nowata

Comparing an S to a GTS
same miles
same cpo
$20k apart

would appreciate some feedback

will be for a daily and I rack up many miles a year





Colors scratched out to protect the innocent.

Spyder_2011

I would choose the S over the GTS assuming you love both of the color combinations. PASM and insulated glass both are nice to have as is the heated steering wheel.

malibu515

I had an opportunity to drive the S and the GTS back to back. In fact my salesman let me drive his GTS for half a day. I chose the GTS.
I find it interesting that many online bloggers say they can not tell the difference in driving dynamics between the two, therefore suggesting
the S over the GTS.
I find the GTS better in many ways. It drives more precisely and has more character than the S. You can definitely feel the power difference
and my girlfriend agrees after driving both of them too.
I see the S as basic transportation with minimal flair, and the GTS having some sports car and performance advantages.
BTW, avoid the noise insulating glass and the heated windshield. You will have trouble using your smart phone and the navigation system
will have connectivity issues. Further, both are expensive to repair. If you want a quieter SUV, chose the Marcedes.

nowata

Thanks for the input
isn't a heated wheel standard on the gts if it has heated seats?
and doesn’t the gts also have air suspension and pasm standard?
yes I noticed a difference in the gts when I drove one but I figured it was the air suspension that the S I drove doesn’t have

malibu515

You are correct. heated steering wheel and heated seats are standard as well as air suspension and pasm.
Make sure you drive both back to back. Bring your significant other so you can experience the passenger experience.

nowata

mistake post

Terry Adams

Air suspension no charge for the win for the GTS.
Don't see Sport Chrono, so I guess each has it. Absolute must if not included. Even if costs $1500 or so.
Sales guy told me compass display negates something else, but can't remember which.

nowata

how do you know if it has sport chrono? Is that the round button appendage on the steering wheel?
neither have that
$1500 as in it can be added? Or do I need to find a car with it?
both cars have same colors and it’s rare and my top choice so it factors in

Terry Adams

The round button appendage is a sure sign it does have SC.
Effect can be duplicated with a tune, but better to find a car with it already. Or ask the sales guy if it has it.

nowata

I can tell from the pics that it does not
but I’ve found a couple others that do
albeit in a different but good color

supercup

I drove an S (2023) for 5 months (lease) while my GTS (2023) was on order and it was a very nice SUV. Below is link to my post on comparison of the two. If you drive a ton of miles, both will depreciate a lot, so get what you will enjoy driving the most is my thought. If you $$$ feel better at the S level - you can't go wrong - especially the spec of the one you noted with Air suspension and Thermal Glass. If you have the budget, you will never regret getting a GTS. GLWD!

Link:https://rennlist.com/forums/macan/13...ly-review.html

Woofman

Connectivity issues with the noise insulating glass were related to the CDMA protocol which has fairly recently been decommissioned by that last phone company using it in the U.S. I noticed more noise from traffic when I had a loaner Macan without the glass option last Wednesday but the amount of noise with the regular glass is probably what most people are accustomed to. The glass option does an incredible job of reducing direct heat from the sun but aftermarket tint can do that too.

Surround View and Adaptive Cruise Control are very nice to have. The loaner base Macan I had last Wednesday had both and even air suspension. ACC works all the way down to zero mph which was nice in the traffic jam I was in last Wednesday. I've come to regard Surround View as a must have since it makes it easy to avoid curbing wheels.

nowata

That is a great write up and thanks for sharing. Does the 3.0 in the 2020 S impact your position? Yes I live in my car and am always torn between driving something I don’t care about destroying or driving something I love to be in. So far the best cars for me have been well equipped half ton pick ups but I’m just sick of big vehicles that shudder over every pavement seam. And my wife wants to keep driving her expedition max. So I can still tow my car trailer

CincyRovers

I drove a '22 S and GTS back to back when I was in the market. The GTS was noticeably sportier than the S, but not enough for me to justify spending another $15k over the S. It was a little sharper, a little stiffer and the body control was just a bit better. In terms of acceleration, I couldn't feel a difference between the two through the seat of my pants. I honestly think they produce around the same amount of power. I was expecting the extra 60 horsepower of the GTS to be noticeable and it wasn't. Ultimately, I ordered a '23 S with every performance option over a GTS and saved $14k. There's no wrong answer, but I just didn't see the reason to spend an extra $14k for a car that was really only about 10% better than what I decided to get. Regardless, there is no wrong answer, as both are excellent.

gellenole

Agree here - A lot of it will depend on what you are going to do.

Example:
1 - Media System - I know I'm going to mod it so I don't go high end
2 - Suspension (PASM) - I know i'm also going to modify, so I don't get the PASM system
3 - Glass - I tinted, so I don't care about insulated glass
4 - Wheels - I didn't get anything special, because i'm also going to replace
5 - Sport Exhaust - I swapped it out day 1, so I didn't spend money on sports exhaust or anything to do with it (I don't mind)
6 - GTS or S - I didn't do GTS because I just tuned the engine with COBB stage 1, and it makes more HP than GTS (STOCK). GTS tuned doesn't do much higher than what S tuned can do.

What I did spend money on:
1 - 18 way sports seats
2 - Sports chrono
3 - Sports Package - since it does a bunch of stuff I wanted
4 - Trim Blacked out the window sill


I hope that gives you some ideas on what you will want to spend money on and not -- usually if you're swapping out something, I wouldn't go extra.