Originally Posted by tgcrun

Liste-Renn, I'm picking up my Macan S around Thanksgiving. We're planning on a similar trip to yours in January - Pennsylvania to LA via the southern US and then up to Portland. Then we'll turn around and head back home. Glad the Macan served you well.

Originally Posted by Spectro28

Wow.

Great thread, totally on time for me.

I picked up my CPO 2018 Macan GTS yesterday. 6300 miles when I drove it off the lot. Paid $70500. Felt very very comfortable with the transaction.

Had a 2010 Carrera S that was one of my all-time favorite cars, but I only kept it about 10 months, it wasn’t a good daily driver for me in Washington, DC at the time. Ingress/Egress wasn’t so bad, but after about 30 minutes my spine would compress and I’d have sciatic pain from the seating position. I’d get out for a few minutes, and I was good for another half hour...

I went to a 2012 BMW 750, which fixed the back pain , but was way too docile with the crappy 6 speed auto.

That got traded for a 2012 Golf R that I APR tuned to about 325 HP. So. Much. Fun. That car was a totally great vehicle.

When it needed a new clutch and tires, I swapped that for a 2014 CPO Audi S4 in Imola Yellow that has been a really good car — I wanted more luxury than the Golf R, and I got it. The Audi was a build that the GM of a dealership would get for his personal car and flip after about 6000 miles, and was impeccable, ticked all the boxes. But not chuckable like the Golf R, that’s for sure. DSG instead of the 6-speed.

Now I have the new GTS and am gonna get to know it. I’m hoping for a hybrid of the Golf R (“hot hatch“ on Steroids?) and the Audi.

I was gonna order a new 2020 Macan S, but I had a great experience with the Audi CPO car — it “read“ to me as new when I got it, as does the GTS.

I would’ve done a couple of different thing on a dream build, but they didn’t have one like that in the Used Car Factory ��.

And I would likely not have splurged on Espresso Natural leather, but have always wanted it!

Here’s the build sheet for the GTS:

Marc’s 2018 Macan GTS Build Sheet

Originally Posted by eonflux

It'll help if I explain why I got the M3 (ZCP) and why I switched to the Macan.

Why I got the M3
- The X6M was an attempt to cover baby, biking, and boarding (snowboarding in Tahoe). But it was too much of a departure from the 911 (which couldn't do any of the 3 B's) in terms of size, weight, and agility--I missed driving something more nimble
- Wanted the best handling sedan available with a manual, so got the Competition Package M3 (didn't want an ATS-V). Overall, performance and handling are excellent.
- Thought I could install an aftermarket hitch for a bike rack
- Loved the Yas Marina Blue color and 666 ZCP wheels

What I didn't like about the M3
- Steering feel not great, and far less comes through the steering wheel than through the seat or through my feet. Like I was wearing really thick oven mitts. Steering was one of the best things I liked about the 911, like my hands were directly moving the front wheels. The M3 steering weighting (in any mode), progression, and return to center all feel really unnatural.
- This disconnect/iconsistency bothered me every time I drove the M3, made me miss the 911 in which everything is balanced--steering, engine, suspension, brakes, transmission.
- Steering wheel too thick.
- Manual gear box in the M3 is just OK. What was in a previous Audi RS4 (B7) and Boxster (987) were much more enjoyable to use. Of course, they all pale in comparison to an S2000.
- Suspension could be harsh, even in Comfort mode, especially on the awful streets of San Francisco
- M3, and especially the front end, is very low. If I'm going to sweat scraping parking blocks, with sharp transitions at intersections and for driveways, etc, then I want the driving satisfaction of a 911, and the M3 fell short.
- Could not install a hitch without cutting heat shields or bumper. And even if I did that, was worried about low clearance. So the M3 turned out to only cover 1 B.
- All the doors don't unlock when you come to a stop. And from the outside, only the front door handles can lock or unlock the M3. With a child, both of these were really annoying.
- Climate control doesn't sync left/right
- I had extended or full leather, but the interior quality felt cheap. Especially in the back. X6M was really nice inside, and if that was a Ritz, the M3 interior was like a Motel 6. 911 interior wasn't luxurious, but at least high quality.
- Not the best for trips to So Cal. Firm/harsh ride, lots of tire noise.

Why I got the Macan GTS
- Wanted to cover the 3 B's, and with an OEM hitch. OEM hitches tend to position the bike rack higher up and not as far back. Off road parking at trailheads for mountain biking can often be uneven, and after market hitches, like the Execuhitch I had on the X6M tend to hang low.
- I actually didn't consider a Macan previously. Thought the design is a bit droopy in the back. Before getting the X6M, had driven early base and S Macan's (only models available then) and preferred the X6M.
- A month before getting the Macan GTS, was struggling between getting another 911 or getting a Cayenne Turbo. I tried previously to make the 911 work for my family and couldn't and that didn't change, and it felt silly getting another 991 and the timeline on 992 manuals was unclear then. A Cayenne Turbo would be same size and weight as the F86 X6M.
- So on a whim, I test drove a Macan Turbo, and was really impressed with how it drove. Then also tried a GTS and preferred the lower stance and better handling of the GTS vs the additional power of the Turbo. Both fall way short of the M3 and X6M in terms of power, so I went for the better handling model. A Turbo with Performance Package is supposed to have all the chassis/suspension enhancements of the GTS with the Turbo engine, but I couldn't find one with the specs I wanted.

What I like about the GTS
- Overall, a much more consistent/cohesive experience than the M3. I also previously had a 987 Boxster, and the 911, Boxster, and Macan all have a similarly well-balanced, satisfying driving experience. The Macan is softer all around than the M3, but all the driving dynamic attributes are consistent and work together.
- What comes through the steering wheel is actually a tiny bit less than in the M3, but the on-center feel, off-center progression, and overall steering experience is much better.
- Love the Macan steering wheel, which is basically the same as what was in the 991 and the Boxster.
- The Macan doesn't carve the twisty roads around Nor Cal as well as the M3, but it's more than sufficiently fun.
- Nice to just have one Sport and one Sport Plus button. No need to figure out how to program the thing. Even Normal mode in the Macan is fine though the PDK shifts up too fast.
- PASM and air suspension work really well. Very comfortable ride (Macan Sport Plus more comfortable than Comfort in the M3), but the suspension doesn't lean or wallow too much.
- Interior quality very good throughout.
- Prefer the design of the Macan interior. M3 interior has lots of curves that run in strange directions.
- Great highway cruiser. Look forward to long trips.
- Sounds awesome, a bit better than the M3, though I actually like the way that sounded

What could be better in the GTS relative to the M3
- Wouldn't mind more power. It's sufficient, and I haven't needed more, but it would be fun to have more. In the X6M and M3, loved just slightly squeezing the throttle and getting a bit of a shove. I didn't think the Macan Turbo gave me enough to take precedence over the things I like about the GTS model. Handling > power for me.
- Interior space for passenger and cargo almost exactly the same. But M3 actually has more rear headroom. Trunk length and width almost identical but Macan trunk easier to access and you can remove the privacy shield for more flexibility. Wouldn't mind having a little more room vs the M3.
- Surround view in the GTS less useful than expected because the image on the screen is so distorted and the overlay graphics depicting distance to objects obscures the picture. M3 surround view a bit better, but didn't have a front camera, and scraping the front end was always a risk parking.
- Gas mileage worse in the Macan