Test drove Cayenne S and Macan S.

[tkila]

My expectations was high for the the Macan S based on the good reviews and being a Porsche. But I was disappointed after the test drive.

The Macan S has very numb steering, so numb that zero road texture gets transmitted through the steering. My 2011 E550 with hydraulic steering and my 2016 Audi A6 with electric steering deliver way more feel than the Macan. The E550 has better steering feel than the Audi, but I prefer the weighting of the Audi in corners with lighter loading. The Macan's steering gets artificially heavy in corners, which feels un-Porsche like. The Porsche Cayenne transmits a bit more road texture than the Macan, but not whole lot more. The weighting on the Cayenne is even worse, being way too light and wobbly in corners. I had to make a lot of mid-corner steering corrections in the Cayenne vs. the Macan. The Macan's engine is its main weakness, lacking low-end toque and not being responsive enough. I floored it and the car doesn't give me the same adrenaline rush I get from a BMW. It's funny that my E550 has way better steering feel than a Porsche Cayenne. It shouldn't even be called a Porsche when a Mercedes has it pipped for steering feel.

Porsche makes great handling cars albeit with lack of emotion and feel.

Buy a BMW X5 M. You won't be disappointed. I still drive my 2003 X5 4.4i that I bought since new. Why? It's one of the most engaging vehicles I've ever driven. Despite not riding as well or handling as well as the Cayenne, I still prefer driving my old X5 with better throttle response, better steering, better engine, better transmission tuning, and sportier ride. I find the Cayenne and the Macan too luxury and soft for my liking.

I haven't driven the new X5 M, but I bet it's way more fun to drive than a Cayenne Turbo S.

[tastelid]

We test drove both X5 and X5M. Night and day difference.

I still can't get over the VW/Porsche shared DNA for their SUVs. Not a "real" Porsche, but much more expensive than the X5M. So I don't know what the point is. Might as well drive a Tiguan or Toureg and save the money.

[JNoSol]

Originally Posted by tastelid

We test drove both X5 and X5M. Night and day difference.

I still can't get over the VW/Porsche shared DNA for their SUVs. Not a "real" Porsche, but much more expensive than the X5M. So I don't know what the point is. Might as well drive a Tiguan or Toureg and save the money.

Agreed. I'm not too crazy about the Porsche SUVs, they're overpriced. However, the Cayenne and Panamera saved them from going out of business. So thanks to those sedans and SUVs, the 911 will live for another 50 years+.

The Panamera would be my 4-door choice from Porsche. The current model drive very nice, but won't win any beauty content. The next Gen Panamera should look better.

[Kzang]

If your not biased.. then you are probably going to complain about the numb steering feel of the X5M..

[Ash777]

Originally Posted by Kzang

If your not biased.. then you are probably going to complain about the numb steering feel of the X5M..

Yeah the X5M has pretty numb response too. It has some decent moments I find though. But I found the Cayenne S diesel had a better steering response. The GTS had the best steering I had experienced in an SUV.

[DallasCajun]

For me, it came down to the 'Giggle Factor'. The F85 just makes me giggle almost daily because of how fast it can accelerate.

I've owned one of the original Panamera S (V8), and driven the current S (V6), Macan S & Turbo as well as Cayenne S & GTS. I get the Porsche 'Intelligent Performance' stuff, but those models are completely losing their brand identity. None of them have anywhere near the sound or feel of their V8 predecessors. I know that on paper they are more powerful, efficient, yada yada...but they just aren't as much 'fun', mostly because of the lack of sound.

The Macan Turbo is very agile and fun to drive, but without Sport Exhaust, it has very little sound to it. And forgive me, but it needs well more than 400hp/406ft-lb. Giggle Factor = 3/10

The Cayenne GTS is supposed to have the full sport configuration, with Sport Exhaust. But it's still so much tamer than the previous V8 version. I crossed shopped the GTS with the F85 and came out SO disappointed. Given that is costs MORE than the F85, there wasn't any decision to be made there. And the Cayenne Turbo has similar performance and sound as the F85, but a completely different price segment. Giggle Factor = 2/10

And then the Panamera. I enjoyed my original V8 S. It sounded great...had great driving dynamics, and could easily switch to family mode. And now the current S/4S have the same V6 setup as the Cayenne models. And no sound to them. Some will say that it's a 'Sporty' sound, but still not very enjoyable. The Panamera GTS still has a V8, but I hear that's going out with the new model. And given the Panamera GTS costs more than a Cayenne GTS, it still doesn't really compare to the F85 in terms of price/performance. Giggle Factor = 3/10

As much of a Porsche fan as I am, I've lost all interest in the 4-door models at this point (at least in terms of my budget). The V8s are great, but the V6 models just don't seem to have that same Porsche soul.

And unless it's a Panamera Turbo or Cayenne Turbo, it doesn't have any of the Giggle Factor that the F85 (or F10 for that matter) delivers. F85 Giggle Factor = 8/10