Here’s my review of my 2015 Macan S.



I wanted to re-post this review here for those that are thinking about crossing over from other Brands like Lexus, Acura, Audi, Infinity ect..



First I want to thank all those members that contribute to this forum and allowed me to be so informed I was more knowledgeable than some the SA’s. Your inputs have been invaluable and if I tried to name all of you I know I would be missing someone to Thank, but you know who you are and my heartfelt thanks for keeping this forum one of the best and for answering all my stupid questions so quickly. People here are the best.



The goal of my review is to really inform those Brand crossovers like myself. I’ve driven Lexus’s for the last 10 years and before that Acura’s, Nissan’s and Volkswagen. I’ve always have been a Porsche fan since childhood but never did I dream I’d be taking this step to buying one.



Ironically, Porsche NA sent me a 911 calendar earlier this year out of the blue. I have no idea how they got my address nor have I ever inquired or stepped into a Porsche showroom. I showed my wife and laughed. I told her they’re reaching for the wrong demographic. I have two kids and I don’t want to spend $100K for a car. Funny how things worked out. They must have known I was the perfect target for the Macan.



So my review is for the population I believe Porsche will yield the biggest volume. All those converts from Acura, Lexus, Lower grade BMW SUV’s, Audi and of course Hondas, Nissans and Toyotas. I want to help steer those folks with MUST HAVE options and ones that they can do without so they don’t break the bank in buying this Macan.



SUMMARY

Ok, I’ve had this car for a week and it blows me away every time I get into it. It starts with a stunning wraparound interior designed for those who like precision driving. Every control is within a half arms reach. All beautifully laid out and nothing feels cheap. The leather wrapped steering wheel, perfectly sized. The 14 way seats feel so comfortably firm but not soft. It has the right firmness to keep those long drives energized. The whole interior is nicely done with subtle appointments, like the chrome trim inset with the black standard interior. You’ll not only feel in control but everything is so pleasing to the eye.



The ride, as I mentioned before, can emulate the best Lexus drive but when you put PASM in sport mode and the AS at the lowest setting you go around corners with zero roll and you feel completely in control. The PDK shifts like nothing I’ve ever had, It’s quick and responsive and ALWAYS in the right gear. I’ve never had a car like this and you don’t have to drive crazy to experience the thrill of the car. Even short bursts makes your heart pound. Whether you’re driving slowly in heavy traffic: you hear your tuned exhaust burple or you’re hitting the onramp at 70 mph makes overall driving a complete pleasure.



And this fits my family with two kids about 10 yrs old. I know a lot of people have complained about the space but I can tell you they love driving in it every day. When I say I’m picking them up at school they ask me “In the Macan?” and I say yes they jump up and down. Never have they complained it’s too cramped and we’ve taken a few trips about 40 min long. My wife drove it today and I thought she would be lukewarm about it. She came home and exclaimed “This is my car now! Because it’s so fun to drive”. So unless you really like a lot of space inside your SUV’s this is no problem for a family of four.



Literally this is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I don’t think most people expect you to zoom off like it can. (Well actually not, most people seem to respect the Porsche badge) You can beat most people off the line except M4’s and like cars. Which brings me the real reason why I bought the car. There are a lot of idiots on the road today, whether it’s distracted driving or people that really shouldn’t be on the road. I drive a lot for my job and I get in a lot of situations where the person in front of me or around me is not driving very safe and I want to have confidence to get out of any situation or power around without the car struggling. But I need a car that can haul my family and not cost me $100K. So this was perfect. I describe myself as a precision driver and I hate inefficiency, which I see on the road all the time. This allows me to bypass those folks and leave that frustration behind me in my rear view mirror.



This car is fast and doesn’t feel fast. The day I drove it home I found myself thinking I was going 55 mph and looked down actually going 85 mph. So I had to set the speed limit warning at 75 so I know I’m way over the limit and it’s tripped many times since then. As I’m getting used to the car it is getting easier to guess my speed without looking down. Still thinking about the Passport but my wife is really against it



OPTIONS

Here’s my review of the options and what I think of them. The only regret of an option I didn’t get is the 3 zone climate control. It puts an air duct blowing direct to the rear seat passengers. After a week I realized I should have spring for that for my kids.



These are my options:

Premium Package Plus

•Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS)

•Automatically Dimming Mirrors

•ParkAssist (Front and Rear) incl. Reversing Camera

•Seat Heating (Front and Rear)

•Seat Ventilation (Front)

•Porsche Entry & Drive

•Panoramic Roof System

•Power Seats (14-way) incl. Memory Package



Ext color - White

Interior Color - Standard Interior in Black

SportDesign Side Skirts

ParkAssist (Front and Rear) with Reversing Camera

Side Blades in Exterior Color

Fuel Cap with Aluminum Look Finish

Roof Rails in Aluminum Finish incl. Roof Transport System

Air Suspension incl. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)

20" Macan SportDesign Wheels

Wheel Center Caps with Colored Porsche Crest

Lane Change Assist (LCA)

Comfort Lighting Package

Smoking Package

Power Seats (14-way) with Memory Package

Brushed Aluminum Interior Package

BOSE® Surround Sound System



Most of my options were style options which is very personal. I do like the aluminum trim because it feels very European and balances with the black interior. I painted the side blade which I don’t regret even though some members say it looks too much like a Cayenne. I also got the sports lower side trim which makes the car look lower. That was the only sports design trim that was available when I ordered. So I feel lucky because it saved me a bunch of money. Looking at the sports trim options now, they’re pretty cool but not practical. I’m glad I got the sports roof rack rail in chrome. The car has a lot of black trim and the chrome breaks it up and gives it a very classy look.



Premium Package Plus is a must. It gives you a lot for the price and saves you money. Here’s my take on the package breakdown



•Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) – Very cool. It gives perfect lighting to where you’re driving. If you’re turning, it puts more light on that turn. A MUST HAVE.

•Automatically Dimming Mirrors – I’ve not noticed this yet, but my Lexus had it. Not something I would have added

•ParkAssist (Front and Rear) incl. Reversing Camera – A MUST HAVE. Having kids and the parking sensors now that I’m used to them are essential. It keeps you from scrapping any wall that takes paint off. Also the camera for the rear prevents you from running over kids, people and toys, bikes ect…

•Seat Heating (Front and Rear) – Good option. Not necessary, but nice in this package

•Seat Ventilation (Front) - – Good option. Not necessary, but nice in this package

•Porsche Entry & Drive – I loved this in my Lexus RX330. Porsche takes it one step further by making each key fob personal to the person using it. Meaning seats and mirrors adjust to that personal setting. Also you can lock it from the outside my touching a dimple on the door handle. I love the permanent dummy key and have not had any problem with people thinking it’s an actual key wanting to then steal it.

•Panoramic Roof System – I think this is A MUST HAVE. We test drove one that didn’t have it and the cabin was very dark. This allows more light in the cabin. I know it’s an extra 200 lbs but the light in the cabin is very nice and it’s a big sun roof.

•Power Seats (14-way) incl. Memory Package – I love these seats. I don’t know how they compare to the 8 way, but the adjustments can completely be contoured to your body. I’m 165 lbs and 5”10’ so I fit really well in the seat and my head doesn’t hit the celling.



Interior Color - Standard Interior in Black –I thought this was perfectly fine from the all leather interior. Porsche has an amazing way of making standard rubber and plastic appointments look exquisite. So don’t waste your money on the all leather interior. Standard interior already feels very luxurious.



Air Suspension incl. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) – This was A MUST HAVE. I’ve written many times my wife is prone to motion sickness, so in comfort mode it drives like a Lexus. In sport mode it drives better than the standard steel suspension. My story on this was, it was a last minute add on. The SA noticed the conversation with my wife about the ride in a car with AS and he insisted I drive one without after listening to her talk. I thought he was pumping me for another option load but took his advice and took the PASM only car out. After a few minutes my wife told me to stop the car as she was getting motion sick, so I had to delicately drive the car back. I added AS immediately after that. Nothing worse than a wife not wanting to drive or ride in your car. For our family that car would have been short lived with us.



20" Macan SportDesign Wheels – I sprung for this. I figured if I’m getting my first Porsche why skimp on the wheels? I decided against the 21’ because of the unavailability of all-season tires. I know there’s a lot been written that 20’ all season’s don’t perform that well in the snow but I went ahead and took that chance. At this point I don’t plan to take it skiing but we do get some snow here in the NW, so it should help me through that



Lane Change Assist (LCA) – I didn’t realize this was OFF until today so I can’t comment on this right now except I thought it was broken, but to find in the manual it has to be switched on.



Comfort Lighting Package – I’m on the fence on this one. The comfort lighting is very dim and mild. I would have liked it to be more pronounced and maybe light the exterior of the car when I approach it with the key fob which it does not do. Some lighting in the interior is better than pitch black, but I’m still playing with this. I’m not sure if I have everything set properly.



BOSE® Surround Sound System – A MUST HAVE. If you like music. This sounds great. I haven’t heard the standard sound system, but I did hear it was bad which is why I sprung for this. It does sound great. The bass is a little too much though. I actually have to crank the subwoofer down to -1 to get it to sound right.



ESPENSIVE OPTIONS? DO I NEED THEM?

Do you really need Sport Chrono Package, PVT+? My sense is NO. The standard Porsche options and how the car is built are completely adequate. These options really are for the track. In fact I’ve never put the Sports mode on the PDK because it already shifts very aggressively. And if I need to drop a gear I can do it with my paddle shifter.



How about those self-drive options? Lane Keep Assist and PCC which is advance cruise control that has radar to help you stop. Although useful, my feeling was that I’m buying a Porsche and will really be attentive to my driving, so these options seemed like a waste of money to me.



Ceramic brakes – Really cool, but $8K for yellow brakes that probably won’t give you much added performance for city driving is expensive. I say save your money.



Sports exhaust – the standard exhaust sounds really cool compared to my Lexus. An extra $3K to get it to sound louder seems like a waste of money to me. I know there’s some performance improvement, but not for that price.



All leather – The standard interior is really nice. One of the other SA’s tried to talk me into it but after seeing the demo I decided it was a waste of money.



After market clear bras – Although expensive I think it’s worth it. Doing at a 3rd party is much cheaper but then you run the risk of them potentially damaging your paint job



ANY ISSUES?

If I had any, they must have fixed them before I took delivery. The passenger door hood gap is pretty good about 5mm and when open it seems to clear the hood panel about 3mm. The rear washer did throw up once, but hasn’t done it since. The car does to some weird things sometimes. I turned the auto engine off because I really didn’t like it. It would lag when I stepped on the gas and sometimes would seem to run rough. Maybe I try it again after the break in. I’m on the fence on the HOLD feature to prevent roll back. It always catches me by surprise. The SA’s are definitely are reading this forum as my SA did say he got all the known issues off this site and went through many of them himself.



I am a little worried that they used Audi parts in this car and they pushed the price level down to compete with some of the lower class cars. So this is a financial experiment like some of my friends have had with BMW and Audi who have not been so fortunate to survive. I’m keeping this car for a long time so the real test will be when it hits 80K in mileage. I’m not worried about the standard servicing but only about the main breakages along the way to 120K. I’m used to the Japanese brands and the quality that came with it. Hopefully the Porsche durability DNA came through on this car even though it has a lower price point.





THE BAD

Just a few very minor things. I wish the PCM would remember the mode I was last in. Usually I’m listening to my iPhone over Bluetooth. When I start the car it always has the radio on and the BT sync takes a minute or so, and it requires an extra button push to engage. Make sure you adjust the volume difference between the radio and iPhone. If not adjusted the IPhone volume is low and so when you start the car the radio is blaring.



I did get a hood open light when it was obviously latched. I had to open and close it again and then it went off. The hood does feel a little soft and I’m a little worried it might bend easily if I apply the wrong pressure in the wrong place, so be very careful with it.



Well the wait is really intolerable, even though it was two weeks early. The Porsche tracking system is not the best. Counterpoint though, I do think sometimes too much information also becomes a SA’s worst nightmare. I was really patient with my SA and only contacted him after a key milestone like entry to the shop, or when the car loaded on the boat. He was very good to always return my call and give me info that I requested. So kudos to JP Munoz and Barrier for providing me a great experience with my first Porsche, Wait times sounds like it’s only getting worse. My only consolation is that it’s well worth the wait. None of my other choices came even close to this one after I test drove it. I know they’re doing short term leases with Cayman’s as a hold over. I didn’t have any issues with car availability so I didn’t even ask.



PRICING

Whether you’re considering another model and playing at the thought of getting a Macan, one thing is for sure: Most other models right now are getting heavy discounts ($5K average) while the Macan with the current demand is discounting little if at all. Best you can do is to negotiate them throwing in some all weather Porsche mats and maybe a key chain. Only you can justify whether your budget can tolerate this price hike. Here’s some of the math. On average the Macan will be $15K more than any standard luxury car you are considering with the same loaded options, coupled with the fact you’re losing out a potential $5K discount or greater makes the Macan one of the more expensive options on your list. Here’s where I came from. 911’s currently are starting $100K and the same loaded version of the Cayenne is well in the $90K region. So the Macan did seem like a good value even with higher cost. Another point is, how many do you see on the road right now? At least for now, there’s a price to pay for that privilege.



CONCLUSION



Ultimately all the options are personal choices what can be had with your budget. The challenge I faced was decoding what these options really were and how necessary they were. I hope I gave a little insight to those that are new to Porsche.



So best wishes to those that are seeking to acquire one of these. Anyone with a family of four that enjoys driving, this is a good choice if not one of the best for the price. Cheers!