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Configuration feedback needed - how is this spec for an outdoor enthusiast ?

vanjwilson

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I'm slowly talking myself into trading in a Tesla Model Y for a Macan EV. Of course, every time I go look at the configurator, I end up adding more options and the price goes up $2,000–$3,000. If I don't order soon, I will never be able to retire. ;)

This would be my first Porsche, and the nicest car I've ever owned (next closest would be a BMW i3 my wife had for a few years). I'm looking forward to the better build quality and more spirited driving, but what attracts me to the Macan is the ability to make it more of an off-road vehicle than most EVs. Rivians and other trucks are not an option, because my wife wants to keep all our cars inside the garage. And by "off-road", I mainly mean bumpy, sometimes rocky Forest Service roads to trailheads, not rock-crawling or off-roading. I have abused the Tesla too much, and had to have the suspension fixed--it's AWD but no air suspension.

I'm particularly interested in these things I'm adding:
  • Offroad Design Package
  • Rear Axle Steering
  • Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus
  • Compass Display on Dashboard incl. Porsche Off-Road Precision App
I'm planning to stay with 20-inch wheels, because I figure the more sidewall, the better. I see the 21-inch Offroad Design Wheels, but in searching the forums, all I find is that people choose those for aesthetics. Looks are not that important to me--not interested in any trim in body color, high gloss black, carbon fiber, etc.

Here's is my latest build:

https://porsche-code.com/PS6DTFQ4

Oh, one final question, are the 18-way seats worth it, if I'm not going to track the car?
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SergeyIndy

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Solid build with all the right things in it. 14-way seats are way too flat, so for off roading, I would stay with 18-ways. I would spend on Sports Chrono as you never know when you need some extra power of Sports+ to outrun a bear.
 

masmole

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Nice build. Standard 4S wheels look great with oak green and probably one of the best wheel options for efficiency/range not to mention ride comfort.

Also, I could be wrong but since the roof rails will be dark grey to go along with the off-road package bits, maybe window trim in black would go better? Unless you like the bright silver trim which I guess is fine too since wheels will have similar bright highlights.
 

JohnnyRoaster

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The build looks great! I would do some research on the Off-Road app that comes with the compass. I'm not sure if it's compatible with the Macan even though it is an option. Also be aware that you loose some width with the 20 inch wheels. 235 and 285 vs 255/295. Better mileage but less performance.
 
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vanjwilson

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The build looks great! I would do some research on the Off-Road app that comes with the compass. I'm not sure if it's compatible with the Macan even though it is an option. Also be aware that you loose some width with the 20 inch wheels. 235 and 285 vs 255/295. Better mileage but less performance.
Thanks for the tip about the off-road app. I did some searching, and found that it did not work in the U.S. yet about a year ago, but support was planned. I'll definitely check with my dealer to see if it is supported now, before I pull the trigger.
https://rennlist.com/forums/macan/1...ists-with-off-road-prec-app.html#post19144825

As for the wheels and mileage, I do also like to road trip (allows for hiking more places). I've put 94,000 on my Model Y in 3.5 years.
 

FastCHarge

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Good build overall. Personal taste may vary, but I'd indeed suggest to consider swapping the silver window trim for black. With regards to 14 vs 18 way seats, best is probably to try both if you have a chance as it's a personal taste.

Aside from that, I don't see any important option missing. However -and of course this is my personal opinion- if your focus is a more off-road type of vehicle, I'd personally question whether 4S is really such an edge over the 4.

If you follow the off-road phylosophy (including opting for 20" wheels, which I think makes sense), then maybe the 4 is "enough"? It has alreay plenty of power and saves you quite some money for later ;-) Same for PTV+, it is more an option you'd opt-in when driving hard in bends or if you plan to use the car on track on occasions, but then the Sport Chrono package and larger wheels with more grip would also make sense.. Also the GT steering wheel is nice, but does it matter that much to you? Porsche is good at offering you all kind of options (all of them are nice in a way), but it very quickly adds up...
 

SteveInKirkland

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As a tip, the ICE Macan 14-way and 18-way seats are the same as the Macan EV seats ... so, if your dealer doesn't have both 14-way and 18-way in the Macan EV, you can look at the ICE to help you make a decision.

My wife doesn't like 2 aspects of the 18-way seats which led us to the 14-way -- (a) the higher bolster makes entering and exiting the car more difficult and (b) the 18-way squeezes you into the seat more, which she finds undesirable.
 

shawn

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I'm slowly talking myself into trading in a Tesla Model Y for a Macan EV. Of course, every time I go look at the configurator, I end up adding more options and the price goes up $2,000–$3,000. If I don't order soon, I will never be able to retire. ;)

This would be my first Porsche, and the nicest car I've ever owned (next closest would be a BMW i3 my wife had for a few years). I'm looking forward to the better build quality and more spirited driving, but what attracts me to the Macan is the ability to make it more of an off-road vehicle than most EVs. Rivians and other trucks are not an option, because my wife wants to keep all our cars inside the garage. And by "off-road", I mainly mean bumpy, sometimes rocky Forest Service roads to trailheads, not rock-crawling or off-roading. I have abused the Tesla too much, and had to have the suspension fixed--it's AWD but no air suspension.

I'm particularly interested in these things I'm adding:
  • Offroad Design Package
  • Rear Axle Steering
  • Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus
  • Compass Display on Dashboard incl. Porsche Off-Road Precision App
I'm planning to stay with 20-inch wheels, because I figure the more sidewall, the better. I see the 21-inch Offroad Design Wheels, but in searching the forums, all I find is that people choose those for aesthetics. Looks are not that important to me--not interested in any trim in body color, high gloss black, carbon fiber, etc.

Here's is my latest build:

https://porsche-code.com/PS6DTFQ4

Oh, one final question, are the 18-way seats worth it, if I'm not going to track the car?
Great spec. I love the 18 way seats. Very comfortable and great support. If you get them also pick the seat logo or bespoke option as I left that blank but seats look like they sre missing something so I had a local trophy shop make me something to fill the void which is better but would be easier and low cost just to add it in the first place

Electric Macan EV Configuration feedback needed - how is this spec for an outdoor enthusiast ? IMG_5846
 
Last edited:
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vanjwilson

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Good build overall. Personal taste may vary, but I'd indeed suggest to consider swapping the silver window trim for black. With regards to 14 vs 18 way seats, best is probably to try both if you have a chance as it's a personal taste.

Aside from that, I don't see any important option missing. However -and of course this is my personal opinion- if your focus is a more off-road type of vehicle, I'd personally question whether 4S is really such an edge over the 4.

If you follow the off-road phylosophy (including opting for 20" wheels, which I think makes sense), then maybe the 4 is "enough"? It has alreay plenty of power and saves you quite some money for later ;-) Same for PTV+, it is more an option you'd opt-in when driving hard in bends or if you plan to use the car on track on occasions, but then the Sport Chrono package and larger wheels with more grip would also make sense.. Also the GT steering wheel is nice, but does it matter that much to you? Porsche is good at offering you all kind of options (all of them are nice in a way), but it very quickly adds up...

Good point about the 4, instead of the 4S. I had started by specifying a 4, but as I played with it, at some point I increased to a 4S.

I just recreated my latest build, but as a 4 without PTV+. It comes out almost $9,000 cheaper, and has black window trim by default.

https://porsche-code.com/PS1JJBG3
 

shawn

Macan 4
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Good point about the 4, instead of the 4S. I had started by specifying a 4, but as I played with it, at some point I increased to a 4S.

I just recreated my latest build, but as a 4 without PTV+. It comes out almost $9,000 cheaper, and has black window trim by default.

https://porsche-code.com/PS1JJBG3
I have the 4 and really like it. If you don't really want the torque vector feature then the 4 trades a little in power but you gain in range and the Rear Axle steering is a great feature to keep. The 4 is fast enough for me hence I went for the Macan 4 for the extra range. This build is solid. Only think I would suggest is maybe getting the side trim in painted your external color or gloss black or carbon fiber. The standard blade looks a bit plastic to me (which is why I am actually changing it to external color blades). Note that if you get the standard blade you cannot wrap it as it has a bumpy surface so that is what you get. Looks like you are going with the 14 way seats in this instead of the 18 way. If that is your preference then it now opens up the possibility to get the massage function (if that is interesting to you). Cheers.
 

bbmertz

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Good point about the 4, instead of the 4S. I had started by specifying a 4, but as I played with it, at some point I increased to a 4S.

I just recreated my latest build, but as a 4 without PTV+. It comes out almost $9,000 cheaper, and has black window trim by default.

https://porsche-code.com/PS1JJBG3
It looks like your latest build is for the base Macan (which is only RWD) rather than the 4. For the ~$5K incremental price difference, I would strongly recommend the 4S over the 4 since it has significantly faster acceleration.

Your 4S build looks great. The Oak Green looks awesome and I like the compass option (which I also have) since the sport chrono package does not add much in the EV.

Here are my suggested changes, particularly if you want to partially offset the additional cost of the 4S as I did when I placed my order:

1) Add the window trim in black
2) Remove PTV+
3) Remove insulated glass (could interfere with dashcam GPS plus the Macan is fairly quiet unless you plan to swap out the tires for all terrain ones)
4) Switch to 14-way seats (which are still quite comfortable and easier to get in/out of)
5) Remove the passenger display (unless that’s really important to your passenger on long drives)
6) Add rear windshield wiper if you will be off-roading in dusty conditions (I haven’t needed them in the suburbs and didn’t like the look of them).
7) Buy OEM or aftermarket all-weather floor and trunk mats (or ask the dealer to throw them in for free)
 
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SergeyIndy

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As a tip, the ICE Macan 14-way and 18-way seats are the same as the Macan EV seats ... so, if your dealer doesn't have both 14-way and 18-way in the Macan EV, you can look at the ICE to help you make a decision.

My wife doesn't like 2 aspects of the 18-way seats which led us to the 14-way -- (a) the higher bolster makes entering and exiting the car more difficult and (b) the 18-way squeezes you into the seat more, which she finds undesirable.
I totally disagree. There is nothing in common between ICE Macan seats and Macan EV seats, you can even see it in pictures. Macan EV seats I tested for a day drive each 14-way and 18-way were absolutely flat, too soft, and not laterally supportive. Macan ICE 18-way feel like you are in a sports car (highly bolstered, tight, and hug you in) that may not be ideal as you mention.
 

SteveInKirkland

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I totally disagree. There is nothing in common between ICE Macan seats and Macan EV seats, you can even see it in pictures. Macan EV seats I tested for a day drive each 14-way and 18-way were absolutely flat, too soft, and not laterally supportive. Macan ICE 18-way feel like you are in a sports car (highly bolstered, tight, and hug you in) that may not be ideal as you mention.
Fascinating. I was misled by a Porsche SA. We are happy with the result that we picked but it is unfortunate it was yet another case of misinformation.
 

bbmertz

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There is nothing in common between ICE Macan seats and Macan EV seats, you can even see it in pictures. Macan EV seats I tested for a day drive each 14-way and 18-way were absolutely flat, too soft, and not laterally supportive.
Interesting insight. I had a 2024 ICE Macan S loaner for a week and was surprised how much less firm the back of the front seat was relative to my 4S, both of which had the 14-way seats. I assumed the difference was primarily that my 4S has the massage option which made the seat back firmer due to the massage air bladders, but perhaps not.

Has anyone compared the firmness of the 14-way seat backs in the Macan EV with and without the massage option?
 

shawn

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I totally disagree. There is nothing in common between ICE Macan seats and Macan EV seats, you can even see it in pictures. Macan EV seats I tested for a day drive each 14-way and 18-way were absolutely flat, too soft, and not laterally supportive. Macan ICE 18-way feel like you are in a sports car (highly bolstered, tight, and hug you in) that may not be ideal as you mention.
[/QUOTE
Interesting insight. I had a 2024 ICE Macan S loaner for a week and was surprised how much less firm the back of the front seat was relative to my 4S, both of which had the 14-way seats. I assumed the difference was primarily that my 4S has the massage option which made the seat back firmer due to the massage air bladders, but perhaps not.

Has anyone compared the firmness of the 14-way seat backs in the Macan EV with and without the massage option?
Interesting. I went for the 18 way because I felt the 14 way to be too flat and not comfortable. I was told that the 14 way with massage would be worse. Unfortunately there were no massage seats to try so I decided on the 18 way. I might have considered 14 way with massage if what you say is true…not unhappy with 18 way but would also love massage
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