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Much more comfortable to drive on our rural bumpy roads here in Napa
Negatives:
There's quite a bit of an Audi feeling at normal cruising speeds
If you haven't already, get it up Hwy121/Monticello Rd and loop back over 128 to Silverado Trail early on a Sunday morning, take the corners a little faster than you think an SUV should be able to handle, and thank me later
Congrats on the new Macan and your bravery in transitioning from a 911 to the Macan! I went from a '12 991.1 S to a '15 Macan S and now have a '18 Macan GTS. Different cars for sure (991 to Macan), but had to do it for practical reasons. That said, Macan ticks all the boxes in terms of sportiness and practicality vs limitations of sports car (I tracked the 991 but won't do that with the Macan - though many have). Now if you think your car is not fast enough, add the Pedal Commander mod and a) you'll see a remarkable difference in throttle reaction/speed; and b) you'll thank me. I also have the Cobb tune which you might consider but value-wise the Pedal Commander in everyday driving conditions is unbeatable and a no brainer as a first step. Enjoy in good (post-pandemic) health!
I'll second the recommendation for Pedal Commander. It completely changes the car! I took my 2018 Macan GTS in for service yesterday and during the drive to the dealer I disabled Pedal Commander, having driven daily with it now for several months. Wow! Hard to believe the improvement it makes to the peppiness of the Macan. I normally run in Sport Mode, +2 with the car in Comfort (non Sport) mode for daily driving. If I need to really squirt out into traffic I just press the Sport button on the console and bam, I'm there! Best money I ever spent on a Porsche.
cayenne sucks. it's definitely third in that size segment.
I guess that’s your opinion, and that’s okay - but I’d be interested in a few solid bits of info as to why the Cayenne sucks. That hasn’t been our experience with a 2016 base nor extended test drives in a new 2021 GTS. In “sport mode” around town the base is surprisingly responsive and fun to drive - it feels “Porsche-ish”. It is s l o w passing at freeway speeds to be sure but it’s been reliable, comfortable, and looks good. The GTS was an eye opener. If not for size (we don’t need) and cost ($140k in our build) I would seriously consider ordering the Cayenne GTS. We are replacing the base Cayenne with a new Macan turbo because we just couldn’t handle to lack of power (our other car is a 2014 C4S cab).
I’m not being defensive - I just have a knee jerk response to comments like this on any forum about any subject. Anyway, for me using “sucks” sucks. ;-)
they will not give you the same thing as each other. obviously.
but the macan feels like what you would expect from porsche when designing something with the physical limitations the macan has. but god it's an impressive suv.
cayenne sucks. it's definitely third in that size segment.
macan has zero competition in it's segment. if you told me i had to choose one car for the rest of my life to do everything.... macan gts. period. it's the best daily driver ever made in my opinion.
That's funny. I have all three. And a Ford Pickup truck.
None of them suck.
None of them compare to the other.
The Macan S, is the "girlie" car of the three, which is why my wife drives it. But she says her next one will be a Macan Turbo - because you know....faster.
Spend some time in a 2021 Cayenne GTS then report back how superior the Macan is....lol
I guess that’s your opinion, and that’s okay - but I’d be interested in a few solid bits of info as to why the Cayenne sucks.
I've driven a few and they definitely don't "suck" - but I can see why some people would have that line of thinking; once you move out of Macan sized vehicles into "full size" SUVs - you begin to assume the owner's priority shifts from handling and driving experience to comfort and luxury. On those counts, a Range Rover might be superior to a Cayenne. But yeah, Cayennes do seem to drive better than most anything else in the segment.
If you haven't already, get it up Hwy121/Monticello Rd and loop back over 128 to Silverado Trail early on a Sunday morning, take the corners a little faster than you think an SUV should be able to handle, and thank me later
Great call - will definitely check that route out
I'm up just outside St Helena and I did the road over to Middletown last Sunday with all of the forested switchbacks and have to admit the Macan was so fun!
I've driven a few and they definitely don't "suck" - but I can see why some people would have that line of thinking; once you move out of Macan sized vehicles into "full size" SUVs - you begin to assume the owner's priority shifts from handling and driving experience to comfort and luxury. On those counts, a Range Rover might be superior to a Cayenne. But yeah, Cayennes do seem to drive better than most anything else in the segment.
That's a good insight. I had a base Cayenne in 2015 a few years ago and loved it. It was my first Porsche and it felt special. Part of the reason we got the Macan S not a Cayenne S for right now was both size and cost. A Cayenne S specced how I'd like is well into $100k+ Range Rover territory. Since our full size 2019 Range Rover is our larger, more luxurious car for big trips, dog walks etc (it's also hauled a giant water heater with the seats down), the Macan is the cheaper, quicker, more agile car. It's also $700 a month less than my old 911 - which while renovating a house all adds up.
I doubt anyone will ever sit in the back of the Macan and I think if we ever have kids we will just get a CPO Audi Q7 and let them smash Oreos into the carpet or whatever it is kids do.
I guess that’s your opinion, and that’s okay - but I’d be interested in a few solid bits of info as to why the Cayenne sucks. That hasn’t been our experience with a 2016 base nor extended test drives in a new 2021 GTS. In “sport mode” around town the base is surprisingly responsive and fun to drive - it feels “Porsche-ish”. It is s l o w passing at freeway speeds to be sure but it’s been reliable, comfortable, and looks good. The GTS was an eye opener. If not for size (we don’t need) and cost ($140k in our build) I would seriously consider ordering the Cayenne GTS. We are replacing the base Cayenne with a new Macan turbo because we just couldn’t handle to lack of power (our other car is a 2014 C4S cab).
I’m not being defensive - I just have a knee jerk response to comments like this on any forum about any subject. Anyway, for me using “sucks” sucks. ;-)
Saying something sucks is always a subjective, and strong, term. It's relative to that person but potentially no one else. I find it hard to believe any Porsche "sucks" as I would apply that type of term. If you wanted to say a Yugo sucks I can appreciate and understand that. To say a Porsche sucks I would have to wonder what happened.
I think Porsche did a very ****ty job marketing the macan. That's why you hear questions - why not a cayenne? all the time. Same applies to sport chrono package - I don't think that car is not "peppy enough" is sport+ mode and I can't imagine why would I need pedal commander in this scenario, so I always recommend sport chrono retrofit vs pedal commander.
Big fan of Sport Chrono and Sport+ is great for quick starts and zippy maneuvering. But, the problem with Sport+ mode is that the car stays in a lower gear for much longer than necessary unless on the track with the pedal down. In fact, at 50-60 mph you're probably still be in 5th gear with Sport+. In Sport mode you're probably in 6th gear and won't get to 7th for another minute or so at constant speed. That significantly reduces gas mileage. Pedal Commander gives you much quicker starts in non-Sport or non-Sport+ modes yet still allows the PDK to shift up to 7th once you get up to cruising speed. For regular use (small town stop & go with 60+ highway driving a lot of the time) I leave the car in non-Sport mode and have Pedal Commander in Sport mode plus 2. This gives quick starts when needed but lets the car shift up to economical gears quickly. If I really need a quick boost "off the line", I press the button for Sport mode and BAM! Sport+ is a great get up and go zippy mode but doesn't really make sense for non-track driving. Sport+ plus Pedal Commander in Sport+ plus 4 is insane! Once you try Pedal Commander, you're likely to never uninstall it. Can't remember ever seeing a used Pedal Commander for sale from someone who thought, "Meh".
The Macan S, is the "girlie" car of the three, which is why my wife drives it.
In this forum, I would say a fair number of members driving the Macan are likely of the male gender, so does that make the Macan less "girlie"? Also, where I live, I see more women driving a Cayenne than men, so based on my biased observation, this makes the Cayenne a "girlie" vehicle as well.
In this forum, I would say a fair number of members driving the Macan are likely of the male gender, so does that make the Macan less "girlie"? Also, where I live, I see more women driving a Cayenne than men, so based on my biased observation, this makes the Cayenne a "girlie" vehicle as well.
This could be a really fascinating thread in of itself; i.e. how different cultures perceive the masculinity of different vehicles and why.
I would wager that in Europe a Macan is viewed as less 'feminine' and/or the distinction isn't really a thing. In the US it seems like most vehicles that are not >=F150 sized pickups, BOF SUVs, or V8 Pony/Muscle cars are "girly" ... and if we're honest with ourselves that probably also applies to any 911 without a wing.
I think part of it might be whether the vehicle could be considered a tool/utility - i.e. a pickup can haul stuff, a dodge demon goes to the drag strip, a GT3 goes to the race track. A Macan rightly or wrongly is viewed as a vehicle that's fun/style first with utility considerations secondary. As to why tools are considered masculine and style is considered feminine, it's an outdated point of view and probably a topic best avoided on a car forum though...
This could be a really fascinating thread in of itself; i.e. how different cultures perceive the masculinity of different vehicles and why. I would wager that in Europe a Macan is viewed as less 'feminine' and/or the distinction isn't really a thing. In the US it seems like most vehicles that are not >=F150 sized pickups, BOF SUVs, or Pony/Muscle cars < V8 are "girly cars" ... and if we're honest with ourselves that probably also applies to any 911 without a wing.I think part of it might be whether the vehicle could be considered a tool/utility - i.e. a pickup can haul stuff, a dodge demon goes to the drag strip, a GT3 goes to the race track. A Macan rightly or wrongly is viewed as a vehicle that's fun/style first with utility considerations secondary.
Macan can tow and drives better than many sedans. If porsche made it a two door SUV nobody would compare it to Cayenne as it makes no sense. Moreover, Cayenne now made Cayenne coupe which looks like a Macan. If they made Macan V8 they would have to kiss cayenne good bye.
Macan can tow and drives better than many sedans. If porsche made it a two door SUV nobody would compare it to Cayenne as it makes no sense. Moreover, Cayenne now made Cayenne coupe which looks like a Macan. If they made Macan V8 they would have to kiss cayenne good bye.
Waiting to see when you will be back in 911 again. Bc you will.
Originally Posted by William Smith
So I've had my Macan S just over a week now and wanted to share a few thoughts on the transition from a 911 to a Macan. Interestingly, the one I had on order wasn't going to come until the end of April, and I ended up finding one identical to my spec with some additional options I didn't order (which after negotiating on price, were essentially free). Overall, for a daily driver I'm really happy with the Macan S and I don't feel like I've lost too much of that Porsche minset compared to the 911.
Positives:
Love the size of the Macan - really feels compact and agile, kind of like a big hot hatch.
A lot better insulated than the 991.2 - feels more like a luxury car
Much more comfortable to drive on our rural bumpy roads here in Napa
Feels more expensive inside than I thought it would - the full leather, stitched dash, Mojave seatbelts etc were not options I considered but now love them
The body colored side blades and rear valance definitely make it look high spec
Love the chrome window trim and roof rails with Night Blue
It's $700 a month less!
Negatives:
Not quite as fast as I thought - this was always going to be a given coming out of the 911.
The oversized 911 Turbo rims definitely make for a stiff ride, but it's a German performance SUV and I guess firmness is to be expected.
It's a little jittery at low speeds and feels like a bit of a turbo lag before the engine is warmed up (still so new I guess).
There's quite a bit of an Audi feeling at normal cruising speeds
03-18-2021, 09:06 PM
