The grass is not always greener
This weekend I tested out two cars to try to solve The Porsche Macan dilemma.
The first was a 2012 Volkswagen Passat 125TDI.
The car looked well cared for in the photos, but when I saw it in person, it was a different story.
First some damage and broken items:
- The sunroof blind was broken and wouldn’t close. In addition, I thought the material was too thin and would let in too much light even when shut.
- Bad sound and vibration from front left, when turning. Maybe a wheel bearing?
- Basic servicing done but missing some big things like timing belt, water pump.
- Missing all underbody protection. Broken front bumper clips underneath and possible broken radiator mount. Seems the car took a big hit at front, maybe into a kerb. It may also explain the front left wheel noise.
- Paintwork pretty rough but could be corrected. Car has clearly been left outside for long periods.
- The main positive in the service history was that the AC compressor was replaced about a year ago.
As for the car itself, my impressions were:
- Aircon not strong, nowhere as good as Porsche, especially in the rear - weak airflow. This is a problem for backseat passengers and my son.
- Steering very light but didn’t feel disconnected - good.
- A huge amount of road noise from the tyres on motorway. Really unacceptable. This may be due to missing underbody protection or crap tyres / overinflated.
- Adaptive cruise much smoother than the Porsche system. I preferred it.
- Sufficient power and torque. Doesn’t feel slow. The DSG gearbox is good, shifts well and engine actually makes an alright noise when revved out. Surprised me for a diesel.
- Seat comfort is good, control ergonomics better than Porsche, nice arm rests.
- DynAudio Hifi not as good as I thought it would be. Nicer vocal and top end tone than the Porsche Bose. Lacks subwoofer but bass was tight and acceptable. Rear tweeters were too close to my head. I had to adjust forward fader to quiet them down a bit. Might be a seat position issue.
Overall, would I be happy with a Passat? Maybe. But with this one? No. It’s clear it hasn’t been cared for to my standards.
The deal breakers are the weak aircon, sunroof, and road noise, though I’d have to drive another one to see if this was unique to this car.
The next day I inspected a 2017 Skoda Superb 140TDI. This one was very well optioned which elevates the car significantly. It had air conditioned seats, a Canton Hifi, Xenon headlights and every driver assistance technology.
The Skoda had done 168,000km and was the workhorse for a family of four. Despite this, the difference in condition between it and the Passat was significant.
Other than some kerb rash on the passenger side wheels, the car was in excellent condition. The only fault I found was a buzzing vibration from the dash plastic when at full throttle.
The owner had it since new and was very passionate about it, which I related to.
My impressions were:
- Interior rear passenger space is huge. Feels very comfortable back there. Rear aircon good - not quite the same as Porsche, a bit less power. But…
- No sunroof, so the car doesn’t get as hot and aircon doesn’t have to work so hard. I prefer a hardtop for this reason.
- Seats are actually air conditioned, not just ventilated. This is amazing and super comfortable. The Porsche has ventilation but not as good.
- Seats themselves are good. Sufficient adjustment, wider than Porsche and comfy. Sitting lower is nice as I can create a seat ‘bucket’ and have my legs at a more comfortable angle.
- Left side arm rest ratchets into place and is great for bracing arm and holding steering wheel.
- Right side arm rest was a bit too far away, but maybe could be OK with more time to adjust seat.
- Steering is completely lifeless and dead (isn’t this what I want?) feels like a video game, driving by remote control. Quite light.
- Handling is surprisingly good. Plenty of grip and corners flat and level, considering its size.
- Good visibility in all directions.
- Ride comfort good though didn’t get to try on poor roads.
- However, there wasn’t the same sense of isolation that the Porsche has.
- Engine and gearbox good. Plenty of torque and little turbo lag. More torque than Passat. Ample for a car of this type
- Canton Hifi was good though I felt the midrange was a bit harsh, like the speaker quality was not great or it was working too hard. I liked the customisation options.
- Infotainment better than Porsche. Easy to use. Android auto works flawlessly.
- Driver footwell space huge. Feels like driving in an armchair.
- Passenger comfort also high. Lots of room.
- Road noise higher than Porsche but still good.
- Adaptive cruise and lane keep works well. Not intrusive. Easy to switch off and on quickly.
- Huge amount of internal storage cubbies up front. Glovebox, centre bin, sunglasses holder, etc.
- Rear space also enormous. No lift-up floor though so the load-through is not flat. Maybe this can be added on as an accessory?
In summary, the car ticks every box and should be all the car I’d ever need, but … it doesn’t have the X-factor I’m looking for, I felt no connection to the car at all.
It’s hard to describe what is missing, but I’ll try. I think there’s three things I can discern:
Construction and materials
The Macan doesn’t feel like it’s been assembled from parts, rather it’s like it’s been carved out of a single block. Everything is reassuringly rigid and solid.
The materials further enhance the sensation, touch points like the door handles and paddle shifters are milled from solid aluminium and feel cold, heavy, and like they will last forever.
Even the seat controls are solid aluminium.
My Macan was built in 2015, so it’s 10 years old now and yet feels like a new car. I like to take good care of my cars, so I couldn’t tolerate having visible wear and tear, the use of quality materials helps here.
Isolation
Getting into the Macan feels like stepping into a bank vault. The road and wind noise is extremely low, even on the motorway.
The Bordeaux Red interior seems to be a rare choice. Many choose a bright red. I think this is much more classy.
Vibrations are non-existent, which I think is a significant contributor to the luxurious feel.
The air suspension soaks up major bumps in the road, with a distant low-frequency ‘whump’ that never seems to disturb the car, or its occupants.
The Macan does a better job than the Passat or Superb at both construction and materials, and isolation.
You may not think this a fair comparison when considering the purchase price of these cars, but since they have only one task to accomplish I did expect them to at least be on-par, however I was disappointed.
This makes the Macan’s third feature even more powerful:
Performance, engagement and feel
Somehow the Macan manages to deliver amazing isolation, without becoming a dead and lifeless appliance.
Even when driving in comfort mode, the steering is communicative of the road surface, and weights up as the tyres are taxed. In day to day driving it’s most noticeable under braking, especially on poor surfaces.
The chassis transmits the quality of the road surface too, but it’s not intrusive.
When putting the car into Sport mode, throttle response sharpens, body roll is reduced, and shifts are quicker, accompanied by a nice ‘blat’ from the exhaust. The car can hustle and suddenly feels more hot hatch than SUV.
If this is where it ended, the Macan would already be an incredible package, but with the addition of the optional Sport Chrono add-on, an even higher tier is unlocked.
Sport Plus completely transforms the car and delivers staggering levels of performance and most importantly, laugh-out-loud fun, which shouldn’t be possible to achieve in a ~2-tonne family SUV.
In this mode, my Turbo Macan equipped standard with air suspension drops 25mm lower than steel sprung cars, improving the centre of gravity. Damping is firmer again, inspiring confidence and cornering flat and level.
Throttle response and shifts are sharper still. Unleashing all 400hp on a straightaway and hearing the ‘bbrr-atatat’ upshifts gives no doubt this is a true Porsche product.
My only criticism of this mode is that Porsche Traction Management does not seem to relax it’s hold over the dynamics of the car, and can be felt stabbing away at the brakes and limiting power.
Thankfully this can be easily turned off by holding the button for a few seconds.
With PTM off the car delightfully rotates through corners with throttle, while remaining well glued to the tarmac thanks to the AWD system. Of course it’s still managing a huge amount of weight that is ever-present, but the experience is very rewarding for the driver.
The cynic in me acknowledges that this experience is manufactured. It’s a fuzzy facsimile of a sports car, carefully crafted by Porsche.
Considering the breadth of the Macan’s capabilities, it’s entirely forgivable, and even desirable.
Who doesn’t want sports car feel without any of the drawbacks? I can take my wife, son, dog, and luggage, on a motorway cruise for an hour in quiet comfort. Then, head home through the mountains with the hammer down, carving and having fun.
Packed for Christmas at the in-laws.
The driving engagement is not on par with a real sports car, even one that is similarly designed to be comfortable and performant, like my BMW Z4, but, it’s both impressive and fun.
Whats the problem then?
Having just described the Macan with such glowing positivity, it’s difficult to understand why I’d consider moving to something like a Passat or Superb.
I think because I have been spending so much time driving my family around, the monetary and time investment in owning the Macan feels wasted.
If I were to measure the time I spend in sport / plus modes, I’m sure it would equate to less than 10% of the driving I do.
The Macan’s ownership costs are not insignificant for me at this time in my life, so ‘wasting’ 90% of that is a luxury I don’t have.
However, testing the Passat and Superb has shown me that the Macan exceeds their comfort levels, and includes a number of small but important features that they lack.
The fastest car ever to park in this spot.
My Golf R was used in a similar way - 90% of the time just getting places, and carrying things, but I was happy with that. Perhaps I am more conscious of money these days than I once was.
I describe cars like the Macan and Golf R as ‘superlative’. The definition is ‘of the highest quality or degree.’ Rolex uses this to describe its watches, but a more accurate word would be ‘superfluous’. In the computer age, who needs a hand-wound wristwatch that’s accurate to within 4 seconds per day?
Superfluous is defined as ‘unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.’ Certainly not the message Rolex wants to send it’s prospective customers! Due to its proximity, I personally attribute superlative to mean ‘more than is required, in a good way’.
Indeed when I was recently driving my family in torrential rain, I was glad I had more safety technology than was required. On another occassion I was passing stopped cars when someone suddenly pulled in front of me, I was glad I had more grip, better handling, bigger brakes, etc … than was required, so I could safely avoid an impact.
On the rare occasion I am in the car on my own and want to flex it’s athletic muscles, I will be glad the car is ready and capable.
Its easy to forget these benefits when they’re not being exercised regularly.
Speaking more generally, my nature is to look for fault in my life, try to optimise and improve things. This results in me thinking ‘the grass is greener’ elsewhere.
I’ve learned that it’s easier and healthier for me to pursue and test my theory, rather than try to ignore it or let it fester.
The X-Factor
I still don’t feel like I’ve accurately defined what the x-factor is. I think it’s different for each person.
It may be very plush materials. A high seating position. Lots of space. A particular badge.
For me, it may be performance driving engagement.
This is what the Passat and Superb were lacking, and what was missing from other sporty cars I tested before buying the Macan, like the BMW X3 M40i and Audi S5.
Then again, maybe its just about value. If the Passat or Superb did deliver on the list of benefits I outlined in my previous article at a much lower price, it may have been a done deal.
I came away from the recent test drives questioning my motives for trying them.
I think I’m realising that to get something that has my X factor, I’d need to invest more money, which upsets the value equation further.
I may be willing to sacrifice performance for even higher levels of comfort and luxury, but the Passat and Superb aren’t the cars to do it.
I’ll keep an eye out for a car that can beat the Macan at doing everything, but for now it keeps its crown.
Plan A
I’ve made a list of items I want to try to fix on the Macan.
- Porsche Steering Plus
- This should help with the overly heavy steering by boosting low speed assistance.
- Hifi upgrade
- After driving the Passat and Superb, I feel I was perhaps too hard on the Macan’s stereo. I had some rose tinted glasses when remembering my Golf R’s DynAudio system.
- I may be able to just upgrade the tweeters in the Macan, as they are the weakest component in my view.
- Seat comfort
- I will talk to an upholsterer about removing the adjustable side bolsters on the lower seat. I think if the solid components were replaced with some soft foam it would be much more comfortable for long journeys.
There’s also a few maintenance items to address. I have the car booked in with Porsche for March to sort them out.
Once done, the car should be ready for another 10 years of ownership.
I do think it would be pretty cool to have a Macan with 250,000km on the odometer. Nothing better than a car that is well used and maintained!
The Porsche Macan dilemma
The car I’ve owned the longest is a MK6 Volkswagen Golf R, which I bought new in 2010, and owned for 14 years.
I never expected to own any car as long as I did the Golf, but because I was upside-down on finance, and because the car was so good in many ways, I kept it..
I cared for it well. When it left my ownership it had 155,000km on the odometer, but looked brand new.
It was very hard for me to part with it, but the arrival of my son P meant I needed more boot space for a pram, bags, coolers and many other things yet to come.
Fine for a travel pram but not enough for the three of us including dog to go on holiday.
There wasn’t much I disliked about the Golf.
I thought the ride was a bit too firm, even with the adaptive chassis control set to comfort mode.
I also wished it had adaptive cruise control, but that was pretty new in 2010.
Otherwise, it was fast, gripped well, was very comfortable, had a fantastic hifi, and was cheap to run.
The Search
When shopping to replace my Golf R, I struggled to find something that excited me.
This was important, as the arrival of my son was a huge change in my life, and I didn’t want to feel like I was losing access to a fun daily driver and becoming a ‘boring family man’.
This is a terrible belief, but one that I had to overcome in my own way. More on that later.
I had bought the Z4 about a year earlier, but I hadn’t yet committed to keeping it. If I sold it, I wanted my other car to be dual purpose like the Golf R. Daily-able but also fun.
In my search I drove around 20 cars, a mixture of wagons, fastbacks, and SUVs.
Some of my shortlisted options.
I really didn’t want to buy an SUV, because I find they handle poorly. I don’t like the body roll caused by the high centre of gravity, nor the upright seating position.
However, I could see the benefits of a higher load floor when putting a car seat in and out, and my wife really likes them, so I did try some.
My favourite cars were the Mercedes C250 Estate, the Audi SQ7, and the Volkswagen Arteon.
I felt the Mercedes drove very nicely but was a bit boring. The SQ7 was too big, but very comfy. The Arteon was quick and handled well, but its big boot was not easy to access.
After a test drive of a BMW X3 M40i disappointed me, the dealer suggested I try a Porsche Macan.
I’d not considered one as I always thought they were just a rebadged Audi SQ5. Boy was I wrong.
Wolf amongst the sheep.
Immediately on driving the Macan, I was impressed. Straight away I could tell the car was made for an enthusiast like me. It didn’t feel like an SUV, more like a hot hatch, which is exactly what I wanted. I was excited.
I subsequently researched the Macan in a lot of detail and decided I wanted a Turbo as they came with air suspension, which would ensure the most comfortable ride. As a bonus, it would allow me to lower it on demand to make it look less like an SUV!
I found a top of the range, well optioned example built in 2015, and bought it in January 2024.
Parked next to my Golf R, you can see how small the ride height difference is. It’s even less when the car is lowered in sport mode by 25mm.
The honeymoon … is over
I’ve had mixed feelings about the Macan, which started a few months into owning it.
I was disappointed by the hifi. Then I had issues with the seat and general ergonomics, and later, steering. But first let’s begin with an overview:
I really like how the Macan handles, while you never forget it’s a 2-tonne SUV, the suspension and AWD system combined produce an actual drivers car which gives real feel and can be adjusted in corners.
The engine is good, it has good power relative to the weight, and with the PDK gearbox delivering fast shifts, it’s fun to blast around suburbia. The V6 isn’t as smooth as I’d like, it feels best in the midrange rather than being revved out.
Practicality is OK. The boot is good but rear passenger space is quite small. The front cabin is also only moderate, and is dominated by a large transmission / control centre stack.
Loaded up for a family trip.
Economy is tolerable. I average about 14L/100 around town, and 9L/100 on the motorway. Overall I get about 550km from a 75L tank.
Servicing costs are high, even by euro standards. Porsche make it difficult for independent shops to do work, and unlike my BMW there’s very little information online for do-it-yourself work. It seems most Macan owners rarely open the hood.
Oil changes are straightforward, but the engine packaging is so tight it’s difficult to work on other items. There’s also requirement for expensive ($500+) tools to do basic things like reset the oil change reminder or read error codes.
A change in paradigm
Now that I’ve committed to keeping my BMW Z4, the Macan is my dedicated daily driver and family car which is doing about 18,000km per year.
Anytime I have opportunity to go for a fun drive, or anytime I’m on my own, I’ll take the Z4. It gets driven once or twice a fortnight.
The problem with the Macan is that it’s filling the role of the daily driver, but brings with it all the compromises of a do-it-all performance car.
This starts to weigh down the ownership experience, when not offset by fun performance driving.
In addition, I’ve gotten past my belief that a ‘boring’ car is unacceptable. On the contrary I find myself longing for a car unburdened by the Macan’s compromises.
This has been reinforced by the sheer volume of driving hours I’m doing. For the past few years, I’d drive short distances, maybe three times a week. I work from home so have no commute.
Now I’m driving two or three hours a day. At that end of the scale, small inconveniences and compromises become much more significant.
The dream garage
If I was wealthy, and I don’t mean Bezos rich, but if I had a million dollars in the bank and no debt, I’d probably buy a Porsche Panamera, or maybe an Audi RS6. These cars deliver even more comfort and performance than the Macan, which might sway the value proposition.
Then again, maybe not. Perhaps hypothetical J got a million dollars in the bank by not buying expensive cars …
The ultimate dad-car.
The Volkswagen Passat
I considered a Passat when I was looking to replace the Golf, but since it has even less performance offering than the Mercedes C250 I didn’t explore it in much detail. I still believed that I needed a do-it-all performance car.
Am I low enough to join the low club? No?
However, now that I’ve put that idea to bed, I’m considering a Passat again. There’s one for sale that has me very interested.
It is right in the middle of the Passat production run, so has the old interior design with floor-mounted accelerator pedal which I prefer over the new models, but is optioned with driver assistance tech like adaptive cruise and DynAudio Hifi.
Let’s consider what I would gain by switching to the Passat:
The positives
DynAudio ‘Confidence’ Hifi
My Golf R had a DynAudio ‘Excite’ sound system which is still the best I’ve ever heard in a car. It was so good I bought DynAudio speakers for home too.
The Passat gets the higher tier ‘Confidence’ system so should sound even better.
The Bose Hifi in my Macan is not pleasant, it has muddy midrange, harsh metallic highs, and no soundstage or energy.
It’s a shame because the Macan is a very quiet car, much quieter than my Golf, but I can’t fill this silence with music.
I really miss listening to great music on a long drive - the Golf was so good I’d sometimes just sit in it and enjoy the music at the end of the day.
When sitting on the motorway for a few hours a week, the most useful feature is a good hifi.
Lighter steering.
The Macan has very heavy steering, it feels similar to my Z4 in ‘sport plus’ mode.
This offers better feel when driving for fun, but is tiring to live with. Its really unforgiveable in a car with electric power steering.
As a result, long journeys are fatiguing. Ironically my Z4 is easier to drive long distance than the Macan, thanks to its sharp and light steering in comfort mode.
Better ergonomics
I’ve struggled to get comfortable in the Macan. I’m of average height and weight, but find the 18-way seats have too aggressive bolstering on the base and sides.
This led to possibly the most privileged thing I’ve ever said out-loud to my wife: “My Porsche’s seats aren’t comfortable.” I know, cry me a river.
The steering wheel does not telescope out far enough, so I have to sit further upright than I’d like to reach it. I’d prefer a more reclined seating position as this takes the weight off my lower back.
The middle arm rest slides forward and back, but is only useful when forward, but, it then covers the cupholders, so it stays stowed and I have nowhere to rest my left arm.
The legroom is compromised due to the intrusion of the transmission tunnel. Not a problem for those in left-hand drive countries but Porsche didn’t bother to reverse it, so the driver has nowhere to put their left leg.
All of these are issues that don’t come up on a test drive, and might not ever, if you don’t drive long distances.
I never had these problems with my Golf. The ergonomics were spot on. I could drive five hours straight without any discomfort. The Passat would be the same as it’s the same platform and design.
Look at all the legroom in my Golf!
More boot space
The Macan has a respectable 488L of boot space, but the sloping rear hatch means that it’s sometimes difficult to fit things. Thankfully the rear seats fold flat-ish in a 40-20-40 split.
The VW Passat has a much more square boot, and a whopping 600L of space. However the seats only fold 70/30, with a load through ski hatch.
Whilst the Macan has been sufficient for the first year of our son’s life, I foresee that we will need to carry more stuff for family outings.
We just got Mr P a trike and it entirely fills the boot of the Macan. In a way it replaces the pram, but I think a bit of extra boot space would be helpful in the coming few years.
Lower running costs
I believe that cars don’t really differ significantly in cost of ownership if they’re cared for properly.
This applies within the class of car. EG a Porsche SUV will cost around the same as a BMW or Volvo SUV. A Volkswagen Estate will probably cost around the same to run as a Mercedes or BMW Wagon, but will be cheaper than a BMW SUV. However, it’s becoming apparent that Porsche may be an exception.
Basic servicing is the same, but parts and labour to diagnose and repair issues is more costly. The packaging of the engine means it takes a long time to take the car apart to access the faulty component(s). Each time something breaks, there’s a few hours of disassembly and re-assembly labour.
I estimate that running the Porsche for a year will cost me $10,152, whereas the Passat would cost me $3,876. These figures exclude servicing or faults, but its also likely that the Macan would cost more if it had a problem.
Less mental load
I find myself worrying about the Macan more than I’d like.
Is it parked somewhere it might get a ding in the door, or will some jealous person key it?
Will my son spill his drink in the back seat?
Can I afford to fix a major mechanical fault?
Am I devaluing it by putting too many kilometres on it?
I will always care about my cars, but a $13,000 Passat doesn’t attract the same level of worry as a Porsche.
Even more wow from my Z4
Getting out of the Macan and into my BMW Z4 is a special occasion, but because the Macan has a lot of power and handles well, it’s less of a contrast than it would be with the Passat.
Stepping from the Passat into the Z4 would be like going from a steam boat to warp speed. It will feel even more special.
Now let’s consider what I’d lose if I gave up the Macan:
The negatives
Performance
The Macan is a 400 horsepower car, and even with two tonnes to move it’s very quick. 0-100kph in about 4.4 seconds with launch control. It’s as quick as my Z4!
The point of performance is mostly fun, its enjoyable to blast away from traffic or string together some corners and feel the chassis working.
I believe that performance aids safety - there’s many situations I’ve been able to remove myself from just by having access to more power, more grip, and having the confidence to deploy it.
The Passat is not a slow car, but its pretty average. It has 167 horsepower, 0-100 takes around 8 seconds, though that could be improved with a tune to bring it up to around 215hp, it will still be pretty average.
There will be rare occasions where I find myself on a good road and will miss the power and handling of the Macan.
Character
The Macan has attitude. It sits low to the ground, has great aggressive styling both outside and in, and makes a great noise.
The Passat is a very subtle car by comparison. I still think it looks good but it doesn’t exude performance or prestige the way the Porsche does.
I’d miss the exhaust note and the styling of the Macan. I probably wouldn’t take as many photos of the Passat.
All wheel drive and ride height
The Macan’s AWD means I can put the power down in adverse conditions with confidence, and the ride height means it can go over rough ground with ease.
The Passat is front wheel drive, which is a safe option but lacks the planted nature of AWD that grants more grip through acceleration.
It also doesn’t have the same ride height, but I very rarely ever use the Macan off road, with it’s performance tyres it’s not exactly a bush basher.
Cooled seats
A minor thing I know, but I’ve always wanted a car with cooled seats. The Macan has that option, but the Passat doesn’t.
I guess I could have them fitted but it probably isn’t worth it.
That feeling
I don’t consider myself a badge snob. Like I said earlier, I didn’t even rate the Macan until I drove one. But there’s something special about walking up to the Macan in the carpark.
I get the same feeling with my BMW, and I had the same with my Golf R. They’re all special cars.
Will the Passat feel as special? I doubt it.
Value
Having considered all the benefits and drawbacks listed above, I think the value proposition for owning a Passat instead of a Macan is strong.
In all aspects of my life I look for value. If something brings me joy or eases a burden, it delivers good value.
It’s why I was happy to spend a lot of money fitting our house with ducted aircon. It’s significantly better than split systems and makes our home really comfortable.
The equity and cost of ownership is also a factor in calculating the value.
If I were to sell the Porsche and swap to the Passat, I’d likely free up about $35,000 in equity. This could go towards paying off the remainder of my loan on the Z4, and I’d still have $8,000 left over. It would save me money on interest too.
I’m no longer getting the value from having $35,000 invested in the Macan, so it’s time for something to change.
The plan
I have three options available to me:
Plan A
I can keep the Macan and try to fix the things I don’t like. This would mean:
- Buying Porsche Steering Plus upgrade to try to make the steering lighter ($700)
- Upgrading the Hifi ($5,000)
However, after doing this, I’d have even more money invested in a car which is only being used at 10% of it’s performance capability, which is poor value.
It also doesn’t rectify all of the concerns I listed above, however I do get to keep the benefits too.
Plan B
Sell the Macan and buy a Passat. Use the difference to pay off my Z4. Accept that my daily driver will be a bit ‘boring’ but much nicer to taxi my son and wife around in. Enjoy my Z4 on the weekends debt-free.
In a year or two I could consider buying a late model R36 wagon for a bit more fun factor, without spending too much.
Plan C
Replace the Macan with something else like a BMW 3 series wagon, or a newer Golf R wagon.
This would keep a similar performance level to the Macan, but also cost similar money. I don’t think I see the value in this option, as I’d be in a similar situation to now.
Testing the theory
I am fortunate to be in a financial position whereby spending $13,000 on a car is something I can do as a gamble.
This would allow me to own both the Macan and Passat at once, and find out if my theory is correct.
If I’m wrong, I think I can sell the Passat again without losing any significant money - maybe $1500 at most.
To me, spending $1500 to work through this and see if the grass really is greener is money well spent.
Conclusion
People must think I’m crazy to want a Passat instead of a Porsche.
I think writing this was partly to convince myself that I’m not.
If I were to only have one car, I think the Macan would be a fine choice. I would still have some issues with it, but for the money there’s little else that offers everything it does.
A while ago I was thinking I should sell my Z4, because there was too much cross over between it and the Macan. Looking back I think I was right - but its the Macan that should go.
Faster than the rain
Interstella 5555
Today I saw Daft Punk’s Interstella 5555 in a cinema for the first time. We were fortunate to have a good friend babysit our son while we went out.
When the movie was released in 2003, I was so excited to share my DVD copy with anyone and everyone.
I was 15 years old and just developing my own music taste. Daft Punk were the polar opposite of the kind of music I grew up with, and the movie combined it with another of my loves - science fiction and space.
More than 20 years later I am still listening to Daft Punk, and songs like ‘Something about us’ and ‘Too Long’ feel just as fresh now as they did then.
It was great to share it with my wife T, who was pleasantly surprised to find that she enjoyed the story, I was grateful she came even though the music is not her thing.
Grocery getter
Use it or lose it
A while ago I flew model RC airplanes. It was the early days of first-person-video, I’d buy some miniature security camera, solder it to an analogue video transmitter, and strap it to a foam plane.
With some video goggles on the ground and a receiver, I could fly my model plane like I was in the pilots seat.
One of my first models was called the Skywalker. It was designed for efficient crusing and carrying big batteries.
It’s 1.6m wings came in two parts with a carbon tube in the middle, and were secured to the fuselage with … rubber bands.
Detachable wings made it easy to transport in the boot of my Golf
The rubber bands weren’t special, and I didn’t like to risk them fatiguing so I bought a huge bag of 50 on eBay for a few dollars, and replaced them around every 20 flights.
Crossed over the wings, the rubber bands were the only thing keeping me in the sky.
The rubber bands had to stretch a lot to fit around the wings, they couldn’t be too loose - they were under a lot of strain, but always held up fine.
Then, I took a break from flying for a year. My life was busy and I didn’t make the time to go.
When I went to dust off the plane, I got my bag of rubber bands and as I put one on, it snapped.
I tried a few more, and snap, snap.
On closer inspection, most of the rubber was fine, but the parts where the band bent at a sharp angle had dried out, and become brittle.
I feel that the rubber band is a good analogy for my life.
If I remain stagnant for too long, or become too insulated from the world, I become brittle. I can’t cope as well when I need to.
However if I push myself outside my comfort zone from time to time, it helps keep me flexible. I develop muscle (literal and figurative) that helps me adapt.
It’s so easy to go on eliminating more and more effort from my life. I don’t like cleaning the house, so I’ll hire a cleaner. I’m too busy to cook, so I’ll get meals delivered. Where do I draw the line? Anything can be justified if I try hard enough.
When I would go camping, I would almost always return feeling energised, and stronger. I attribute this not only to the relaxation but also to the work. To use the bathroom, it’s a walk. To eat something takes effort to prepare it. Ironically, when I am camping I am quite busy, but it’s good work.
This is why I have been learning to service my own cars.
Oil and filter change on my Macan Turbo
Getting a mechanic to do an oil change costs about $150. This is easy to justify paying for - for me to do the same work takes 2 or 3 hours by the time I’ve got the car ready, prepared all my tools, done the work, and cleaned up.
But, when I do it myself, I feel great. I’m climbing underneath, lifting heavy tools, it’s good exercise.
Not only am I doing something different to my day to day, but I feel more capable too, which encourages me to try and push beyond my comfort zone again next time.
Stretch or snap!
