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Can a "crossover SUV" be more fun than a sport sedan? That's something I've been wondering about even since I first heard about cars like the Porsche Cayenne, the BMW X5 M, and now, a seemingly endless list of other sporty utility vehicles. For this weekend, my wife and I had a bit of a staycation in order to celebrate her birthday, so I decided I use that as an excuse to drive us around in a 2015 Porsche Macan Turbo, a relatively recent example in this trend of sporty crossovers. Doing so would spice up the time we spent driving around both in terms of speed and prestige, I thought. But, since I had a relatively new Lexus in the driveway, was it worth it?
TL;DR version
Handsome and functional, yet well-crafted, as opposed to the somewhat ostentatious IS.
There's fun to be had under the right pedal, and the paddle shifters especially.
There's a good kind of turbo lag.
Handling is somewhat of disappointment coming from the IS, but it's an SUV after all.
A vault-like vehicle even with 70,000 miles on its odometer.
Note, I'll have a full write-up of my thoughts in the Car Chat forum here on Club Lexus, but first, I wanted to just comment on it compared to the IS.
It might seem odd to compare these two vehicles, but to this odd driver they might seem to share some attributes: four doors, a usable amount of storage space in the rear, and a cant towards sporty driving. They also have both four- and six-cylinder engines available, snug, supportive seats and cockpit-like driver's areas, and overall high attention to detail in terms of design and execution. However, they couldn't be more different in other ways, which I will now dive right into.
Exterior Style
The IS and Macan are an odd pair to compare here. It's one of the areas in which they are most different. The Macan features smooth lines and no excess features, but the IS is more angular and styled for style's sake in many cases.
Interior Design
The IS and Macan share some key elements on their interiors. For one, they both embrace the use of buttons and other physical controls over hiding functions in the infotainment system. Naturally, the Macan has a lot more of those controls due to how customizable the drive modes, suspension, off-roading functions, etc. can be. The material quality is oddly very similar between the two cars, especially considering the Macan is more expensive. If the IS swapped out some of its metal-look plastic for actual aluminum, as found in the Macan, it'd probably be a toss-up.
From an IS owner's perspective, one random thing happened to me that showed I do take the IS's door panels for granted... We were leaving a parking garage, and I had just paid the fee. I went to place my wallet in the door handle of the Macan, and I dropped it right through! The Macan's door pulls don't have pockets, like the IS's, where things can be stored. Something to note, even if not a big deal.
Also, I was reminded that I dislike touchscreens while driving this car. I hate having to look down while driving. A lot of other functions in the car require me to look, especially activating Sport mode and things like that, just due to the sheer number of buttons in the center console. But, I find the buttons to be very satisfying to "click", so I give that a pass.
Tech/Infotainment
This isn't really my favorite thing to talk about, but I figured I'd mention it nonetheless. The Macan has a decently-intuitive system with a touchscreen, and it looks fairly clear, with menus that are more readily navigable than the IS's are. However, the navigation system is incomprehensible. I opted to just use Google Maps and burn through some phone battery rather than futz with the nav. Overall, I didn't mind the system, but honestly only used it to change radio stations.
The headlights are amazing. Great illumination of the road is provided, and they do a sorta flashy self-leveling trick when the car is started. I'm quite certain they also turn when cornering. This Macan Turbo had the optional units, as they have the four-point Porsche signature light design. I'd say I prefer them 100% over the LEDs that are available in the IS, which I find to be more than adequate, but sometimes not great when using only low beams, and lacking a turning feature.
Driving Experience
The drive is what I was most anxious about with this car. The Turbo is the top-spec Macan, and the Porsche brand in general is known for making every one of their cars confident to drive hard. So, did I come in with inflated expectations? You bet...
The acceleration in this car is brutal. Launch control slams me back into the seat, and even just downshifting to second from a roll and stomping the gas produces a "fun" amount of thrust every time. And, thanks to this car having an oil temp gauge, unlike the IS, I can actually drive this way without feeling guilty of unknowingly overheating the engine (which the owner of this car, from Turo, informed me is possible if driving in Sport Plus for extended periods). The transmission, too, was an eye-opener for me, and perhaps the biggest one. Even in part-throttle situations, it snapped off shifts quickly and smoothly. The only time the shifts weren't as smooth was when really giving it some gas, when they became very firm. The IS's transmission is honestly nowhere near this level. Sure, the IS's 6-speed and 8-speed are buttery smooth, but the speed at which they shift is quite slow in comparison to the PDK. I could just play with the paddles all day.
Where the IS actually beats the Macan is handling. The Macan's 235/55R19 and 255/50R19 tires are criminally undersized for a 4000-pound car, and it shows. While this does lead to a bit of playfulness on power (i.e., I felt a little wiggle from the rear from time to time when pulling out onto a street), it also means the Macan simply doesn't hold the road in a way that matches the steering feel and power of this car. There are larger wheels and tires available, and I suspect those would make the Turbo a lot more fun. That said, this wheel and tire combo makes for a very comfortable ride. The IS, by comparison, rides almost as well as the Macan in its comfort mode, but outperforms it in handling, hands-down. The Macan never feels sloppy, but its weight is apparent. It's a reasonably agile car that could benefit a lot from simply lowering it.
Performance does not fun make, however, and the Macan delivers on fun in spades. This is a car that transitions from grocery-getter to back-road blaster with the press of a button. (No, really, Sport Plus mode is a must, if only for the amplified exhaust note.) Like the IS, it has a dual personality that would make it a fantastic daily.
I only wish it wasn't an SUV. A standard hatchback or wagon version of this car would be a stunner and would perform better. However, this car's expensive. I found a used one with similar options and similar mileage (about 70,000 miles), for $52,000 USD. That seems like a lot of money for a baby buggy that is in the back half of its journey to 100k miles. However, after driving it, I understand that this is a very special car and why it holds it value so well. Would I consider it over another IS, or another Lexus for that matter? I'm honestly not sure. Lexus doesn't make a Macan Turbo competitor. But if they did, I'm honestly pretty sure I'd go Macan. Even with those miles, it felt billet-solid, with no random rattles or squeaks, and drove incredibly smoothly in all applications. So, to answer the original question, "Was this worth it?": yes, just for the knowledge alone, as well as the smiles from hearing and feeling that glorious blown V6, yes.
I hope to provide a bit more detail on my particular Macan Turbo in the coming Car Chat thread on this topic.
WOW - thanks for taking the time to write such an extensive and well written comparison! It gives all of us something to consider and put in perspective when we either praise or complain about our Lexus
Totally agree, E46CT. This Macan was pretty basic as far as Turbos go - however, at least it had Sport Chrono, PASM, and the Alcantara headliner, I suppose.
i'm sure it was still a blast. i really wanted a macan back in the day.. i wonder when the next gen will come out. the interior does look a bit dated.. but porsche interiors usually don't inspire anyway.
the engineering though.. man.. second to none! they usually score as high as the japanese do for reliability, but 20x the engineering!
while I'm not into SUVs nor am I a fan of Porsche they have upped their game with their SUVs and they have high reliability ratings...if I were in the market for an SUV I would def have them in my maybe list.
while I'm not into SUVs nor am I a fan of Porsche they have upped their game with their SUVs and they have high reliability ratings...if I were in the market for an SUV I would def have them in my maybe list.
Yeah, to be honest with you, I originally got in the first place just to drive the wife around in something nice, but was pleasantly surprised at how darned fun it is to drive. I could drive that car from sun up to sun down.
Be careful about renting/riding in Porsches. They have a mysterious power making you walk over to your local Porsche dealer afterward and handing over wads of cash for one.
I'm surprised the door-closing of the Macan wasn't better than the IS, for such an upmarket car. I found that overall, door-closing sound of MBs are the best, their doors somehow are jointed(hinged) well and have that optimum heft to it that somehow creates the best door-closing sound. Just my 2c.
I'm surprised the door-closing of the Macan wasn't better than the IS, for such an upmarket car. I found that overall, door-closing sound of MBs are the best, their doors somehow are jointed(hinged) well and have that optimum heft to it that somehow creates the best door-closing sound. Just my 2c.
I think it goes two directions, too... The exterior and interior door closing. I think the exterior door closing on the Macan sounded very "normal" or "mainstream" to me, where the IS has a bit more of a solid sound. That said, on the inside of the car, the Macan wins. There's less reverberation through the car when it shuts. In the IS, there's a hint of a hollow ring when I close my door, though it is nonetheless still a more solid feeling than I'd ever get in a mainstream vehicle.
I think my favorite door-closing sound that I've experienced in person has to be the Genesis G80. It's like shutting an encyclopedia. No vibration, just a solid "thunk".
06-23-19, 08:12 AM
Porsche Macan Turbo from Lexus IS owner's view
No vibration, just a solid "thunk".
