My Macan S impressions
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 7:29 pm
Finally the D-0 has arrived and I collected my brand-ceramic-coated-shining-new Macan Ski. I have done 100 mi so far and I am very smug! Here are my initial impressions, somewhat influenced by my current ride, BMW 435i coupe. I know, diff type vehicle, but it might be of interest to fellow 435i and S5 drivers.
Ride and drive - utter luxury - 5 out of 5 for an SUV. The driving position is excellent. The ride in default Comfort position was too soft for me, I settled on Sport setting and I am happy. I will keep Comfort setting for Mrs P and Sport Plus for a track-day. Hedonistic, 14-way adjustable seats are great and will be excellent for travel, Mrs P approves. The steering wheel is aesthetically pleasing (GT wheel), the grip is a little skinny for me, but I will get used to it; steering effort is perfectly balanced for parking (assisted) and driving (more direct feedback). The vehicle feels solid, not a rattle or squeak, hopefully it stays that way. In comparison to 435i I would rate ride & drive 4/5, but SUV vs Coupe is not a fair comparison, so please do not flame-me for it [emoji38]
The control panel is beautifully laid out, I wish I selected beige/coyote-colour dials. The media/sat-nav/apps panel is good, but its designed by engineers for engineers (i.e. not very intuitive), but I will eat the manual and I will be fine. In my view the βretroβ ignition key should be replaced by Start/Stop button, but I will get used to it. The indicator lever also feels very mechanical, could be more electronic.
The powertrain 5/5! I was a little concerned that power-to-weight ratio, throttle response at low RPM and 7- vs 8-speed transmission is not in Macan favour. Well, the torque kicks in a little higher than the beemer, but it is not like a turbo-lag from 1980βs [emoji12] Macan is a 2-ton vehicle and it handles its body remarkably well. I wish that Macan had a feature like the ZF transmission (found in BMW, Mercedes, Jag...), where when you move gear-lever to the left (M-mode) the transmission shifts one-down throughout the range and the lower-rpm flat-spot is exterminated. I am told that Sport button does the trick. I believe that Sport button has diff fuel-ignition-suspension mapping, where all I want is one gear-up throughout the range, without having to resort to paddle-shift. Hopefully the vehicle learns from my driving style and adjusts accordingly.
Having said that, the power-delivery and performance is excellent! The transmission shifts quickly and precisely. AND the hooligan-exhaust button is such a blaaaast! It costs almost as much as 2-cylinders (the diff between 2.0L and 3.0L engine on the price-list) and I thought that I should have some rocks-removed from my brains for including it in my spec... the sport-exhaust was worth every penny! [emoji51]
Overall, I am delighted! I donβt think GTS is actually required in the Macan Gen 2 range, but I can see the need for a Turbo derivative.
...to be continued... including pics... [emoji102]
Ride and drive - utter luxury - 5 out of 5 for an SUV. The driving position is excellent. The ride in default Comfort position was too soft for me, I settled on Sport setting and I am happy. I will keep Comfort setting for Mrs P and Sport Plus for a track-day. Hedonistic, 14-way adjustable seats are great and will be excellent for travel, Mrs P approves. The steering wheel is aesthetically pleasing (GT wheel), the grip is a little skinny for me, but I will get used to it; steering effort is perfectly balanced for parking (assisted) and driving (more direct feedback). The vehicle feels solid, not a rattle or squeak, hopefully it stays that way. In comparison to 435i I would rate ride & drive 4/5, but SUV vs Coupe is not a fair comparison, so please do not flame-me for it [emoji38]
The control panel is beautifully laid out, I wish I selected beige/coyote-colour dials. The media/sat-nav/apps panel is good, but its designed by engineers for engineers (i.e. not very intuitive), but I will eat the manual and I will be fine. In my view the βretroβ ignition key should be replaced by Start/Stop button, but I will get used to it. The indicator lever also feels very mechanical, could be more electronic.
The powertrain 5/5! I was a little concerned that power-to-weight ratio, throttle response at low RPM and 7- vs 8-speed transmission is not in Macan favour. Well, the torque kicks in a little higher than the beemer, but it is not like a turbo-lag from 1980βs [emoji12] Macan is a 2-ton vehicle and it handles its body remarkably well. I wish that Macan had a feature like the ZF transmission (found in BMW, Mercedes, Jag...), where when you move gear-lever to the left (M-mode) the transmission shifts one-down throughout the range and the lower-rpm flat-spot is exterminated. I am told that Sport button does the trick. I believe that Sport button has diff fuel-ignition-suspension mapping, where all I want is one gear-up throughout the range, without having to resort to paddle-shift. Hopefully the vehicle learns from my driving style and adjusts accordingly.
Having said that, the power-delivery and performance is excellent! The transmission shifts quickly and precisely. AND the hooligan-exhaust button is such a blaaaast! It costs almost as much as 2-cylinders (the diff between 2.0L and 3.0L engine on the price-list) and I thought that I should have some rocks-removed from my brains for including it in my spec... the sport-exhaust was worth every penny! [emoji51]
Overall, I am delighted! I donβt think GTS is actually required in the Macan Gen 2 range, but I can see the need for a Turbo derivative.
...to be continued... including pics... [emoji102]