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I think the base Macan is good for a 4-cylinder SUV. It will feel heavier than something like the Audi Q5, but that has more to do with Audi's characteristic light steering feel and other things they do to make their cars feel particularly nimble and agile (which seems to be somewhat antithetical to the traditional German way of doing things but which some people, such as my wife**, really love).
The one thing I'll say is that the base Macan is much more fun to drive if you just leave it in Sport mode all the time.
** This is not me throwing my wife under the bus. I love Audis and the way they drive / feel. I've had a small bunch of them over the years.
I will second that I always drove my 4-cyl Macan, even with the Cobb Tune, in Sport mode. Definitely a must.
I know and understand Porsche power as a past/present 992/718/996 owner.
I have a Macan that we use for bad weather days. I also have a Audi 5Q (same engine)
I have driven the Macan S extensively
I would say that for around town and in sports mode the base has more than enough power and given that the S actually has to rev hard before power kicking in I find the base actually zippier and quicker off the line than the S. For highway driving where quick and hard acceleration might be needed I do find the base a little lacking and their are times (granted few) where I wish I had tihe S
As a comparison the base to the 5Q - hate the 5Q. The base seems so much more planted and secure and the PDK on the base makes the power so much more manageable and accessible than on the 5Q
Quick kick down on the base and the down shift is immediate and sustained until it is quite clear you no longer need it. Do the same on the 5Q and their is a delay, then a kick down and within seconds the Audi has decided its time to upshift again and the power is gone
I was very surprised when Porsche started offering the Macan with a 4 cylinder
With the tiny underpowered motor and small wheels its anything but performance
I was very surprised when Porsche started offering the Macan with a 4 cylinder
With the tiny underpowered motor and small wheels its anything but performance
People in 1965 probably said the same thing when the 912 was introduced. Porsche is still a car maker who needs to meet consumption requirements engine displacement tariffs around the world. The base Macan is critical in Asia and parts of Europe. While I agree that the engine performance of the base is less than inspiring, it's still does 0-60 a little better than the Lexus RX350 with a V6 which is probably it's main competitor. What I am seeing as a downside of drawing in Lexus type customers is that those people expect a certain level of luxury and standard features for the price but Porsche just isn't quiet a luxury car maker. Back in 2018 when the base could be had as the Sport Edition with all of the GTS handling features, it was actually rather fun. I wouldn't mind a preowned base Sport Edition that I could flash an APR tune on.
People in 1965 probably said the same thing when the 912 was introduced. Porsche is still a car maker who needs to meet consumption requirements engine displacement tariffs around the world. The base Macan is critical in Asia and parts of Europe. While I agree that the engine performance of the base is less than inspiring, it's still doing 0-60 a little better than the Lexus RX350 with a V6 which is probably it's main competitor. What I am seeing as a downside of drawing in Lexus type customers is that those people expect a certain level of luxury and standard features for the price but Porsche just isn't quiet a luxury car maker. Back in 2018 when the base could be had as the Sport Edition with all of the GTS handling features, it was actually rather fun. I wouldn't mind a preowned base Sport Edition that I could flash an APR tune on.
Do the APR tune to a base Macan and the Macan S will be no faster up to 80mph, then yes 6 cylinder takes the advantage, you cannot imagine how faster is with only an APR tune, in traffic it feels so much agile than de stock S. My friend did the tune and we did tested with the dragy device the before & after and a stock Macan S too, and the result was the commented before. Same commute to work with half highway/half traffic Macan S 16/17 mpg....Macan base with APR Tune 20/22 mpg in average.
Do the APR tune to a base Macan and the Macan S will be no faster up to 80mph, then yes 6 cylinder takes the advantage, you cannot imagine how faster is with only an APR tune, in traffic it feels so much agile than de stock S. My friend did the tune and we did tested with the dragy device the before & after and a stock Macan S too, and the result was the commented before. Same commute to work with half highway/half traffic Macan S 16/17 mpg....Macan base with APR Tune 20/22 mpg in average.
I would 100% take a base Sport Edition with a tune over a S with no performance options. The Sport Edition came out a little after I bought my GTS. If I could do it over, I would have purchased the Sport Edition and put the money saved towards a GT4 instead of the Cayman S I ended up adding.
I would 100% take a base Sport Edition with a tune over a S with no performance options. The Sport Edition came out a little after I bought my GTS. If I could do it over, I would have purchased the Sport Edition and put the money saved towards a GT4 instead of the Cayman S I ended up adding.
Total luck we wound up with a 2018 Sport Edition. Our Porsche dealer was taking our Cayenne Diesel back at a pre-agreed price and he backed the SE into the showroom. Really great car. The air suspension makes this SUV ride like a cloud and handle well at the same time. Two years later, no issues, and we're almost empty nesters so the size is fine for us. Now, would I like a Macan GTS, well heck yeah. But I have other stuff to spend money on too.
Going to slip an APR tune one of these days, will surprise the Mrs. I will just tell her I found better gasoline.
Last edited by PJ Cayenne; 07-07-2021 at 06:33 PM.
Total luck we wound up with a 2018 Sport Edition. Our Porsche dealer was taking our Cayenne Diesel back at a pre-agreed price and he backed the SE into the showroom. Really great car. The air suspension makes this SUV ride like a cloud and handle well at the same time. Two years later, no issues, and we're almost empty nesters so the size is fine for us. Now, would I like a Macan GTS, well heck yeah. But I have other stuff to spend money on too.
Going to slip an APR tune one of these days, will surprise the Mrs. I will just tell her I found better gasoline.
+1
I'm very happy with the 2018 Macan Sport Edition. We also got our somewhat by luck. While shopping for a CPO Macan, the sales rep we had ordered a Cayman from 12 years ago said, "You want the Sport Edition." He was so right. The base engine has returned 29 MPG averaging 75 MPH on 700+ mile trips, even with the elevation changes on I-81 through southern VA. Driving in Sport mode provides enough performance for my everyday driving. The old adage "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow" seems to apply here thanks to the lowered ride height from the air suspension and the sporty note from the Porsche Sport Exhaust.
+1
I'm very happy with the 2018 Macan Sport Edition. We also got our somewhat by luck. While shopping for a CPO Macan, the sales rep we had ordered a Cayman from 12 years ago said, "You want the Sport Edition." He was so right. The base engine has returned 29 MPG averaging 75 MPH on 700+ mile trips, even with the elevation changes on I-81 through southern VA. Driving in Sport mode provides enough performance for my everyday driving. The old adage "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow" seems to apply here thanks to the lowered ride height from the air suspension and the sporty note from the Porsche Sport Exhaust.
I had no clue the SE even existed until the dealer brought it into the showroom. (We've dubbed it the "Shopping Edition") On our recent trip to Charlotte, the return took 12 hours due to traffic. We made one short stop for gas and food. Seats are amazingly comfortable. So far, no issues at all. Just oil changes.
Last edited by PJ Cayenne; 07-13-2021 at 11:34 PM.
To echo MarkinMD and other SE owners-- in its element, it is a great combo of fun and frugality.
I was sold when in December of 2018 the SA in Atlanta sent me these attached photos of the loaner SE he had in his inventory. A base with more standard options that I would have ordered along with white gages and aluminum trim --at a new 2019 basic base price--it was a no-brainer. If it had a leather dash it would have been perfect.
I live in the mountains north of Asheville and in Sport mode, the SE easily overdrives its All season tires. I drive to carry maximum speed into and through the turns- it is a Hoot. Long trips it is quiet and gets great mileage if you want to just flow 10 miles over the interstate speed limits.
I never drove a base Macan, I went right for the S. I always keep my S in sport mode, I never drive it in normal mode mostly for the lag reason (and it sounds more burbly too).
I don’t think the base is as underpowered as most of us think, it just seems that way when the rest of the Porsche vehicle lineup is much more performance oriented. People typically buy a Porsche to do Porsche things with them and I’d gander that the base Macan isn’t that peppy and doesn’t do Porsche things as well as most other Porsches do.
I say test drive a base Macan and see if it is really as underpowered as many say it is. If you and your partner like it, get it and ignore what others say.
Victor give me your company gas card, because I can't deal with the 10 MPG's I get when driving around in "Sport Mode."
I didn't know they marketed a "Sport Edition." Sounds like a badge you'd find on a Camry or Accord.
Like the Accord it was a special edition only offered at the end of the model run. In this case 2018, the last year of the 95B model. It bundled several major options including air suspension, 20" wheels, sport exhaust, Bose surround, Bi-Xenon headlights, Sport Chrono, PCM with Nav and a few other items for a special price. When I configured a car with each of the options ordered separately, it came out about $5,000 higher than the sticker price with the Sport Edition bundle.
06-24-2021, 12:54 PM
