95spiderman

sq5 is good choice but ive had s4 and a8L and audis are too nose heavy and understeer biased. newer ones becoming german buicks. i know macan and q5 are on same architecture but porsche worked hard to get the right driver feel. another choice is stelvio qf but alfa dealer makes it too hard to order one w nonsense wait lists, over msrp, etc. not interested in it

KM1959

[QUOTE=markl951;14641956]I was all set to put some money down on a daily driver Macan GTS until I learned (right here in the Macan forum) that Porsche Connect Plus doesn't support Android Auto. That's pretty much a deal breaker for me especially at this price point.
...QUOTE]

Then you couldn't have been very serious about the Macan GTS... or even cars for that matter. The radio/phone is the LAST thing I care about in a car. "Yeah I know it goes 0-60 in 1.3 seconds, does the 'Ring in 6:30, massages you in plush leather seats, and gets 87 MPG. But I had to pass because pictures on my phone didn't automatically show up on the screen."

I have an Android phone, it connects automatically via Bluetooth and streams audio or Pandora should I want those. What is so great about Connect Plus anyway?

jt3sd

GTS for sure - had mine only a week , can't imagine another similar vehicle that performs or makes me feel better

bernpep

Just drive them back to back. Having owned 11 different BMW’s over the last 30 years we almost bit on a x4 m40i. once we tested the Macan Gts w/ air suspension the BMW felt like a box of rocks. Ended up with new GTS and also traded M3 in. Now enjoying 911S & GTS
So happy!

95spiderman

getting closer to decision now. just got quote for $540/mo on bmw which is basically half of macan. thats too much of a value to pass up.
as to the ride of bmw, it is a stiff suspension but is very dependent on tires. it comes with run flats std which are rough but rides much better on optional mpss.
to bernpep, did you consider the glc43 or any others too?

markl951

My other cars don't even have a radio so I get the whole performance thing. I said I was looking for a daily driver. That means commuting in traffic. Seattle traffic in the winter is the worst. Android Auto with Google Maps or Waze makes that task much more efficient. BT would be fine if all I wanted was a phone & music connection. I could still change my mind but just disappointed that you can get that connectivity in a Ford Focus but not a Macan.

SockToy

As an aside - I totally get the android auto thing. For KM1959 my last porsche was a 997.2 C4s, and the point about the carplay/auto is that the in car electronics get obsolete fast - but the car doesnt. You can keep the car 15 years and have a great time, but if you want decent satnav, having something that uses the car to display things, while letting you upgrade the brains makes total sense.

The 'nav in my 2009 911 was terrible. My phone was better. so I had a stupid rubber suction cup on the windscreen and used my phone for everything. The point about carplay/android auto is you can upgrade your nav any time by upgrading the app or the phone handset without doing major surgery on the car.

The car is going to outlast the infotainment by decades. If you care about being places on time real time traffic is super useful, at least near big cities - route around closures and tailbacks. Do it without tearing the thing to bits to change the head unit every few years.

I totally get it. And I love drivers cars.

Sloopy

This is a real issue as most all cars are different when you get them out in the real world. All I can say is that I had a Macan base loner for a week and loved it. Very surprised by the way it drove when I got it up in the hills close to home.

KM1959

Since I don't commute, I guess I was oblivious to those aspects. And you probably wouldn't be here if didn't love driver's cars.

i do have to say that the Apple Car Connect did bother me though - but for a different reason. I think that it is a poor​ decision by Porsche to choose just one type of phone types - not just because it wasn't mine - but also I just don't like getting lumped in with the Apple mentality. As a software developer and user, I despise invasive, all inclusive applications. No I don't want to synch all of my devices, I just want to load one song on my freaking phone, drag and drop, simple.

Now, back to your SUV choice. Love driving my Macan Turbo daily. I had a big, lumbering, mind-numbing Yukon for years and had to TOTALLY adapt my driving style when stepping out of my 911 Turbo or F430. Not at all with the Macan - that's a biggie for me.

95spiderman

just drove them all back to back again. amazing how different the bmw and porsche feel since they have same weight and power. bmw feels so much lighter and more nimble. trans on bmw did a close approx of pdk too. so i am going with the bmw since its about 1/2 price. wont have it till spring since i still have rr lease to finish up. thanks to everyone for helping!

bernpep

Merc glc is a tiny squatwagon. I ate, breathed bimmers for over 30 years. Also owned 2 mercs. To me now Porsche is a brilliant ride worth every oenny. My dealer is a gem too!
BMW dealers cannot compare to Porsche at least for me. Macan GTS rules with comfort handling and ride. Pure quality. Look at used market resale value of BMW vs. Porsche.
Porsche is much more desirable

autobonrun

I'm wrestling with a similar decision. I currently have a X3 35i msport as my daily driver. I'm trying to decide between AMG GLC43 and X3 M40i myself. Both have similar HP and torque. Currently the Dinan site doesn't show a tune for the X3; on the other hand Rennntech has two tunes available right now for the GLC which for about $2k push HP/torque up to 440HP/460 ft/lbs.

What I don't like with the AMG is the gear shift is on the column, not in the center and the only way to shift in manual is with the paddle shifter. In manual mode, I typically use both the paddle shift and the stick, depending on the angle of the steering wheel; it's really hard to use paddle shifters when exiting a curve with the wheel turned. It's much easier to just tap the shifter forward or backward.

I test drove the AMG and a X4 M40i because the X3 and X4 have the same engine (no X3 was in stock). I like the AMG brakes and seats better. I like the X3 dash including the ambiance lighting better. In addition, I've driven bimmers for 33 years so I'm more comfortable with the location of the controls.

I may just try something totally different and get the AMG although the AMG is pricing out about $6k more than the X3 when I did my two builds.

The third option is keep the SUV I have and be satisfied with it. Good luck with a decision you're happy with.

white6speed

There are more than a couple of reasons the BMW is 50% of the cost of the Macan

JohnC4S

It seems like you are a “payment” shopper and lease every 3 years, then Porsche likely won’t work for you. No one ever buys a Porsche because it is cheapest of the bunch. Nothing wrong being concern with monthly payment because I have done that in my younger days. Good luck with your decision.

John

95spiderman

I think biggest reason is bmw heavily subsidizes their leases to get sales volume up. And car is made in usa. And auto trans is cheaper than pdk. And I have friend at bmw dealer. Regardless, no way is macan twice car that that x4m is.

This is very different from a gt3 being twice m4 cost. Gt3 worth the difference in performance, tracking, resale, etc. When it comes to small suv daily drivers, I will take the savings. Having said all that, if they were both free I would take a macan.