S4 -> Macan S -> Macan Turbo -> S4 and Happy As a Clam!!!

[vpr80]

So I've been kicking around the idea of upgrading to the new Macan, been wanting a Porsche for a long time and the Macan just makes the most sense usability-wise for a daily driver. So while my S4 was in for it's annual service, I spent like two hours at Porsche driving both the S and the Turbo. Just to keep this post short and sweet, the road handling on both models is sick. They are soooooo flat and drive like a "porsche". I was really blown away by the handling, every Porsche that I've driven has really impressed me and the Macan does not fail. In terms of the engines, the "S" was quick enough, but not really exciting and not good seat of the pants feel. The Turbo was MUCH better, much quicker and felt more fun to drive.

Overall, the "S" was not exciting enough to pay the extra $25k over my S4. The Turbo was great and would definitely be my pick, BUT it was $80k lightly optioned. When I left the dealership, I was actually entertaining the idea, that is until I got my S4 back. 100 feet out of the lot, I had the biggest smile on my face. Just felt so good to be back in the S4. It was quick, it drove great and I just really enjoyed the drive home! No doubts with the S4 whatsoever. And then I realized that for the extra $40k to go from the S4 to the Turbo, I can just buy another car......got a 2017 Raptor on the wish list :)

[bpang1]

The new Raptor is pretty sick looking and from what I read in Car and Driver it is gonna be even better than the last one.

Agree about the S4...the only car that could get me away from mine is maybe a 911 Carrera S (or GTS if I were so lucky). Well that and my 5-year-old having aged 11 years so she can drive herself around (no not in my S4, she is getting the slowest possible Subaru I can find because I know she'll be crazy). Hey wait, that is the perfect mid-life crisis!!!!

[mstnggt66]

About to pull the trigger on a Macan GTS. Think slightly quicker S with Turbo model suspension and brakes.

[mstnggt66]

....About to trade in my 2011 S4 6MT. I will miss the manual transmission a lot. I have literally never owned an auto. The PDK is darn good.

[Pyromatic177]

The new Raptor is pretty sick looking and from what I read in Car and Driver it is gonna be even better than the last one.

Agree about the S4...the only car that could get me away from mine is maybe a 911 Carrera S (or GTS if I were so lucky). Well that and my 5-year-old having aged 11 years so she can drive herself around (no not in my S4, she is getting the slowest possible Subaru I can find because I know she'll be crazy). Hey wait, that is the perfect mid-life crisis!!!!

Subaru! Best 1st car for a young girl! Reliable and can go anywhere!

[Danny2323]

I test drove a Macan Turbo before buying my S4 earlier this year. It definitely was a fun car (err... SUV). The handling surprised me. It certainly didn't feel SUV-ish. I'm glad I pulled the trigger on the S4, but the Porsche is damn fine car.

[GRUMPY-S4]

Dont understand the comparo here. Its an SUV vs a Sedan. Of coarse the sports sedan will be more fun. The SUV is more practical though. So it all depends on your needs.

Its like... Ok I want to feel better about my car so let me go drive an SUV lol

[jokingjimmy]

The new Raptor is pretty sick looking and from what I read in Car and Driver it is gonna be even better than the last one.

Agree about the S4...the only car that could get me away from mine is maybe a 911 Carrera S (or GTS if I were so lucky). Well that and my 5-year-old having aged 11 years so she can drive herself around (no not in my S4, she is getting the slowest possible Subaru I can find because I know she'll be crazy). Hey wait, that is the perfect mid-life crisis!!!!

Exactly what we're doing with our son who's note 16. Used slow ass Suby with AWD and great safety rating lol.

[S4inBC]

I'm sure that the Macan is a fine automobile, but to me all the Porsche SUVs look like a 911 going for a ride in a fishing boat. And not in a good way.

[FLYINGLEGGS]

^Guess you haven't seen the Macan in person...

[S4inBC]

Saw one today as a matter of fact...

But as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

[Jkysh]

The Macan is without a doubt quite the fly whip. However, the price tag for a small yuppie (woman) oriented SUV plays the contrary. For a well fitted turbo you are almost in RS7 territory brand new, and that opens a whole 'nother world of playing field.

If you really want a Porsche, scoop up a certified Cayanne Turbo S and be done with it. However I agree with the S4 putting a smile on your face regardless.

My buddy has a 1998 911 Turbo S with a ton of work, around 550RWHP and accompanying RUF gear to look the part. I'll take my B8 S4 for a garage toy all day long

[Johnnycash]

Saw one today as a matter of fact...

the macan is a good looking... whatever it is. suv, truck, car etc

[StealthBlackA4]

23k miles on the clock of my 2015!Macan Turbo...there's a reason it's my daily driver. It's a complete animal. Handles like no other SUV (technically cross-over) I have ever driven. Honestly, it handled better than when I had stock suspension on the S4. It just sticks to the road. It's a tank in the winter, too...throw a set of snows on it...it amazes me.

[jokingjimmy]

I'm sure that the Macan is a fine automobile, but to me all the Porsche SUVs look like a 911 going for a ride in a fishing boat. And not in a good way.

I agree. They are ugly on the outside. The sad thing is, there are not the ugliest.. Not really Porsche's fault, there's only so much one can do with styling an SUV/Crossovers. But dang they do look/drive nice on the inside.

[mstnggt66]

I thought coming from a S4 and needing the hatchback/SUV convenience. The Macan is a darn good choice. I really want a RS3 hatchback but that is never coming to the states. Golf R 6MT is an option but so ugly. Soo ugly...

[Thurston]

....About to trade in my 2011 S4 6MT. I will miss the manual transmission a lot. I have literally never owned an auto. The PDK is darn good.

yeah the pdk is literally the only automatic (dual clutch) I'm willing to eff with. If it isn't equal to the pdk i don't want to hear about it nor do I even want to bother test driving it (especially if I have to buy a tune aftermarket to raise the red line, gain launch control and make it shift faster, nah i'll just hold out for the pdk and a cayman s) therefore I'm a big pdk fan but admittedly if i'm buying an internal combustion sports car i'm just going to stay straight old school w/ a 6mt but I did want to stop by and give the pdk love.

The Macan S looks nice.

[blazeblunts4]

yeah the pdk is literally the only automatic (dual clutch) I'm willing to eff with. If it isn't equal to the pdk i don't want to hear about it nor do I even want to bother test driving it (especially if I have to buy a tune aftermarket to raise the red line, gain launch control and make it shift faster, nah i'll just hold out for the pdk and a cayman s) therefore I'm a big pdk fan but admittedly if i'm buying an internal combustion sports car i'm just going to stay straight old school w/ a 6mt but I did want to stop by and give the pdk love.

The Macan S looks nice.

I think you would like the DCT on the M3 too. Considering there are no more manuals

[Thurston]

I think you would like the DCT on the M3 too. Considering there are no more manuals

Which is precisely why I am willing to double down on the manual.

If the m3 dct it is as on point as the pdk is I certainly would thoroughly enjoy it however I am looking electric moving forward so just a single fixed gear but if I do purchase an auto, i would want dct over planetary so I'm screwed w/ audi either way fortunately I still love the b8. (but it is good to hear that the bmw dct could potentially rival the pdk from you blazeblunts4 - if true - word.)

back to the Macan S - years ago I drove the Cayenne at the Leeds, Al school off road - sucker can put in work through some seriously unfavorable conditions.

[Troglodyte]

I think you would like the DCT on the M3 too. Considering there are no more manuals

The DCT on the M3 in M mode is crazy good, the equal of PDK IMHO.

[Dr GP]

Doesn't the M3/M4 also come with a MT?

[Thurston]

The DCT on the M3 in M mode is crazy good, the equal of PDK IMHO.

that's awesome & if true well done bmw well done indeed!

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Doesn't the M3/M4 also come with a MT?

rumors circulating that it's dunzo soon but who knwos. other car companies just started offering, jaguar, a.r, gm.

Among other reasons, car makers are able to mark up the auto tranny in a way that just makes to much sense on the balance sheet to give to many shits about the minority of car buyers who enjoy the old school shifting of a manual which is a 0$ option vs 3 to 4k option of an auto/dct - sad for people like me who are in the minority but I get it.

Does the Macan S have the same supercharged 3.0 found in the B8?

[mstnggt66]

that's awesome & if true well done bmw well done indeed!

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rumors circulating that it's dunzo soon but who knwos. other car companies just started offering, jaguar, a.r, gm.

Among other reasons car makers can mark up the auto tranny in a way that just makes to much sense on the balance sheet to give to many shits about the minority of car buyers who enjoy the old school shifting of a manual which is a 0$ option vs 3 to 4k option of an auto/dct - sad for people like me who are in the minority but I get it.

Does the Macan S have the same supercharged 3.0 found in the B8?

Nope...unique to Porsche (for now) 3.0 Twin Turbo. In the S, it makes 340 HP. in the GTS it makes 360 HP.

[vpr80]

I like how this thread got revived after a year in the grave :)

PS - Didn't get the Raptor, but did get a 2-door wrangler to play with and it's been a lot of fun.

IMG_4521 small.jpg

[Thurston]

Nope...unique to Porsche (for now) 3.0 Twin Turbo. In the S, it makes 340 HP. in the GTS it makes 360 HP.

oh gotcha. so is it the same (similar but tuned differently) engine that will be in the B9?

[mstnggt66]

oh gotcha. so is it the same (similar but tuned differently) engine that will be in the B9?

Supposedly also different. The B9 engine is a big single turbo and the Macan is a twin turbo.

[Thurston]

Supposedly also different. The B9 engine is a big single turbo and the Macan is a twin turbo.

ah geez i'm just going to stop guessing.

[StealthBlackA4]

I like how this thread got revived after a year in the grave :)

PS - Didn't get the Raptor, but did get a 2-door wrangler to play with and it's been a lot of fun.

IMG_4521 small.jpg

Ayyyeee!!! A Jeep brother!

[kcrunch]

Dont understand the comparo here. Its an SUV vs a Sedan. Of coarse the sports sedan will be more fun. The SUV is more practical though. So it all depends on your needs.

Its like... Ok I want to feel better about my car so let me go drive an SUV lol

I've had my eye on a Macan as a replacement for my S4. Porsche driving dynamics, styling, superior interior etc are all big selling points. But how is a small SUV more practical than a sedan? With the sloped hatch you really don't get additional cargo room. I guess you can lay down the seats and carry something both tall and long, like a big dog kennel or something. I suppose with the ground clearance you theoretically have better off road capability, but seems unrealistic anyone would go off roading in a Macan.

[StealthBlackA4]

I've had my eye on a Macan as a replacement for my S4. Porsche driving dynamics, styling, superior interior etc are all big selling points. But how is a small SUV more practical than a sedan? With the sloped hatch you really don't get additional cargo room. I guess you can lay down the seats and carry something both tall and long, like a big dog kennel or something. I suppose with the ground clearance you theoretically have better off road capability, but seems unrealistic anyone would go off roading in a Macan.

Lol you haven't met me, then...mines seem the mud a few times. Nothing crazy, though...just a muddy field or two. As far as interior cargo space, that sloped hatch really does cut into the cargo area significantly. There's been a few time where I could have used a higher roofline, like the Cayenne offers.

[Sundowner]

I've had my eye on a Macan as a replacement for my S4. Porsche driving dynamics, styling, superior interior etc are all big selling points. But how is a small SUV more practical than a sedan? With the sloped hatch you really don't get additional cargo room. I guess you can lay down the seats and carry something both tall and long, like a big dog kennel or something. I suppose with the ground clearance you theoretically have better off road capability, but seems unrealistic anyone would go off roading in a Macan.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see the value of a Macan over an SQ5.

[RudyH]

Never cared for a Porsche sport utility vanything. You aren't buying a real Porsche, just a brand. It goes against everything I think of the Porsche brand as being. Even the Panamera I would pass on, and leave luxury to a different brand. HOWEVER, if they made a smaller sedan as in the size of the S4ish and more 911 in many ways, now you got my attention.

Save your money and get a SQ5, and buy something fun to drive with the money saved

[vpr80]

Frankly, money needs to be left out of the conversation since Porsche is much more expensive than it's peer comparables. Comparing just vehicles, Macan is awesome and much better than the SQ5 (drove both). It's pretty much a fact. Now when money is factored it, I completely agree, it's hard to justify the jump in price when you could buy your Audi of choice AND another whole vehicle. I found more value and enjoyment in my S4 (dd) and the Jeep (weekend, winter, fun) vs just the Macan Turbo and don't regret it one bit. But the Macan is a better vehicle, just is.

[RudyH]

Personally if I was buying a $65k SUV, there is only one, or two answers realistically...
http://www.landroverusa.com/vehicles...suv/index.html
http://www.jeep.com/en/grand-cheroke...egory=standard

...and if the Macan rapes it on a race track, if that's the path the conversation is going...

[VenturiRS]

Never cared for a Porsche sport utility vanything. You aren't buying a real Porsche, just a brand. It goes against everything I think of the Porsche brand as being. Even the Panamera I would pass on, and leave luxury to a different brand. HOWEVER, if they made a smaller sedan as in the size of the S4ish and more 911 in many ways, now you got my attention.

Save your money and get a SQ5, and buy something fun to drive with the money saved

I believe they are working on a Panamera Junior, no facts, all speculation.

[kcrunch]

Personally if I was buying a $65k SUV, there is only one, or two answers realistically...
http://www.landroverusa.com/vehicles...suv/index.html
http://www.jeep.com/en/grand-cheroke...egory=standard

...and if the Macan rapes it on a race track, if that's the path the conversation is going...

The Range Rover Sport and SRT Jeep are pretty different vehicles with the Macan. The Macan is more of a sporty tall hatchback/crossover with AWD. The Jeep and Range Rover are both off-road oriented SUVs that have been made very fast - a bit of an oxymoron IMHO but I have to admit they are engineering marvels.

[mstnggt66]

Never cared for a Porsche sport utility vanything. You aren't buying a real Porsche, just a brand. It goes against everything I think of the Porsche brand as being. Even the Panamera I would pass on, and leave luxury to a different brand. HOWEVER, if they made a smaller sedan as in the size of the S4ish and more 911 in many ways, now you got my attention.

Save your money and get a SQ5, and buy something fun to drive with the money saved

I've driven both and agree the argument pretty much ends up with the SQ5 being a better value. That said, the Macan PDK transmission is unbelievably good...like won't miss my third pedal good. The standard Macan suspension is equal to the SQ5 but add in the PASM (active dampening) and it is a whole different league...RS5 good. Add in the air suspension and you have a vehicle that can hussle to the mountain, get up that mountain on a lesser used dirt path, back down, and then blast home. Utlimately, the SQ5, Macan, Land Rover, and SRT8 are all good for a SUV/crossover. Physics ultimately takes them down a notch vs. a sports car/sedan. I love my S4 but want something that has the hatchback space and being able to venture off a paved road is a bonus.

[jokingjimmy]

Was just reading this blog and thought it ironically appropriate to this discussion lol. Here's the link: http://www.thedrive.com/article/1494...sm-today-sucks

And here's the snippet (that got him fired from his job at a Porsche sponsored media outlet):

"The first column of my career was a no-brainer. The new Panamera was coming out, and, as usual, I had a lot to say. I was working for a publication you probably know. I’m not afraid to name names. I just don’t want to out them now, so many years later, when they’ve evolved into something I respect, and the editor involved is long gone. He was an asshole, obviously, and still is, but that’s another story. I was hired with some fanfare, and I foolishly assumed my C-grade celebrity would grant me the freedom to write what I pleased. To wit:

Imagine a freak tornado passed through Zuffenhausen, tearing the roof off of Porsche’s vaunted design studio. By some miracle, the final sketches for a four-door sedan remain, unmolested, on designer Michael Mauer’s desk. Now imagine a flock of birds, having recently fed on the livestock felled by this freak occurrence, flying over said design studio. Their putrid droppings collect on Mauer’s sketch—recently greenlit by Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking—and, since Mauer is on vacation, it is handed off as-is for production. What other explanation is there for the exterior of the Porsche Panamera?"

[Daily Driver]

I believe they are working on a Panamera Junior, no facts, all speculation.

Yeah, the Pajun (nickname, just as the Macan was originally nicknamed the Cajun). Last I heard Porsche shelved the idea for the time being, although I have heard rumors of a possible 2019 intro. Who knows, they are tight lipped. Too bad, that would likely be my next car if it was in production- although I doubt it will be offered with three pedals. Boo.

[Victor Newman]

As an S4 owner and a Prius C owner, I highly recommend the S4 over a Prius if anyone was really on the fence about trading their S4 for a Prius. Don't let it keep you up at night