It's been a while since I have posted, but promised I would do a proper review after owning the car for sufficient time. Having owned it for two months now and having just come back from two days of driving in Wales, thought this may be a good time.
For those wanting the short version, here is the conclusion - I think this is probably the best car I have ever owned! (and now just skip to the pictures) and here are my 10 reasons why:
1. IMO, it is a really pretty car. It is one of those cars that makes you look back at least once and every where you go, people comment on it and ask about it.
2. It sounds fantastic. Put it in race mode and it sounds good at any speed. In normal and dynamic, when you are up above about 3,500 RPM, it burbles, pops and crackles nicely. When cruising, the sound is never intrusive.
3. The power (510bhp, 0-60s 3.8 seconds) is phenomenal and takes some getting used to. You really need to have a lot of heat in the tyres (Pirelli P Zero Corsas) to get the most out of the power and you need to be careful in the cold and wet. When you've mastered it though, it's immensely quick and rewarding to drive.
4. The speed and directness of the steering is exceptional. Brilliant feel and turn in.
5. The car is very well set up with great damping. In normal mode with the softest suspension it is very compliant and in dynamic and race mode, you have the bumpy road button as in a Ferrari which softens the dampers down one level. The controls for changing between the modes are simple to use on the move without even looking away from the road.
6. It's pretty practical. When it's not being a completely driver focused machine, it's got decent space in the cabin and a reasonable sized boot. Other than a couple of times a year when I would miss something bigger, it does the trick.
7. It actually has some really good tech - some of which was optioned - including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, frontal collision warning, active torque vectoring, active carbon front splitter etc etc.
8. At first I thought the infotainment was a bit basic but I have realised over time that the car is very much focused on the driving experience. The infotainment is simple and is controlled quickly and easily with little distraction from the road and I think this is probably the ethos of the design.
9. It's rare. I still see very few on the road, which probably isn't a great omen for Alfa. Makes you feel like you are in on a secret that others haven't yet cottoned onto.
10. It has soul. I'm not sure why, but it is an emotive car that gets under your skin. I can see why the Alfisti fall for them and make allowances / excuses for their quirks and foibles.
The important question - has it gone wrong?
The short answer is not really. The boot lid was rubbing slightly on the bumper (happened on a number of cars apparently) and the first owner never sorted it. Alfa realigned the hinges and all fine. The hood of the left instrument binnacle was vibrating every now and again against the infotainment screen. I inserted a little bit of black felt between the two that is invisible to the naked eye and all sorted. And that's it. Otherwise an impeccable track record ........ so far.
The negatives?
It needed an expensive detailing to get the paintwork looking at it's best - the first owner hadn't looked after it well. Annoyingly, when in Wales, a Scout on a charity cycle ride unloading his bike of the minibus didn't realise his peddle and gear derailleur were rubbing on my rear bumper - another trip to the detailer required and hopefully nothing more serious!!
The front is very low which means you have to be very careful over speed bumps, sleeping policeman and any steep on / off ramps etc. Otherwise, you just hear your very expensive carbon fibre splitter scraping on the road.
Fuel economy around London is pretty bad, probably between 12-15 on a bad tank. It's much better out and about. Over about 600 miles to Wales and back including about 150 miles of enthusiastic driving, it averaged 26.5 which seems pretty reasonable.
When I first test drove the car straight out of the Macan, I thought some of the lower plastics in the car were not great quality. However, without the direct comparison, I've just forgotten about that and it now doesn't really seem of any importance.
Finally, do I miss the Macan?
As a pure driving experience no. However, I saw a lot of them on the road over the weekend and I still think they look great. I was also parked up taking some pictures in Wales when a black Macan GTS shot past. I heard it a while before it came past and it certainly looked like it was doing a good job of conquering the Welsh roads. I hope everyone is still enjoying their Macans and other Porsches. I'm sure I'll be back at some point in the future!
I've attached some pictures from my two days in Wales.
2 Month Review - Guilia Quadrifoglio
No longer part of the Porsche Family. Now enjoying a Giulia Quadrifoglio.
Macan S Diesel delivered Oct 6th 2016. http://www.porsche-code.com/PHI3WP95. Sold March 2018.
Macan S Diesel delivered Oct 6th 2016. http://www.porsche-code.com/PHI3WP95. Sold March 2018.
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- Posts: 287
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Congrats! And that colour suits it so well. Beautiful machine.
Good to gear you’re still enjoying it (and that you haven’t yet had to test Alfa Assist!)
1st Sapphire SD
2nd Sapphire GTS
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Current 992 S Cab
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2nd Sapphire GTS
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Current 992 S Cab
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- Mistertoad
- Posts: 1405
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- Location: West Sussex
Very nice. One of my regrets is never owning an Alpha! Perhaps there is still time
2015 Cayenne S - Sold
2016 718 Boxster - Sold
2016 Bentley Continental GT V8 S
2016 718 Boxster - Sold
2016 Bentley Continental GT V8 S
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Funny you should mention rare , clarkson mentioned this in his car review, in the times, this Sunday. If I don’t get on with the GTS.. I will be looking! Ps I have seen 2.
Macan GTS.Vol/ grey turbo 21s, Bose, Panroof, heated seats and steering wheel, 18 way , red belts, LEDs, light comf mem, privacy , compass, 18 spare wheel, aluminium inserts, auto dim mirrors, smoked,r/rails,p/assi. CAYMAN GTS now
There’s still time. Maybe if they bring out a Giulia Coupe?! You’ll struggle with Bentley interior quality vs Alfa though.Mistertoad wrote:Very nice. One of my regrets is never owning an Alpha! Perhaps there is still time
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No longer part of the Porsche Family. Now enjoying a Giulia Quadrifoglio.
Macan S Diesel delivered Oct 6th 2016. http://www.porsche-code.com/PHI3WP95. Sold March 2018.
Macan S Diesel delivered Oct 6th 2016. http://www.porsche-code.com/PHI3WP95. Sold March 2018.
Hopefully you’ll love the GTS and will not need to look elsewhere. In two months of looking hard I’ve seen 3 Giulias. One QF and 2 normal ones on the road. Alfa UK get heavily criticised on the Alfa Owners Forum so will be interesting to see how the market develops.Mike and his Macan wrote:Funny you should mention rare , clarkson mentioned this in his car review, in the times, this Sunday. If I don’t get on with the GTS.. I will be looking! Ps I have seen 2.
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No longer part of the Porsche Family. Now enjoying a Giulia Quadrifoglio.
Macan S Diesel delivered Oct 6th 2016. http://www.porsche-code.com/PHI3WP95. Sold March 2018.
Macan S Diesel delivered Oct 6th 2016. http://www.porsche-code.com/PHI3WP95. Sold March 2018.
Great review Hawkeye and the car looks stunning. I've read the reviews and heard very good things about the car and you seem to be confirming it.
Current:
992 Turbo (July 23)
MG4 EV Trophy Long Range
VW Caravelle 6.1 4motion DSG
Suzuki Swift Sport
Previous Macan SD, Macan Turbo, Macan Turbo, 991.1 C4GTS coupe, 996 C4S coupe, Macan Turbo, 991.2 C4GTS coupe; 991.2 GT3; 992 C2S; 991.1 Turbo S
992 Turbo (July 23)
MG4 EV Trophy Long Range
VW Caravelle 6.1 4motion DSG
Suzuki Swift Sport
Previous Macan SD, Macan Turbo, Macan Turbo, 991.1 C4GTS coupe, 996 C4S coupe, Macan Turbo, 991.2 C4GTS coupe; 991.2 GT3; 992 C2S; 991.1 Turbo S
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