As of right now, Porsche offers the Porsche Cayenne as the Porsche SUV flagship. It is available as a regular SUV or in coupe form. The only other SUV currently offered by Porsche is the smaller Macan SUV, which comes with various trims and engine options.
Between the two, the Cayenne is noticeably larger and it also commands a more serious road presence, especially in the coupe form. The Macan is handsome looking and well-proportioned, just like any other Porsche. The Cayenne is a midsize SUV, whereas the Macan is compact.
The Porsche Macan costs around $52k, which is quite expensive compared to the rest of the German compact SUV segment. And that’s just the entry price, if you want the Macan S or the Macan GTS, you are looking at a $10-20k increase, respectively.
If you want the top-of-the-line Macan Turbo Model, be ready to spend almost $85k, without any options. The Macan is a great car, but it is really expensive. However, according to MotorTrend, the Macan still retains as much as 61% of its value after 5 years, which is indeed class-leading.
Entry-level Porsche Macan
The Porsche Macan is a great all-around package, and arguably, the Macan is the best Porsche you can buy right now if you want the perfect mixture of luxury, size, sportiness, and even the capabilities of mild to moderate off-roading.
The entry-level Macan comes equipped with a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine aimed at combining speed and efficiency. At 245hp and 370Nm of torque, the Macan is able to sprint 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds, and eventually can reach an electronically limited top speed of 140mph.
The Macan is relatively well-equipped, but you are looking at a couple of grands worth of upgrades if you want to take advantage of all the modern-day Porsche technology. And Porsche being Porsche, such options are plentiful and rather expensive.
Coming in at a $52k retail price, the Macan is a definite step up compared to the Audi Q5 which costs around $45k, the Mercedes GLC which costs around $43k, or the BMW X3 which costs more or less the same as the GLC.
Mid-range Porsche Macan S/Porsche Macan GTS
If you are willing to spend around $61k, the Macan S is the way to go. The Macan S offers a significant bump in performance thanks to a 3.0L V6 engine equipped with 354hp and 480 Nm of torque. These power figures enable the Macan S to reach 60mph in 5.3 seconds, and the Macan S eventually tops out at 155mph.
The Macan GTS, on the other hand, is the sportiest Macan model without getting into $80k+ Turbo models. The GTS offers the same engine, but the power is increased to 380hp. The 0-60mph time is now under 5 seconds, and the top speed is 160mph.
Between the two, the Macan S does seem like a better value, and quite possibly the value pick out of the entire range. It’s also worth mentioning that lots of car magazines have timed the Macan S to be a lot quicker in its 0-60mph speed.
The same story goes for the GTS as well, so rest assured you won’t be lacking any power if you opt for either of these. The GTS package looks a lot more aggressive and purposeful, but value-wise, the Macan S is the best pick out of the entire range.
Top-of-the-line Macan Turbo
If you want the best Porsche Macan model currently available, you ought to consider the Porsche Macan Turbo. Even though the Turbo costs $85, the engine stays the same, and the power increases are not all that huge, but you do get some additional features included.
That being said, a 3.0L V6 engine mated to Porsches legendary PDK gearbox enables the Macan Turbo to sprint 0-60mph at a claimed 4.5 seconds, but the true 0-60mph times are more like a second less than that.
The Macan Turbo offers 440hp, 550 Nm of torque, and a top speed of 170mph. But the greatest thing about the Macan Turbo is the way the car drives. The whole Macan platform is probably the most dynamic compact SUV platform on the market, bar the Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
And that’s really impressive, but not all that surprising. It is Porsche we are talking about after all. Depreciation-wise, all Macan models do better than the rest of the compact luxury SUV segment. The only gripes are the high entry prices and the prices of additional options that are always expensive, but necessary.
Other things to know about the Macan
Are Porsche Macan models well equipped from the factory?
Not really. You get a 10.9-inch infotainment touch screen, Apple Car Play, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, Wi-Fi hotspot, satellite radio, LED headlights, and a 10-speaker surround-sound system as standard.
If you opt for the Premium package, you will also get heated front and rear seats, auto-dimming mirrors, adaptive headlights, and a 14-speaker audio system. The interior of the Macan is nice, but it is starting to show its age a little bit. You can solve this by opting for a full leather pack, which costs an exorbitant $2330.
How reliable is the Porsche Macan?
More often than not, Porsches are reliable. But the Macan is not as reliable as let’s say a 911. J.D. Power rates the Macan with a reliability score of 77 out of 100. This means that the Macan is better than average, but not great.
However, many other surveys tend to place the Macan a bit higher. That being said, it all depends on how well the car has been maintained, and this differs from one owner to the other. But, rest assured that your Macan will serve you well if you take proper care of it.
Is the Porsche Cayenne a better SUV compared to the Macan?
The Porsche Cayenne is the flagship SUV model, and Porsche wants its flagships to be superior in almost every aspect. So, yes, a Cayenne is a better SUV compared to the Macan, but it does come at a hefty price premium.
The Cayenne offers more engine options, is better off-road, is available in either a coupe or an SUV version, is considerably more powerful and is better equipped. The differences between the Cayenne and the Macan are somewhat comparable to the differences between the 911 and the Boxster/Cayman models.
