The Loaner Was an Early Model Macan S

Recently, my husband sent his air-cooled Porsche 911 (964C2) and Boxster (981GTS) for inspection, so we borrowed a loaner—and it turned out to be an early model Macan S.

A few years ago, my husband had the chance to borrow his brother’s Macan Turbo for a short drive, and he was absolutely thrilled with it. It left such a strong impression that it still comes up in conversation from time to time.

Back then, I wasn’t interested in cars at all, so even when he suggested, “Why don’t you try driving it?” I stubbornly refused, saying “No, I’m fine,” and I don’t remember the ride quality of that Macan at all. (What a waste…)

Also, many people around me have said about the early Macan, “I really love it” or “I want to drive it again,” so I thought, “The early Macan must be really good—I’d love to try it once.” And this time, I was given the opportunity to drive it.

My husband will probably write a detailed review, so this time I’d like to share my impressions from a wife’s perspective briefly.

Impressions of the Early Model Macan S

To sum it up, it was really good.

I don’t know every Porsche well enough to speak like an expert, but from the moment I started driving, I found myself smiling and thinking, “Ah, this is it, this is Porsche, this is the one.”

I even ended up texting my husband, “I really love this Macan~” lol

My husband often says that when test-driving a car, “how you feel in the first two seconds” is very important, and that was exactly the case with this Macan S—I thought, “This is good!” right away.

What stood out was the solid feel, groundedness, and the confidence in the suspension. From those sensations, I strongly felt the Porsche character, and I thought this is a car that really makes you feel “I’m driving a Porsche.”

I’ve heard that modern cars, regardless of manufacturer, tend to have lighter steering, pedals, and overall feel. Of course, lighter can mean easier to drive, which is good, but personally, I prefer cars with a solid, substantial feel.

I like cars that grip the road firmly, have somewhat firm suspension, yet still offer a smooth ride. The ride of the Panamera Turbo we had before was exactly my taste.

Also, the engine sound of this early Macan S was very nice. The tone was natural—not too loud, not too quiet—a pleasant engine sound. It reminded me again how much the pleasure of driving is tied to how good the engine sounds.

The newer Macan I drove before might be better in terms of “ease of driving.” It was very nimble, didn’t feel big, and was easy to handle smoothly. I think it also has a strong sporty feel, and its actual performance has evolved and is excellent.

In that sense, it’s a fun car.

But on the other hand, I felt it had a “weaker Porsche character,” so personally, I prefer the early Macan more.

What Is the Best Porsche for Me?

The phrase “The latest Porsche is the best” is well-known.

Certainly, in terms of performance, the latest Porsche is better. The design is refined and cool, and there’s no doubt it’s a wonderfully crafted car.

But at the same time, if you ask, “Is the latest Porsche really the best for you?” I can’t say that for sure.

As performance improves, the analog feel fades, and the very perfection of the car can leave you feeling something is missing or make it harder to feel one with the car.

So, when it comes to “which era and which Porsche model suits me best,” I guess you have to find out by actually experiencing them and trusting your own instincts.

I’m about to take concrete steps toward the goal of “buying a Porsche with my own money,” but I expect that I won’t find “the one!” with my first Porsche.

There are many things you can only understand by owning a car, and as your tastes and what you want from a car change, you gain experience and eventually find “this is my Porsche.”

…Which means no matter how much money I have, it won’t be enough, so I’ll have to work even harder for decades to come lol

Let’s do our best!