My impressions on the 2015 Macan S I test drove:

1) Very tight body, nearly no body roll.
2) Super composed ride, almost perfect, not Lexus cushy and bouncy, and not stiff bone jarring like the 1G RDX
3) Awesome linear turbo engine, even though I didn't get a chance to test drive the "Macan Turbo" to compare
4) Steering a little light due to EPS, but perfect due to the Macan's character
5) Styling in the mold of the 911
6) Extremely quiet inside even at 70mph, excellent seating position, excellent visibility
7) Very fast shifting PDK transmission.
8) Nice exhaust note
9) Good utility, esp with rear seats fold down
10) Nice pano sunroof
11) There was a wait list to test drive the Macan! First time I've ever seen this.
12) The MDX, X5, and Cayenne from my test drives all drive like a big boat. They are just too big IMHO to be sporty.

Only negative I can see with the Macan is the small rear view mirror. Other than that the Macan is nearly perfect.

I've always wanted a 911 and have been casually searching the market for a used 997.1tt, but I didn't want to own a 3rd vehicle due to the 911's sparse utility... I'm almost tempted to call the Macan a "911 but with a good dose of utility and rear seat space." It's that GOOD. That's what the salespeople at the dealership are being trained to say as well.

Not to mention all Macan have been sold out, and as of today all Macans are now on a to be ordered basis. Next date for delivery from my local dealership is this Nov 2014.

Porsche has a homerun here, and it's looking more and more like my next car. I'm just wondering if I get a Macan, will I still want my coveted 997.1tt?

 

I test drove the Macan Turbo last weekend. In general I am in agreement with positives, so I will list what fell short for me:

Handling - Was really good and definitely better than Q5 that I recently traded, but also harsher. Q5 had a lot more body roll, but was a smoother riding vehicle. Panamera feels downright cushy and quiet in comparison.

Engine - Maybe I was anticipating the feel of a 911 Turbo, but engine, although quick was not "Turbo" quick. Had my wife with me, who normally complains about aggressive driving while grabbing at hand holds, and I floored the Macan Turbo in Traffic a couple of times and no reaction from her. Car is definitely quick, and fast, but just not as much as I expected.

Rear Seats - Leg room is much less than I expected. I couldn't find information on leg room, but felt like 2" less than in Q5. Also the rear seat compartment was not nearly as nice as front and almost felt like an afterthought.

One thing you didn't mention was seating, both position and seats were great. 18 way seats in Macan Turbo may be the best seats I have ever sat in.

 

Thanks for your impressions. Similar to mine. Did you drive a car with Air suspension? or Springs with PASM?

 

They are nice. BTW, check the dealerships in the Dallas area. There are several on the lots (even the turbo).

 

Ugh, I didn't check and the thought didn't even cross my mind.

There was such a long wait list, and I had almost no time to physically examine the Macan (other than the test drive), due to swarm of people getting in the Macan as soon as it arrived at the dealership from the test drive. As soon as the Macan came back from the reserved test drive, it was gone again! All I could see was the vehicle flying off the lot with a nice throaty exhaust.

 

I hope so! Because that is my situation. Well, almost. I can still get in and out of a 911, but am getting older.

I wasn't as concerned with lack of leg room as lack of head room with pano roof. But the back seat is still a lot more useable than my 06 C2S cab.

 

Interesting, I actually was pleasantly surprised at the rear legroom and headroom. after some of the european press pics of the guy sitting in the back I was certain the rear space was a non-starter but i bought the car on the spot after I sat in the rear seat (even before i test drove it)

I have the PASM and PVT, great car, great turning...still a enough body roll to remember you are in an SUV.

I personally find the engine and exhaust to be way too quiet but thats it. I think its a homerun car especially with the silky smooth PDK. The Cayenne looks very dated now i hope they have a big redo coming.

With PASM, I drive the car in Sport Plus and the handling is much better than with it off, makes a huge difference at the lower ride height and air suspension.

Jeff

 

What problems do you have getting in/out of your 911? I'm starting to develop lower back issues, and I'm wondering if that would affect ingress/egress with the 911 if I get one in the future.

My initial brieft impression of the Macan's back seat is that it's totally usable for adult/kid seating and for luggage. Though I was able to sit in the back seat of the Macan for only a minute, I didn't feel cramped at all and I'm 5'11". I would have no problem placing 2 adults or 3 kids in the rear of the Macan on a long distance road trip.

I'll have to thoroughly check out the Macan's rear seat again when I go back and visit the dealership next time, provided no one takes it for another test drive again.

 

ha..i agree i actually think the rear of the macan is nearly identical to the FX35.

But the interior and the PDK...totally awesome. Makes the Cayenne feel and drive pretty dated...

Jeff

 

What happened to PDCC? Clearly, not an option for Macan so wondering if anyone has any info on it.

 

Your making me feel guilty owning a 911 now. Never mind I owned one when I was 35

 

I don't have any real problems getting in/out of 911. As a daily driver, I'd sometimes find myself wishing I didn't have to climb out of it, especially when parked in a tight spot and the door couldn't open too far. With adaptive sport seats, one has to lift up over those great seat bolsters. But when getting into those seats, there was the reward of sitting in them. If you have lower back issues, you'll need to try getting into and out of one a few times to see if you can do it without causing any problems. One way to avoid the problem is to get into it and stay there as long as possible!

 

Cayenne is getting a redesign......to look more like the macan. If the cayenne looks less dated, Porsche are a bunch of rookie eh.

I bought the macan turbo, the cayenne needs those tail lights burnt. Sedan driving vs. SUV driving helped too.

 

No full redesign on the Cayenne until 2018. Will get a few tweaks in 2015 along with the 911 (think '14 Panamera). Don't expect a bigger version of the Macan. They are two different vehicles and target buyers. You can see some of the cost cutting measures that they made on the Macan that wouldn't happen on the Cayenne. Think 911 vs. Cayman (although the mid engine design seems ideal)....

 

Rear leg room is disappointing. The rear hatch is no bigger than a mid size sedan. I am thinking of getting one just bc it is a cross over but the utility is about the same as a compact sedan (m3, c63) which can be used for Sunday drives. Not sure abt Macan though