Decisions, decisions...do I or don't I?

I can see the appeal of the Macan but it is essentially a car that came out almost 10 years ago and if you felt some aspects of the one you tested were showing their age today they'll only start to grate on you when you have to live with it for 3 or 4 years. Trouble is they're not going to do another with a petrol engine so you're stuck if you want to wait for a new model.

Sorry only just seen this. Been a busy week.

What do I think of the Macan? Well, it’s still early days - unfortunately I’ve only managed just over 1,000 miles so far. However, we are going up to the inner Hebrides in it at the end of next week, so that will be its first proper trip and an opportunity to really bond with it (or not). It’ll also get to do some off-road work as we‘ll be visiting my aunt on Islay whose driveway consists of several miles of bumpy dirt track through the heather. Glad I ticked the spare wheel option as when my sister went up recently they managed to puncture one of the tyres of their XC90…

So what can I say so far? It is like the 440i in that it’s got lots of feel-good factor and you get two cars for the price of one - a moochy everyday sort of one and a snarling blast one for the occasions when that suits. I haven’t done the latter yet, given the mileage, but the potential is quite clearly there.

In mooching-about mode, the GTS is a relaxing companion but it isn’t as elegantly languid and drawling as the 440i was. That I used to think of as Leslie Phillips in automotive form when pootling along in Comfort mode. The GTS always has a grumblier and racier feel - at the same time, it feels more free-spinning and alert, which might be the dual clutch transmission as much as anything else. There is more NVH at a traffic light than in the BMW (in which none was detectable). Enough to make you want to leave the auto stop-start on.

That said, it is less noisy overall than the BMW and I suspect when you really prod it in Sport+ mode, it’s less savage-sounding than the BMW, which post-fettle, could summons a quite special and very loud yowl that would have done an E46 M3 proud.

Where the BMW cannot hold a candle to it is the road holding. On a fast and twisty road, the 440i would be reduced to a distant speck in the rear view mirror. The BMW wasn’t bad (and had adaptive suspension) but it ran out of ideas over about 7/10ths and was never a back road weapon. Whereas the Macan is quite ridiculously good. It handles better than our Mini Cooper, turning in with an alacrity and poise that is outright good, never mind good for an SUV. All the while maintaining a ride quality that’s very impressive for anything on 21” wheels - then again I went for the no-cost-option to delete the GTS lowered air suspension for the standard air suspension, having read several reviews that suggested this was the best compromise.

It’s probably 10mpg off the BMW in terms of economy albeit that it is still very young and the BMW improved by a good 10mpg over the 50k miles I put on it. I’ve seen 32-33 on a largely law-abiding motorway run. Which is better than I expected, but it has a 75 litre tank and it wants 98 octane, so fuelling is a pretty pricey experience and meant I have bothered to join the Porsche owners club which gets you an Esso fuel card that takes 6p off a litre of super.

I love the look and design. There are sunny days when I think the Gentian blue paint is a shade too bright and that I might have preferred Night Blue but on overcast or less bright days it looks fab. I love the wheels but if I were to be specifying it again, I think I’d lose the red calipers in favour of black or another colour. That might be me getting a tad middle-aged… Equally I slightly prefer the look without roof rails but picked them having discovered that you can’t fit roof bars to a Macan that lacks them (as is the case also with our Mini).

Dimensionally, it’s good apart from the width. It’s about 10cms wider than the BMW and I do notice that. Then again that makes it amply spacious inside for our needs with a decent boot. It’s done a couple of tip trips when we were giving the garden a makeover and stripping old trellises and whatnot, and you can get a lot in. I do like the raised driving position as does Mrs RT.

Sticking with the interior, fit and finish is generally excellent - the sense of perceived quality is much higher than in the 440i. Much, much nicer leather. But some of the VAG way of doing things irk after many years being spoilt by BMW’s (formerly) excellent ergonomics. With the exception of the cruise control - once I got used to that, it works I think better. It’s little things. The remote key requires two presses before it will also close an open window or sunroof. The wing mirrors don’t fold out automatically when you unlock it. I can’t close the boot lid from the key. The inner boot button only does “close” and the one on the rear wiper only does “open” - that annoys compared to the BMW. Possibly I can fix both via the computer, but I don’t know how. Then, whilst we are slowly getting used to the touchscreen interface and it undeniably looks gorgeous, the usability is infinitely less than an iDrive system with a central rotary controller. Just not even close to being as user-friendly. For example, the navigation display in our Mini does have a touch screen but we never ever use it because the central rotary controller which falls more naturally to hand is far easier to use than reaching out and jabbing at a small screen.

Probably the thing I least like so far is the way the gearbox feels in low speed manoeuvring. Reversing in the driveway always makes me feel like the clutch is slipping. Apparently this is a feature of dual clutch systems. Either way, I don’t like it. Underway, however, the gearbox is absolutely fine with smooth and swift changes although I find myself resorting to the flappy paddles more than I did in the BMW (whose paddles I almost never used). That’s no hardship as they are lovely solid-feeling metal items. Apparently the done thing is to reset the gearbox once you’ve finished the running in period, to override the fact it has spent 1500 miles learning that you drive like Miss Daisy.

That all might sound a bit lukewarm but it’s mainly because I just haven’t had a chance to properly get to grips with it yet. And also because I’m still missing the 440i.

Thanks, really interesting.

I thought the GTS suspension was fine in terms of comfort.  Unfortunately anything after late 2018 isn’t going to sound as good, but it does liven up a lot in Sport+ at higher revs,

Interesting comment re low speed manoeuvring, it’s not something I’ve noticed in mine with the same gearbox, but there was some low down hesitation in the Macan which I mentioned in my earlier post.

The ‘pre-facelift facelift’ car has shortcut buttons for the infotainment as does mine with the newer PCM, I don’t know why they removed them.  I agree about iDrive vs touchscreen but I’m used to that after 3 years and I’ve found I’m using the little turn wheel for moving through the menus.  Also, the latest ‘natural’ voice control is very good, although I’ve no idea why you’d shout “hey Porsche” when there’s a button on the steering wheel.  

Only 1,000 miles in over 4 months…you’re really going to enjoy getting to know it on the trip North! 

It does.  Although we've had it close to 5 years, keeping it another year or so is a serious option as it does everything so well.  

Lindsay isn't bothered about the extra height, but does like the idea of a step up in quality and sound. 

There is that.  If it isn’t a Macan then it’s highly unlikely to be an SUV, as she doesn’t like them as a general rule.  I’ve suggested the F Pace R and Stelvio QF, neither were received all that well. 

If it wasn’t for the front end styling an M3 would be on the shortlist…. might still be worth a look as the extra gopping models are making it look slightly more acceptable when it’s in a dark colour.   Apart from that I’m struggling.  

It’s an option, but would ‘need’ to be a Vorsprung for adaptive dampers and a couple of other things, then you’re up to nearly £70k for a recent one.   That’s daft, but the predicted monthly depreciation isn’t bad. 

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305157398564?atmobcid=soc3

I like this, although I would have to see the interior, it’s even got the isofix option (which can be retrofitted).  I’m not sure a 2 seater would work as a second car and Lindsay wouldn’t be able to use it for work through (car allowance rules), she’d have to register mine and only use that for business miles. 

finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsche-718-boxster-gts-40-my22-preowned-NW3XOP

How about a Ghibli or a Guilia?

Well if an M3 is in the running and you don't like the front just get one of these.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304176378015?advertising-location=at_cars&include-delivery-option=on&make=BMW&model=Alpina%20B3&postcode=gu71ng&sort=price-desc&fromsra

Left field if you r going used. Dodgy Irmscher tailpipes excepted. 

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304056011051?advertising-location=at_cars&include-delivery-option=on&make=Land%20Rover&minimum-badge-engine-size=5.0&model=Range%20Rover%20Velar&postcode=gu71ng&sort=relevance&fromsra

I've been pleased with mine.There are issues,the fuel economy is pretty bad and I really am not a fan of the newer PCM vs the one in the gt3.Far too much stuff on screen (and yes I have created my own layout etc) with some tiny icons that are really hard to use when driving,and it seems it does not like switching between car play and normal use (if I listen to radio then say use google maps I cannot get any sound if I switch back to the radio as an example).
Engine is mediocre and I think it a shame they discontinued the diesel because it would easily average 40mpg I reckon compared to the 25 I struggle to get.

2019 with the 350 bhp engine .

Some photos from our trip to Islay at the end of June. My aunt lives in an isolated farm house a mile and a half from the nearest tarmac road, and so our Macan got more off-roading experience going up and down the track every day for a week than I wager most get in their lifetime! It does actually have an off-road mode which jacks the air suspension up quite noticeably and was considerably more comfortable ride-wise on the track than my aunt’s Subaru Forester.

All in trip was around 1,500 miles so car is now thoroughly run in.

The perfect car for that trip. Performance and comfort for the distance and capability for the rough track.

The colour really pops with the sun on it.

A muddy Macan in London. Did people stare?