Some background and context on the switch...

My last few vehicles:
'09 E90 M3 (DCT, dynamic suspension)
'11 CTT (no perf options other than std. PASM, Air)
Current - '12 CTT (PDCC, PTV+, PASM, Air)

I bought my '11 CTT when I got married and we wanted a vehicle that had more flexibility/comfort than the M3 but still checked off the fun/sports factor. We live in city and only want one car so CTT was best option. I was amazed with the CTT compared to X5/6M, ML63, etc.

The '11 was totaled last year when an ER doc coming off night shift ran a red light at 40+ mph and we T-boned, so bought the '12 slightly used that had all the performance options. It (obviously) drives even sportier than the '11 but still leaves me missing the sports car feeling.

Test drove the Macan S (steel springs, no PTV+, Sport Chrono) and Turbo (PASM, Air, no PTV+, Sport Chrono) yesterday and put down a deposit on a July build for a Turbo.

The Macan is what I hoped the Cayenne was going to be...an M3 with more versatility/comfort.

I know many are laughing/annoyed that Porsche is marketing (and making sales people preach) that the Macan is a 911 SUV but the comparison is valid. The Macan is much closer to a 911 than a Cayenne. MUCH closer.

Macan vs Cayenne impressions:

1. PDK, PDK, PDK - My #1 complaint with the CTT is the transmission. It is hard to drive the CTT in a sporting manner even in "manual" mode since the tranny takes 2+ seconds to change gears. The CTT is fun as long as you can stay in 2nd or 3rd gear and don't have to shift, but as soon as you do it is a huge letdown.

I have driven several other P-cars with PDK and went into the Macan test drives praying it would be as engaging and fun to drive. It is and then some. What I mean by that is because you are in an SUV you have the mentality of "non-sporting" but reality is you have the engagement of a traditional P-car where you can keep engine in peak revs, lighting quick shifts, etc and I think it blows your mind even more than if you are in a 911 or Cayman where you expect it.

Here is the best way I can articulate it...for those that have a baseline expectation of P-car as 911, Caymen and were pleasantly (shockingly!?!) surprised when your drove a Panamera for the first time and thought "oh shizzle, this is a respectable P-car!", you will be twice as blown away when you drive a Macan, even an S. I don't think most can say the same about driving a Cayenne after a 911. You leave the Cayenne thinking "this smokes the competition so therefore it is Porsche worthy".

2. Engine - Both the S and TT Macan engines are great in the same way that I find the base Cayman/Boxster/Panamera engines fantastic (that is a compliment, not a passive aggressive knock!). They are truly built to racing spec, free-flow revving, nice sound, great linear torque, and pull across gears. With PDK my mom could exploit them and have a ball!

Feeling was similar to when I take my 958TT in for service and they give me a base Cayman/Boxster/Panamera as my loaner. At first I am bummed that I am getting a smaller engine but then I drive it and am grinning from ear to ear.

The Macan engines are NOT Cayenne GTS/TT great as far as torque but I don't think that will surprise anyone. The torque in the Macan engines is definitely more linear, predictable, and responsive, but not as strong. Some of this is PDK and some is the 958 engine itself.

One area that I suspect the Cayenne will be superior is highway/autobahn cruising. I am used to regular long, straight highway stints in my CTT at 120-130mph that I know the CTT could do at 150-160 without hesitation. I don't think the Macan will do that as comfortably, or maybe, quietly. We'll see.

3. Driving dynamics - I remember test driving the first Cayenne and the sales guy had me take a 360 degree highway on-ramp at ~50 mph to show me that the Cayenne could do it without flinching. It was an impressive engineering feat but nerve racking as driver/occupant.

I have always used that same test as an easy way to calibrate the driving dynamics of different cars in the real-world and show my friends what a performance car can do vs an every day sedan/SUV.

My 958s could do this same test at even greater speed but again, it was nerve racking...the car was engineering to do it but it didn't feel right. In my E90 M3 I could do it even faster and was grinning while daring myself to turn off the traction control (even if my passengers were white knuckled!).

The Macan was much more M3 than Cayenne during this same type of test. It didn't feel like it could do it just because of genius engineering and it felt like it could do much more. I went thru an empty office park at 70mph with lots of S curves and tight sweeps that was posted at 30 mph and could have done more but felt bad pushing harder with the sales guy in the demo car they are trying to sell.

4. Steering - The EPS is impressive and I liked it better than my Cayenne steering. Both of the Macan's I test drove has Power Steering Plus (which I believe is standard for US Macan's for right now) and while it is certainly (order of magnitudes) lighter than my Cayenne it had plenty of road feel and the added benefit of the new Lane Keep Assist (which is amazing).

5. Space - Tighter quarters in the front seats as far as shoulder room between driver/passenger but very comfortable.

Rear seats - I am 6'1" and could sit behind the driver seat after it was set for me. Not as roomy as Cayenne but fine for all but extended road trips. No problem for kids of any kind.

Cargo/trunk - My standard test is four sets of golf clubs and it could handle it exactly the same as my Cayenne - four bags with driving clubs pulled and laying on top fit fine.

6. Vehicle size - Living in a city / high-rise with tight parking this is big for me and the Macan is much easier to maneuver even though it is only ~5" shorter.

Hope this helps for any wondering about the Macan or thinking about switching. I love my CTT but for my situation Macan is definitely the better fit.

 

Nice review!

 

In a similar position as you.
Love my 2012 fully loaded CTT, but will be driving a Macan this Fall.
Not an easy decision. The Cayenne's interior is way nicer. I won't have Burmester in the Macan, so audio is better. And as of today Ceramic Brakes are not an option so I will accumulate more dust with less stopping power.
Like you I prefer the size maneuverability and the Transmission.
It's simply more involving.... but still somewhat practical.
Probably would have pulled the trigger already were it not fort the new Sapphire Blue color looming on the horizon (Maybe available in September?)
Please give us more comparisons when it arrives and you get daily experience with it.

 

It looks like the Macan is the perfect vehicle for the OP especially since he is living in the city where space is tight.

I couldn't agree more about the transmission. I wish our Cayenne's were fitted with it and but since the Cayenne is marketed towards a difference audience of a do it all type SUV, the 8SP auto would make sense. From what I've been told the 8SP is more robust, has a torque converter that can handle average towing duties while the PDK cannot.

I took the Macan on an extended test drive what roads I am familiar with and the only compliant I had was the chasis seemed a bit unsettled on less then perfect roads where my Cayenne seemed more absorbant to the bumps... that could be due to the longer wheelbase and weight that the Cayenne carries...

 

Excellent review. I'm sure many eagerly read it wanting to know more about the new car. Thanks.

 

A few interesting things that may be relevant to you that I learned from dealer on Saturday...

1. We asked why Sapphire Blue is not available now given it is the launch color in all the marketing materials. Salesperson said they asked the same thing at Macan training down in Alabama at Skip Barber racing school.

What he was told by corporate is that the color palettes for all vehicles are decided and set in stone 5 years prior to each model year's launch, so for instance, the color palettes for every P-car model for 2018 has already been set and will not be changed.

Then reality hits at production and there is availability issues, thus delays. Weird but he said it is consistent with color availability on other models in the lineup.

2. I asked about the sports exhaust and other options (paint/leather colors, PCCB, surround view, etc.) that is also supposed to be available starting with Sep/Oct/Nov builds and he said don't count on it.

At first I thought he was just trying to make sure I do not wait to order but when I got home and started reading the language on the website and in the brochure it is definitely very deliberately nuanced to state that those options will be available this fall "at the earliest" (i.e. not guaranteed).

The sports exhaust is the only thing I really want that is not available now and I figure that I can get it added after the fact thru Suncoast since they sell the PSE for every other current model in the lineup (so they can clearly be retrofitted).

3. We inquired about european delivery but the factory is not taking any more delivery slots from July - Sep due to too much demand. We don't want to wait that long (wouldn't get the car in US until Nov/Dec if we did Oct factory delivery) so are going to skip on this one.

 

Macan's appeal is the price. $60k gets you a decent car. a cheap 3 series now cost about $50k so it's a lot of money.

The new generation of german cars are all about value. CLA/GLA for example.

I have seen the Macan twice now. When it comes to making an order, it'll likely be a top runner.

 

Spoke to my salesman and he said they are selling a load of them. I agree about the price. Now people who wanted a Cayenne but didn't want to pay that much can get the Macan.

 

Nice review and you had my attention that I have a 2012 CTT. The one possible advantage of the CTT over the Macan is long turnpike driving and for that reason I'm a happy camper as that's the only purpose of my CTT now that I own a P85+ Tesla which captures all my day to day driving.

 

Ahh you let the cat out of the bag- The beautiful TESLA S..........
I'm sure a lot of people on here have eyed that machine!

 

I wish my dealer provides porsches for loaners

 

There is a brand new white Macan Turbo for sale and sitting in my dealers parking lot for over 3 weeks now.

Personally I like the look of the Cayenne GTS/Turbo over the Macan. The rear of the Macan looks a bit odd - too sloped in my opinion, making it look more like a wagon than a SUV.