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.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.

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.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.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.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.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 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?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!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.


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Date
December 17, 2024