^Agree 100%

I have yet to drive another car/suv that is as perfect of a daily as the Macan. I had a 997.2 and loved it, but outside the fact that it was a manual and the Macan is a PDK (some say an Audi tranny and not a real PDK ), the Macan is just as fun to drive as a daily and its leaps and bounds more comfortable and practical. Sure, it's not a 911 and a 911 is the realest of Porsches, but the Macan is still pretty special and my Macan S with a tune is faster in a straight line than my old 997. I have an S2000 in the garage for when I want to row my own gears.

But don't listen to me, I'm the idiot who daily drives a fake Porsche to keep the miles off my toy Honda.

 

There's nearly no limit to how far you can go with the 'Real Porsche' argument - I'm sure for some, anything water-cooled is an automatic DQ

I will say that since we can't really get any good wagons over here in the US, the Macan is pretty close to the ultimate Daily Driver! A specced up S, GTS or Turbo will definitely be a better drive than an SQ5 and probably holds its value a bit better to boot.

 

fake? You can't more real Audi than that (coming from another fake Porsche owner - except mine is a VW Toureg with Twin Turbo V8.) j/k. By the way, my brother-in-law wishes he has kept his '02 Suzuka Blue S2000.
As for driving dynamic, you can't beat Macan as a daily. From a price point, I am on the fence of choosing between X3 M40i or used '17-18 Macan GTS.

 

Love Porsche and had previously a Cayenne Turbo.

Extensively researched and then test drove the Macan S and SQ5, opted for the SQ5 after rationalizing the two SUVs. Same engine, Quattro vs PDK...not a noticeable difference IMHO.

Finer interior refinements for the Macan, but the SQ5 doesn't disappoint.

In the end, it simply came down to $15K more for the hood badge than the 4 rings.

YMMV.

 

A couple of add-ons to my prior comments.

The space in the Macan trunk is quite a bit smaller than the Q5.

The Macan interior looks a lot cooler, a little like a fighter cockpit, but the Q5 ergonomics are way better (though I haven't tried the latest Q5)

PDK vs Tip is pretty subtle in driving -- the PDK is slightly better in driving feel and I think it probably adds 1 mpg or so in efficiency, but PDK maintenance is expensive (the $1kish oil change) and PDK replacement cost is crazy high if it fails out of warranty. Also, when stopping on a hill, PDK roll downhill like a manual transmission car -- no problem to control or engage the "hold" function -- but not as seamless as automatic.

 

The Macan pdk is actually a repurposed dl501 Audi transmission. As far as anyone can tell it is only a different software package.......possibly different gear ratios. To top that there is belief that the clutch packs for all models are the same...base to turbo. Yes it is known that there are different part numbers....but Porsche is famous about using different part numbers for the same item.

 

True, if you get PDK in an Audi -- my older q5 was a Tiptronic 8-speed automatic vs 7-speed PDK in the Macan. Not sure what options the current Q5 offers transmission-wise.

 

I felt the same way, I thought I'd be getting a Macan S for a year or more, but already owning a Panamera with 515 lb-ft of torque, the Macan S was underwhelming at that price point. After test-driving (and loaner-driving) a bunch of Macan S and base vehicles, I changed my mind and decided to save the money by buying a 2019 base Macan; I've never regretted the decision. (As for Audi, that front end is an acquired taste that I've never been able to stomach -- the ostentatious grill...)

 

Comparing the V8 Turbo Panamera to the macan truly is Apples to Oranges.
I saw a base copy cat (same color and 20" wheels as my S rolled off the line) yesterday at the grocery store. I pulled up right next to the vehicle and was pleasantly surprised to find the driver behind the wheel. He quickly slammed it in gear and backed out. Either he's the jerk who's responsible for making someone angry enough to key my ride in another grocery store lot, or he knows that 2.0 translates to two seconds slow...

 

Wow, great comments. I'm currently looking for New-Used SUV for the wife. We test drove the Macan base and the Q5 she thought they were ok. She wasn't like YES I want this car. So now I"m thinking on the Macan S or the SQ5. Going through all the research my head is starting to hurt. Will I end up with a Lexus/Toyota Hybrid, I hope not.

I would like to know which Macan years are best to stay away from and also the SQ5 for those that have owned both.

Would you recommend buying a Warranty with either vehicle, it sounds like it would be a wise choice. Since I haven't read anything about either cars being bulletproof.

What do you think of the Macan Base though it's not as fast and powerful as the S but is it more reliable?

 

I have (well my wife does) a Macan S with Air Ride and I recently had a Macan base as a dealer loaner. And before she had the Macan, she had an SQ5. There is a wide gap between an optioned Macan S and the Base model. No so much the engine, the 4 cyl is respective in the base until you kick it down at say 40 mph, then its like the whole vehicle loses its mind for a four-count. The S just gets going. But the big thing to me is the air ride suspension, what a difference that makes in ride quality and even quietness. The Stock suspension crashes over road irregularities, the air ride glides. I would look for that one option most of all.

The SQ5 is a bit mushy in the brakes, lacks crisp handling, but has a wonderful engine. I know my wife would not go back to one, she's pretty hard core in love with her Macan S.

Zero reliability issues. Only had an oil service in the past 18 months.

 

Macan S and SQ5 share the same powerplant. Trans if different as is transfer case.

Earlier Macan's had transfer case woes, but since '18 IIRC these have all but disappeared after implementation of a design change,

 

We'll just chalk this up to somebody that must absolutely segregate themselves from others in some way, shape or form.

The Macan isn't a real Porsche. The Cayenne isn't a real Porsche. The Panamera isn't a real Porsche. The Cayman isn't a real Porsche. The Boxter isn't a real Porsche. The 911 isn't a real Porsche... unless it's air cooled.

 

OMG, When did Porsche start making water cooled Cars?

 

Too funny. I totally agree as far as Aircooled 911 are real PORSCHE hands down. And I'll never want to part ways with my 993S I just switched over to KW V3 and love the suspension.

But for a daily driver I love my Cayenne GTS and so does the wife. She wants a SUV but I don't need another gas guzzler Cayenne. So I'm leaning towards the Macan base or S. I've had a Cayenne S non air suspension and now the GTS the air suspension and love it. I would love to found a Macan with that same suspension but not sure I'll be lucky enough.