A lovely drive followed by a celebration of 50 years of forced-induction…

[daveo4EV]

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had a wonderful opportunity this past weekend to be hosted by Porsche North America on a perfect lovey drive in both of Porsche's current EV offerings.

the setting:

• https://www.skywalkervineyards.com/Shop/Wines - Porsche experience day location
• https://www.cavallopoint.com/- the hotel my wife and I stayed to turn our Porsche experience into a weekend getaway
  • highly recommend this little gem of a hotel/resort/location - OMG who knew? such nice location and property - highly recommend visiting and/or staying if you're looking for a North Bay experience.

the agenda

• arrive 13:00h @ Skywalker Vinyards
• drive starts @ 13:30h
• return 16:00 to attend https://000magazine.com/turbo50/?srsltid=AfmBOorv1eRExNkaVMzch8JahbqaaQSEosROXx6yiOVXR8lsgSm74ogI
• depart 9 pm after a long but lovely day of automotive high performance immersion therapy

the hardware

• fully loaded 2024 Macan Turbo(s) x 3
• fully loaded 2025 Taycan GT(s) x 2
• fully loaded 2025 Taycan TurboS x 1
• fully loaded Cayenne Turbo Hybrids - lead cars for two groups of future customers
• 200+ Porsche sports cars later in the afternoon for a 000 fan fest celebrating 50 years of Porsche Turbo power…

the route - a lovely jaunt through the Marin valley region with a stop in Stinson beach - and a scenic twisty coastal drive back to the vineyard…for the party to begin.

Summary:

It's hard to go wrong with either the Taycan or the Macan - both vehicles have their pluses and minus,​

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If you want Porsche next level "tech/software" get the Macan​

if you want Porsche's next level mechanical engineering get the Taycan Gen2 - but prepare to live with previous generation "tech"​

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both cars are excellent - please don't make me choose - I'm going forward with my Macan Turbo purchase - but the Taycan gen2 was damm impressive - however so is it's price.​

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Macan is now wife approved - and if your wife is like my wife that's saying A LOT! She's fussy and picky about her "stuff" and the Macan meets her standards - after 25+ years with her I can suggest her endorsement means you can skip the rest of this posting.​

Lasting impressions:

• the Macan Turbo is excellent
  • tech is vastly better vs. other Porsche vehicle's - if Porsche keeps this vector I have hope for their future
    • AR HUD is game changing vs. Taycan HUD - vastly more sophisticated software
    • CarPlay driving directions in the HUD - win!!
    • AR HUD is very very interesting and useful - real step up for Porsche
  • Macan cabin is a joy to be in
  • Macan Turbo is quick but in some 40-80 mph stuff it was quick but not "urgent"
  • rear seats are tight but sufficient
  • android based PCM is an improvement
  • Innodrive is a new version and vastly improved vs. my other Innodrive vehicles (911 TurboS (992), Cayenne TurboS eHybrid, 2020 Taycan Turbo) - my personal experience and other reviews - Innodrive is now "nearly good enough" - not Tesla Autopilot worthy, but vastly better
    • it's improved enough that I might leave it "on" in my Macan - I have Innodrive disabled in my other 3 Porsche's - and opt for ACC/ALK only with Innodrive disabled
    • Macan is good enough to not turn innodrive off…trust me that's a big endorsement from me in my opinion
  • brake peddle feel is not the best Porsche I've been in but never lacking for stopping power
  • cars were presented with 90% charge and estimated 265 miles on the dash board
  • Macan is full midsized SUV - but Porsche design/feel - higher seating position - great visibility
  • A/C was excellent/powerful - I had to adjust it "down" to be less cold
  • 18 way seats are great, but I prefer the 14 ways w/massage
  • tech was more stable during the drive vs. other Porsche
  • AR HUD has a number of party tricks - I haven't found them all
    • "floating" collision warning - the yellow triangle "tracks" the car in front of you causing the collision warning - right on the logo on the rear trunk lid - it was impressive
    • the ACC distance "buffer" is overlayed in "real" time on the car in front of you. - with the car "cut out" around the graphics - again impressive
    • AR HUD "floats" and bob's and weaves based on vehicle dynamics - tracking corners and steering inputs - it's location is where you're supposed to be looking - on the road
    • during rapid/suddent acceleration - the g-forces are temporarily displayed in HUD and then fade - nice touch
    • Im sure there is more but I only had 1 hour in the car and had to follow the group
  • Ride quality in the Macan Turbo was excellent - ride quality in the Taycan TurboS was next level excellent
  • Macan Cabin noise is very very good
  • Light is very very good
  • entry/exit easier than the Taycan
  • center console in the Macan vastly better than Taycan
  • Tech in the Macan is +1 or +2 vs. Taycan - real step up vs. standard Porsche
  • pressing the left scroll wheel on the steering wheel for many seconds will toggle the HUD on/off - this trick did not work in the Taycan for the HUD
• the Taycan Turbo GT/TurboS - OMG (and I did 38,000 miles in a 2020 Taycan Turbo)
  • car is never lacking for power
  • Taycan "wraps" around you and feels like a cocoon
  • this car feels like there are claws into the asphalt - turn the wheel and "by your command" is the only response
  • brake peddle feel is vastly better in the gen2 Taycan's
  • paddles on the steering wheel?
  • vastly upgraded dash board - but same PCM as Gen1 Taycan
  • in slow traffic (we were following a wine bus that was painful slow) the Taycan just floated along with me never touching the accelerator or brake pedal - car was smooth and responsive
  • back to back comparison the Taycan HUD is down on tech vs. Macan HUD
    • the Taycan is down on tech in general vs. the Macan in terms of software
  • never "lacking" for power in any speed - so responsive and so much "on tap"
  • active suspension is game changing - this is the best riding sports car I've ever been in
  • car "raises" up quite a few inches to help you get in/out - this is impressive and useful!!
  • Taycan is $35k or more vs. similar optioned Macan - and despite my preconceived bias that the new Taycan isn't that much of an upgrade vs. gen1 - you can "feel" the money - it's a better car - but it's also quite a bit more Money and it's a low slung sedan vs. an upright SUV
  • I drove the Taycan TurboS and the Turbo GT - the GT is OMG, but the TurboS is where I'd want to be (honestly a GTS/Turbo) - slightly more refined, very very similar capabilities, less "raw" than the GT - more useful for actually driving on roads
  • Active suspension is game changing
  • dramatically better than my Gen1 Taycan Turbo - more than I expected
  • car play kept crapping out on me (but it's the same in my other Porsche's)
  • after being in the Macan the Taycan's HUD is "unimpressive" and defiantly "less useful" but still nice vs. no-HUD

Final Thoughts in no particular order…

I'm keeping my Macan Turbo order and will suggest to Porsche they should prioritize my delivery as I might become more grumpy. There is no doubt in my mind that the gen2 Taycan is a better example of vehicle/ev/mechanical techology vs. the Macan. This is not a slight against the Macan, but it is a fact. If you want the best EV vehicle Prosche currently makes - 2025 Taycan no question - but the Macan is damm good and only suffers in back to back driving comparisons vs. the gen2 Taycan - vs. gen1 Taycan I'd suggest equivalent with Macan having a slightly 'fresher' edge and vastly better range.​

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But I dont' want a sedan and the Taycan is fully a sedan with all the pro's and con's of a four door sedan. My next car is going to be the Macan Turbo and it's a great car/suv and better than 97% of the cars on the road. After being in both the gen2 Taycan and gen1 Macan however the software tech in the Macan is better vs. Taycan and gives me hope for Porsche's future - this does not close the gap with BMW/Tesla/Mercedes, but it moves closer to acceptable, with the AR HUD being an impressive bit of software. NOTE: my back ground is 30+ years in commercial high profile consumer software - I'm not rating the AR HUD as "useful" (I'd need more time living with it) - but I was impressed as a fellow professional at the software that is behind the AR HUD - this more than a skin-deep overhaul - it's clear to me they are running some sophisticated stuff behind the scenes and have given some thought to the whole affair - I'll look forward to living with it and seeing if it proves useful over the course of time.​

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the Taycan gen2 is next level​

the Macan is simply damm impressive and a better "normal" car​

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I kinda want both…but will be keeping my Macan Turbo order​

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final word on Macan impressions: Wife approved - she drove both the Taycan and Macan also - she fully approves of Macan order, doesn't want the Taycan (but felt/understood it's a better driving car for vastly more money) and came home and configured a Macan 4S for herself - she's thinking 2026 w/NACS native charging port might be her sweet spot for swapping out of her current Cayenne…​

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the Macan is a great SUV and EV and I'd be surprised if anyone is disappointed in their purchase - but the Taycan is in fact better but is more money and a different relationship in terms of what you're buying it for.​

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pics below - I'm open to questions comments.

 

[MFitz]

Great feedback. I love getting the perspective of a long time Porsche owner. Thanks for taking the time and effort to inform us all.

 

[LivingTheDream]

To say that I’m jealous of your experience is a pretty massive understatement. Thanks for sharing your impressions. Particularly happy to read yet another positive review of the HUD. Added it to my configuration after a brief experience with it and seeing that it integrates (albeit with some limitations) with CarPlay. A pricey option to add after such a brief test, but I’m gaining confidence in the wisdom of the addition with each new review.

 

[daveo4EV]

To say that I’m jealous of your experience is a pretty massive understatement. Thanks for sharing your impressions. Particularly happy to read yet another positive review of the HUD. Added it to my configuration after a brief experience with it and seeing that it integrates (albeit with some limitations) with CarPlay. A pricey option to add after such a brief test, but I’m gaining confidence in the wisdom of the addition with each new review.

as I drove the Macan I kept saying "damm" under my breath every time it did something - it's clear to me Porsche's given some pretty deep thought to it and I'm looking forward to spending time with it…this is not something that you can "understand" in 20 minutes or less and it will have to be personalized and "lived with" to see if it's any good - but the initial impressions from me is deeper than a simple demo…I've seen demo's and I've designed "products" - products are harder than demo's - vastly harder than demo's - the AR Hud has the potential to be "product" level software…

but only seat time and daily usage can make that determination

I can say with 100% confidence if I had NOT optioned the HUD and then had this experience - I would be kicking myself very very very hard right now - I would hate myself I had not optioned the HUD and then had the drive experience I just had…

it's good enough that it has to be played with and lived with - will it stand the test of time? I can't say - but I'm deeply optimistic right now.

I can say with 100% confidence this is NOT the HUD experience from their exiting pre-macon product line…it's better than any other HUD in Porsche's line up - and the other cars are now "down on power" in this dimension vs. the Macan EV.

 

[Awaz]

Very nice detailed review and feedback.
Appreciated.

 

[bbmertz]

Thanks for the great detailed review! I too was torn between the Taycan and the Macan EV. Wanted a sportier car (Taycan) but also wanted the latest tech and versatility of a compact SUV (e.g., tow hitch option for bike rack on the Macan). Ultimately ordered the Macan 4S considering the $35K price difference.

Incidentally, I debated about ordering the HUD since I too was impressed after seeing it at the Atlanta PEC but decided instead to get rear axle steering for about the same cost. I figured that I would benefit from RAS daily whereas I wouldn’t need the HUD very often on my local commutes (might find it distracting) and rarely go on long drives to new destinations where it would be extremely valuable.

 

[Diego]

Thanks for your amazing review. Really appreciate your judgement on riding and quality.

 

[Fun TC Driving]

With your extensive Porsche experience in all areas, your thoughtful, comparative analysis was very helpful. Read every word twice (so far). Thank you Dave! May you win the lottery and get one of each.

 

[Fun TC Driving]

One question please about exciting the new Taycan with its Active Ride/Comfort Entry. Is you wife more pleased with exciting it than she was with your first gen Taycan?

 

[daveo4EV]

One question please about exciting the new Taycan with its Active Ride/Comfort Entry. Is you wife more pleased with exciting it than she was with your first gen Taycan?

not by much but no doubt it’s better - the b-pillar location however is still awkward

definitive improvement no doubt - still not what she was/is looking for!

 

[daveo4EV]

taycan active suspension demo here -

 

[daveo4EV]

doh

my Macan Turbo is $135k'ish

I just configured Taycan Turbo - $210k'ish

so $80k difference the way I'd buy either car … Taycan is super super good - but not $80k better good.

 

[daveo4EV]

Big shout out to Porsche Cars North America Marketing - this whole day was arrange by them with logistics, driving leads, 8+ cars delivered, snacks, coolers, water, primo location and and always world class customer service.

Speaking with the event organizers Porsche does these all over the country and in this case they decided to ride the coat tails of the 000 party - which was not Porsche's gig - but Porsche co-operates with 000 magazine on several fronts…

but the drive planned just before the event was an ideal opportunity for some world class marketing and I have to say some of the best customer relations in the automotive industry. Porsche is far from perfect, but they make me happy personally more often than not, and other brands just do not match them in my experience - YMMV

big shout out however to all the work/effort/costs so that we can all share in the joy and function these cars bring into our lives!

thank you PCNA Marketing for a great day!

 

[wmras]

Thanks for the great detailed review! I too was torn between the Taycan and the Macan EV. Wanted a sportier car (Taycan) but also wanted the latest tech and versatility of a compact SUV (e.g., tow hitch option for bike rack on the Macan). Ultimately ordered the Macan 4S considering the $35K price difference.

Incidentally, I debated about ordering the HUD since I too was impressed after seeing it at the Atlanta PEC but decided instead to get rear axle steering for about the same cost. I figured that I would benefit from RAS daily whereas I wouldn’t need the HUD very often on my local commutes (might find it distracting) and rarely go on long drives to new destinations where it would be extremely valuable.

Heads Up display is especially useful at night for blind spot and cross traffic warnings. It also guides you to unfamiliar destinations wit turn, lane, and distance displayed, in addition to speed limit, speed, and street / road names. It is an amazing amount of information without being too distracting.

 

[byebye]

Many thanks for this comprehensive review: because of you, I can’t wait to take delivery of my Turbo!

However, now, I’m sure I will miss Innodrive ( I thought that it will be possible to add it after delivery….).