Gen 2 Macan S or Gen 1 Macan GTS

[Simon850]

To be honest feels to me like Porsche monumentally fu this one... with the emissions meltdown they just had to go with an Audi engine and you can basically tell...

Let’s stop blaming emissions for lack of character of engines, I would encourage you to go and try M40i and 43 AMG. Not to mention M X3 or 63AMG. You can definitely make characterful and nice sounding engines. This time around Porsche just did not have the resources to do it.

So Macan remains probably top of class for dynamic ability and luxury feel blend. But engines are dull. Which is a bit absurd for a Porsche but not so much if you think about the 718 which also comes with a godawful powertrain in non-GT form. Maybe that’s the future unfortunately.

Let’s wait for the Turbo to see if they can at least give some character to the top version.

In terms of tech I am not even that convinced anymore that the .2 version is that much of a step up. Aside from a bigger Nav screen which was overdue anyways the rest is pretty much identical. There’s still no HU Display, no auto-parking, no real autonomous driving tech. All of which you can spec on top of the line BMW and Audi.

So, yes. Still best blend of sport and luxury but not quite the standout product it ought to be at the price. And with no diesel version I would be surprised if the .2 will be the astonishing success that the .1 was. But you should never underestimate the power of the brand and the fact ppl want to be seen in one, no matter if with a 2.0 golf engine and 2010 tech. That doesn’t show in front of the school gates.

Bit cynical but as a long term Porsche owner I would not want to see the brand diluted and VWed to this extent.

Rant over. Hope to take delivery of my Turbo PP this week and report back if that feels like a proper drivetrain or not.

Funnily enough my current car is the 340i and every time I start up the engine it puts a smile on my face let alone hearing the engine roar when you put your foot down (all within legal speed limits of course). I have seen in this thread and other threads that the engine in the gen 2 Macan has no character - is it really that bad?

The only real tech that I think I would miss is the heads up display and I have had my eyes on a Macan for some time now especially after driving a Macan S last year.

I will definitely drive the Gen 1 GTS before enquiring about the gen 2 Macan S. I look forward to hearing about your Turbo PP.

Thanks again this has been really insightful.

[PWMacan]

@Simon850 - it’s not ‘that bad’ - it pulls strongly with minimal lag and has a decent purr when pushed hard but it is not endearing or aggressive and is so much more refined than anyone would expect from a Porsche. A lot of the time this is a good thing - it’s just not a sports car engine.

[pmg]

@Simon850 - it’s not ‘that bad’ - it pulls strongly with minimal lag and has a decent purr when pushed hard but it is not endearing or aggressive and is so much more refined than anyone would expect from a Porsche. A lot of the time this is a good thing - it’s just not a sports car engine.

Leaves room for new GTS. Will be interesting to see whether WLTP leaves much scope.

[adam b]

GTS every time for me - feels more special and you can look for a really nice 2017/8 GTS with lots of toys, and not take the first owner depreciation hit

[PaulR]

If it were me, I would definitely get the mk2 S simply for the upgraded tech

Am I the only person who finds the upgraded tech completely irrelevant? I rarely use mine and, even when I do to listen to music/radio/whatever, I switch the screen off. Most people these days think bigger is better - for everything from wheels to TVs. I seriously doubt the new screen will enhance anyone's lives. Unless you're a 'keep up with the joneses' or 'mine's bigger than yours' person.

[Paul]

^^
....pretty much my stance on the matter......

[Wing Commander]

^^^ Similar here. I don’t use CarPlay, Google Maps, Waze or any of the other applications that get spoken of. My phone is very rarely ‘twinned’ with the car, or whatever the word is.
I do use the standard sat nav and the radio, and occasionally put on a CD. Basic stereo definitely good enough for me. Am perfectly happy with the pre-992 infotainment in my T and do not miss at all the high tech, more modern dashboard & screen from my 2017 Panamera.

I don’t have a huge TV either, but I do like big wheels!

[Alfanut]

Some interesting comments here. I had the exact same predicament & opted for a nicely spec'd facelift S. No regrets, it's a lovely car overall, some minor things i'm still getting used to but the facelift S is a stunning car, my wife also loves it.

Main things that swung me were the prices OPC's were asking for a decent GTS (although I'd say prices have cooled somewhat in the last few months), the improvements in the facelift model & the (hopefully) better residuals if you're thinking of keeping for any amount of time. The upgraded tech is really really nice (and as others have mentioned you may hardly use it, but the interior overall is way ahead of the preface lift car because it).

Your spec is nice and as always a very personal thing, some good spec advice on this forum but often strong opinions on what is 'good' and what is not, it's different strokes for different folks! I did not opt for the sports exhaust, it seemed like an expensive soundtrack, a slight regret there the car is a bit muted compared to my previous (but I can boot it a tad more before the misses complains !). I did up the park assist to the surround view and don't regret the £500 or so cost. Shop around the dealers, you should be able to get a small discount and you should also be able to find someone with a build slot not too far away if you opt for .2, i was only 10 weeks from deposit to collection. Happy shopping.

[NSinc]

This is funny to read.. All the people with pre-facelift Macan's are unsurprisingly making out that they're not bothered about the new tech, and the engine is soulless etc etc..... Of course they're going to say this. Happens on every forum with every marque. You wouldn't admit to yourself you'd rather have the facelift, and if you have the facelift (of any car) you'd not say you'd rather have the pre-facelift. You're going to back what you have.....

It's all down to personal preference. Do you want the newer car, with better tech and more current rear end? Or the older looking car, previous model, looks dated now, but with slightly better performance and engine? Comes down to what you prioritize really!

[Wing Commander]

This is funny to read.. All the people with pre-facelift Macan's are unsurprisingly making out that they're not bothered about the new tech, and the engine is soulless etc etc..... Of course they're going to say this. Happens on every forum with every marque. You wouldn't admit to yourself you'd rather have the facelift, and if you have the facelift (of any car) you'd not say you'd rather have the pre-facelift. You're going to back what you have.....

It's all down to personal preference. Do you want the newer car, with better tech and more current rear end? Or the older looking car, previous model, looks dated now, but with slightly better performance and engine? Comes down to what you prioritize really!

“Older looking” and “looks dated” are pretty subjective terms. And I’m neutral, as I no longer own a Macan. As has been said, over 99% of the population would not be able to distinguish a pre-facelift Macan from the post-facelift model.