I’ll say this right now so I can get it right: I don’t like crossovers. I don’t care who makes them. My dislike of them is widespread and pervasive. However, Certain exceptions can be made to crossovers that are appealing to drivers. I know it can be a violation to like something that drives like a sports sedan, but it’s not. I must provide credit when credit is due.
Macan is good. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s good enough to make me think there should be more crossovers, as long as they drive like this. But that goodness comes with an asterisk.
Full disclosure: Porsche invited me to a random house in LA to drive the entire Macan lineup. They threw me a bunch of keys during a day of driving in the canyons of Malibu. I also had some really great tacos with their pennies at a restaurant that I need to return to ASAP.
What is it?
All in all, the Macan is the cheapest Porsche you can buy. That doesn’t seem to bother Macan buyers, though: Porsche tells me that the customers for this midsize crossover are mostly women, with an average annual income of over $400,000. Not your typical entry-level buyer. Since its debut in 2014, the Macan has risen to become Porsche’s best-selling model, with more than 24,000 units sold in 2021. While its driving dynamics are all Porsche, it It runs on VW Group’s MLB platform, which is shared with many Audi sedans and Q5 crossovers. .
Important specifications; Things Porsche doesn’t want you to notice
When you think Porsche, you think performance. But Porsche went a little lightly with the engines offered in the Macan.
The base Macan and Macan T have a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 261 horsepower. You might say, “I don’t remember Porsche making turbocharged four-cylinder engines.” Porsche are not. Known internally as EA888, This engine is most familiar from VW GTI and CHEAP Golfbut has been used in everything from Audi Q5 arrive VW CC. It’s not a bad engine, but the VW-sourced engine doesn’t fit Porsche’s premium image and the company can be a little awkward when asked about it.
Higher versions of the Macan get six-cylinder power. 2.9-liter turbocharged V6 engine with 375 horsepower Macan WILL or 434 in Macan GTS. Regardless of engine, the only powertrain option is a seven-speed PDK automatic transmission with all-wheel drive. Base prices for the Macan start at $57,500 for the base model and close to $83,000 for the GTS. But this is Porsche. You can get a basic Macan up to the price of a GTS in options alone.
What’s good
This item will feature Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei spinning in their graves. There’s no reason a crossover should drive this well. I am confused how can I throw something in a corner, how it will rotate and lose power with such poise. Turns are excellent and the 2.9-liter V6 is a gem. On the other hand, 400 horsepower in a 5-door family car would have been unbelievable less than a decade ago. On the other hand, in the world of high-powered vehicles with power you’ll never use every day, it’s nice to have a car where the upgraded engine output feels just right. Turbo lag is almost non-existent and the PDK transmission has a lightning-fast changeover. Even better, it feels refined; it doesn’t push you backwards like many modern automatic transmissions do, to make you feel like you’re driving something powerful and sporty.
When it doesn’t impress a sports sedan on twisty roads, the Macan is a pretty decent crossover. I can see this getting Costco running or taking my bike to the beach with ease. Simply put, normal driving is surprisingly comfortable. And with all the suspension settings and drive modes available, you can easily go from a leisurely cruise to hitting the back roads at the touch of a button.
Macan T, a brand new version for 2022 is a great implementation. The Sport Chrono Package, Porsche Active suspension, black accents, leather and fabric seats? Wonderful. But… keep reading.
Things to avoid
Sorry, I have to say this, but let’s ignore the turbo four-cylinder. It’s weak and doesn’t really match the rest of the Macan. And while I have just praised the new Macan T for its excellent handling, this new model is let down by the fact that it is only available with four cylinders. The Macan T has a bit of agility that can be attributed to the adaptive suspension as well as the lower weight of the smaller engine, but the lack of oomph is disappointing. Plus, $60,000 or more for a Macan with fabric seats? Where is Alcantara?
The base model Macan is an even bigger compromise. This is like a blatantly special lease, designed to give you a Porsche badge without performance. Throw it in a corner and those all-season 19-inch tires scream in pain. There’s a “sports” button, but it doesn’t seem to do anything but remind you that you should use the S. I’d rather use the S or GTS than the new base model Macan.
Interior
First, there are too many buttons on the dashboard, which is on par with Porsche of course. What’s worse is that, for the 2022 update, Porsche has ditched the physical buttons, replacing them with tactile tactile controls on the glossy black surface. Always stock up on Armor All cleaning wipes because you will need them. This finish is a magnet for smudged fingerprints.
Rear legroom is tight in the sporty sedan style. If a driver is 6 feet or more tall, they will crush anyone sitting behind them. Also, the window opening is odd: Sitting with the driver’s window and my arm on the sill, the window opening feels small, with the B-pillar sitting strangely forward.
And here’s a small nit pick, but: Porsche’s ostentatious 911-shaped keychain seems a bit silly when you’ll never take it out of your pocket, twist a fixed dashboard switch to start it up. engine.
Identify
Macan can be great, as long as you choose the right powertrain and trim. Skip the base four-cylinder engine. The Macan T was a great idea on paper, but its agility was marred by a weak engine. If Porsche had made us a solid engine and offered a different (or simply more powerful) engine for the T, that would be a perfect thing. But it’s hard to justify the nearly $64,000 base price tag for a four-cylinder Macan that doesn’t have the sports sedan magic of its brethren. Especially when the Macan S is only a few thousand taller. The S and especially the Macan GTS are two of the best sporty crossovers on the market. Porsche has done wonders with what they achieved in terms of dynamics on the six-cylinder Macans. If every crossover felt like this, then every car enthusiast would be a fan of crossovers.
