My husband had the chance to test drive a friend’s Porsche Macan Turbo, and he wrote a test drive report. Please take a look if you’re interested.

Ride Comfort of the Porsche Macan Turbo

I’ve written various Porsche test drive articles on this blog, but for some reason, there are very few about the Macan—only an article about the Macan Turbo my younger brother bought here.

Quite some time has passed since then, and my Porsche experience has grown, so I wanted to review the Macan again. Luckily, I had the opportunity to test drive a Macan Turbo, so here’s that review.

The Macan Turbo I drove this time is a 2015 model. The Macan hasn’t had a full model change yet, so the 2015 model is still considered the current generation, although it’s a pre-facelift version since there have been several minor updates.

The engine isn’t the current 2.9L but a 3.6L V6 twin-turbo producing 400PS and 550N⋅m of torque. This car isn’t equipped with the sports exhaust system, but even so, the engine and exhaust sounds are bold and impressive for an SUV.

With a top speed of 266 km/h and 0-100 km/h acceleration in 4.6 seconds, there’s absolutely no disappointment in its power delivery. Low-end torque is more than sufficient. The launch is smooth, and the PDK’s shift shocks are minimal.

This car was equipped with air suspension with PASM, which is excellent. As I mentioned in my previous Macan Turbo review, I personally really like the Macan’s air suspension setup.

It retains a refined, luxurious tire rolling feel while maintaining a strong connection to the road and a very flat ride. Switch to Sport or Sport Plus mode, and it transforms into a sports car’s suspension.

Compared to the current Cayenne’s suspension, the Cayenne feels more luxurious. But don’t get me wrong—this doesn’t mean the Macan is less sporty or less luxurious.

It’s just that the Cayenne’s ride comfort is exceptionally good.

The Macan’s suspension feels like it’s firmly glued to the road with a very solid core. It never wobbles or feels unstable under moderate lateral G-forces. When driving over rough surfaces, you do hear some bumps, but the impact is very mild and well-damped.

If I had to point out a difference from the Cayenne, it would be that the Macan’s bumps and vibrations over rough terrain feel slightly more pronounced.

However, this is purely comparative. For most people, I believe there would be almost no complaints about the Macan’s ride comfort.

Driving the Macan on Mountain Roads

Taking corners on the Royu Driveway, my first impression was that it felt like driving a sports car with a much lower ride height.

The Cayenne feels like a tall SUV that can still drive quite sportily, but the Macan feels like a more compact car with a low ride height.

To put it in perspective, it feels like driving a car about the size of a Golf 7, with a width just over 1800mm and a height around 1500mm.

That’s how impressive the Macan’s agility is, considering its actual width of 1925mm and height of 1610mm. Its cornering confidence and speed are closer to a 911 or Cayman/Boxster than a Panamera or Cayenne.

Switching direction in an S-curve is smooth and quick, with weight transfer happening effortlessly, allowing you to power through corners comfortably.

This particular model was equipped with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, which surely helps. It turns so sharply it almost makes you laugh. When focused on driving, you completely forget you’re in an SUV. It carves into corners aggressively.

It feels like driving a sports car, and only when you ease off the speed and come back to reality do you think, “Oh right, this is an SUV.”

I’ve driven many high-performance cars here, and of course, there are faster cars than the Macan. But few cars handle as beautifully, intuitively, and fundamentally correctly as this one.

That’s what makes it a “Porsche,” I strongly feel.

Other manufacturers rarely achieve this. Porsche’s driving ease and honest behavior appeal deeply to human senses, making driving genuinely enjoyable.

Macan’s Engine and Transmission

The engine is powerful, of course, and acceleration is more than satisfactory. The 0-100 km/h time of 4.6 seconds matches the catalog specs. In Sport or Sport Plus mode, the burbling sound is a pleasant touch that really gets you excited.

What stands out most is the transmission—the PDK. One major difference between the Cayenne and Macan is their transmissions. The Cayenne uses a traditional torque converter automatic Tiptronic S, while the Macan uses the dual-clutch PDK.

From what I’ve heard, the Cayenne uses the Tiptronic S because it’s designed for serious off-road use and towing, so Porsche deliberately chose that transmission.

The current Cayenne’s Tiptronic S is a fantastic transmission, but in sporty driving, it can’t match the PDK. The PDK in this Macan Turbo offers incredible responsiveness—lightning-fast shifts.

Plus, the sound during shifts is fantastic. Like the PDK in a 911, it shifts up with a sharp “Bashun! Bashun!” and downshifts with a roaring “Boon!” perfectly matching revs.

This really makes driving enjoyable. Any car enthusiast would smile uncontrollably experiencing this.

Macan ≒ ( 911 + Cayenne ) ÷ 2

I deliberately drove slowly and then a bit sportily to fully enjoy the Macan, and it’s clear it’s similar to but quite different from the Cayenne. The car’s character is quite distinct.

After the test drive, I thought about who the Macan is best suited for. Assuming no constraints on parking space or budget, if you already own a 911 or Cayman/Boxster and are considering a second Porsche, you might want to wait.

That’s because the Macan’s sporty character overlaps somewhat with the 911 and similar models.

So if you’re choosing a second Porsche, the Cayenne might be a better choice.

On the other hand, if you want a 911 or Cayman/Boxster but need to carry family and can only own one car, I think the Macan is better than the Cayenne. The Macan is sporty enough to satisfy solo weekend runs on winding roads.

If I were to express the Macan in a formula, it would be:

Macan ≒ ( 911 + Cayenne ) ÷ 2

From my test drive, the Macan’s appeal isn’t just power. Of course, the Macan Turbo has plenty of power, but that’s not its essential charm.

If you want an SUV with fast straight-line acceleration and instant speed, other manufacturers might be better.

Instead, the Macan is for mature car lovers who appreciate its outstanding chassis balance and superb suspension setup.

This Macan is truly “exquisite.” That’s the impression it left on me.