new MACAN 4 cyl entry level under 80K

[tazzieman]

I have a 6 foot 2 13 year old, my wife is 6 1, I'm 6 2, so he was always going to be tall. You should see him trying to get in the back of the Pcars, it's a hoot. Or it was, only got him in there twice, last time about 4 months ago, don't think there is hope in hell of getting him in there now. That's how fast he is growing.

He will be 6.4 or taller. But a certain W Rohrl fits rather well in sports cars,  so no problem down the track!

[Niko]

Too big???

http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/skoda-kodiaq-2017-review-first-drive-47386

 

Thanks for that..It looks interesting.    Definitely check it out when it gets here but maybe a tad big for what we need.

[Ozvino]

@Niko, I got the wife's VW Passat Alltrack serviced. 34000km on the clock but it's 4 years old, so we had to do the 4 year/60km service -$1180 list less $100 discount so $1080.  That's essentially an oil change, brake fluid change and DSG oil change. Like I said, new VWs rival and often exceed Porsche in service costs. 

We had a new Tiguan loan car (new model). It was the base model however the drive quality was excellent. The auto trans is silky smooth and the engine has more than enough go, even in entry level spec. Really nice riding car, it's just the rear load space that lets it down. 

Dave

[Niko]

@Niko, I got the wife's VW Passat Alltrack serviced. 34000km on the clock but it's 4 years old, so we had to do the 4 year/60km service -$1180 list less $100 discount so $1080.  That's essentially an oil change, brake fluid change and DSG oil change. Like I said, new VWs rival and often exceed Porsche in service costs. 

We had a new Tiguan loan car (new model). It was the base model however the drive quality was excellent. The auto trans is silky smooth and the engine has more than enough go, even in entry level spec. Really nice riding car, it's just the rear load space that lets it down. 

Dave

thanks for that info Dave.   Definitely check them both out, but the rear load space is high on the tick list.

i guess every few years your going to get a big service charge hit. not a lot there for $1180.00 though, or maybe I'm out of touch there....

cheers mate

[tazzieman]

Had a very good look at the Benz GLC today; yes it's not as sporty as the Macan but from all other points of view very good value indeed. Very comfortable.

The petrol is no better than the diesel , in fact the diesel with 500 Nm is the choice for those of us that tow off slippery boat ramps.

I wouldn't buy one for a daily driver , but I am not my wife! She wants and will get.

I fancied the AMG GTS , however...my kidneys are not worth that much

[Apogee]

Had a very good look at the Benz GLC today; yes it's not as sporty as the Macan but from all other points of view very good value indeed. Very comfortable.

The petrol is no better than the diesel , in fact the diesel with 500 Nm is the choice for those of us that tow off slippery boat ramps.

I wouldn't buy one for a daily driver , but I am not my wife! She wants and will get.

I fancied the AMG GTS , however...my kidneys are not worth that much

Check out the Audi SQ5 (the same Bi-Turbo Diesel engine from their Le Mans winning vehicles) and the 3.0L TDI Q5 one model under it - both are in runout at the moment and can be had for a good price with a lot of options. I just got a new SQ5 and compared it with the competition. It does 0-100 in 5.1 secs (a whole second faster than the Macan) and has a larger boot space than the Macan and matches that of the GLC. A similar specc'd Macan Diesel S is at least $25K more.

The SQ5 has 650Nm of torque and can tow up to 2400kg. It sits lower than the Q5 but is still a 2 tonne SUV and a canyon carver it is not. 

It outruns a lot of other vehicles on the road including hot hatches. Surprised a MkVI GTI a couple of days ago. 

[tazzieman]

Check out the Audi SQ5

The GLC250D is very well specced before you go near the options list.

Is the SQ5 a rival for the GLC43 that isn't quite here yet?

[Apogee]

The GLC250D is very well specced before you go near the options list.

Is the SQ5 a rival for the GLC43 that isn't quite here yet?

It will be when the new petrol engined SQ5 comes out in Sept.  

The new SQ5 coming out in Sept is Petrol only and does 0-100 in 5.3 secs - a bit slower than the just superseded diesel model. Time will tell if they bring out a diesel version for the new model if ever. Rumour has it that the new SQ5 will remain a petrol offering.

The GLC43's 0-100 is 4.9 secs but is down on torque (520Nm vs 650Nm) compared to the diesel SQ5. So if you are planning on towing, the Diesel SQ5 is the one to get.

The issue now is the availability of already built SQ5s in terms of options and choice of colour. You will be picking (like I did) from an ever shrinking pool of examples as production stopped in Sept last year. The upside is that dealers are willing to do deals to shift 2016 stock on hand and you get to drive one off the lot immediately. Most of the current cars are highly specc'd up. A limited edition Plus model was a swan song model which has a few extras like 50Nm of torque, black accents (replacing the chrome ones) a deeper sounding exhaust, and torque vectoring electronic LSD (all these things are apparently a $15K difference is value). We chose the normal SQ5 as the black accents made it look cheap, the extra torque, power and exhaust does not make the vehicle any faster and the torque vectoring LSD is virtually useless as it is a 2 tonne SUV not a sports car. 

 

[tazzieman]

My wife will be doing >90% of the driving , and 0-100 times are irrelevant to her! Safety and manouvreability (and colour) are her shopping factors.
The GLC being mid sized , it doesn't feel as lumbering as many, but even the Macan Turbo doesn't feel "sporty" - to me!

As they say,  "YMMV"

[edgy]

My wife will be doing >90% of the driving , and 0-100 times are irrelevant to her! Safety and manouvreability (and colour) are her shopping factors.
The GLC being mid sized , it doesn't feel as lumbering as many, but even the Macan Turbo doesn't feel "sporty" - to me!

As they say,  "YMMV"

You haven't been sideways in a Macan then I take it?  But you're right, and I best put it; the Macan is not a sports car and its not an SUV. 

I do like the GLC a lot, the value factor is good, and the standard inclusions are very good from what I can see. Probably I will get one for mum when she's ready for an upgrade. 

As for Audi, I like them, but will never buy a new one again, the depreciation is horrendous as is their after sales! I therefore am unable to wholeheartedly recommend anyone to go and buy a new one. Just look at 2014 SQ5 vs 2014 Macan S Diesel pricing, they have a similar "new car" base cost. 

 

 

[tazzieman]

I do like the GLC a lot,

I liked this option , but she wasn't enamoured!

"That's what you've got your Land Rover for"

https://youtu.be/2kFubPR-NYA

 

 

 

[edgy]

I liked this option , but she wasn't enamoured!

"That's what you've got your Land Rover for"

https://youtu.be/2kFubPR-NYA

 

 

 

It's amazing how capable some of these new off roaders have become with electronic intervention! 

 

[tazzieman]

It's amazing how capable some of these new off roaders have become with electronic intervention! 

Yes folk all a bit safety conscious these days though! When I was a boy we ate mud,  etc.

 

[Apogee]

You haven't been sideways in a Macan then I take it?  But you're right, and I best put it; the Macan is not a sports car and its not an SUV. 

I do like the GLC a lot, the value factor is good, and the standard inclusions are very good from what I can see. Probably I will get one for mum when she's ready for an upgrade. 

As for Audi, I like them, but will never buy a new one again, the depreciation is horrendous as is their after sales! I therefore am unable to wholeheartedly recommend anyone to go and buy a new one. Just look at 2014 SQ5 vs 2014 Macan S Diesel pricing, they have a similar "new car" base cost. 

 

 

As the SQ5 is on run out, you can get good values now compared to the Macan. if I was buying the SQ5 back in 2014, it would probably be a different story. So far the aftersales service has been ok. They are currently installing (for free) a Westfalia towbar that I supplied. The "genuine" Audi supplied towbar in Australia is a Hayman Reese but the ones in Europe are made by Westfalia Ag.

Hard to get good discounts with Porsche. They don't usually keep stock on hand and orders take 3 months to ship. The options also pushes up the price very quickly.

I would love to have the Macan but the better performance, the higher torque specification and price of the SQ5 were determining factors. And I got 3 years free servicing with a corporate plan. 

 

[edgy]

I've had the Audi corporate plan too, that was indeed handy. 

I think the fact that Porsche have limited supply, lower production and un-willing to discount like Audi = stronger resale. 

Options is a very personal thing, its easy to forget that the Macan comes with lots of standard equipment, its just that you can spec better versions of it, most people do add 20-30% in options to a Macan though and that is a lot of $$.  

It is IMO far better to buy a higher grade car and go small on options! 

[tazzieman]

For 100k you can have all the options,  and the 3 year corporate guaranteed buy back / other option deal with the Benz, but only if you can accept a measly 500NM of torque 

[Apogee]

For 100k you can have all the options,  and the 3 year corporate guaranteed buy back / other option deal with the Benz, but only if you can accept a measly 500NM of torque 

Maybe next time. But I've never warmed up to the Benz look. And a friend who just bought a new C class after owning the previous model, has complained that the quality has fallen in a number of areas. The new cars are not as well built as the previous generation. esp the interior trim. 

I've had the Audi corporate plan too, that was indeed handy. 

I think the fact that Porsche have limited supply, lower production and un-willing to discount like Audi = stronger resale. 

Options is a very personal thing, its easy to forget that the Macan comes with lots of standard equipment, its just that you can spec better versions of it, most people do add 20-30% in options to a Macan though and that is a lot of $$.  

It is IMO far better to buy a higher grade car and go small on options! 

I don't think the SUV Porsches have very good resale either. The Cayennes do suffer very badly from depreciation. The Macans are selling like hotcakes so in a few years, the market will be flooded with choice - which will not be good for resale values. Audis will be the same, they have sold a boat load of the Q5s and SQ5s make up 30% of all sales.

[tazzieman]

Once hybrids catch on , the fossilised cars will be lepers. Good for some , not for others.

Anyway , what about the entry level 4 cyl Macan? Can it pull stumps?

[Apogee]

Once hybrids catch on , the fossilised cars will be lepers. Good for some , not for others.

Anyway , what about the entry level 4 cyl Macan? Can it pull stumps?

370Nm of torque - but I'm not too sure about the PDK transmission for towing.

[tazzieman]

370Nm of torque - but I'm not too sure about the PDK transmission for towing.

What do the brochure towing figures really reflect? I have a boat and a very steep hill back home. I can pull the boat/trailer without a car , but not uphill!

Wouldn't take much to munch these fancy new gearboxes methinks and void the warranty. 

What about a towing comparison , Top Gear style? That would be interesting.

[Apogee]

What do the brochure towing figures really reflect? I have a boat and a very steep hill back home. I can pull the boat/trailer without a car , but not uphill!

Wouldn't take much to munch these fancy new gearboxes methinks and void the warranty. 

What about a towing comparison , Top Gear style? That would be interesting.

I can't seem to see it on their website but was told by an acquaintance (who works for Porsche Willoughby) that he was advised by his service manager that the braked towing capacity for all Macans is 2400kg. The towbar sold locallly by Porsche is a rebadged Hayman Reese while in Europe, the towbars over there are made by Westfalia Ag.

Westfalia supplies all the European brands and you can get them in Australia from Westfalia Australia (their towbars are ADR compliant). I am having one fitted to my SQ5 as we speak - the local towbar from Audi Australia is also made by Hayman Reese (for which Audi and Porsche charges $3.5K) - While you can get a Hayman Reese towbar fully fitted for $950 at most towbar stores.

That is the other reason I went with the SQ5, it has a traditional auto transmission which is more suited for towing. 

 

[tazzieman]

Westfalia supplies all the European brands and you can get them in Australia from Westfalia Australia (their towbars are ADR compliant). I am having one fitted to my SQ5 as we speak - the local towbar from Audi Australia is also made by Hayman Reese (for which Audi and Porsche charges $3.5K) - While you can get a Hayman Reese towbar fully fitted for $950 at most towbar stores.

I understand the braked towing limit for downhills and approaching stoplights etc. But no-one mentions the effect of pulling 1800kg up a steep hill on your box of gears!

The reason towbars are so expensive is the electronic box that prevents potential $$$ damage to your luxury car's electronics - given the dodgy wiring prevelant , esp in boat trailers and salty environments (our coastline). Or so I'm told by the experts that sell cars.

I wouldn't go the towbar store option myself, unless they had an ironclad lawyer approved vehicle electronics protected guarantee attached as well.

I have always had towbars and am happy to pay the 3k or so for the privilege. It is after all amortised over the lease etc and more useful to me than the heads up nav, coffee maker and heated arse warmer options ;<)

[Apogee]

I understand the braked towing limit for downhills and approaching stoplights etc. But no-one mentions the effect of pulling 1800kg up a steep hill on your box of gears!

The reason towbars are so expensive is the electronic box that prevents potential $$$ damage to your luxury car's electronics - given the dodgy wiring prevelant , esp in boat trailers and salty environments (our coastline). Or so I'm told by the experts that sell cars.

I wouldn't go the towbar store option myself, unless they had an ironclad lawyer approved vehicle electronics protected guarantee attached as well.

I have always had towbars and am happy to pay the 3k or so for the privilege. It is after all amortised over the lease etc and more useful to me than the heads up nav, coffee maker and heated arse warmer options ;<)

They have coffee makers in cars now?!

[tazzieman]

They have coffee makers in cars now?!

They have everything , including the kitchen sink it seems. Customers demand this sort of thing as they spent days in city traffic.

Back in the day we just had cocktail cabinets in the back seat.

[edgy]

As of about last year, the Porsche tow pack for the Macan is an OEM deal, before then, it was an aftermarket hack job! My car left the factory with the OEM and it is not simply a tow bar bolted on. Its quite comprehensive and a nice integration, even the lower bar section is different. 

I have seen the Hayman Reese ones added to Macan, quite sure its the Q5 one modded and frankly it looks like a hack job, its only $950 yes, which its cheaper than the Porsche OEM at $2400 but it looks every part of $1450 cheaper or more! 

 

This is the OEM one with the hitch installed. 

 

This is a Hayman Reese 

 

Decide whats better for yourself I guess? 

 

As for the PDK's capacity to tow Tazzie, I had that concern too, but it tows absolutely flawless. I've had about 1.8T behind my one, and I just try to exercise some mechanical sympathy with the transmission if its in a scenario where the motor is loaded and may want to swap in and out of gears (i.e. steep hill at 110kph), I will simply manually select the gear I want it to stay in and just coast the throttle.... I don't need to do that, but I feel that is giving the clutches a bit of break, as that is what you will hurt, not the gears them selves. It's a lot like towing with a manual trans car really... you get that sense of solidity in the drivetrain, its up to you to be a gentleman or a bastard to it on gear shifts!  

I've got a steep driveway too, again, just drive it with some sympathy and leave it in 1st whilst going up slow, there is no lack of torque with the 3.6 powerplant. 

So I really had my preconceptions about dual clutch not being a good transmission to haul with but they were uneducated opinions and unfounded because I hadn't experienced it, now I am wiser, I'd say it may even be better on the smallish (i.e. < 2 T~)  loads. 

If I am ever in a position I need to tow big loads i.e. > 3 T~ Cayenne time. 

 

More on towing with Macan's. 

http://porscheforum.com.au/topic/10799-hauling-with-the-macan-turbo/