Anyone seem a comparo of the Sq5 vs. Macan S? I am very interested in ordering the new Macan S, but would like to see a comparison to the SQ5. SQ5 has more power, but is not as quick is interesting, must be power band on 3.0T in the Audi. We currently have a Q5 and love the car, but ready for something new.

 

Search youtube as there is a video (in German) I believe autobuild, comparing both.

 

The Macan holds slight advantage in torque band (lower, wider), 250-350# weight advantage, and PDK has more efficient power transfer. Both cars really close in acceleration.

 

Yeah saw the German youtube video, wish I spoke German...

 

I confess I haven't driven or even seen a Macan, but I've been really happy with the SQ5 I picked up for my wife a few months ago. It's a great performance SUV for $59k.

 

On the same day that I went to see a Macan S in person the Audi SQ5 was also on the dealership lot . It's a beautiful Audi and my guess is that it drives very nice (did not drive either car but placed an order on a macan turbo) .

If I bought an SQ5 I would probably feel that I bought the best that Audi has to offer in the segment . The only thing I can imagine beyond it is the Porsche because it's the Macan turbo which costs more but will outperform and outlast the Sq5. Take a look at a 5 year old Porsche and compare the wear and tear appearance of the vehicle with the competition . Most of the time I feel that even an older Porsche has held up quite well. In my opinion performance numbers are not the only aspect to consider .

The snag with comparisons is that if price is considered and one only looks at performance it usually takes more money to buy the Porsche which can beat the less expensive vehicle . A Corvette is faster than a Cayman . A GtR is faster than a 991 . An SQ5 might even be faster than a Macan S .

I would still rather have a macan S . I would rather have my foot in the door with an entry level vehicle knowing that the step up in that vehicle would be the king in its class .

 

Some good points.


Wear and Tear - I have a 2009 Q5 currently with 50k miles on it and you would think it is less than 2 years old both by appearance as well as the interior feel (electronics amazingly even do not feel completely outdated, as opposed to my 2012 R8 where they already do...).

Comparison to Macan (Price / Performance) - Agree Macan Turbo is not comparison, the crossover point is SQ5 vs. Macan S. Both sticker within a few grand of each other optioned similarly. SQ5 is top of range of course comparing basically to bottom of range Porsche. I have not driven either, but when I bought the Q5 in 09, only the BMW drove anywhere near as well. I have high hopes for the Macan when I do get a chance to drive it.

I am just surprised no car mag. has yet made the comparison between the Macan S and SQ5 as it is an obvious comparison, same platform, similar price point, similar performance (on paper at least) except the German youtube video noted above.

Having said all the above I am almost definitely getting the Macan. Would love to get the Turbo, but it will be my wife's DD so the S is the best choice for us I think. Main reason for me to choose the Macan over the Q5 is mainly the SQ5 would be like buying the same car again, if I parked my 09 next to a new SQ5 only an Audi aficionado could tell them apart. In addition the Porsche interior looks amazing, sheet metal looks really nice (still waiting to see in person) and if it drives anywhere near what has been written it will be a great car.

 

1) It's actually quite encouraging to hear that a 50Kmi 09 A5 held up nicely . Audi has made some strides in recent years . The A5 is a very nice vehicle at an attractive price point .

2) There have been several discussions where the gist of it was that some expensive options on a Macan S are standard on the Turbo . For example Adaptive leather seats are 5K on a Macan S and only 1700 on a Turbo . There are more examples like this but the bottom line is that the price gap narrows greatly between a decently optioned Macan S and Turbo . It's about 12K instead of the huge disparity of glancing at the base price comparisons .

3) If one was going to buy a regular Q5 like the one you have with the goal of it being a daily driver and saving money then I would agree that it is a great deal . However once one delves into the performance oriented vehicles and the price climbs into the upper 60's -80's the choice becomes very clear . It has to be the Turbo !! It will cost more but will not leave a shred of doubts .

I can easily see an SQ5 owner wanting a Macan Turbo . I do not see the visa versa as a possibility .

 

mecan is faster because it is lighter, has PDK and launch control.

price of mecan is actually cheaper than qs5. i am thinking of getting one too.

fast, practical porsche that is cheap. can't loose.

 

If you need more trunk get the Q5. Maintenance is also cheap with audi vs Porsche. I'd trunk not needed and you don't care for sleeper get the Porsche.

 

This is the most uninformed post I have ever seen.

 

I've had a brief testdrive in two Macan yesterday at an Easter show at my P-car dealership. One was the macan S diesel and the other one was the Macan Turbo. Since I've owned and done almost 90,000km with an SQ5, I can make a reasonably good comparison.

The Macan feels good, but the diesel engine is underpowered for a "sporty SUV", compared to the SQ5 (note that the European SQ5 is a 313hp BiTurbo diesel!). The Macan Turbo is a blast and a true competitor for the Cayenne Turbo. Very fast!
Inside it all looks nice in the Macan, but I prefer the interior of the SQ5 (matter of taste, so it's very subjective). Use of materials in the Macan is clearly one step lower than Cayenne for example. Look at it like 981 and 991. There's just more use of plastic in the Macan (lower parts of interior).

The ride with air suspension was perfect, if you want a Macan, the air suspension is a must IMHO. The diesel didn't have the air-suspension and that was clearly noticable. On short bumps, the car felt a little nervous IMO. No sign of that in the Turbo with air suspension. With both suspensions, the car is without a doubt the most sporty feeling SUV in its class, that I have driven, maybe with the exception of the SQ5, which feels almost as sporty as the Macan.
If practicallity is your thing, go for the SQ5. Bigger boot, more practical solutions for rear seats, a bit more room in the back.

Like I said, it was a brief testdrive (about 10-15 minutes in each car), but overall the Macan is a nice alternative in the sporty SUV market. If I wanted a Macan it had to be the Turbo. The car simply doesn't have a competitor in its class. It has has sportscar performance.
For both other variants I would choose the SQ5 or even a Q5 instead. I buy an SUV mostly for its practicallity. I have sportscar for spirited driving. I also think the Q5 looks better and has a nicer interior, but both these things are subjective of course.

If someone can only have one car and wants perfomance, but still needs some practicallity, the Macan is a very nice car.

Maybe the most important thing... It feels like a Porsche, not like a beefed up Q5.


Suzy991 (iOS app)

 

Suzy Thanks so much for sharing your first hand impressions and comparisons!

Very much appreciated as those of us in the US still have over three weeks before we get a chance to drive or take one home.

 

Suzy991, does the steering on the SQ5 feel the same as the Macan. I recall motortrend or someone said that the SQ5 has the best steering feel over all Audi even the R8. After hearing that I wonder if the SQ5 and the Macan came off the same line with the same steering setup? I was thinking about SQ5 after that. I love good steering feel .

 

SQ5 has a reasonably good steering feel for an Audi, but still is numb. Not even close to an R8.
However, I can't comment on the U.S. SQ5, only on the European one that I've owned and that has a diesel engine, which can make for a different steering feel than the U.S. petrol engined car. (Although I can hardly believe it is that much better... It still is an Audi).
I'm on my 4th Audi now and all cars have or had numb steering feel, no matter if the power steering was hydraulic or electric.

The Macan has completely different steering feel, with much more feedback. Better than any other SUV I've ever driven.
They certainly don't come from the same line. Steering setup, but also the AWD system and many other things have been changed by Porsche. Macan feels like a completely different car than the SQ5/Q5. The only thing that is exactly the same is the chassis, which is in fact the chassis of the current Audi A4/A5 line-up and diesel engine (although ECU is tuned differently by Porsche, to suit their PDK).

However, for my personal situation, the Macan S or S diesel isn't worth the premium over the Q5/SQ5. I would only consider the Macan Turbo, which i.c.m. air suspension is faster and sportier yet more comfortable than any other SUV. But then again... I have a sportscar for spirited driving, which is always better than any SUV.

Suzy991 (iOS app)