Swapped SD for S

[Deleted User 1895]

Having owned my SD for a year, I eventually tired of the relatively poor throttle response and went in search of a GTS. My own SD is a 17/67 plate and its main options are: Carmine Red paintwork, LED headlights, air suspension, park assist with surround view, 19" Macan Turbo wheels and other bits adding to a total OTR price in September 17 of about £59k: a pretty high spec. It has done 9800 miles, has paint protection film on the front and lower front doors and is genuinely in mint condition.

I went looking for a GTS of a similar age, generally costing £60-67k. Imagine my surprise - dismay - when I was offered anything from £36k to £41k in p/x for mine. Persistence paid off when I was eventually offered £43k against a slightly over-priced, higher mileage GTS (OPC Reading) but still a hit of £16k in 11 months. Despite the relatively low supply of Macans at the moment, I thought the Forum would be interested in the low prices offered for my SD. One contact told me that SD customers were being asked to sign contractual waivers in relation to any purchase of an SD which included limitations on any compensation in the event of claims relating to diesel residuals, emissions etc. He even said that OPCs might stop selling SD's. All this may have been BS to support a ridiculous offer (£36k) but I could hardly believe my ears!

And then some clever sales manager tried a canny piece of cross-selling and said they had a brand new, zero mileage S in stock, loaded to the gunnels with goodies (some of which I didn't actually want or need, of course). Having set my sights on the higher performance of a GTS, I wasn't convinced but, after some haggling, I was hooked by a p/x offer of over £46k for my SD. That made it worth looking at more closely and I ended up paying the deposit on the S.

The spec, listed at an OTR price of over £66k is:

Black metallic
Part leather (black)
Bi-Xenons
Air suspension
18 way seats
Reversing camera
21" 911 Turbo Design wheels
Sports exhaust
Sport Design package with side skirts
Carbon interior
BOSE
Sports Chrono pack
Seat heating (front)
Privacy glass
Tinted LED tail lights
But no panoramic roof!!!

Am I going to regret not going for the GTS????

[sparkmacan]

Good morning Derek sounds like you have sorted a deal there,
Have you had a good drive in the S ? When I tested I didn't really feel there was a lot of difference especially with the D in Sport mode.
The GTS is the sweet spot & if the budget will stretch I really think thats the one to have, the residuals are the strongest in the range, it seems some 16 plate cars are still selling for original base price excluding there options, crazy really.
Best of luck with the new car, it couldn't be any further from the Colour Carmine which is stunning.
Enjoy , the Macan's are Great cars.

[MikeM]

Not sure I would agree, the OPC is giving you a better trade in based on the ability to move a stock vehicle which is a less sought after petrol S when all new factory sales will soon be of a facelifted model. If you like it and your happy great but the hardest hit on depreciation is year 1 and some consider diesels as Have you considered a private sale or use a independent dealer that takes a commission only

[Johnsmith]

Will that S have cost you £79k?

[nsm3]

Will that S have cost you £79k?

My thoughts exactly. In terms of 'regrets', that would bother me more than whether or not I went S or GTS.

Cheaper to press the Sport button each drive and enjoy the lower running costs, imvho?

Good to get confirmation of the actual residual value tanking (best case 22%), which on my car (same age - 6,500 miles) would mean a drop of £15k, down to £50k (in reality would probably be the higher figure of 27%)? Porsche have really handed us the 5h1tty end of the stick on this one.

[Deleted User 1895]

Will that S have cost you £79k?

No because I have had the use of an SD for a year which is worth something. The damage to my pocket has been caused by the value of diesels tanking and I can't "blame" that on the new car. My rough thinking is that a car like this would ordinarily depreciate by half in 3 years: £30k. In more normal times, this £30k would be phased something like £12k in year one, then £10k, then £8k. With my SD, the depreciation has clearly been more than the £12k but that is in the past, I can't do anything to change that. I think I have limited the damage somewhat by getting this deal. The new car, with its odd option list, isn't worth £66k to me but, with the value I place on it, my "year one" depreciation on the SD has been limited to perhaps £15k. So I have learned a lesson which has cost me £3k?

[Col Lamb]

Your tale makes me even gladder that I go rid of my oil burner when I did.

If you are as happy as you can be with the deal then that is all that matters.

In the spec you quote the Sport Design package and the PSE are both not required, you will probably soon get tired of the PSE and will certainly turn if off when cruising as it drones in a very intrusive way.

The real big omission is no Pano, the interior without a Pano is very dark, also supposedly it is the one extra that many potential owners want so a residual hit here in the future may occur.

Yes, the GTS is financially a better bet but throw in a trade in and it becomes a very questionable balancing act.

[Deleted User 1895]

Good morning Derek sounds like you have sorted a deal there,
Have you had a good drive in the S ? When I tested I didn't really feel there was a lot of difference especially with the D in Sport mode.
The GTS is the sweet spot & if the budget will stretch I really think thats the one to have, the residuals are the strongest in the range, it seems some 16 plate cars are still selling for original base price excluding there options, crazy really.
Best of luck with the new car, it couldn't be any further from the Colour Carmine which is stunning.
Enjoy , the Macan's are Great cars.

Yes, I have driven an S, some time ago, and I enjoyed it. With hindsight, I enjoyed it more so than the SD. My feeling with this S versus a GTS was that the 0-60 times are very close and my new S has been specced to the eyeballs so that it has many of the things that people, myself included, find attractive in the GTS. What am I missing other than the GTS "aura"? That's a genuine question, not rhetorical, and was the reason for my original post.

With regard to the residuals, logically we are talking about facelift, not a new model. The rear lights have been altered, there's a bigger screen and, more importantly, the bhp has been boosted slightly. Of course, the reality is that, logically or not, people always place higher values on the latest things and I will take a slightly greater hit than normal but I could be insulated from some of this by the residual used in a PCP plan.

Carmine Red is the best: that and the mpg will be the two things I miss!

[mark-yorkshire]

Will that S have cost you £79k?

My thoughts exactly. In terms of 'regrets', that would bother me more than whether or not I went S or GTS.

Cheaper to press the Sport button each drive and enjoy the lower running costs, imvho?

Good to get confirmation of the actual residual value tanking (best case 22%), which on my car (same age - 6,500 miles) would mean a drop of £15k, down to £50k (in reality would probably be the higher figure of 27%)? Porsche have really handed us the 5h1tty end of the stick on this one.

By way of comparison I got a p/x price in March 2018 of £37500 for my May 2015 23,000 mile diesel which cost me new £51,000. I also got £6500 discount off my new diesel 0 mile pre reg Macan diesel which I paid £53500 for as against a list price of £60,000.

[Deleted User 1895]

Will that S have cost you £79k?

My thoughts exactly. In terms of 'regrets', that would bother me more than whether or not I went S or GTS.

Cheaper to press the Sport button each drive and enjoy the lower running costs, imvho?

Good to get confirmation of the actual residual value tanking (best case 22%), which on my car (same age - 6,500 miles) would mean a drop of £15k, down to £50k (in reality would probably be the higher figure of 27%)? Porsche have really handed us the 5h1tty end of the stick on this one.

By way of comparison I got a p/x price in March 2018 of £37500 for my May 2015 23,000 mile diesel which cost me new £51,000. I also got £6500 discount off my new diesel 0 mile pre reg Macan diesel which I paid £53500 for as against a list price of £60,000.

Wow, now that is an amazing deal! I spoke to half a dozen or so OPC's and the p/x offers were nothing like as good as the one you struck. It's hard to believe that the climate has changed so much since March, although you were buying a diesel which seem to be tainted throughout 2018. Or perhaps you are just a much better negotiator than me!