The same can be said for the base...you won't regret it. As for the beautiful rumble of the S, yes, it sounds nice from the outside, but I really don't want to hear engine noise on the inside. I like to listen to the radio and not hear the extraneous outside noise. I guess that is the point of the insulated glass as an option. Same goes for my ancient Cayenne S. It sounds fantastic as my wife gets on it and drives away. I like hearing the radio while I am driving it...

 

My base has been solid as a rock and it's a good choice as a primary vehicle. As far as driving dynamics though, it doesn't give you a lot of the Porsche experience. It's fast enough but the little VW engine sounds more like a base Camry than a Porsche so if you can live with that go for it. I have a Spyder in my garage so I can overlook the base engine shortcomings but if the Macan was my only car I'd need at least an S. For $70k you should be able to find a certified low mileage one.

 

We use a 2018 base Macan as our family, bad weather, snow, grocery getter, commuter, ski, hiking and road trip car. It is plenty fast (though turbo lag is sometimes noticeable), and with the 4cylinder engine, it feels lighter in the front than the 6cyl and has great gas mileage and range. And any Macan trim definitely drives more like a Porsche than any of the other SUVs.

So it comes down to what you and your wife values and wants to do with it. If it is your only Porsche, and you don't need good gas mileage and range between fillups, go with an S. If you have other sportscars, and mainly use the Macan as a fun tool, then I would look at a base or T. And unless you absolutely need to spec your car yourself, I would strongly recommend looking at CPOs.

 

So I just recently bought an X3M Comp. Big mistake. I was also considering a Macan T as a daily but I made the same “value” calculation most of you made. For roughly the same money bmw has 503hp blah blah. So I bought the BM.

Fast forward to now I’ve had the X3 for a couple months and I don’t like it. Feels too big, the stereo sucks. The biggest issue is the suspension is punishing. It feels like I’m driving with no dampers. Normally a firm / sporty suspension is just fine for me - but this car on one of our local freeways was bucking my family out of their seats. Just unacceptable.

I’ve had multiple Macan 4cyl service loaners while my 718 was in for service and I’ve always loved the car. It’s small, but spacious enough has space for cargo. Good suspension, fantastic dynamics and did I say suspension? That porsche suspension and steering feel is unmatched. I’ve also had SQ5 loaners and Q5 loaners while they are nice there is a real difference between those cars and the Macan. The macan is better dynamically / better steering / great feel. And don’t forget PDK programming is superior to the other brands. I also like that I can order it spec’d without extra options I don’t want / need. (I don’t ever use glass roofs for example)

My use case is to cart around my small family and my mountain bike. I do want a nice stereo - so wondering about thoughts on bose v burmester. Leaning toward bose based on my research.

Anyway gonna make the jump soon. I think the 2.0T is just fine. Just wanted to check if anyone has any last thoughts. Of course the GTS looks great but honestly I just sit in traffic constantly anyway. Trying to determine if I’ll miss the power while merging and passing on the freeways.

Thanks for all the input here

 

I have been in a base Macan loaner for a week - I wound not own or lease this car.

Buzzy, drony, boomy exhaust.

No acceleration.

Slappy rough steel spring suspension.

Bose is barely adequate. Macan is a small listening chamber. Macan Bose has a smaller subwoofer than a larger car, making the bass feel like a 3-year old is kicking the seat back.

Low speed steering effort is nice.

PDK is smooth but paddle downshifting brings no engine braking - strange sensation. Caveat emptor on the PDK for high repair cost if you plan to own long term.

If S or GTS with air suspension and Burmester are not in your price range, buy an X3 or GLC. X3 base is the sweet spot in this segment. Space, reliability, comfort, etc etc, at a competitive price. To be clear X3 base (xDrive30i) is not a high performance machine. You know this from the X3M experience.

If your children are small now, they won’t stay small forever. Macan rear seating area is smaller than most cars in the segment.

 

First off you your perception of a Base Macan could not be more wrong. I own both a Base and an S.

Second the OP is buying a T. Which has very different tuning from a Base.

 

If you do buy a Base or a T the best mod is a simple plug in tuner box. Porsche hobbles the AE888 engine in order to make the S more desirable. It's the same thing they do with all the base models, 911 and 718 included.

https://burgertuning.com/collections...l-audi-porsche

https://www.racechip.us/shop/porsche...-273lb-ft.html

 

This review pretty much tells the story between the Base and the S. It’s really driver preference. The article also mentions that the steel spring suspension is the preferred one for handling. The air suspension is really about ride quality.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...-drive-review/

 

A lot of this depends on how you intend to drive and what our preferences are. I have a Macan T and a 718 Spyder - I get all of my jollies off with the Spyder and drive like a relatively sedate grandma in the Macan. For me, that means that I prefer the slightly better fuel efficiency, the slightly lower maintenance cost of 4 vs 6 cylinders, and for handling purposes I also prefer the lighter weight of the 4 cylinder. The sound of the base engine is not thrilling (though you can consider the sport exhaust), but it's a perfectly adequate utility vehicle that handles quite nicely. When appointed with the leather interior, it feels quite nice inside as well.

If this is your one and only car, and the noise and acceleration matter to you, then absolutely get the S.

FWIW, anecdotally, in the Bay Area, I'm probably still on the more aggressive side of Macan drivers that I see, and I have never felt that the lack of acceleration practically affected me in any way, so it makes me think that the base is fine for the vast majority of people.

 

I see you're leaning in -- well played

Slappy/rough steel springs? See us in 5 years when your airbags are leaking.

At least the Macans don't have a 60mph vibration, eh? That's got to be maddening.

 

I can't make a great case for a new $70k+ base or T, but one that's a year old and sub-$50k makes it an excellent value. Most who own one, like it a lot, and those who have negative views are the ones with the loaners, which may not be dialed in due to many factors, including simple things like tire choice or pressures. Once you get used to the engine, shifting and power band, or add a few extras that cater to what you need, such as a pedal commander, Sport Chrono, different tires etc.. it's capable enough without being excessive.

As mentioned previously, a tune will completely change the engine character to something more fun and if you like more modding, adding thicker sway bars significantly ratchets up the handling capabilities and precision. I also added Eibach springs to mine and the ride is still great, but I agree that the factory ride, even on base steel springs, was sublime.

In my case, the pure base model was not what I wanted exactly but a few mods got me there. Some may argue to just get the S or GTS but that's a personal choice since I enjoy the journey of improving, rather than being served a finished product.

If you mostly sit in traffic, it makes a great all-around commuter, especially if you have other fun cars for that purpose. The engine is generally much more reliable than the V6 versions and maintenance is cheap and easy. Repairs are theoretically easier too, with more room in the engine bay.

 

Agreed, I would buy a buy a lightly used Base or T over a new one.

 

Well take any recommendation with the proverbial grain-of-salt since car audio is completely subjective. I have the Bose in my 2024 Macan S and I think it's really quite good. There's more than enough bass and the highs are clear. I primarily play FLAC files on an SD card (love the fact that the Macan has an SD slot!). Apple Music also sounds really good but I give a slight edge to the fidelity and sound quality from the FLAC files. The music does sound like it's coming from all around me, not just from the front speakers. No door rattles either from the bass. I haven't even felt the need to alter the bass or treble settings, I keep them at the default setting. A lot of people on here and other Porsche forums seem to hate the Bose system but I really disagree. Also here's a link to a YT car audio review channel. He's really thorough in his reviews and he gave the Bose in the Macan a very high score.

 

I've been provided a variety of Macan loaners when my daily driver 2022 Cayenne was in for service and repairs. The least satisfying Macan had few if any options and was on the standard steel springs and 19 inch wheels. The loaner Macan that was the most fun to drive was a Macan T with air suspension, 21 inch wheels and a moderate number of options. The loaner Macan that I enjoyed most was one I had recently which had air suspension, 20 inch wheels and the most options including the double pane acoustic side windows.

Is there anything you could do that would make your BMW X3M more enjoyable? For example, if you have the 21 inch wheels, maybe you could get the BMW dealer to exchange them for the 20 inch wheels.

I like driving the Macan a lot but its back seat space makes it a non-starter since I need to be able to carry adults in the back seat. The X3's rear seat (my next door neighbor has an X3) seems far more comfortable. I especially dislike that the seat back of the rear seat of the Macan is fixed and doesn't recline. It's too upright. IIRC, the rear seat seat of my neighbor's X3 reclines. Whether it reclines or not, I'm comfortable in the backseat of the X3 but not at all in the Macan.

I can't imagine going from the marvelous BMW 6-cylinder engine to a 4-cylinder Macan. And not having Android Auto in the Macan would drive me crazy.

 

I have a 2020 Macan base as a daily driver in all weather conditions including snow, no issues in 4 years. It is "brisk enough for commutes" in suburbia. I previously had American and Mercedes SUV's, the Macan is much more fun to drive and handles well for an SUV. I have a Cayman when I want to go fast.