[chassis]

I have driven the two above mentioned cars - base 2.0 Macan and base 2.0 X3.

X3 feels quicker to 60mph although on paper they are the same. Macan feels like it is trying harder to achieve the same result.

X3 interior space much larger than Macan.

X3 driver space more comfortable: legroom, hip room (I am slender build), shoulder room, head room. Macan instrument panel encroaches too far rearward and creates a cramped effect.

Macan simply does not use space well in any way.

Base 2.0 Macan corners better, that's about all. It's not spacious, it's not fast, it's not terribly comfortable.

Intangibles of the Porsche brand do not justify the price for the base 2.0 Macan.

[Condorll]

Originally Posted by chassis

I have driven the two above mentioned cars - base 2.0 Macan and base 2.0 X3.

X3 feels quicker to 60mph although on paper they are the same. Macan feels like it is trying harder to achieve the same result.

X3 interior space much larger than Macan.

X3 driver space more comfortable: legroom, hip room (I am slender build), shoulder room, head room. Macan instrument panel encroaches too far rearward and creates a cramped effect.

Macan simply does not use space well in any way.

Base 2.0 Macan corners better, that's about all. It's not spacious, it's not fast, it's not terribly comfortable.

Intangibles of the Porsche brand do not justify the price for the base 2.0 Macan.

Exactly our sentiments as well, the engine and tranny on the X3 felt a lot smoother and more powerful than the Macan's. X3 handling was good. I did like the seating position of the Macan, felt more like a sports car than a SUV, however, the Macan is way overpriced compared to the X3. Macan 4 cyl is a hard pass.

[DFW_M]

Well, after a month or so with the Macan GTS, I don’t miss my 2023 G80 6MT at all. Everything is slightly better and more convenient in the Macan except the technology of the G80 with exec package that I did not really utilize to the fullest extend.

[chassis]

Good to hear. What is your assessment and impression of the 2.9TT engine?

[DFW_M]

Originally Posted by chassis

Good to hear. What is your assessment and impression of the 2.9TT engine?

The sound is awesome. I like that it is natural sound and not artificially fed through the speakers. The responsiveness is great and is a great fit for the Macan (not sure is 2.0L would make me feel the same).
The 2.9TT is super smooth and works well with the DCT

[chassis]

Originally Posted by DFW_M

The sound is awesome. I like that it is natural sound and not artificially fed through the speakers. The responsiveness is great and is a great fit for the Macan (not sure is 2.0L would make me feel the same).
The 2.9TT is super smooth and works well with the DCT

Agree. The 2.9TT is in a sweet spot of performance, reliability and economy. Torque and power when and where you need it and great sound in the upper rpm range. So far no major issues reported, after the 2017-2018 early build years, with this engine by the Porsche and Audi crowd.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by DFW_M

The sound is awesome. I like that it is natural sound and not artificially fed through the speakers. The responsiveness is great and is a great fit for the Macan (not sure is 2.0L would make me feel the same).
The 2.9TT is super smooth and works well with the DCT

I agree that the engine sounds great, but it's not 100% natural. The Macan, like the RS5, uses a Soundaktor. You can code it to a lower level or off easily though. I kept mine at 70% because without it, it's very quiet (I had a resonator delete which certainly helped with the sound).

[DFW_M]

So...22 years of BMWs, mainly M cars (since e46)...
Lately, I was hearing people complain about the steering feel and feedback of the M car, I have experienced rattles and buzzes, the size of the M3 grew a bit, The s55 and s58 sound, and so on...and I did not notice or agreed with most of those.
Then I got into this "lowest end" Porsche (Macan GTS) and all those things became so obvious...
The steering is marvelous, precise, communicative, great feedback and weight. The suspension (Air with PASM) is amazing and very noticeable difference even on fairly good Texas roads. The engine sound is so much better as mentioned above, there is not a single rattle or buzz in the car (although the materials are not super luxurious/different, the build quality is a notch higher).
The size of the Macan is also perfect in my opinion, not to large, very wide, fairly low for the type of vehicle.