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.

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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!

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