Road test done.... now the dilemma from hell

[Z4gadgetman]

A week or so ago i decided that i wanted to change my existing BMW 535dM sport GT for a Macan S or GTS. Having visited the OPC in Cambridge (nice people) to have a look at one in the show room, they quickly organised a day long road test in a GTS.

It was fitted with lots of goodies and especially the PASM, air suspension PDLS + 21" wheels.

I had a good couple of hours hooning it around and was properly surprised by the poise and composure it exhibited when going around corners. my local stomping ground is between Bedford and the A1 via the B660. Over many years I've used this road to have a bit of fun on, with everything from an MX5, BMW Z4 (E85) Renault Clio Cub, and BMW Z4 35i (E89). So i know the bends turns and all manner of sweepers etc.

I understand that most of you on here probably own some variation or other of the Macan so non of this is news to you guys. I was truly blown away by the this car. forget about the power etc, but the ride and the way it track around corners, how it handled sweepers, you name it, it dealt with it.

I was sold!

I took it back early to the OPC, had a coffee and waited for it to become dark outside so that i could test the LED front light. Man these light are good. great spread of light and when the high beams are turned on there are no gaps in the light field ahead of the car.

what i do need to do is organise a 1 hours run in any macan with the 14 way adjustable seats as this one had the 8 way standard GTS seats which weren't to my liking as the squab was just too short for me.

said my goodbyes and thanked Scott for the time he had afforded me and allowing me to have the car for such a long while.

Got back in to my car and then the doubts started.......

remembering that this is my opinion only.

the "Idrive" system on my car is way easier to operate, and is intuitive to use. its not that i didn't like all of the beautifully designed buttons down each side of the console, but programming the NAV or doing something with the infotainment system on the move is not easy. Even my passenger struggled to key in information in to the NAV destination.

I could not manage to get the air vents on the dash inner or outer to blow cool air whilst the lower vents blew warmer air. is there a setting that i missed? This combination of hot and cold air is something i've been used to as it helps to keep me alert but have comfy toes.

lastly, i could not get to a position where the seat hight was where i wanted it, the steering wheel was adjusted for my arm comfort and the door armrest fell nicely for my right elbow. the Left elbow was sort of ok, but the sliding armrest wanted to push back from over the cup holders too easily. I do have trouble with my shoulders and don't like to hang off the steering wheel with no perch for my elbows and this causes pain later on in the day in the shoulder joint.

I know that these 3 points all seem to be peripheral to the driving experience, but all the way home i was reflecting on how great the ride was, but 2 of the three points above look insurmountable.

My wife loved it and was not bothered by the vents or the wheel/ arm rest position. She did acknowledge that the NAV / infotainment system to be difficult to use easily.

so, test ride over and no clear outright victory for me, so now I'm in a funk and have no other ideas for the future. Back to the drawing board for me.

many thanks to all who took the time to share their experiences and options / thoughts I really do appreciate the time you've spent.

Dario

[johnd]

Isn't this is a bit like buying houses - the absolute 100% ideal one just doesn't exist and there has to be an element of compromise with some decision made about trading pros and cons for one property/car against those of another. And ultimately only you can decide.

But I don't disagree on the screen and seats points. I've never found it possible to get a particularly comfortable seating position on my 14-ways. That's not to say that there's any problem travelling longer distances but somehow Porsche and my own interpretation of what ought to be an optimum seating position just don't seem to coincide exactly. And yes the screen etc is OK by modern standards, but certainly not class-leading.

I guess the quandary is whether the dynamics and engineering of the Porsche outweigh the significant but limited drawbacks.

[Kasfranks99]

Nice write up.

I have to agree with with on a lot of points. The drive and handling is superb and the LED lights are the best I have used in any car.
I strongly suggest you try all the relevant seats to get the right fit and settings for you. We have found the 18ways brilliant at keeping us snug and plenty of options to adjust. I never appreciated how uncomfortable my previous car seats were on long journeys until I got the Macan.

I came from a number of years driving Audi’s and the MMI system is not to dissimilar to the idrive system which I love. Part of the problem is touch screens. I have also got a Mini Countryman with the idrive system and an 8.8”touch screen and never use the touch screen. Just use the scrolling wheel (same as the Audi’s)

Porsche have this but imo it’s in the wrong location and it needs to be on the console with the buttons. All those buttons look scary at first but it doesn’t take long and you realise they are very easy to use. My wife asked if she needed to be a pilot to drive it when she first saw it.

What I found was I changed the way I used the porsche for Sat Nav. I cannot remember the last time I entered a destination on the PCM. I use the mobile phone app. I add all my destinations to the Porsche app, get in the car and push one button and I see them all and away I go. No messing around and far better and quicker than my idrive and MMI experiences. You should try this out for yourself.

I have not really had to adjust the vent heating as I set it to auto and just change the temp on occasion so I can’t help you with that sorry.

I had to do some adjusting like most of us do when we are used to particular features on a particular brand but it’s amazing how quickly you can adjust but all cars are very personal and the functions and features have to fit the individuals.

Hope this is of some help.

[Wing Commander]

Sleep on it overnight, Z4. And maybe reflect on what it is about your BMW GT that prompted you to want a change.

And definitely worth trying Macans with both 14 way and 18 way seats before you discount the Macan.

[Col Lamb]

Interesting write up.

Try to get a loaner for a weekend.

Ride and handling, great in all variants as long as it has at least PASM.

Seats, 14 way are far more comfortable for me than 18 way as the squab and side bolsters are just too big and do not deflate enough.

SatNav, not an issue, its soon learned and is way better than the Audi version. The system is even better if you have an iPhone as you can set the destination on the mobile in the comfort of your home then upload it in car.

Put your music on an SD card, insert it in the slot and away it goes, its very easy to use with a bit of practice. I have made about 100 playlists in iTunes and have them in the root on the SD card, once selected I have hours of continuous music in each playlist so no need to keep selecting different albums.

The system has CarPlay so you can have the Apple maps used as a Sat Nav, again programmed inside your home, with CarPlay you can access your streaming music subscription service if you wish

[Ian.g]

I have had fewer cars than many on here, but I think that I am more comfortable than any previous car in my 18 way seats. I suspect that the 14 ways might be even better (my wife would probably prefer them) although some people find there are too many adjustments on 14 and 18 ways. Not quite sure how there can be too many, but that is a comment you can find. PCM can be fiddly. Not sure about the air vents. For me though, seat comfort is probably the most important thing about a car. You will never enjoy driving it, however good, if you aren't comfortable!

[Tom 2000]

I couldn’t be arsed with all of that. Have you no work to do. Just go for it and add some bling. See other thread.

[PSEE]

I have migrated to Porsche from BMW and noted that PCM is no iDrive. It's a different system, that's
for certain! Today, I tried to enter a nearby town into the Nav and it would not allow me the option
of that town in my state! I'm on the other side of the pond.

As you noted, the Macan's road manners are superb. Mine has the 18-way seats and for me, they're
excellent.

as others above have noted, navigation on the iPhone is likely superior to that provided by the PCM.
Over here, I have the option of the iPhone's maps, Google maps, Waze, etc.

I hope it all works out for you. (the way I see it, there's only so much time, so we'd better get some
enjoyment! As the song goes, '...enjoy yourself, it's later than you think...')

Good luck!

[happy days]

I would agree on the Nav use. Set the destination(s) up on your phone, then connect to the PCM, select app POIs, and away you go. Again, I have the HVAC set to auto and it just works. I travel quite long distances for work, and depending on the road, have the memory buttons set for a couple of different settings, and use these as a variation. On the twisties, I drop the seat to the floor and in town sit up quite high for visibility. But then again, I find the McCann seats to be amongst the most comfortable I have had. (Apart from an Alfa Romeo 156 that had the best seats I have ever put my arse into. You could sit in them 8 hours a day, every day and get out fresh as a daisy every time).

[MartinRS2K]

Having come from 2 BMW 4.0d X5's and a BMW 4 Series Coupe and before that 2 Audi A4's I can say that our Macan is like Night and Day in comparison to all the cars mentioned previously.

Handling, lighting, road holding and performance is far superior, and although the PCM is not as advanced as the iDrive or MMi it doesn't matter as I use the Apple Car Play and my iPhone maps uploaded so that they are already set in the Nav ready to go. Ask the Porsche sales Sales Advisor to show you how it works and try it out to see how great it really is.

Our GTS has the 8 way seats and I find these great for me, but others do prefer the 14 way or 18 way seats.

Good luck with whatever car you choose to buy.