Macan 4 – Quick review from 1st time Porsche owner (former Model Y owner)

[Jonny McCann]

I've had my Macan 4 for just over two weeks.

What I regret:
In retrospect, I should have had the sideblades painted in the exterior colour (Dolomite Silver). I opted for this colour as in my experience, silver shows the dirt less than most others. However, the sideblades, being black, can start to look a bit grubby, even after a short drive down a wet country lane.

I didn’t upgrade to the BOSE Sound Surround System as I don’t listen to music very much, and assumed that a standard sound system in a luxury car would be decent enough–but unfortunately it falls short in my opinion. It’s pretty rubbish. It’s not that bad that I hate the car, and it’s fine for talk radio, but I do regret not having upgraded.

A minor quality issue:
The driver’s door needs to be slammed shut. I’m missing the satisfying ‘clunk’ of a car door closing shut by gravity. I’d have expected better quality in a high-end car. The other doors are not as bad–but not that much better.

I can use the spoiler manually, but still haven’t worked out, or read up on, how it operates automatically. (I thought that putting it in Sport mode and putting my foot down would raise it–but it doesn’t, so I must be doing something wrong.)

I do not regret:
Not going for the insulated glass. With the 20” wheels and adaptive air suspension, the car is pretty quiet, even on badly-surfaced roads. (However, I rarely drive in noisy cities.) So I got the rear wiper, and it’s great.

The augmented reality head up display is brilliant, as well as the InnoDrive with active lane keeping. The surround view works well, but it’s a shame that it’s an expensive optional extra, as is the comfort access.

Heated steering wheel.

What I miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
Not having to carry a key fob around.
The rear camera when overtaking.
The display depicting people and other vehicles.

What I thought I’d miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
The instant, maximum torque from stationary. (The Macan 4 seems almost as quick.)
‘One foot’ driving. (You get used to not having it.)
The connectivity. (The Macan 4’s isn’t as good, but it’s good enough.)

What I do not miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
The seats.
The handling.
The road holding.
The road noise.


It's been cold here in the UK, and the car's pre-heat function has worked really well.
The Macan 4 drives beautifully. It’s quick, responsive handles amazingly. I love it.

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[W1NGE]

I've had my Macan 4 for just over two weeks.

What I regret:
In retrospect, I should have had the sideblades painted in the exterior colour (Dolomite Silver). I opted for this colour as in my experience, silver shows the dirt less than most others. However, the sideblades, being black, can start to look a bit grubby, even after a short drive down a wet country lane.

I didn’t upgrade to the BOSE Sound Surround System as I don’t listen to music very much, and assumed that a standard sound system in a luxury car would be decent enough–but unfortunately it falls short in my opinion. It’s pretty rubbish. It’s not that bad that I hate the car, and it’s fine for talk radio, but I do regret not having upgraded.

A minor quality issue:
The driver’s door needs to be slammed shut. I’m missing the satisfying ‘clunk’ of a car door closing shut by gravity. I’d have expected better quality in a high-end car. The other doors are not as bad–but not that much better.

I can use the spoiler manually, but still haven’t worked out, or read up on, how it operates automatically. (I thought that putting it in Sport mode and putting my foot down would raise it–but it doesn’t, so I must be doing something wrong.)

I do not regret:
Not going for the insulated glass. With the 20” wheels and adaptive air suspension, the car is pretty quiet, even on badly-surfaced roads. (However, I rarely drive in noisy cities.) So I got the rear wiper, and it’s great.

The augmented reality head up display is brilliant, as well as the InnoDrive with active lane keeping. The surround view works well, but it’s a shame that it’s an expensive optional extra, as is the comfort access.

Heated steering wheel.

What I miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
Not having to carry a key fob around.
The rear camera when overtaking.
The display depicting people and other vehicles.

What I thought I’d miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
The instant, maximum torque from stationary. (The Macan 4 seems almost as quick.)
‘One foot’ driving. (You get used to not having it.)
The connectivity. (The Macan 4’s isn’t as good, but it’s good enough.)

What I do not miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
The seats.
The handling.
The road holding.
The road noise.


It's been cold here in the UK, and the car's pre-heat function has worked really well.
The Macan 4 drives beautifully. It’s quick, responsive handles amazingly. I love it.

The door issue is fairly common - I experienced it on 2 separate Macan EVs - it needs 'soft close' to complete the task which isn't an option but now standard on Cayenne and optional on Taycan.

Bose can be good or bad it seems. The 4S I had for a weekend had a terrible installation (I have it in my Taycan so know what to expect) and in the Turbo it was discernibly better so clearly some type of configuration / installation issue. The standard Sound Plus in my Macan T ICE is really good - enough to make me think twice about Bose in truth.

Sideblades - really need to be body colour by default IMHO.

Spoiler looks terrible when raised IMHO but is speed sensitive and drive mode sensitive when left to it's own devices:

 

[cottony]

How are you liking the color? I got ice grey but really considered dolomite also. kinda wonder how I’d feel if I got dolomite

 

[Swiss-Mike]

i have an 4S in dolomite with matching blades was clear from the beginning easier to clean and looks perfect. the door closing is not matching the high price, i have bose and im satisfied. i love my macan the handling is incredible for a suv!
the only thing i regret a bit not taking the insulated glass cause windnoise and 22 tires are not so quiet even with air supension.
and chalk interior is not available in all leather dont know why….overall its a great car

 

[SteveInKirkland]

I can use the spoiler manually, but still haven’t worked out, or read up on, how it operates automatically. (I thought that putting it in Sport mode and putting my foot down would raise it–but it doesn’t, so I must be doing something wrong.)

There is a thread on the forum about the behavior of the spoiler. This is the graph from it. I have to admit that I don't even try to keep this straight because I cannot kill the brain cycles on remembering this. When the behavior of the spoiler depends on the deployment status of the sunroof, I realized it was time to stop trying to explain it.

 

[RickDCMD]

I've had my Macan 4 for just over two weeks.

What I regret:
In retrospect, I should have had the sideblades painted in the exterior colour (Dolomite Silver). I opted for this colour as in my experience, silver shows the dirt less than most others. However, the sideblades, being black, can start to look a bit grubby, even after a short drive down a wet country lane.

I didn’t upgrade to the BOSE Sound Surround System as I don’t listen to music very much, and assumed that a standard sound system in a luxury car would be decent enough–but unfortunately it falls short in my opinion. It’s pretty rubbish. It’s not that bad that I hate the car, and it’s fine for talk radio, but I do regret not having upgraded.

A minor quality issue:
The driver’s door needs to be slammed shut. I’m missing the satisfying ‘clunk’ of a car door closing shut by gravity. I’d have expected better quality in a high-end car. The other doors are not as bad–but not that much better.

I can use the spoiler manually, but still haven’t worked out, or read up on, how it operates automatically. (I thought that putting it in Sport mode and putting my foot down would raise it–but it doesn’t, so I must be doing something wrong.)

I do not regret:
Not going for the insulated glass. With the 20” wheels and adaptive air suspension, the car is pretty quiet, even on badly-surfaced roads. (However, I rarely drive in noisy cities.) So I got the rear wiper, and it’s great.

The augmented reality head up display is brilliant, as well as the InnoDrive with active lane keeping. The surround view works well, but it’s a shame that it’s an expensive optional extra, as is the comfort access.

Heated steering wheel.

What I miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
Not having to carry a key fob around.
The rear camera when overtaking.
The display depicting people and other vehicles.

What I thought I’d miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
The instant, maximum torque from stationary. (The Macan 4 seems almost as quick.)
‘One foot’ driving. (You get used to not having it.)
The connectivity. (The Macan 4’s isn’t as good, but it’s good enough.)

What I do not miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
The seats.
The handling.
The road holding.
The road noise.


It's been cold here in the UK, and the car's pre-heat function has worked really well.
The Macan 4 drives beautifully. It’s quick, responsive handles amazingly. I love it.

I missed the Dog Mode in Tesla, I know we can leave the Macan AC on, but no one will know and could be a problem if you let your dog and pedestrian passing by think is a dog in risk of heat stroke. The car screen(s) should show is in Dog Mode.

 

[prime]

I missed the Dog Mode in Tesla, I know we can leave the Macan AC on, but no one will know and could be a problem if you let your dog and pedestrian passing by think is a dog in risk of heat stroke. The car screen(s) should show is in Dog Mode.

Definitely miss this too. Use it often in our Tesla.

 

[montreal58]

My Macan 4, volcano grey, was delivered 2 weeks ago. It has overall exceeded my expectations. It looks really good, exterior and interior. Glad I went for the 20 inch Macan S wheels, looks good and comfortable to ride on.

The positive:

• Its a beast, really good handling and comfort, I like my suspension and steering tight. Normal and Sport is where I spend most of my driving.
• I spend zero time reading manuals etc. I picked up the car at the dealer and it is really intuitive and easy to figure out. Of course there are details to be explored but I appreciate the simplicity.
• I love the driving and braking dynamics, similar to an ICE-car. I do not like one pedal driving so thank you porsche for being brave enough to choose this path.
• Really nice exterior and interior design - the car looks great.
• The leather interior and soft sport seats are amazing.
• Love the Frunk! Especially putting groceries and bottles there alongside the charging cable.
• I like the my porsche app!

Some questionmarks:

• Totally agree that the bose sound system was a dissapointment. But can hopefully be fixed, could be some settings that needs to be changed.
• Some very small issues such as tire pressure warning despite only missing 0.2 pressure. And some confusing messaging regarding account and requests to log in every time you get into the car. But there is of course an easy solution for this, will ask my dealer.

So for those of you still waiting for your Macan EV, it is worth the wait!

John

 

[cometguy]

I also have noticed the driver door not closing easily -- unlike the other four doors... very strange...

I have no problems with the base sound system, nor with the acceleration (though it does seem more sluggish in acceleration than my Taycan CT4). I also like how the frunk opens without having to fiddle with a latch (i.e., one step instead of two steps in the Taycan).

The side bolstering on the 14-way seats in the Macan 4 seems noticeably higher than in my 2019 Macan. I also hate the moving rear spoiler (something that will break), and wish that they had kept the fixed rear spoiler on the ICE Macan over the rear window (rather than the moving spoiler under the window in the Macan BEV) -- it looks much better. The side blades are something that I strongly disliked on my ICE Macan and strongly dislike on the Macan 4; not sure why Porsche does that. The side blades are very hard to clean and keep clean, and doesn't really add any good looks to either Macan. To my eye, the side blades look silly, in fact (but they do let you pick out a Macan from a Cayenne at a glance, making the Cayenne look more serious even if more like a whale).

I also spec'd the rear wiper on the Macan 4, which works well; I thought I read somewhere that somebody said it doesn't have a way to wash (add fluid to) the rear window, but my Macan 4 certainly has the washer. I cannot imagine buying a Macan 4 without a rear wiper.

My Taycan handles much better than the Macan 4 (it's much more planted). But the interior cockpit design is so much better in the Macan 4 -- meaning the center console below the infotainment screen: manual vents (vs. electronic infotainment-screen controled vents in the Taycan); physical controls for climate controls (vs. haptic/piano-black plate controls in the Taycan); much better central storage bin (it's horrible in the Taycan -- worst-designed center storage bin I've ever seen); much better cupholders (set down low in the Macan 4); much better phone compartment, and nice storage bin below (no such thing in the Taycan). The Taycan instrument panel is better than that in the Macan 4 -- it's bigger, you can get infrared camera, you get a second diamond button there, and there are touch controls there that are missing in the Macan. (But the Taycan is much more expensive new.) I actually like the instrument panels of the ICE Macan and the Cayenne E-Hybrid better than in the Porsche BEVs.

Other things better in the Macan 4 than in the Taycan: closing cloth translucent cover to shut out sunlight (Taycan's glass roof has no way to close off); regular door handles (vs. electronic, very frustrating door handles in the Taycan); bigger and better-visibility outside rear-view mirrors; regen can stay on permanently (so they've re-dedicated the Taycan's regen button on the steering wheel to be a track/station-changing button, and that obviates the need for the missing second diamond button in the Macan 4). In the Taycan, I have to press the regen button every time I start the car, which is a pain. I prefer one-pedal driving and so want at least the regen button to be activated always (and for those who say they don't need one-pedal driving, that doesn't let Porsche off the hook, because they should make it optional to each individual driver as it is in many/most BEVs). Porsche's "regen" level does slow the car down noticeably, though it's far from one-pedal driving. Also, my 2025 Macan 4 has about 300 miles of estimated full-charge range, vs. a best 220-240 miles in my 2021 Taycan CT4 (with 46k miles on the odometer) -- both at 45 deg F outside air temperature and driven similarly; that's a big difference.

Big misses in both the Taycan and the Macan 4: (1) dual sun visors for both front seats, like in the Cayenne (this feature should be standard on all cars, full stop); (2) framed doors (frameless doors are horrible -- always grabbing the glass to close the door, and they must make the doors less safe structurally in a T-bone accident); (3) aforementioned lack of one-pedal driving; (4) option in the USA to get an all-metal roof is non-existent (it's standard in Europe); (5) option to get steel suspension is non-existent in the USA (it's apparently standard in Europe; air suspension can and will break); (6) horrible exterior cameras (the Macan 4 has a better camera than in the first-gen Taycans, but that's not saying much -- it should be much better, especially at this price point; my 2022 Volvo has a much-better camera view, making it really easy to park my Volvo using only the rear camera, while it's rather scary using the rear camera in the Porsches to back up); (7) inability to get Montego Blue (as in the Cayenne), which I think is perhaps the best exterior paint color that Porsche offers that's not "Paint-to-Sample".

Speaking of the poor rear camera: this doesn't help the case for having moved the charging ports from the front (on the Taycan) to the rear (on the Macan 4). It is certainly harder to see out the window when nearing a charging pump (how close you are to the pump) in the Macan 4 than in the Taycan. The extra ground clearance in the Macan 4 is a big bonus over the Taycan in having less chances of hitting a curb at a charging pump by mistake. My CPO Taycan had a really trashed front lower lip, which I assume was probably mostly due to the original owner hitting curbs at charging stations a lot.

 

[seabird]

What I miss from the Tesla Model Y Long Range:
Not having to carry a key fob around.
The rear camera when overtaking.
The display depicting people and other vehicles.

There is a display mode depicting other vehicles and traffic obstructions in the center of the three configurable options. It's not as detailed as the Tesla equivalent, but it is better than nothing, which is the case in most other brands.

You can also configure the diamond button to bring up the camera view while driving (helpful in changing lanes and passing). Not automatic, but again better than nothing.

(6) horrible exterior cameras (the Macan 4 has a better camera than in the first-gen Taycans, but that's not saying much -- it should be much better, especially at this price point; my 2022 Volvo has a much-better camera view, making it really easy to park my Volvo using only the rear camera, while it's rather scary using the rear camera in the Porsches to back up);

I don't understand this. I had a 2022 Volvo product and the camera was absolutely awful. Lower resolution, insane fisheye on the rear camera and distortion on the side views, much less responsive steering guides, terrible low light performance, and half the time it didn't even display when reversing. For my money, the Macan EV camera is far superior and not at all scary to use, though I agree it has room for image quality improvement.

 

[cometguy]

I don't understand this. I had a 2022 Volvo product and the camera was absolutely awful. Lower resolution, insane fisheye on the rear camera and distortion on the side views, much less responsive steering guides, terrible low light performance, and half the time it didn't even display when reversing. For my money, the Macan EV camera is far superior and not at all scary to use, though I agree it has room for image quality improvement.

I am currently driving a 2022.5 Volvo (Google OS, not the older Sensus gear from 2022.0) and a 2021 Taycan, with a special-order 2025 Macan 4 sitting at the dealership. From sitting hours in the Macan 4 and doing a couple of test drives, its camera is inferior to that in my Volvo XC60, but the Macan 4 seems to have a better camera than that in my 2021 Taycan.

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