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My only gripe is that "magnetic" rear window. I drove a 30-mile gravel road between Gateway, Colorado and Moab Utah once- awesome route (Gateway to Moab) and the Macan remained fairly unsoiled. Not so the rear:
I did a mountain biking hut trip from Telluride to Moab and we took that same dirt road from Gateway into Moab. That was the last two days of our trip. That is a gorgeous drive, A brutal climb on a mountain bike. The scenery however is second to none. I’m sure some engineer somewhere would tell you that the dirt collected on the hatch improves aerodynamics by a fraction of a percent and therefore it is improving performance... hahaha
It protects the sides, has access to a seatbelt latch, is heavy duty. The buckles are strong (I found this important) when getting things tightened down.
this hammock looks perfect. It will fit my 4Runner, ES300H and ‘03 F250 extended cad. I don’t know why I did look at these before. I’m ordering it tonight.
Living on 3 miles of gravel roads etc. a decent skid plate (not this piece of cr*p cardboard that passes for one to save weight) is an absolute number one priority, followed by air suspension, tires, exhaust etc. in that order. If you plan on fording, re-routing the exhaust is also a must as well as regularly draining/refilling the transfer case (a definite weak point in Cayenne and Macan). Here is a picture of my skid plate on the V8 Touareg in stainless steel and you'll notice I included an access port to change oil using a Fumoto valve. Good luck!
siberian
I had a Fumoto valve on my 03 F2 50. My father would change the oil himself and it was a lot easier than pulling a plug and dropping 4 gallons of oil. It’s good to know they’re still around and I could use one on a Macan. That would make oil changes a whole lot easier.
That is exactly what I was looking for. You two pretty much hit the nail on the head with how I would be taking the Macan Off-road. I’m going to to read everything a few times to digest every thing.
I never thought about running winter tires in the summer for off-road use. It makes sense. The rubber is stickier, there’s lots of siping (pluses and minuses) and that translates to better traction.
I agree that a HAM/CB radio is much more reliable than a cell phone when traveling off major highways. They make some great small units that can either be handheld or easily installed. They definitely make vehicle to vehicle communication much easier.
i’m not surprised that the Porsche skid plates are crap. They pretty much looked like a joke when I found them online. Obviously it’s just a money making effort. Similar to the Toyota TRD Pro models they have come out recently. Let’s charge lots of money for cheap accessories ... so lame and embarrassing for those who know 4-wheeling.
My current onboard air setup is a Viair P450 with a regulator and manifold strapped to the motor body. It has both regulated and non-regulated ports. It could use a standard 12v socket for a quick mountain bike fill, but anything else needs a higher amp circuit. Does the included air pump have a specific socket for it?
It could use a standard 12v socket for a quick mountain bike fill, but anything else needs a higher amp circuit. Does the included air pump have a specific socket for it?
I can't comment too much, I admit I have not used the onboard air pump at all; however, I have heard that the rear 12v socket needed a higher amp circuit for larger devices. It does have just a normal 12v socket, so no worries. I have a Viair 400P (with a 40amp internal fuse) that I use to use on my Subaru, but haven't used it in the Macan. It works, I've plugged it in and it runs fine without resistance. I haven't felt the need to air down my winters -- yet.
I have also used my Macan off-road. The skid plates that come with the car are not real skid plates, with that said I don’t know if it has enough ground clearance that you should be taking it over any rocks. The thing is a demon on the fire roads, especially if you have the Pirelli scorpion tires on it. You can set it to the off-road mode, or turn it off if you want to pretend you’re driving a rally car. It is not terrible on washboard roads, but mine now makes a buzzing noise in the dash after being on too many in Colorado and Wyoming.
The paint is absolutely fragile and you’re going to have to be super careful getting any road dust off of it or you will have permanent swirl marks like I do.
I have actual off-road body on frame vehicles, so I don’t typically take the Macan off road, but it is perfectly usable as others have said.
@LC200:
"The paint is absolutely fragile and you’re going to have to be super careful getting any road dust off of it or you will have permanent swirl marks like I do."
I have 23K hard miles on my 2018 GTS. Amazingly, the Jet Black Metallic paint is nearly perfect- despite at least half of my miles being logged off road and/or in Alpine winter conditions.
The key to paint finish preservation is applying PPF prior to driving the vehicle new, or doing a thorough paint correction just prior to the PPF install. and then applying ceramic protectant to the PPF.
Both XPel Ultra and Suntelk film accept ceramic protectant. Both products are quite resilient to swirl marks commonly created by inadequate lubrication and/or residual grit remaining on a pristine-appearing wet surface. A waxed/synthetic protectant is almost certain to be lightly scratched by residual salty/gritty road dirt- especially when drying what appears to be a clean surface. The PPF solves the problem, and benefits from this "touchless" cleaning scheme- which is dependent on a decent ceramic finish being properly applied to the wheels, PPF and painted surfaces.
1. Find a self car wash that has BOTH a low-pressure foam canon (pre-soak mode) and a 'spot free" rinse mode.
(Ideally including a de-ionized water rinse.)
2. Soak the wheels and lowest areas of the chassis with foam. (Do Not high pressure wash or rinse prior.)
3. Swap mode to hi-pressure WASH and wash entire vehicle working from top to bottom.
4 Swap mode to hi-pressure RINSE and remove all foam from vehicle, including aiming jet into the door and tailgate gaps.
5. Swap to low/or high pressure (I have seen both) SPOT FREE RINSE mode and repeat Step 4.
6. Drive away immediately and proceed to the nearest road that supports a brief run to 80 (or more) mph.
7. Stop and use a single micro fiber towel to wipe away any excess moisture that remains.
8. If OCD, use a cotton hand towel to wipe the door jambs and inside surfaces exposed by opening the rear hatch, doors and hood.
(If you own rubber mats, hang them on the often supplied clamps, spray with the SPOT FREE RINSE mode in step 5 and use the OCD towel from step 8 to dry them.)
I drive the crap out of my Macan, do not spend time/money detailing it...and the exterior is almost flawless. The PPF has some minuscule peeling, but the finish is dazzling and zero swirl marks exist on a Jet Black Metallic painted surface.
The PPF cost me 2800 Euros (80% coverage), the ceramic about $1200 (with clay bar paint correction, including the PPF at 10K miles).
A near perfect black finish without a regular detail or respray...priceless.
Last edited by Liste-Renn; 01-13-2021 at 06:39 PM.
Another data point:
I picked up my 2018 Macan GTS via Euro Delivery.
[text edited down]
I've never driven mine on worse than logging and Forest Service/BLM fire access roads- but had no trouble on sand, gravel, organic debris or mud. I am running Michelin Alpin N-Spec winter tires on it since last winter. Drove most of the Powder Highway in BC last ski season (pre/early Covid), through deluge freezing rain, over a foot of new snow, some patches of glare ice and lots of gravel/unpaved secondary roads. Zero problems. The Macan Air Suspension, drivetrain, PDK OFF ROAD mapping and HILL features all work splendidly. It feels like a rally car when pressed on unpaved surfaces and has never bit me in the ***. Lots of fun. More capability than 99% of owners will ever use, even jumping a curb in the Starbucks lot.
I run 18s with snows for winter time but thinking about going to an all-terrain to be able to explore more in Colorado. You have inspired me to pursue that. Thank you!
I run 18s with snows for winter time but thinking about going to an all-terrain to be able to explore more in Colorado. You have inspired me to pursue that. Thank you!
This is great. I love hearing about how other are inspired to get outside.
For now my Macan is on hold and I’m driving my ‘03 F250. It’s no Macan, but its paid off and i can’t complain about that … haha. It’s also pretty good off-road I’m still stalking the Macan and I’m just have to wait. I’m excited to see what the 2022 models bring.
12-28-2020, 07:52 PM
I’m still stalking the Macan and I’m just have to wait. I’m excited to see what the 2022 models bring.