I was recently able to drive COBB’s Porsche Macan Turbo.  This vehicle is the latest addition to the COBB fleet and was recently acquired from AMS Performance.  This exact car was the quickest and fastest Porsche Macan in the world through the quarter mile!  Needless to say, immediately after this experience, the Macan was added to my evergrowing car “shopping” list.  Although this was the ultimate example of the capabilities of the Porsche Macan, the other, less modified versions still offer an incredible all around car at a great value.

Range of Capability

Somewhere between full blown grocery-getter and agile canyon carver lies the Macan.  And believe it or not, it’s more at home as the latter.  If you’ve read anything on this Porsche that statement may not come as a surprise.  But, in a world full of sponsored content and incentivized reviews I always retain a healthy amount of skepticism.  After removing my tin-foil hat that skepticism quickly dissipated after only a few spirited miles.

The options list on the Macan, like many other Porsches, is extensive.  While more basic optioned cars will be limited to the middle of the two extremities presented, a well optioned car offers the potential to please soccer moms and enthusiasts alike.  The plush and bolstered interior prevent you from simply sitting and instead demand that you become integrated into the Macan cockpit. Features like heated and cooled seats, active lane departure warning, and easily accessible rear seat delight any driver that values comfort and safety.  Upgrades like Sport Chrono, Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE),  and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) satisfy the enthusiast.

Styling options include the choice of various color matched pieces and several wheel options.  This wide array of design packages and options satisfy any aesthetic taste.

The only criteria lacking relative to other vehicles in its class is cargo area. But, even if it is smaller than the competition (17.7 ft³ that can be upped to ~50 ft³ with the seats folded flat – about the same cubic feet as a Range Rover Evoque) this is far from a deal-breaker for most. Anyone can appreciate the cosseting of a luxury mid-size SUV but it’s the performance potential of the Macan that sets it apart; especially after a tune from the Accessport.  Much like the extensive option list creating broad versatility, ranging trims offer several levels of performance.

Macan Base

Porsche sets the floor pretty high with the Base Macan.  Equipped with a 2.0L, inline four cylinder, turbocharged engine, the Base Macan delivers 249hp and 273tq.  This is adequate for commuting in traffic but falls a little short in vehicle that weighs 4000lbs if performance is a priority.  The 2.0L Macan to accomplishes 0-60mph in 6.3s (6.1 using launch control).

Macan S

The Macan S is the next rung in the line-up.  It’s equipped with a 3.0L twin-turbocharged V-6 engine.  The power increase is night and day over the Base Macan at 335hp and 340tq!  This propels the Macan from 0-60mph in only 5.1s (4.9s using launch control).

Macan GTS

The Macan GTS bridges the gap between the S and the Turbo.  It is equipped with the mechanically identical 3.0L twin-turbocharged V-6 engine as the Macan S.  However, factory tuning changes increase output to 355hp and 369tq.  This improves the 0-60 time to 4.8s (4.6s using launch control).

Macan Turbo

The Macan Turbo is the top of the line.  It’s powered by a 3.6L twin-turbocharged V-6 increasing the Macan’s output to 395hp and 406tq or 434hp and 443tq if you opt for the performance package.  Like the GTS over the S, the gains between the regular Turbo and Turbo with performance package are delivered via tuning changes alone as they are the same mechanically.  Sport Chrono is standard on the Turbo.  Using launch mode it reaches 60mph from a stop in only 3.7s!

Whatever trim level you decide, the Accessport offers massive power gains with no additional modifications required.

	Drivetrain	HP/TQ Stock (dyno)	Avg Used Cost Nationwide (Autotrader)	HP/TQ Accessport Stage 1 93 OTS	Dyno Chart Comparison Stock vs Stage 1 93
Macan Base	2.0L I-4	214/259	$49730	261/333
Macan S	3.0L V-6	284/322	$49635	312/473
Macan GTS	3.0L V-6	301/350*	$68486	312/473	n/a
Macan Turbo	3.6L V-6	360/424	$63397	423/563
Macan Turbo w/Perf. Pkg	3.6L V-6	396/463*	n/a	423/563	n/a
*values based on same ratio of published:dyno data of other trims of same mechanical configuration

Pricing

As you can see from the above chart, thanks to depreciation, there’s great value in a fairly new Macan.  Keep in mind that the Base and GTS were not introduced until the 2016 model year.  This makes them relatively inflated compared to the S and Turbo model which have had an additional model year to depreciate.

For vehicles around the 40k mile mark consider whether the 40k scheduled maintanence has been done.  This service includes a PDK transmission flush and costs around $2000 at a Porsche dealer.

Contemplating the pricing and performance from each trim level, I think the Macan S is the way to go.  Knowledgeable buyers that value performance will shy away from the GTS or Turbo w/ performance package cars as they are mechanically identical to their less expensive counterparts (S and Turbo).  The power gains these offer are exceeded with the Accessport on the S and Turbo for a fraction of the price of paying for the higher trim level.

With so many currently for sale on the market prices will continue to fall even further.  All things considered, whichever Macan you decide to go with, you’re getting an incredible car for the money.