Macan GTS - 2000 miles - Reflections

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alxgb
Posts: 389
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by alxgb »

Hi All

Thought I'd post a review after 2,000 miles as run in has now completed.

My impressions of the car have changed and these opinions are formed based on motorway, A and B road driving. As well as a track day which delivered an MPG figure so low that I thought I'd misread it.

In no particular order, impressions and learnings along the last 1,500 miles:

I'm on first name terms with the local petrol station staff more than ever before. Yes, I spend a lot of time there. One of them remarked that since I bought a 'sensible car', they've seen more of me. Average is around 22MPG with a high of 24.5MPG and a low of 7.1 MPG on a track day.

The car is very comfortable but I am not a fan of comfort mode on the air suspension. It feels like it wallows and while I understand the physics and damping at play, I'd rather be in Sport or Sport Plus as I just don't like the feeling if you're doing anything more than 30mph when the effect is exaggerated. I've had all four wheels off the ground on a small hump we have on some well sighted road outside the village. It took about a mile for the air suspension to recover from getting air. I have a handling circuit loop of roads which I have driven all my cars on and it's my own EVO triangle if you will, it has a mixture of everything. With the car dropped and in Sport Plus and Sport mode on, it's physics defying. I have not had the confidence to push it as hard as I might a 911 or Cayman but it was confidence inspiring and handled brilliantly making you forget what you were driving. The 14-way seats are also very good and I never feel like I am being thrown around. I wouldn't mind having a reference lap in a Turbo PP with PCCB and 18 way seats though.

The PDK gear level came off in my hand mid overtake a few weeks back. I was used to the GTD and kicking down on the lever for 'S' on a DSG gear box and hit a bit of a bump in the road. My hand pulled up with gear lever in hand. It's back in to the dealer shortly for a replacement as the suspicion is that the retaining clip has lost tension. I was in the dealer last week getting the GT4 serviced and as they couldn't provide a loan car, I elected to wait and tried every PDK gear stick on a Macan in the showroom. I can confirm there are six Macans that don't have this issue including a Gulf Blue PPE Edition.

I'm used to the size of the GTS now but still width aware on tighter lanes where I don't necessarily want to trash the Spyder alloys on kerbs. Anyone driving a Cayenne in anger on B roads is braver than I'll ever be.

Grateful for the ceramic coat when it comes to drying the car. Using a Megablaster, it takes about 5-10 minutes to blow dry the entire car. I use a little step to reach the middle of the roof without leaning against the side and it works a treat.

Still love the leery start up rumble and sports exhaust.

The rear view camera has been subjected to just about every hydrophobic treatment known to Christendom but I have resigned myself to the fact that the hatch back is going to draw muck on to it every single time. Some have worked better than others but eventually, the grime prevails. I don't actually use it for anything more than finding where the dog is as he has this annoying habit of hanging around by the boot expecting to go for a road trip. Which doesn't work out so well when you're trying to back into the garage.

Still find the fact that I can't heat the mirrors independently of the rear screen an annoyance. Also annoying is the fit of the front floor mats, especially the driver side. I have Weathertech in the rear and I think they're much better being deeper so retain any debris on the matt itself. The high sided load liner is really good although if you ever want to drop the seats to use the full extent of the load area, you have to take it out. Washes well and has kept sand from the beach contained (the dog has a thick coat and usually leaves a large mess).

The LED headlights are the best headlights I've ever had on a car. The only lights I've experienced which have been better are the LED laser lights on an R8 V10. Not mine, a friend's car but they were incredible and I expect were the most cutting edge lights on the market at the time. I'm sure the new Cayenne has the latest and greatest which will likely follow in the next generation Macan.

The Porsche Connect app is probably a week or two away from being deleted from my phone. It had novelty value but it's so lethargic and feels unresponsive due to the routing of the requests. Remotely turning in the wing mirrors takes about as long as it would to walk out and do it manually. I won't bother renewing the subscription come the time of asking.

I kick myself for not specifying adaptive cruise control. It's too easy to go too fast as you don't feel the speed in the car and I find that I'm constantly keeping an eye on my speed. I'm usually 10 higher than I think and for some driving, it would be a convenience worth having. I'd argue on a car at this price point, it should have been standard.

Going over to Germany in a month and think I might take the Macan.

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Tom 2000
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Post by Tom 2000 »

Interesting. i think you like it. Perhaps not true love though.
Macan SD Vocano Grey. LEDs, Pano Roof, PSE, Sports Chrono, PASM, Sports Design Mirrors, 21" Sports Classics in Black, lots of other extras.
http://www.porsche-code.com/PJ2XHAR5 for the day that this works again.

987 Boxster 2.7 (2006)
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Nuclear Nick
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Post by Nuclear Nick »

Great review alxgb. Mirrors my experience quite a bit, but not the wheels off the ground or gearstick coming off!

Mine is a bit floaty in normal PASM setting so it's mostly in Sport and low setting.

I don't miss ACC, perhaps as I've never had it, but I prefer to control distance myself. Like you, I find myself 'holding back' in the Macan whereas in the 911 I often find myself below the speed limit. It's the perception of speed in two very different cars.
Nick

Defender 90 V8

991.2 C2 GTS

Macan Turbo - sold

BMW K1300S, BMW R1250 GSA
Col Lamb
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Location: Lancashire

Post by Col Lamb »

Glad you are enjoying the motor.

My own Turbo on air is not floaty, and certainly yours should not take anywhere near as long as you write to rectify any overshoot or oscillations in the control, I would suggest that you discuss your experiences with the Service Manager at your OPC.

Interesting your comments on air suspension and your lack of ACC did cause a reaction with me and they do substantiate the advice that has been given to test drive a Macan with the same suspension, wheels and seating as the buyer intends to specify. Personally I always add my advice that if you use cruise control a fair amount then test drive any Macan with ACC to see if it is for you.

As for ACC, I am totally of the opposite opinion to Nick, I had standard CC in my first Macan and was forever switching it off and on and adjusting the set speed. A test drive of a Macan with ACC caused and instant check on the Extra in the Confuserstor. On the road it is brilliant, set it and it just works, all the time, set the distance control to what you are comfortable with plus ACC includes PAS which is a great safety feature that as it happens was initiated in my car a couple of days ago, cruise set at 50 with a 2 sec gap the idiot in front of me slammed their brakes on hard and turned left, PAS kicked in and slowed my car before I could even get my foot on the brake.
Col
Macan Turbo
Air, 20” wheels, ACC, Pano, SurCam, 14w, LEDs, PS+, Int Light Pack, Heated seats and Steering, spare wheel, SC, Privacy glass, PDK gear, SD mirrors, Met Black, rear airbags
PaulMacan
Posts: 241
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:45 pm

Post by PaulMacan »

Good review which mirrors much of my own experience except I use the reversing camera every time I revers it because I find visibility so poor.

Regarding the speed and ACC. Have you tried using the limiter? It's a bit fiddly to operate but I use it at some point on most journeys just to stop myself getting carried away.

PM

Macan S - loved and sold - PHJZAJA8
Current- Macan GTS - PHVF1HX0
alxgb
Posts: 389
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by alxgb »

Tom 2000 wrote: Wed May 16, 2018 8:45 am Interesting. i think you like it. Perhaps not true love though.
It's a great car but it isn't special. I think if it went tomorrow, I wouldn't miss it.
alxgb
Posts: 389
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by alxgb »

Col Lamb wrote: Wed May 16, 2018 9:48 am My own Turbo on air is not floaty, and certainly yours should not take anywhere near as long as you write to rectify any overshoot or oscillations in the control, I would suggest that you discuss your experiences with the Service Manager at your OPC.

Interesting your comments on air suspension and your lack of ACC did cause a reaction with me and they do substantiate the advice that has been given to test drive a Macan with the same suspension, wheels and seating as the buyer intends to specify. Personally I always add my advice that if you use cruise control a fair amount then test drive any Macan with ACC to see if it is for you.

As for ACC, I am totally of the opposite opinion to Nick, I had standard CC in my first Macan and was forever switching it off and on and adjusting the set speed. A test drive of a Macan with ACC caused and instant check on the Extra in the Confuserstor. On the road it is brilliant, set it and it just works, all the time, set the distance control to what you are comfortable with plus ACC includes PAS which is a great safety feature that as it happens was initiated in my car a couple of days ago, cruise set at 50 with a 2 sec gap the idiot in front of me slammed their brakes on hard and turned left, PAS kicked in and slowed my car before I could even get my foot on the brake.
I was exaggerating for comic effect on the air. The car settles down quickly enough. My other cars have nowhere near the same suspension effect so it feels dramatic and exaggerated based on what I am used to.

I test drove a car with air suspension so there were no surprises. I never have it in comfort but my wife does. Different driving styles.

I grumbled at the cost of adaptive cruise control. Have it in the Golf GTD but I think it was about £800 or something with Porsche and I checked the configurator recently and it was £300. The GTD is £30k and it didn't cost anything! I was trying to keep myself to a maximum of £65k and I also didn't like the cut out for the radar on the front grille. I don't want the car doing everything for me, we'll all be in automated milk floats soon enough but think I was misguided in my resistance by not specifying it.
alxgb
Posts: 389
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Post by alxgb »

Nuclear Nick wrote: Wed May 16, 2018 9:08 am Great review alxgb. Mirrors my experience quite a bit, but not the wheels off the ground or gearstick coming off!

Mine is a bit floaty in normal PASM setting so it's mostly in Sport and low setting.

I don't miss ACC, perhaps as I've never had it, but I prefer to control distance myself. Like you, I find myself 'holding back' in the Macan whereas in the 911 I often find myself below the speed limit. It's the perception of speed in two very different cars.
I've had ACC in a Golf GTD for a few years and rarely use the accelerator with it running. It helps keep a constant speed. Once you get the hang of it, it's great. Where I find it irritating is when speed limits jump all over the place. I have a 2 mile stretch near home where I go 60 > 40 > 30 > 20 > 60 > 70. Works better if you are jump between 2 not that many!

Agree on perception of speed entirely. The Macan cushions you and separates you whereas the 911 engages you with it.
alxgb
Posts: 389
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by alxgb »

PaulMacan wrote: Wed May 16, 2018 12:02 pm Good review which mirrors much of my own experience except I use the reversing camera every time I revers it because I find visibility so poor.

Regarding the speed and ACC. Have you tried using the limiter? It's a bit fiddly to operate but I use it at some point on most journeys just to stop myself getting carried away.

PM
My wife asked me to take out the middle head rest on the back row and said that improved things for her. I agree it's not perfect for visibility.

I have used the limiter, it alerts my wife to my speed when I can enjoy the car so it's a double edged sword!!!
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Paul
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Post by Paul »

Thats the speed limit warning “bong”, there’s also a little button on the underside of the stalk whereby you can set a top speed limit irrespective of throttle pressure (can be overridden by a hard push)
1st Sapphire SD
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