Gen 3 Macan S 6 weeks in……

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Deleted User 4752

Post by Deleted User 4752 »

Back for one night only….

Brew yourself a cuppa first, this is a long read.

As I am now a month and a half, and about 1100 miles into my Porsche Macan S (Gen 3) ownership I thought I’d give a bit of an update on the pros and cons of the various options and any opinions of mine that have changed since I specced it. Overall it’s a very nice car, but to be clear it is absolutely NOT a sports car no matter what the badge on the front, or the version on the back. In S guise It is a barnstormingly quick and immensely comfortable long-distance cruiser.

So lets look at some standard items and some of the options you may all be considering.

Colour: I chose Volcano Grey and I haven’t been disappointed. It’s a very dark and very metal flake grey that looks expensive. Yes, its not going to shout “look at me!” in the same way some of the other colours do but it looks classy and expensive which, based on my earlier comments about this car being a cruiser rather than a sportscar, I think is very fitting. If I were buying a sports Porsche I would probably pick a different colour, but Volcano grey looks great on the Macan. There is one very small area just in front of the passenger’s side wing mirror that actually has the top coat missing, which is a bit crap. Its only about 5mm square and I am reluctant to bring it to Porsche’s attention because I suspect it would require significant parts to be re-sprayed and I don’t want my new car taken to pieces. I suspect nobody else will ever notice it but it is making my OCD twitch a little. Generally the paint seems very thick and well applied. It looks great freshly waxed.

Wheels: I have the standard S 20” wheels and I think they look fantastic. For standard fit wheels they look really expensive. And for those that have mentioned previously about how difficult some of the wheels are to clean, you can practically get your head between the spokes on these bad boys (I do not recommending you do though). I have also nerfed the curb twice already (have I mentioned this is still a fairly sizable SUV ? ) and having the 20’s rather than 21’s has probably saved me from the embarrassment of curbing brand new wheels. Interestingly even the tyres didn’t get marked. The 21’s do look nice and I’d always recommend you get the ones you like best, but I am completely happy with the 20’s. I will say there is a surprisingly large gap between the wheels and the wheel arches, but wheel size won’t change that. The wheel and tyre combo is the same overall size, whichever you get. Air suspension is the only thing that will change the gap (more on that pretty much straight away)

Suspension: The jury is still out on this one. The S comes as standard with PASM but I can feel hardly any difference between the 3 settings in normal driving. I assume if you are a bit of a knob and think throwing a 2 tonne SUV around country lanes at the insane speeds its capable of reaching is a good idea then the difference may become more apparent. But in normal driving the difference is very difficult to determine. On Steel with PASM the ride is very smooth, especially on long motorway journeys and is pretty good on standard A and B roads. Because the car is bolted together pretty well (more on that and panel gaps later) its generally very quiet with no rattles and the ride is compliant but you can still feel bumps, holes and undulations in the road. Would air have improved this? I don’t know TBH. A number of reviews I have read would suggest not and that air generally makes the ride a bit firmer. I am not really one for the Range Rover “floaty” feeling but if you want pure luxury then maybe the air suspension would be a good option. Also the ability to lower the ride-height would help aesthetically, although I’m not sure how much 1cm is really noticeable in the real world. So I don’t think I’d spec if I went through the process again but I can see why others would.

One more interesting thing about the suspension, and I don’t know if the is correct or not, but on the front wheels you can very much see all the PASM gubbins. The rear suspension just looks like standard coil-overs, so I am not 100% sure if the PASM is only on the front suspension. Clearly air isn’t because you can lower the whole car, so that’s definitely both ends.

Headlights: The S comes with PDLS as standard and PDLS+ as an option. The only difference is auto-dip (which never works properly anyway) and it automatically makes the beams wider when you approach junctions (PDLS also does this when you turn the steering wheel, so its not a massive difference). And here’s the thing; the headlights are utter crap. They look great and they look bright, from outside the car, but inside the light they cast is very weak and very short range. My previous mini (with LED lights) was many levels of magnitude better. If you go out on a very damp night you may as well just turn them off. Anyone that thinks the Macan has good headlights has never driven a car that actually does have good headlights. Full beam is “ok” but gives a strangely tunnelled effect, dip beam is utter garbage. Unfortunately there is no way to “option” out of this. The headlights are what they are, an what they are is crap.

Interior lighting: Also crap. You have very basic, and very dim lighting in the door bins at the front and that’s it! You don’t even get front or rear footwell lights. You can adjust the lighting brightness, but only a little. You can also set the interior “horse shoe” light above the centre console so that it acts as ambient lighting (and can adjust its brightness) but its just distracting so you wont want that turned on. The other thing I find irritating is the analogue clock seems to use different type of lighting and is a different colour temperature and different brightness to all the other dashboard instruments, so it looks out of place in the dark. It also reflects in the windscreen. There are NO other interior lighting options. From this aspect it feels like a car from the 70’s.

Steering Wheel: I ordered the heated GT steering wheel. When I first saw it in the car I was disappointed, not because there were any issues with with its design but because it looks like a toy steering wheel in such a big car. I have since decided I was wrong and it looks great. There were some comments on the Macan forum that the smaller wheel obscured the dials. I certainly haven’t found that to be an issue, maybe because I have tiny little baby hands. So I now think it looks great and it’s a really nice thickness. The sport steering wheel on my previous car was a little too thick and after a while made my hands ache. Not at all with this one. Not so sold on the heating though. It works very well but I’m just not so sure I like having hot sweaty hands when I’m driving. Its ok to turn on for a few mins then turn it off though. Nice but definitely not a deal breaker. The standard wheel looks good too, so if you want to save a bit of cash you could probably drop the heated GT wheel and go with standard, although I’m happy I optioned it.

Sports Chrono: This is kind of another one of those “depends how you drive” things. The little boost button is excellent for overtaking. A little dab and you’re in a rocket ship again, blasting past the constant 40mph brigade. Can’t say as I have used Sport+ a lot yet as it holds very high revs and the car is a tad thirsty as it is ( although got an average 30mpg on a 250 mile round trip ). The individual setting is a bit pointless. It just lets you set the performance and suspension settings automatically rather than having to manually set them. There are only a handful of combinations you can choose from.
Then there is launch control. Lets be honest this is another complete knob option. How many of us will use it to burn-off a golf GTi at the traffic lights? I have used it ( the engine must be warm else it doesn’t work btw ) and its frikkin awesome. I was on a slight incline when I used it the first time and my eyeballs bounced off the back of my head. It felt much like the first time I floored a Tesla Model 3 performance, but with a lot more theatre. It is both utterly fantastic, and utterly pointless, other than to brag about to your friends. In real world driving you will never use it. “But I’ll use it on the race track”, I hear you yell. No you wont. Get real, you’re not going to be taking your Macan on a track. There are pages of discussion on ceramic coatings and the best polishes to use on the forum, so you’re not going to risk sticking in a wall or having some yob in a Focus ST wipe you out on a hairpin. Of you want to go on a track, buy a sports car, not a ballistic bus. So launch control is fun, but pointless and sport chrono is pretty much the same. Would I spec it again? Definitely. Go figure…..

Heated Windscreen: Absolutely essential. Aside from from the obvious use of defrosting the very large, very high screen it also does an excellent job of de-misting. As others have pointed-out the windows tend to steam up like an old cortina. Having the heated screen de-mists the windscreen pretty much instantly, so you really need it. It looks cool too because it add a bronze effect to the screen from the outside. It doesn’t work as well as the screens with the wires in, but it’s a lot better than just relying on the air vents and doesn’t make your OCD go into overdrive l9ke the embedded wires do. Definitely get this, especially as, in the grand scheme of things, its not a big cost.

ACC: Absolutely fantastic. So much better than the camera activated ACC on my previous car. Very smooth and accurate. As other people have stated it works surprisingly well in traffic. The car will come to a halt and then drive off again ( down to 1mph ). Below 1mph it will stop but you can move off again just by dabbing the loud-pedal and it will automatically go back into ACC. You don’t need to press the ACC lever to reactivate it. So in any traffic situation its brilliant. There is one extremely annoying caveat. The Porsche SE claimed not to know this but, if you spec ACC it removes the standard fit speed limiter. It is not possible to have both ACC and the speed limiter, which is insane. I used the speed limiter all the time on my previous car to keep to limits around all the little villages around where I live that have speed cameras. You could drive the car normally but never exceed the limit. However, the ACC works so well and the car corners so well at speed that it almost makes up for not having the speed limiter….almost. You have to drive it differently to compensate i.e. use ACC, break when needed, then re-instate the ACC. Not ideal but it works. “Drive it yourself” I hear you yell, but trust me, keeping this thing to 30mph is quite difficult. It feels so slow at 30mph and the speed can easily creep up on you.
I have had issues with ACC where it thinks a car in the filter lane is a road block and gets a tad enthusiastic with the brakes but its nothing pressing the loud pedal doesn’t overcome. It slows but doesn’t jump on the anchors.

PCM: Not great. Looks cool, not so good in use. The font is quite classy but very small so not always easy to see stuff, especially when trying to drive and navigate the system at the same time. The app connects one time in 10. Apple car play is a bit crap too, but that’s not down to Porsche its down to apple.

Stereo: Utter crap. I was wrong on this. I don’t know if the BOSE is much better but it should be your minimum entry point. It comes with a couple more speakers and a sub in the boot, and perhaps most importantly a “surround’ option, although PCM adjustment is still just Bass and Tone even with BOSE. The base stereo has absolutely no sound stage. With a decent car stereo the sound comes from around you. In the Macan you are very aware the sound is coming out of the speakers, and its very muddy. Radio sound appears mono, even on DAB. There is a particular radio ad where they specifically says how the sound is coming from the left speaker the then the right. On the Macan it makes no difference. It just comes out the middle somewhere. Its noticeably better from a memory stick but still not great. I think we just have to accept that unless we’re prepared to spend thousands on the Axminster stereo, or whatever its really called, we are going to have to put up with crap sound. TBH, if you’re spending this much on a car you should probably find the extra to get the Axminster stereo. If you spend a lot of time in the car then the sound quality of the stereo should really match the general quality of the car. Or you Just turn the stereo off and listen to the glorious engine instead.

Extended Leather: This is another essential one for me. The standard interior isn’t bad, but draping dead cow parts all over the place makes for a much more opulent experience, especially if you chose the black and pebble interior. I went for the full Darth Vader black on black and I do have one gripe. The stitching is dark grey. You can get different colours but only if you have more money than sense. Why didn’t Porsche just make the stitching a contrasting colour as standard, like every other manufacturer. That minor gripe aside I strongly recommend extended leather.

14 Way Seats: ok, I know this one is contentious so let me be clear that this is based on my preference. The 14 way comfort seats are extremely comfortable……extremely! For long distance cruising, which is where this car excels, its like sitting in a very rapid arm chair. Its also possible to make it over the bolsters without a crane. They are a bit lacking if you do try pulling 5G in the corners. In such circumstances you’re likely to get quite chummy with the front seat passenger, or the window. I’ll refer you back to my comments about this not being a sports car. Don’t ruin it by pretending it is and putting uncomfortably sport seats in it. 14 way comfort seats are simply fantastic.

Pano Roof: I wouldn’t have a car without one, especially one that is stuffed full of dead cow dyed black. It makes a much nicer environment for those wedged in the back. I really like the electric blind too. I haven’t had much of a chance to try driving with the roof open, what with it never bloody stopping raining and all. I did manage try it once though and its quite a large hole on the roof. Looking forward to trying it properly in the summer.

Surround camera and parking sensors: There has been a lot of reports of the parking sensors being a tad over sensitive, and I will admit I found this to be the case on the pre-facelift model I test drove. I definitely haven’t found this to be the case with this car. They work really well. The surround camera is just OK., although Its pretty much essential for parking in tight spaces. As I mentioned before this is a pretty big car and can be quite unwieldy. The surround camera is essential for reversing it in parking spaces, but must not be relied on. Because the camera’s are quite low a lot of things like window level branches don’t show up on the screen and you can end up reversing your car into them. I actually nerfed a bench which showed up on the rear camera but not the surround camera ( I had it on surround only )! The front and rear cameras are pretty low quality so the images aren’t great. So overall a flawed system but an essential requirement. It doesn’t work great, but is an essential requirement in my opinion.

Folding wing mirrors with Puddle lights: In another dose of Porsche stupidity the puddle lights are on the wing mirrors and only work when they are folded out. Unlike other cars that unfold the mirrors when you unlock the car the Macan only unfolds them then you put the ignition on. So if you want the mirrors to fold in automatically then you don’t get puddle lights. Bit bloody stupid that.

Panel Gaps: Yep, got those. There are quite a few reports of the bonnet gaps not being consistent and mine definitely suffers from that. Being a dark colour its not as obvious on mine as it seems to be on lighter cars, but the gap is quite noticeable. However, the bigger issue for me is that the door doesn’t line up. On the passenger side the window trim lines up perfectly. On the drivers side the window trim is out of alignment by about 3mm between the back of the drivers door and the front of the rear door, then again at the back of the rear door. My suspicion is the rear drivers side door is slightly dropped. Not terminal but a bit crap on a £65k car.
Incidentally I also noticed 2 stone chips in the rear window after I got home on the the first day and washed the car. Annoying I did notice it in the dealership. Just one of those things, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only person that will notice it.

Exhaust: I don’t have the PSE, and have the standard exhaust tips. The standard exhaust tips looks really good, I certainly wouldn’t suggest spending a fortune on black or chrome tips. I genuinely think if they came as standard with chrome tips and the brushed steel ones were an optional extra people would pay extra for them.
The standard exhaust sounds really good too. It burbles and pops but sounds classy. The PSE actually makes the V6 sound like a farty 4 cylinder to me. Plus the car is so well sound insulated that the only people that will hear the exhaust will be outside the car anyway. I listen to the yobs ruining the silence of the countryside where I live with their loud exhaust and I am glad I am no longer one of them ( my last car had an insanely loud exhaust). In the car you can mainly hear engine noise, not exhaust.

Its worth mentioning that its really only got 3 ½ exhaust pipes. Don’t know if anyone has noticed but the inboard exhaust on the left has a really tiny bore, almost like it has some kind of restrictor in it. Not sure what that’s all about.

Heated rear seats: I sit in the front, but my family love me even more for optioning these. As mentioned before there’s an awful lot of dead cow in this car, and it needs to be nice and toasty for your passengers buns.

Delivery Experience: was excellent. When I arrived with my son we were offered refreshments and my new car was covered in what I like to think was a silk cloth, with a plaque behind it with my name on. We finished some paperwork and then was given the little goody bag that had 2 porsche baseball caps, a litre of oil (!?) and the presentation box with the car keys, photo frame, Porsche business card holder and picture frame. There was also a thank you card from the SE. They then did the big reveal and the went around the car and ran through all the controls with me. They drove the car outside and took a photo of my son and I by the car which they then printed out and put in the frame. Whilst we were waiting the dealer principle came over to talk to us about how fantastic thought the car looked. For reference the car came with a full tank of petrol. I then had a call a week later to see how I was getting on and an invite to the settings masterclass, a much more in-depth Q&A session to go through all the controls.

Driving Experience: I’ve covered most of these points already but wanted to do a summary. The Macan is a big and heavy SUV. You notice this when trying to park it in a small space or when driving through tight gaps. It is, however, blisteringly fast, very quiet, very comfortable and very smooth. In the S guise with 14 way comfort seats it is extremely comfortable and a great long distance cruiser. The longest single journey I’ve done in it so far is 250 miles and I got out feeling as fresh as when I got in. The design is definitely starting to show its age and a lot of the optional extras really should be standard features. But, and it’s a big but, it’s definitely got personality, its undeniably fast, its very well bolted together and really nice to drive. Elements of this car will disappoint, but as an entire package its really rather good. After 4 years of ownership I never really bonded with my last car, but this already feel much more like its “my car”, if that makes sense. For those thinking of buying one, if you can stand the wait and the appalling communication from Porsche, you’ll be pleased you did.

PorscheMack
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Post by PorscheMack »

Should've got the GTS.. 😊
Macan GTS (Gen 3) (Mar 24-???)
http://www.porsche-code.com/PRKIVM50
Macan GTS (Gen 3) (Mar 22-Nov 23)
http://www.porsche-code.com/PNIECDM4
Paul1970
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Post by Paul1970 »

No longer a Macan owner but really enjoyed reading this.

My experience with ACC so far on the motorway is that you need to recognise it’s limitations and adjust yourself accordingly. Otherwise it leads to some sudden heavy braking in certain circumstances. I also don’t think I have the balls to use it in traffic and assume it’s going to stop. In fact, I keep getting warnings that visibility is restricted which makes me even less prepared to rely on it.

Re the heated front windscreen, I used it the other day for the first time and was very impressed. I can’t see any indication of it’s existence but 2 mins after switching on it had defrosted a heavily frozen screen. However, the side windows remained frozen and I couldn’t actually open them so I couldn’t actually go anywhere anyway. I do find it odd that it works off the same button as the heated rear window.

I specced a heated alcantara steering wheel. However, on the coldest day so far the alcantara has been perfectly fine without any heating required. However, I’ve put it on anyway to get my money’s worth!
Porsche Cayenne GTS, Quarzite Grey) (Nov 21) (Mine :D )
E-Mini (Oct 21) (Hers)
VW ID3 (May 23 local runaround) (Ours)
Porsche Macan GTS, Sapphire Blue, 2018 (sold :cry: )
Bluesnose1812
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Post by Bluesnose1812 »

Excellent review, thanks. Gives me food for thought. I assume writing for Autocar is your daytime job. :D
Currently
S|Leather|Air Susp|Chrono |Surround Camera|BOSE|14 way | AILPG |
http://www.porsche-code.com/PPSV6RD5
Next Project GTS March 2025
https://configurator.porsche.com/porsche-code/PR8DH6E6
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Nuclear Nick
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Post by Nuclear Nick »

I don't know how many fingers you use to type but this must have taken quite a while.......but thanks anyway for taking the time to share your views. Obviously they are only your views and so I hope readers will use their own judgement. I'm always disappointed and rather turned off the moment I read 'this is crap', or 'this is essential'. Both statements devalue objectivity in a review like this. I think those who cannot aspire to own such a car might find such expressions off-putting, perhaps even 'Porsche snobbish'. I realise of course that there's an element of tongue in cheek here and there, 'dead cow dyed black', but a little bias has crept in too - 'Bose should be your minimum entry point'.

Judging by the comments in the past on the forum many of us find the ever increasing trend towards fitting 'driver assistance' systems frustrating and annoying. They are not 'safety systems' as the politicians would have us believe and often they are flawed. Sadly, many drivers seem increasingly to feel they are now 'essential'. Speed limiters for example. Why can't a competent and attentive driver maintain a constant speed just by using the accelerator pedal? ACC is another. Useful in a few situations, like stop start motorway traffic, but it doesn't do a good job of anticipating traffic flow changes or other driver actions in the way that good drivers do. I fear that becoming ever more reliant on these systems encourages drivers to delegate responsibility for safety to the car, allowing them to engage in other tasks, or at least to concentrate less on driving safely themselves.

To answer your question on PASM, by the way, it does act on all four wheels.

Oh, and you clearly don't believe in running in a new car, which is covered in the manual. But let's not start another lengthy discussion on that!

Overall you seem happy with your decision, like most of us I think, and as a new owner your detailed review provides useful insights for prospective buyers, so thanks again for taking the time.
Nick

Defender 90 V8

991.2 C2 GTS

Macan Turbo - sold

BMW K1300S, BMW R1250 GSA
Macaning
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Post by Macaning »

Great read, And that’s the first time in any forum I read exactly how ACC works, I’m glad I de-speced it last minute as I only need speed limiter in 90% of the cases and I guessed I can’t use speed limiter without ACC
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Wing Commander
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Post by Wing Commander »

Welcome to our friendly forum! :)

Wow! That’s a record breaking first post, that obviously took a lot of thought & time. Am sure it’ll prompt a variety of responses! ;)

Looking forward to your future contributions.

P.S. Just spotted your ‘Back for one night only...’ Is this Omni? :D

Cheers,
Simon

Sold: 2016 Rhodium Silver Macan 2.0
Sold: 2013 Platinum Silver 911 (991.1) C2
Sold: 2017 Carmine Red Panamera 4
Mine: 991.2 Carrera T Racing Yellow 06/04/2018
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Kleynie
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Post by Kleynie »

Regarding footwell lights, I have them on my GEN 1 GTS so I’m sure you can have them on the GEN 3. Are they part of the comfort lighting package?
I had ACC on my last Macan, not on my GTS, I don’t miss it so far as the speed limiter is much more useful for normal driving, however, if I did many motorway miles I would spec the ACC.
June 2017 Macan GTS in Carmine red with 21” gloss black sport classics, GTS leather package, Air, PASM, PDLS+, pano roof, Sports Chrono, 18 way seats, BOSE, surround view, heated seats front and rear, carbon side blades and carbon interior package.
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Percymon
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Post by Percymon »

Interesting comment on the headlights - i've not been impressed with the PDLS on my 2016 SD either, a long way short of the performance of the xenons i had on a Mini Countryman years ago. I've played back footage from my dashcam and they don't look bad on film, but the camera must have a wide aperture night mode which flatters the reality of driving with PDLS - one of my first long trips was in some foul wet weather and i could barely see the road or kerb. Repeated many times since in dry and wet weather and can't say i feel safe with them even at moderate speeds.
Jon A
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Post by Jon A »

Wing Commander wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:43 am Welcome to our friendly forum! :)

Wow! That’s a record breaking first post, that obviously took a lot of thought & time. Am sure it’ll prompt a variety of responses! ;)

Looking forward to your future contributions.

P.S. Just spotted your ‘Back for one night only...’ Is this Omni? :D

Cheers,
99% sure this is Omni 👍
718 Boxster - lava orange (2019)
992 C2 racing yellow (2020)
https://configurator.porsche.com/porsche-code/PRIMAJB4
Ex - Macan S - Carmine (2022)
http://www.porsche-code.com/PNZVYTE0
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