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Ian.g
Posts: 1156
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2016 8:04 pm
Location: Worcestershire

Post by Ian.g »

I have a Macan SD and my wife has a Disco Sport. They are certainly very different cars, both to drive and to live with! After 3 months the Macan has had no real problems. A minor rattle that I think is coming from the centre arm rest cover and the DPF light twice that cleared with some more enthusiastic driving. The Disco Sport however is another story...
Inside it is basically fine with lots of room and a large boot. It drives fine on a motorway or a bumpy track but the body roll in the corners on a country lane is just terrible. My wife likes it and I don't mind driving it, but I wouldn't want it as my daily car. Then there is the build quality. It has never actually broken down, but in its 18 months (bought as a demonstrator with 4k miles) it has probably spent 6 weeks in the garage. Mulitple small problems ranging from wiring loom to the parking sensors (had to be replaced), rear door skin coming loose and needing replacing, coolant leaks/usage, seats sqeaking (that was really annoying), various error lights... the list goes on. It has got to the stage where we have decided that at 3 years we either need an extended warranty or it goes. The dealer is also fairly hopeless although to be fair, we have never been left without a car. Most of the service staff now know my wife by name when she walks in - not a good sign.
So in case you haven't understood what I am saying, GET THE MACAN!

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Pete
Posts: 328
Joined: Thu May 25, 2017 1:43 pm
Location: Wokingham

Post by Pete »

I've had several LR products (Freelander 2, Full-Fat Range Rover, Evoque). They're decent enough products, but as stated, they're sometimes let down by assembly and quality checking. I've also been let down by the service department of my local main dealer, which prompted me to leave them as a brand.

The Porsche is far more engaging on a driver's front and has a great interior.

In terms of looks, I'd say that the modern LR cars have great styling, which Porsche has been slow to catch up on (apart from the rear lights, the Macan doesn't really look that crisp and modern in comparison).

When you're behind the wheel, all those considerations pale into insignificance. The only consideration really is whether you can live with the lack of space in the rear and the slope of the boot-space that LR doesn't suffer from.
GuyW
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:02 pm

Post by GuyW »

You should also consider the GTS if you are a 911 fan. It drives/handles is a more sporty way.
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

The only thing I liked better on the Disco Sport was the rear space - both boot and rear legroom. The sliding 2nd row seats would have been very useful too when doing the airport run with the boot fully loaded with cases. But those are not day to day issues, so I'd rather compromise with the much better driving experience and quality of the Macan. It's just about got enough room for the kids and their entourage of luggage when going on weekend trips. My wife was a bit reluctant to opt for the Macan over the Disco S, but she's come round now after hearing about the Land Rover quality issues. From a driving perspective the Macan certainly gets me a lot more excited!

I thought very briefly about the GTS, but we do still own an actual 911 so not much point really. This is for more relaxed day to day cruising and family trips. I will probably go with air suspension and 19" wheels too for a smooth ride. I'm favouring the diesel S at the moment, but will reserve judgement until after test drives of both S models.
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Pete
Posts: 328
Joined: Thu May 25, 2017 1:43 pm
Location: Wokingham

Post by Pete »

I'm currently running my Macan on 18s with 55 profile rubbers and PASM/Air. You could go with the larger size if you really want the larger rim looks, but I've been hugely impressed by the smoothness of the ride with 18s. I also don't worry that much about kerbing them.

For relaxed family and every day cruising/commuting, the smaller rims are wonderful.
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

Pete wrote: Mon Jul 10, 2017 2:38 pm I'm currently running my Macan on 18s with 55 profile rubbers and PASM/Air. You could go with the larger size if you really want the larger rim looks, but I've been hugely impressed by the smoothness of the ride with 18s. I also don't worry that much about kerbing them.

For relaxed family and every day cruising/commuting, the smaller rims are wonderful.
Still not decided between standard 18" S and 19" turbo wheels. I expect both will be relatively comfortable, especially with air suspension. I'm not a big fan of over-sized rims for either ride, looks or risk of kerb damage. Our local roads are full of potholes and tall kerbs. I do like the look of the Turbo 19" rims, but might save £800 with the standard S wheels, which I quite like anyway. Ride quality should be awesome on air.
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Nuclear Nick
Posts: 3814
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2016 3:42 pm
Location: Bristol

Post by Nuclear Nick »

Do try to get a test drive before you decide, although finding a car with air and 18's might be difficult. Some have found air to be a little 'floaty' but don't seem to mind it while in one extreme case on here the owner was made so ill the car had to changed for one with steel springs! My Turbo PASM is set on 'sport' pretty much all the time, which seems to negate any very slight softness or floaty feeling on normal setting. The ride on 20 inch rims is fine for me, so 18s or 19s will be better still over those potholes while also reducing tyre noise on motorways.
Nick

Defender 90 V8

991.2 C2 GTS

Macan Turbo - sold

BMW K1300S, BMW R1250 GSA
CharlesElliott
Posts: 984
Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2016 9:11 pm

Post by CharlesElliott »

I test drove an SD and an S before buying a GTS. All are good cars. The SD is as you would expect from a performance diesel - loads of low down torque but a narrow rev band so you change up pretty quickly. The PDK certainly works hard.....and fuel economy is pretty good. The S has a much wider range and so fewer changes, but the fuel economy is not as good. Having driven diesels for the last 5 years I decided I'd had enough of the lazy torque for a while and wanted something that felt more like a petrol sports car.
Macan GTS: PH1UFLL8
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

Nuclear Nick wrote: Mon Jul 10, 2017 8:48 pm Do try to get a test drive before you decide, although finding a car with air and 18's might be difficult. Some have found air to be a little 'floaty' but don't seem to mind it while in one extreme case on here the owner was made so ill the car had to changed for one with steel springs! My Turbo PASM is set on 'sport' pretty much all the time, which seems to negate any very slight softness or floaty feeling on normal setting. The ride on 20 inch rims is fine for me, so 18s or 19s will be better still over those potholes while also reducing tyre noise on motorways.
Yes I will try to arrange a test drive in each, but so many permutations. Ideally I'd like to compare steel (with PASM) vs air on 18s or 19s to see if air is really an advantage with the smaller rims or perhaps a bit too floaty on 18s as you mention. I'm in no hurry, so I'll wait for the opportunity to test them. Our local roads are a great test for suspension, with lots of tight bends, medium speed corners and fast open stretches with undulations. All with random potholes thrown in along the way, some huge when the road surface starts to break up and the council can't keep up with repairs. It's a real all-round test track!
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

CharlesElliott wrote: Mon Jul 10, 2017 8:53 pm I test drove an SD and an S before buying a GTS. All are good cars. The SD is as you would expect from a performance diesel - loads of low down torque but a narrow rev band so you change up pretty quickly. The PDK certainly works hard.....and fuel economy is pretty good. The S has a much wider range and so fewer changes, but the fuel economy is not as good. Having driven diesels for the last 5 years I decided I'd had enough of the lazy torque for a while and wanted something that felt more like a petrol sports car.
I've also spent a lot of time in diesels over the last 10 years, but also always had a petrol sports car alongside. I would certainly appreciate the diesel economy in the Macan as it will cover a reasonable mileage (maybe 15K per year or more), but I'm still tempted by the petrol S with its extra power. Diesel torque is nice, but never as impressive as the paper figures suggest due to the taller gearing required to put it on the road. It gives you the impression of a really powerful petrol engine with a rev-limiter set to 3000 rpm. I've driven the Cayenne with this diesel engine a couple of years ago and I don't remember being particularly impressed with the power or torque. But it was smooth enough and relaxing to drive, which is my main goal for a car like this.
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