Moving from fast Audi to Macan GTS

[Swiss Tony]

Hi all, i’m a new member and am moving away from Audi after 10+ years without issue. I have had several fast Audi’s such as the S5 and my current S6 which has a beautiful 4.0 twin turbo V8 with an after market Miltek non res exhaust.

I have test driven a 2.0 Macan and was impressed with the interior and I like the look of the Macan us the lack of power was understandable. I was wondering if anybody has moved from a fast Audi, BMW, Merc etc to a Macan and how the transition was. I think it will take some time to get used to the higher driving position and the lack of power but the GTS is by no means a slouch.

I’d also be keen to understand what options I should go for which will enhance my GTS. I have paid for the build slot as it isn’t out yet so any advise around the transition or options would be greatly received before I lock in my spec.

[pmg]

Why GTS over Turbo as Turbo likely to be available sooner and engine characteristics probably nearer to your previous Audi's i.e. more low down torque than GTS? To my mind, the prime advantage of GTS over S and Turbo is slightly lower ride height

I would be surprised at this stage if any OPC knows the precise changes in the spec of facelift turbo and facelift GTS over facelift S.

[Swiss Tony]

I didn’t go turbo as everyone I have spoken to has said the GTS is the drivers car and feels quicker. I haven’t test driven one so perhaps I should. The turbo performance would be on a par with my S6 which has a 0-60 of 4.3 with updated exhaust.

The thing is my S5 felt quicker than the S6 and after reading many forum comments and talking to owners the GTS apparently feels quicker. Perhaps I should test drive both come December when they land.

[Wing Commander]

Turbo PP is top of the tree, but might be a while to wait for that one. Similar chassis set up to GTS, with more power than Turbo.

[Swiss Tony]

Wing commander. I think that may be a while off as well. My concern is that if I get a turbo and spec it up accordingly I get in to the prices of some amazing cars. The GTS with the spec I like will likely be £65kish which is still below all the Decent RS Audi models. A Macan PP will be similar to an RS5 PP and I would be sorely tempted to go for that as it will have a 0-60 time of 3.6ish

Being 6ft 2 and a sturdy (large) 16 stone I do like the idea of sitting higher up and not falling in to a car and the fact I have 2 kids and the Mrs has finally pecked my head enough to get a dog, the Macan does seem perfect.

I guess a well specced Cayenne would also come in to the equation if I were in Macan turbo territory

[Col Lamb]

A Turbo with air suspension and it set on low will be a difficult car to catch if it is being followed by a GTS.

I was driving a Turbo with air at Silverstone PEC and the guys in the Macan GTS’s only saw me dissapearing into the distance, power overcomes a slightly better handling GTS.

That said a Macan is an SUV not a sports saloon so please do not expect too much in its handling, a well specced Macan will handle well but on very uneven roads the high CofG comes into play.

Given you are a big guy if the Macan is your only family car then it may well be to small for you, do have another test drive with one fully loaded. Ours is barely big enough when we going out for the day with our two Grandkids.

[Swiss Tony]

Thankfully the Mrs has the main family car. Went to look round the Audi garage and she fell in love with the Hyundai Tucson across the forecourt which made my day for obvious reasons.

I got comfy in the seat and my kids could still get in the back but I wouldn’t take the Macan on longer journeys. I normally take them to school which is only a mile away and pick them up from the mother in laws which isn’t far either.

I like the set up you mention on the turbo. I’ll see if I can test drive both before I lock the spec down.

[PaulR]

I didn’t go turbo as everyone I have spoken to has said the GTS is the drivers car and feels quicker.

The Turbo definitely feels a lot quicker. I have the GTS and - performance-wise - it's very close to an S. In comparison the Turbo is quite a big jump. I think many people confuse a sports exhaust (standard on the GTS, but can be added to any of the Macans) with making the car feel faster!

[jesim1]

It's too easy to get caught up in 0-60 times when in reality they have very little relevance in the real world, I can't remember the last time I floored my car away from a standing start? Same for handing to an extent, I don't want to be leaning over all the time, but neither do I squeal my wheels exiting roundabouts? You have to look at a compromise of quality/refinement/handing/performance/comfort/reliability and of course prestige all rolled into one, and then decide is the cost worth it?

I like the height of the Macan as when I'm getting in and out of the wife's Merc C250AMG line I feel like I'm having to put in effort to do so rather than simply turn my body and slide out easily. There is room enough for me and the wife and a couple of kids in the back - but mine are teenagers and don't travel much with us as a family now, but the dog can still get lobbed in the back in his cage ok without having to put the seats down.

Overall I think the Macan is expensive for what it is - but so are all the alternatives, and as the Macan holds money well it balances it out a bit, so again, in reality, not actually much more expensive in the long run.

Finally, I've not driven the GTS, but have driven the S, Turbo and DS. If I were looking at spending £65k though I would definitely try the Turbo/TPP and GTS as close together as possible, even if it was in two different dealerships.

[Swiss Tony]

Paul R, it sounds like the Porsche exhaust is “sports” as oppose to my Miltek. The Miltek certainly helped deliver the power and I could feel an improvement. If the Porsche sounds like it should i’ll be okay. It wasn’t just down to the exhaust that the people I talked to said the GTS felt faster. Maybe it is because it is slightly lower but they said it pins them in their seat like my S5 did and my S6 doesn’t despite the S6 being .6 of a second quicker.

Jesim1, I regularly floor my Audi from the lights as I love the V8 rumble and exhaust note and I live in a small village in Lancashire so roads are often empty. I agree that I don’t necessarily go round corners as fast as I could so maybe the fact that SUVs won’t handle like my current performance saloon won’t be an issue. Audi interiors have always been good but I was impressed with the Macan and would say it’s better although ergonomics were much better in the Audi as it seems like button central in the Porsche. Like a jumbo jet.

I’m surprised that this forum seems to push me towards a Turbo whereas everyone else I have spoken to and the US forums were all about the GTS.

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll definitely test drive the GTS and Turbo. I’m sure the OPC will not care if I upgrade