macan EV. What a great machine. Fit and finish is amazing. This car was built for the everyday driver, You get in the car and its a modern Porsche with an all glass cockpit. Never driven an EV don't worry it drives like a gas car but better. Everything is laid out like you would expect it to be. No menus to navigate to turn on heated seats etc. Rear passengers can control their climate and heated seats from the rear (Tesla has to be done from the main screen) How does it drive. It drives like a Porsche hands down rides better, softer, and more direct than the Tesla. The tesla handles well, but not like a Porsche. The air ride takes all the day to day harshness out of the road which you can feel on the tesla. No one pedal driving on the Macan it is tuned to drive like a gas car, with the benefit of regenerative breaking when using the brake pedal to capture back that kinetic energy. The infotainment system which I believe I read is now based off Android which should make it better in the long run. The system was fine that I tested maybe a hair slow but not way better than allot of other cars out there. All the things, are in the spots you logically would look for them. So without an owners manual we were pretty much able to manipulate everything we wanted to try. The bose radio is OK, but I think I would opt for the Burmeister, The Augmented reality HUD is awesome takes a little to get used to but its pretty cool. Still is shipping with the CCS fast charging port despite Porsche going to use the NACS (Tesla Standard ) charger next year, so an adapter will be needed currently)
So where do we sit, after a few hours with it. The second row leg room, is not great and disappointing the frunk and rear storage not deal breakers but are smaller. The Performance of 4 was lacking to us and that puts us in a Turbo starting at 103K and built to spec we ended up at 130K. But man the turbo is awesome, Range should be better with the Porsche as they are using a 100KWH battery compared to Tesla's 81kwh. Since these two cars are geared to different buyers I get that but I'm sure there are some cross shopping. I don't think you can go wrong with either one, Especially if this is your daily driver. I know we are going to wait and see what happens to the EV market especially with how bad Tycans are depreciating, and also going to wait for the Tesla NACS charger for the superior super charging network, being able to use both would be a great benefit.
I know I may have forgotten something but please ask if you have any questions about either I'll try to help answer them.
RS
These EV's achieve the same goal, but they ago about it very differently and are defiantly for different clientele.
The Model Y Is very vanilla you get two chose a very limited amount of paint colors and black or white interior. That is it. You can chose 3 models Rear wheel drive LR AWD, or the performance. and that sums up it up. Your car is not going to be very different from the other million model Y's on the road. Macan EV, its a Porsche You can build it how you want it for the most part. Now the quick differences. Fit and finish hands down Porsche. Not even in the same ball park. The Tesla is not bad but I understand when people compare it to other 65k SUV's. Specs and dimensions they are almost identical on paper, but The model Y has allot more storage in the frunk. The rear cargo space is much larger and you have two sub floor caverns for storage the Macan only has the Frunk and behind the seats. Rear seat leg room is noticeable larger in the Y compared to the Macan which was disappointing to me with how small the trunk storage compared to our Y I'm not sure why the legroom is so tight back there, since spec wise they are so close. Driving styles the Tesla uses one pedal driving which is a popular characteristic of EV driving. If your not familiar pretty much push the go pedal to go and when you release it, it slows pretty quickly to controlled stop deepening on speed. It is awesome once you get used to driving this way. Performance from the Macan 4 was disappointing coming from our Y. If you had never driven another EV you would be wow this is amazing, so when we drove the Turbo it is much closer to the Performance and faster than our boosted Y. So we decided a Turbo is what we would buy if we end up doing so. Tesla is known for their software and rightfully so. Everything is easy to navigate to the display is lightning fast, and the best part of owning a tesla is actual useful feature updates that have made the car better over those two years. The radio is amazing, Tesla charging is the gold standard it just works all the time everywhere you plug the car in and it works Instantly. I have never ended up a charging station that was broken or did not work, unlike the Electrify America garbage that all other companies use.
Now the Macan EV. What a great machine. Fit and finish is amazing. This car was built for the everyday driver, You get in the car and its a modern Porsche with an all glass cockpit. Never driven an EV don't worry it drives like a gas car but better. Everything is laid out like you would expect it to be. No menus to navigate to turn on heated seats etc. Rear passengers can control their climate and heated seats from the rear (Tesla has to be done from the main screen) How does it drive. It drives like a Porsche hands down rides better, softer, and more direct than the Tesla. The tesla handles well, but not like a Porsche. The air ride takes all the day to day harshness out of the road which you can feel on the tesla. No one pedal driving on the Macan it is tuned to drive like a gas car, with the benefit of regenerative breaking when using the brake pedal to capture back that kinetic energy. The infotainment system which I believe I read is now based off Android which should make it better in the long run. The system was fine that I tested maybe a hair slow but not way better than allot of other cars out there. All the things, are in the spots you logically would look for them. So without an owners manual we were pretty much able to manipulate everything we wanted to try. The bose radio is OK, but I think I would opt for the Burmeister, The Augmented reality HUD is awesome takes a little to get used to but its pretty cool. Still is shipping with the CCS fast charging port despite Porsche going to use the NACS (Tesla Standard ) charger next year, so an adapter will be needed currently)
So where do we sit, after a few hours with it. The second row leg room, is not great and disappointing the frunk and rear storage not deal breakers but are smaller. The Performance of 4 was lacking to us and that puts us in a Turbo starting at 103K and built to spec we ended up at 130K. But man the turbo is awesome, Range should be better with the Porsche as they are using a 100KWH battery compared to Tesla's 81kwh. Since these two cars are geared to different buyers I get that but I'm sure there are some cross shopping. I don't think you can go wrong with either one, Especially if this is your daily driver. I know we are going to wait and see what happens to the EV market especially with how bad Tycans are depreciating, and also going to wait for the Tesla NACS charger for the superior super charging network, being able to use both would be a great benefit.
I know I may have forgotten something but please ask if you have any questions about either I'll try to help answer them.
RS
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TurboIXXI (10-02-2024)
10-02-2024, 12:46 PM
#4
Drifting
I test drove a Model Y for an hour a couple of weeks ago and drove a Macan Turbo on a Porsche event drive last week. I really liked the one pedal driving of the Model Y, but also liked the "regular" feel of the Macan Turbo. It has been reported that Tesla's displayed range is not accurate starting from a full charge and adjusts to reality after you get to the bottom quarter of the battery. So, if the actual range of the Macan EV and the Model Y end up being similar, does it matter that the Model Y makes better use of regeneration than the Porsche?
In the end, despite the cost difference, I'll probably pick the Macan 4S. The "party trick" acceleration of both vehicles (Model Y, Macan Turbo EV) gets lost on me after a few tries and the actual ranges are supposed to be similar (Model Y to Macan EV). As you point out, the Macan, while more expensive, rides better and can be customized. All of the EVs you buy today have used prices that are tanking (Model 3 has dropped 26% in the past 12 months alone). Porsche leases yield a residual of around 50% after 36 months. If it beats its residual you can buy it out and sell it, if it doesn't you can turn it in and get a new car.
The big reason I'll stay away from Tesla (no matter how good a car it is) is that I don't like the way Elon Musk does business. It is Tesla's way or the highway. So, while Porsche takes the USD price and increases it by 17% for the Canadian market (our exchange rate is 1.36), giving us a car that costs less in USD than Americans pay for the same car, Tesla takes the USD cost and multiplies by 1.40 making the car cost more in Canada (in USD) than it costs in the US. Why would they do that? Because they can. In Canada, a Tesla lease is like a rental. there is no option to buy the car out at the end of the lease and resell it if it is worth more than it's residual. The car always goes back to Tesla.
So, I'll pay more for a Macan EV than a Model Y and I'll know where to find the gear selector, turn signals and cruise control stalk. Tesla has impressive lane keep, so I'll miss that, but if I have a problem with my Macan EV, there is a friendly dealer in town that values the relationship (and has serviced my 2021 cayenne GTS for 3-1/2 years, without any problems). If my $130,000CAD Macan 4S EV has a problem, that makes all of the difference in the world to me. That and the colour options (both exterior and interior).
Last edited by kayjh; 10-02-2024 at 12:50 PM.
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10-02-2024, 12:47 PM
#5
Intermediate
I switched my order from the 4 to the 4S. I took a test ride in the Turbo at PECLA and decided I didn't need all that power. I have a Model3 LR AWD with the performance boost and it was definitely quicker than my base RWD Taycan. I agree if this is your first EV, you'll likely find the acceleration addicting (and SO smooth). It's great that everyone is sharing their thoughts and opinions after trying the car in person. Thank you for sharing and keep 'em coming!
10-02-2024, 01:05 PM
#6
Instructor
@kayjh
Good points.
Not only that, that bare minimum Tesla with just an iPad in it, is looking quite boring, stale, and dated now in comparison. And not to mention, it's build quality, and many are running as taxis and Uber : )
There are far more desirable looking EVs out there now.
So, a Tesla has no appeal for me, despite the claimed 'best software'.
Good points.
Not only that, that bare minimum Tesla with just an iPad in it, is looking quite boring, stale, and dated now in comparison. And not to mention, it's build quality, and many are running as taxis and Uber : )
There are far more desirable looking EVs out there now.
So, a Tesla has no appeal for me, despite the claimed 'best software'.
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TurboIXXI (10-02-2024)
10-02-2024, 01:18 PM
#7
Thanks for your input.
Tesla has always been about commodity and their software and performance is unmatched for the price but I have never considered a Tesla because it has no soul and frankly I'd be embarrassed to drive something where at every stop light, I see 2 other clones of my car. I want something more unique and don't mind the price of a Porsche.
Tesla has always been about commodity and their software and performance is unmatched for the price but I have never considered a Tesla because it has no soul and frankly I'd be embarrassed to drive something where at every stop light, I see 2 other clones of my car. I want something more unique and don't mind the price of a Porsche.
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10-02-2024, 01:51 PM
#8
Very interesting review and comparison. Much appreciated.
@TurboIXXI Here is another reviewer saying: “It drives like a Porsche hands down rides better, softer, and more direct than the Tesla.” Told you so 😜
@TurboIXXI Here is another reviewer saying: “It drives like a Porsche hands down rides better, softer, and more direct than the Tesla.” Told you so 😜
@rescueswimmer Thanks posting a review! Did your test drive car have rear axle steering? How was the Bose stereo compared to your model Y?
Last edited by TurboIXXI; 10-02-2024 at 02:14 PM.
10-02-2024, 02:26 PM
#9
Instructor
10-02-2024, 11:16 PM
#10
it drives like his mid engine 718? LOL get outta here! he said softer than a Tesla!
@rescueswimmer Thanks posting a review! Did your test drive car have rear axle steering? How was the Bose stereo compared to your model Y?
@rescueswimmer Thanks posting a review! Did your test drive car have rear axle steering? How was the Bose stereo compared to your model Y?
10-03-2024, 08:09 AM
#11
Actually, Tesla sound premium system is really great (all reviews has been very very good), but Tesla has recently downgraded it a bit in the 2024 TMY.
I can’t make a comparison (my turbo is waiting software update…), but I will be certainly disappointed by Bose. It’s a trade off I am willing to accept. Maybe, it will be possible to change speakers…
I can’t make a comparison (my turbo is waiting software update…), but I will be certainly disappointed by Bose. It’s a trade off I am willing to accept. Maybe, it will be possible to change speakers…
10-03-2024, 10:50 AM
#12
@rescueswimmer the cayenne gts is awesome! My sister has one and the engine start-up is intoxicating.
When does your 4S arrive? I think the rear axle steering is worth it! I also read it doesn’t contribute to more tire wear.
The Burmester I wouldn’t mind passing on the next one I order.
When does your 4S arrive? I think the rear axle steering is worth it! I also read it doesn’t contribute to more tire wear.
The Burmester I wouldn’t mind passing on the next one I order.
10-03-2024, 12:03 PM
#13
Maybe I'll feel differently about it as I get some miles on the car, but currently it's quite boring, I don't like the AR HUD (too busy, and turning down the brightness has almost no effect) and there are a few rattles in it which are far more noticeable given how quiet it is.
I'm trying to make objective comparisons to the M40i, which is a car I missed as soon as I sold it because it never disappointed. It was a brilliant family and bike hauler all over Europe. Went to see some friends in Germany recently and I was steady at around 120-125mph on the Autobahn with the wife and kid completely oblivious to the speed. Similarly, I drove from Nice in the south of France to Cambridge in the UK this summer, in one day on my own. While exhausted after a 900-mile drive, and on a sugar high with all the Haribou's I ate, it was a great drive. The M40i had an excellent sound track to the engine (for an SUV), with handling comparable to the Macan (from what I can tell so far). The X3 also had more boot space.
And I'm definitely not comparing the Macan with my 992 GT3 and Cayman GTS 4.0. The only resemblance to those cars is that it has a Porsche badge and 4-wheels.
Trying to keep my mind open and hope I bond with it after some more miles.
Last edited by Arcanum; 10-03-2024 at 12:32 PM. Reason: Typo's
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