Macan - me likey.

So, I drove it last week in Leipzig. It's not a 911, but it certainly wants to be. Best handling crossover I've experienced. You know you're driving a Porsche.

http://www.autos.ca/first-drives/first-drive-2015-porsche-macan/

I think I can stomach this one a little bit more than the Cayenne because it's basically a station wagon on stilts with melted body lines...but I guess I'm still a bit hung up on the concept of these things. Not to mention I am not a fan of the "crossover" or SUV genre. I still see it a bit like saying Lamborghini built a supercar with serious towing capacity.

Yeah, I realize that it blends high performance with the ability to carry more than two people and a toothbrush, and I respect that. But still not my style. Most of these things will never be put through their paces except navagating mall traffic.

That said, I'm still super jealous you get to do this stuff. I wouldn't turn away a set of keys if someone offered them.

Thanks Lesley. I've driven, and liked, the Audi Q5. Considering that it's only a $5,500 step up from the Q5 V6 to the Macan S, and that the Macan will be Porsche's least expensive model, I can see how these would sell well for the brand.

$82,000 for the one that I want. Maybe I will buy the Turbo script badge and stick it on this.

What? It's a turbo too!

You could, that's a nice little crossover. But I know which one I'd rather take on the track. Or off-roading.

10 years. Depreciation, you cannot come soon enough. I love the Cayenne's, but they're too 'big' and 'heavy'. The SQ5 ticks the boxes, but Audi fanboi's will likely keep prices high.

Yah, I drove all of the Cayennes, on-track, off-roading, across Alaska... they're big. The Macan doesn't feel big. There wasn't the same level of unbelievable, hunkered-down road-hugging on the track as the 911 and Cayman, but for a crossover, it's pretty damned good.

Just so I don't sound like an idiot (I mean any more than USUAL), how do you pronounce "Macan?" And why do so many Porsche's have names that end with an "an" sound? Cayman, Macan, Cayenne, Nine-elevan?

For the same reason Lotuses all start with "E".

Just to piss off us illiterate morons.

Lesley wrote: You could, that's a nice little crossover. But I know which one I'd rather take on the track. Or off-roading.

Probably. But my question would be: Who brings a SUV/crossover to the track, and would you really want to risk off road damage on a 60-80 grand daily driver?

Macan is a good competitor for the CX5?

Is this another answer to a question nobody was asking? Like the BMW X6 or the Honda Crosstour, etc., etc.?

Lesley wrote: So, I drove it last week in Leipzig. It's not a 911, but it certainly wants to be. Best handling crossover I've experienced. You know you're driving a Porsche. http://www.autos.ca/first-drives/first-drive-2015-porsche-macan/

So this or the 284hp Evoque?

Oh, def this. It feels Porsche-like (Porschine?)

It's pronounced "Mack-awwwn".

Someone's asking the question... some of the dealers up here are pre-sold out.

As for 60-80,000 vehicles on-track, that's low for any Porsche lapping day. Although I doubt the buyers will be of the lapping sort. But you totally could, without wanting to shoot yourself. During Porsche's road show last summer, we drove the whole lineup around Mosport. The only vehicles I didn't really like on there were the Cayenne Hybrid (brakes sucked) and the Cayenne Turbo (nose heavy, got squirrelly at high speed). Cayenne GTS was just as much fun as some of the 911s.

Basil Exposition wrote: Is this another answer to a question nobody was asking? Like the BMW X6 or the Honda Crosstour, etc., etc.?

It's the perfect fit for upper middle-class DINKs.

Flight Service wrote: Macan is a good competitor for the CX5?

It's a good bit more expensive.

It's more closely competitive with Audi's SQ5 (I'd love to do a head-to-head piece on those two cars, for sure!)

@Lesley, I'm super jealous. I have to wait until June to drive it...

I doubt very seriously that the Macan will ever be n my price range but you give me reason to think and dream on it.

Saw one in person the other day. I like it, but don't care much for the price that comes with it. Might be time to turn up the boost on the wife's Tiguan 4motion

There will be a base model coming (likely VAG 2.0T powered) that will hopefully slot in between 40 and 45 thou. A bit more achievable.

In reply to Maroon92:

Article listed a V6 and a turbo V6. Are you inferring a lower level than that as a 4 cylinder turbo?

so the macan can haul the bacon?

They hinted, but wouldn't confirm a turbo four.

Flight Service wrote: In reply to Maroon92: Article listed a V6 and a turbo V6. Are you inferring a lower level than that as a 4 cylinder turbo?

Actually BOTH the Macan S and the Macan Turbo have turbocharged V6s. They are both based on the same engine (two cylinders removed from the Cayenne and Panamera V8), but one is slightly smaller in displacement with less boost.

Porsche usually introduces a new car with the uplevel models first (The S and the Turbo in this case), then introduce a base model the following model year. They did this previously with every generation of Cayenne, the Panamera, and the Cayman. The Macan is based on the Q5 and Tiguan platform, and Porsche knows quite well that a 2.0T will fit in that engine bay easily. It'd only be smart for them to make a base model and sell thousands of them.

Maroon92 wrote: The Macan is based on the Q5 and Tiguan platform, and Porsche knows quite well that a 2.0T will fit in that engine bay easily. It'd only be smart for them to make a base model and sell thousands of them.

If I wanted a new cute ute/crossover, I would think hard about a 2.0 Macon