Good review, mostly fair and accurate. Thanks for documenting your thoughts and experience while driving this 2020 base model Porsche Macan. Two things I feel often gets overlooked in all of these Macan reviews, which are: 1. Who is the car for? 2. What is its purpose? Porsche had two goals with the base Macan: 1.Capitalize on the fastest, growing vehicle category, SUVs. 2. Create an even more affordable entry into the Porsche family. This car is not designed to out run, out drive, out shine the BMW X3, or any other car. It's one goal is to make you a Porsche owner. To get a Porsche in your driveway, and give you a "sample" of what’s possible in your driving experience should you move up to higher powered Macan models, and of course better yet, a Cayenne, Panorama, Taycan, 718, 911, etc.. And guess what happened… It worked! 81% of base model Macan buyers are first time Porsche owners, especially since on the used market you can get some pretty good deals on Certified (CPO). Last year alone (2023) Since it’s debut in 2014, the MACAN, is Porsche’s best selling vehicle. In 2023 Porsche sold 75,000 vehicles in the US, 27,000 of those were Macans. That’s 36% new buyers who never owned a Porsche before and almost three times as many 911s (11,692) that were sold last year. BTW I’m not in the auto industry, you can read the article for yourself here (newsroom.porsche.com/en_US/2024/company/porsche-reports-US-retail-sales-for-2023.html#:~:text=The%20Macan%20set%20a%20new,of%20PCNA%20sales%20in%202023 ). So what’s my point you may be asking. I think when we change the perspective and review this Macan SUV from the eyes of a person whose never owned a Porsche before, as well what it was built for, these SUVs, even the base 4cy model, is a pretty amazing Porsche to own when you give it some spirited gas pedal. It’s not supposed to “throttle, accelerate, and growl” like a 911, or any other vehicle. It’s an unfair /unrealistic expectation. You buy it for one reason only, you want to own a Porsche, at a price you can afford and live with. That being said, hands down there are three things you must get to completely maximize your driving experience with any of the Macan models: 1. Sport PLUS (Faster acceleration, especially 0-60!, Also includes Launch Mode) 2. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) 3. Bose Speaker system I own a 2018 Macan Sports Edition (one time model for FY18 with many of the desired upgrades in one package) 71k miles, that I bought last year for $30k all in with 3 year CPO warranty. Also FYI, CPO Porsches are one of the few that I know of that can also be “Leased”. Almost all "used" cars have to be “bought.” I upgraded from a fully loaded 2019 Jeep Compass 2.4 liter, 180 HP (non turbo), Currently I get 22 mpg City in Eco (auto off) mode, 19 mpg in Sport Plus, and 27 mpg Hwy (21in wheels btw), and I couldn’t be happier with my base Macan Sport Edition!
Thank you very much for such detailed response. Really appreciate your feedback as well. Let me explain how I see Porsche as a brand and Macan in particular. Before getting BMW X3 M40i my wife and I considered Porsche Macan base and even S as we wanted to get into the Porsche family, exactly like you stated and like many folks are getting into Porsche brand. I was looking at lease options and obviously was curious about driving experience. In my mind Base Macan was a car that would handle well, have great engine sound for the 4 cylinder, I knew it was not as spacious, but I was ready to sacrifice space for performance. Realty vs Expectation: As far as lease on the Base Macan it was far more in terms of monthly payment compare to higher priced BMW X3 M40i which was a 6 cylinder version. In terms of driving dynamics what disappointed me the most in Macan is that it was not exciting unless I pushed it harder through the corners to enjoy it's suspension and very fast crispy shifts. But when you drive it normally in the city and highway it drives just like our VW or Audi. In fact after spending a day with Macan Base my wife started calling our 2nd car VW CC - Porsche as they drive very identical when you simply commute without doing anything exciting. As much as I wanted to give full credit to Porsche Macan Base and get into the Porsche family I could not accept such mild performance from Porsche. Yes I can get Macan S with Chrono package but MSRP will go through the roof, I might better look into Cayenne instead. Also Porsche's service costs is another art in it's own. Ans fuel efficiency of Macan 4 cylinder is not better than X3 M40i's 6 cylinder. I understand after all that for many folks brand perception is more important and they would still consider Macan Base over BMW, that is fine. I was just not very impressed with it's performance. I do like Porsche as a brand and recently drove 911 which completely blown me away (videos are on the channel) I do have experience with Panamera Turbo S (before I started RUclips channel) really fantastic car, BMW doesn't have any answer to that. I will bring more Porsche vehicles on the channel.
@@100miledrive Thank you for providing the insights to your decision-making and your review. I totally understand your perspective in regards to the performance of the Macan, which is why I said it was a requirement for one to have “Sport Plus” to truly enjoy the vehicle as a Porsche and not just another SUV. The performance response is significantly different than when you’re driving in traditional or even Sport mode. Also having the active suspension system really allows you to drive it like a Porsche and not like an Audi. I think we’re both saying the same thing, though, which is perspective is everything. Like yourself, I looked at a variety of vehicles, and have owned several BMWs, both SUVs and coupes. My favorite was my 2015 X5M which had a 0-60 in 3.8 seconds ()on the stock engine. It truly was a pleasure to drive with almost 600 hp under the hood. But as an empty nester these days, I don’t have the need for that kind of space, not to mention I have no desire to purchase another $120,000 SUV brand new that I’ve never owned the previous model for. The Macan won’t be my forever vehicle as I will probably upgrade to different Porsche at some point but today I’m super happy with my purchase. In regards to leasing, that’s a whole another animal as every car has a depreciation schedule that sometimes makes sense and sometimes doesn’t. Although the principal of leasing is the same for every vehicle, which is you only pay for the depreciation of the time that you’re driving it, but the science of why one vehicle depreciates more than another has a lot more complicated variables. The good news is for Porsche, with Macan being It’s highest selling vehicle for multiple years, there will be many Macans on the market, and that ultimately will infuse cash into the company through a growing customer base to help them make better products. In the end, we all win as competition breeds competition, which ultimately breeds better vehicles. 🥂
I stumbled on to your channel given the few suv's I have or had that you mentioned on your channel - many X3's, Rx350 and Macan. Your videos are great, down to earth, very insightful and thorough. Among the best I've seen for the depth and insight into the areas I value in making a decision to buy a car/suv for the long run. In my experience and you can verify this on all the forums is that there is a "serious" trade off that matters enough for many that applies to both the X3 models and the Macan. The X3 is the suspension and ride quality - only the base X3 offers the quality ride that any model Macan offers. Not as well publicized for the Macan as you need to live with it for a while, to notice how poor the throttle response in day to day driving is. There is a lag in all modes, but esp. comfort that prevents you from confidently going in and out of traffic, or crossing. This may actually be less for the base model but it's there. Most Macan owners complain and buy a Pedal Commander or similar to fix it. I'm more of a X3 guy but after a couple of X3M's and debating down model to an M40i, I didn't see enough improvement in ride quality so I got talked into a 2021 Macan Turbo with air suspension. It still had a lag, and I really didn't like it. I got the Pedal Commander but there should be no reason for it, Porsche should have gotten it right from the factory. In fact a 2021 base X3 was more fun to drive around town due the very responsive throttle response. Tbc, I gotta run for now. I'm very happy I found your channel.
Thanks a lot for stopping buy and proving such an insightful comment. Also appreciate your feedback on my content. I am generally curious about cars, so decided to start a channel and share what I think and feel about cars. As for the Base Macan I honestly expected a lot more from Porsche, I didn't notice a huge lag in throttle response, maybe because I didn't drive too much in traffic or basically didn't spend long enough time to notice it, but it is true that base X3 feels more engaging and better car all around. I do hear though that I need to try out higher trims of Macan, so I want to get at some point Macan S and really compare it to X3 M40i that I have. In Porsche I like how they give you an option of Air suspension, I think this is what X3 M40i should have as an option. So I am hoping with Macan S I will feel more responsiveness, better engine sound while still offering very compliant ride quality. Also never heard about Pedal Commander. I will keep this in mind when trying another Macan to see if I really experience any delays in throttle response. Maybe the car I had already had Pedal Commander installed, not sure. Anyway I do want to drive more Porsche products, so let's see.
While I do agree with this, however I would love to see the reliability of a car being in the rental fleet as it will show how truly reliable the car is by putting it under the stress. Overall Porsche's are reliable but if anything goes wrong, even minor things dealer costs are absolutely insane.
@@100miledrive I was about to buy it & have one question regarding the performance & the tech as you mentioned, what do you think about the 2021 or 2022 BMW 330i xdrive with the M sport Package ?? Is it more enjoyable ??
@@Boyprince911 BMW 3 series is a firmer car but it is quite agile with very quick steering and superior handling. I actually have a video on the channel on 330i. I personally liked it, but currently more into crossovers.
I think that’s a myth…most people who rent cars “don’t beat the hell out of them, because it’s not mine”…..they just need temporary transportation to get them to point B.
Hmm.. Not necessarily. Our VW CC has 90K plus miles on it and it feels about the same. But I don't say it can't happen. I will hopefully get Macan S soon and a newer model, will check there as well. Thanks for stopping by
Stack up against a BMW X3? An x3 is like comparing a civic to a Lamborghini. They may be somewhat similar in size, so is a fucking crv. I can't watch this vid because of that statement.
I would strongly disagree with you. In fact I was quite disappointed on how this Base Macan drives, it's boring with a funny engine sound. And these are the 2 cars that are most often compared: BMW X3 30i to Base Macan and Macan S to X3 M40i, just like how X5 is compared to Cayenne. And yes Honda CRV is in a different class. Thanks for stopping by
Thanks for suggestion. I will bring Macan S first and then will get to GTS. I do want to explore Porsche more including 911. So it will all be coming on the channel.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Good review, mostly fair and accurate. Thanks for documenting your thoughts and experience while driving this 2020 base model Porsche Macan.
Two things I feel often gets overlooked in all of these Macan reviews, which are:
1. Who is the car for?
2. What is its purpose?
Porsche had two goals with the base Macan:
1.Capitalize on the fastest, growing vehicle category, SUVs.
2. Create an even more affordable entry into the Porsche family.
This car is not designed to out run, out drive, out shine the BMW X3, or any other car. It's one goal is to make you a Porsche owner. To get a Porsche in your driveway, and give you a "sample" of what’s possible in your driving experience should you move up to higher powered Macan models, and of course better yet, a Cayenne, Panorama, Taycan, 718, 911, etc.. And guess what happened… It worked! 81% of base model Macan buyers are first time Porsche owners, especially since on the used market you can get some pretty good deals on Certified (CPO). Last year alone (2023)
Since it’s debut in 2014, the MACAN, is Porsche’s best selling vehicle. In 2023 Porsche sold 75,000 vehicles in the US, 27,000 of those were Macans. That’s 36% new buyers who never owned a Porsche before and almost three times as many 911s (11,692) that were sold last year. BTW I’m not in the auto industry, you can read the article for yourself here (newsroom.porsche.com/en_US/2024/company/porsche-reports-US-retail-sales-for-2023.html#:~:text=The%20Macan%20set%20a%20new,of%20PCNA%20sales%20in%202023 ).
So what’s my point you may be asking. I think when we change the perspective and review this Macan SUV from the eyes of a person whose never owned a Porsche before, as well what it was built for, these SUVs, even the base 4cy model, is a pretty amazing Porsche to own when you give it some spirited gas pedal. It’s not supposed to “throttle, accelerate, and growl” like a 911, or any other vehicle. It’s an unfair /unrealistic expectation. You buy it for one reason only, you want to own a Porsche, at a price you can afford and live with.
That being said, hands down there are three things you must get to completely maximize your driving experience with any of the Macan models:
1. Sport PLUS (Faster acceleration, especially 0-60!, Also includes Launch Mode)
2. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)
3. Bose Speaker system
I own a 2018 Macan Sports Edition (one time model for FY18 with many of the desired upgrades in one package) 71k miles, that I bought last year for $30k all in with 3 year CPO warranty. Also FYI, CPO Porsches are one of the few that I know of that can also be “Leased”. Almost all "used" cars have to be “bought.” I upgraded from a fully loaded 2019 Jeep Compass 2.4 liter, 180 HP (non turbo), Currently I get 22 mpg City in Eco (auto off) mode, 19 mpg in Sport Plus, and 27 mpg Hwy (21in wheels btw), and I couldn’t be happier with my base Macan Sport Edition!
Thank you very much for such detailed response. Really appreciate your feedback as well. Let me explain how I see Porsche as a brand and Macan in particular.
Before getting BMW X3 M40i my wife and I considered Porsche Macan base and even S as we wanted to get into the Porsche family, exactly like you stated and like many folks are getting into Porsche brand. I was looking at lease options and obviously was curious about driving experience. In my mind Base Macan was a car that would handle well, have great engine sound for the 4 cylinder, I knew it was not as spacious, but I was ready to sacrifice space for performance.
Realty vs Expectation:
As far as lease on the Base Macan it was far more in terms of monthly payment compare to higher priced BMW X3 M40i which was a 6 cylinder version.
In terms of driving dynamics what disappointed me the most in Macan is that it was not exciting unless I pushed it harder through the corners to enjoy it's suspension and very fast crispy shifts. But when you drive it normally in the city and highway it drives just like our VW or Audi. In fact after spending a day with Macan Base my wife started calling our 2nd car VW CC - Porsche as they drive very identical when you simply commute without doing anything exciting.
As much as I wanted to give full credit to Porsche Macan Base and get into the Porsche family I could not accept such mild performance from Porsche. Yes I can get Macan S with Chrono package but MSRP will go through the roof, I might better look into Cayenne instead. Also Porsche's service costs is another art in it's own. Ans fuel efficiency of Macan 4 cylinder is not better than X3 M40i's 6 cylinder.
I understand after all that for many folks brand perception is more important and they would still consider Macan Base over BMW, that is fine. I was just not very impressed with it's performance. I do like Porsche as a brand and recently drove 911 which completely blown me away (videos are on the channel) I do have experience with Panamera Turbo S (before I started RUclips channel) really fantastic car, BMW doesn't have any answer to that. I will bring more Porsche vehicles on the channel.
@@100miledrive Thank you for providing the insights to your decision-making and your review. I totally understand your perspective in regards to the performance of the Macan, which is why I said it was a requirement for one to have “Sport Plus” to truly enjoy the vehicle as a Porsche and not just another SUV. The performance response is significantly different than when you’re driving in traditional or even Sport mode. Also having the active suspension system really allows you to drive it like a Porsche and not like an Audi. I think we’re both saying the same thing, though, which is perspective is everything.
Like yourself, I looked at a variety of vehicles, and have owned several BMWs, both SUVs and coupes. My favorite was my 2015 X5M which had a 0-60 in 3.8 seconds ()on the stock engine. It truly was a pleasure to drive with almost 600 hp under the hood. But as an empty nester these days, I don’t have the need for that kind of space, not to mention I have no desire to purchase another $120,000 SUV brand new that I’ve never owned the previous model for. The Macan won’t be my forever vehicle as I will probably upgrade to different Porsche at some point but today I’m super happy with my purchase.
In regards to leasing, that’s a whole another animal as every car has a depreciation schedule that sometimes makes sense and sometimes doesn’t. Although the principal of leasing is the same for every vehicle, which is you only pay for the depreciation of the time that you’re driving it, but the science of why one vehicle depreciates more than another has a lot more complicated variables.
The good news is for Porsche, with Macan being It’s highest selling vehicle for multiple years, there will be many Macans on the market, and that ultimately will infuse cash into the company through a growing customer base to help them make better products. In the end, we all win as competition breeds competition, which ultimately breeds better vehicles. 🥂
I stumbled on to your channel given the few suv's I have or had that you mentioned on your channel - many X3's, Rx350 and Macan. Your videos are great, down to earth, very insightful and thorough. Among the best I've seen for the depth and insight into the areas I value in making a decision to buy a car/suv for the long run.
In my experience and you can verify this on all the forums is that there is a "serious" trade off that matters enough for many that applies to both the X3 models and the Macan. The X3 is the suspension and ride quality - only the base X3 offers the quality ride that any model Macan offers.
Not as well publicized for the Macan as you need to live with it for a while, to notice how poor the throttle response in day to day driving is. There is a lag in all modes, but esp. comfort that prevents you from confidently going in and out of traffic, or crossing. This may actually be less for the base model but it's there. Most Macan owners complain and buy a Pedal Commander or similar to fix it.
I'm more of a X3 guy but after a couple of X3M's and debating down model to an M40i, I didn't see enough improvement in ride quality so I got talked into a 2021 Macan Turbo with air suspension. It still had a lag, and I really didn't like it. I got the Pedal Commander but there should be no reason for it, Porsche should have gotten it right from the factory. In fact a 2021 base X3 was more fun to drive around town due the very responsive throttle response. Tbc, I gotta run for now. I'm very happy I found your channel.
Thanks a lot for stopping buy and proving such an insightful comment. Also appreciate your feedback on my content. I am generally curious about cars, so decided to start a channel and share what I think and feel about cars.
As for the Base Macan I honestly expected a lot more from Porsche, I didn't notice a huge lag in throttle response, maybe because I didn't drive too much in traffic or basically didn't spend long enough time to notice it, but it is true that base X3 feels more engaging and better car all around. I do hear though that I need to try out higher trims of Macan, so I want to get at some point Macan S and really compare it to X3 M40i that I have. In Porsche I like how they give you an option of Air suspension, I think this is what X3 M40i should have as an option. So I am hoping with Macan S I will feel more responsiveness, better engine sound while still offering very compliant ride quality. Also never heard about Pedal Commander. I will keep this in mind when trying another Macan to see if I really experience any delays in throttle response. Maybe the car I had already had Pedal Commander installed, not sure. Anyway I do want to drive more Porsche products, so let's see.
Very nice review! Thank you 🙏🏼
Thanks for your comment. In few weeks more Porsche cars will be on the channel
There's a big difference between a typical used car, and a used car that has been with a rental car fleet for 36k miles.
While I do agree with this, however I would love to see the reliability of a car being in the rental fleet as it will show how truly reliable the car is by putting it under the stress. Overall Porsche's are reliable but if anything goes wrong, even minor things dealer costs are absolutely insane.
@@100miledrive I was about to buy it & have one question regarding the performance & the tech as you mentioned, what do you think about the 2021 or 2022 BMW 330i xdrive with the M sport Package ?? Is it more enjoyable ??
@@Boyprince911 BMW 3 series is a firmer car but it is quite agile with very quick steering and superior handling. I actually have a video on the channel on 330i. I personally liked it, but currently more into crossovers.
I think that’s a myth…most people who rent cars “don’t beat the hell out of them, because it’s not mine”…..they just need temporary transportation to get them to point B.
Well done Sir. I agree 💯, with all you said.
thanks for the feedback. Hoping to bring more Porsches on the channel.
May I ask what price did you buy it for and when?
I rented this car for a day for review
You say the steering wheel is slippery. At 36,000 miles, any steering wheel is going to be slippery from the oils from your hands.
Hmm.. Not necessarily. Our VW CC has 90K plus miles on it and it feels about the same. But I don't say it can't happen. I will hopefully get Macan S soon and a newer model, will check there as well. Thanks for stopping by
The oil film will come off by using a magic sponge with some mild cleaner.
Stack up against a BMW X3?
An x3 is like comparing a civic to a Lamborghini.
They may be somewhat similar in size, so is a fucking crv.
I can't watch this vid because of that statement.
I would strongly disagree with you. In fact I was quite disappointed on how this Base Macan drives, it's boring with a funny engine sound. And these are the 2 cars that are most often compared: BMW X3 30i to Base Macan and Macan S to X3 M40i, just like how X5 is compared to Cayenne. And yes Honda CRV is in a different class. Thanks for stopping by
A Turbo 4 is NOT a Porsche. The Macan S and GTS are the only models to get.
Love to see you do a review of a GTS!
Yes, this car was like a teaser into Porsche family. It left me wondering and wanting to explore higher trims.
Thanks for suggestion. I will bring Macan S first and then will get to GTS. I do want to explore Porsche more including 911. So it will all be coming on the channel.
@@100miledrive You're videos are great. Maybe upgrade to a 4K camera soon? That would take your videos to another level :)
@@planetfabulous5833 Thank you for the suggestion. Will do this.