First quick feedback of Macan Turbo vs BMW iX

[PanameraFrank]

I went back to drive a Macan Turbo again out of boredom and then swung by to drive an iX 50. I've driven an iX a handful of times but never after an electric Macan.

I have to say.. I think a LOT of people would be happier with the iX (if you can get past the exterior). It's more comfortable, better tech, really excellent visibility, more space, really agile & quick on throttle, easy & comfortable to drive. Every single one I've sat in has excellent efficiency numbers on the trip computer. This one was sub 500 miles but 3.2 miles per kWh. Comparatively the Macan had 37.7 kWh/100 mi.

The iX is pretty ugly, although not as bad in black. The steering wheel is a joke.

The Macan is an excellent sporty crossover. Really excellent as an electric sportscar. But for daily living & commuting.. I think most would prefer the iX. It's just an easier car to live with, BMW has been doing an excellent job with quality (and I find their dealerships to be far friendlier than Porsche), and it really beats the Macan up on efficiency & range.

This doesn't really change my opinion of the Macan or take away from what it is; by far the sportiest crossover/compact suv available. Just an interesting comparison. I've always thought the iX would be among the most popular EVs if it looked like an X5.

 

[Yves]

I went back to drive a Macan Turbo again out of boredom and then swung by to drive an iX 50. I've driven an iX a handful of times but never after an electric Macan.

I have to say.. I think a LOT of people would be happier with the iX (if you can get past the exterior). It's more comfortable, better tech, really excellent visibility, more space, really agile & quick on throttle, easy & comfortable to drive. Every single one I've sat in has excellent efficiency numbers on the trip computer. This one was sub 500 miles but 3.2 miles per kWh. Comparatively the Macan had 37.7 kWh/100 mi.

The iX is pretty ugly, although not as bad in black. The steering wheel is a joke.

The Macan is an excellent sporty crossover. Really excellent as an electric sportscar. But for daily living & commuting.. I think most would prefer the iX. It's just an easier car to live with, BMW has been doing an excellent job with quality (and I find their dealerships to be far friendlier than Porsche), and it really beats the Macan up on efficiency & range.

This doesn't really change my opinion of the Macan or take away from what it is; by far the sportiest crossover/compact suv available. Just an interesting comparison. I've always thought the iX would be among the most popular EVs if it looked like an X5.

I concur, I have both and the iX is the better overall car For daily driving, if you want to have fun in the mountains it’s the Macan …
The iX has a round steering wheel now.
Mine is completely blacked out also the grill and on 22 inch wheels … it’s beautiful … anything else and it turns ugly quite rapidly … but looks are very personal …

Efficiency, don’t get me started the iX has a bigger battery by 10% so I thought the Porsche being a smaller lighter car would be able to compensate this a bit, for the moment I’m wrong the difference is not funny though the Porsche seems to get lower consumption, so I hold judgement (but the Porsche is on the standard 20 inch wheels, I hoped they would grow on me, but they don’t, I probably swap them for the new 4S 20 inch wheels)

 

[grizzler]

Would really agree that the choice depends on your preferences- for me the decision is crystal clear pro Macan (Turbo).
Can altough not fully agree concerning efficency: Of course The iX has a larger battery- this ends in a higher range. 108,6 kWh versus 95 kWh is a lot more.
Therefore i really like the look of both cars, maybe i am the only one
Enjoy both cars, both have their qualities.

 

[Yves]

Would really agree that the choice depends on your preferences- for me the decision is crystal clear pro Macan (Turbo).
Can altough not fully agree concerning efficency: Of course The iX has a larger battery- this ends in a higher range. 108,6 kWh versus 95 kWh is a lot more.
Therefore i really like the look of both cars, maybe i am the only one
Enjoy both cars, both have their qualities.

efficiency and battery size add up (mine has 105kwh usable), I was hoping that the numbers Porsche quoted where realistic … but they are not. Or put it in another way, I can easily attain WLTP range from April to september in the iX with normal driving, that is 5km/h over de speed limit … So better efficiency + better battery and the roadtripping capabilities tilt over to the iX, especially if you travel with 2 adults and 3 kids …
But we all agree that if you want to have fun on a twisty road, there is no discussion that the Porsche will deliver this better than the iX.

 

[grizzler]

Yes, numbers are not really realistic. After two Taycans i knew waht to expect and was not wrong. + about 13 % kWh means about + 13 % Range, still having the same driving profile.

A better comparison will be the cayenne BEV.

 

[Yves]

Yes, numbers are not really realistic. After two Taycans i knew waht to expect and was not wrong. + about 13 % kWh means about + 13 % Range, still having the same driving profile.

A better comparison will be the cayenne BEV.

Yes, I should have waited for that one
Didn’t you mean -13% range?

 

[grizzler]

+13% but sorry, was writing about my change from Taycan 4 S PB+ (about 84 kWh) to my Macan (95 kWh).
Whether you should have waited or not depends imho on your preferences. I would not want the Cayenne BEV or iX- I really like the "mix" of mid size SUVs. Of course only my 0,02 €....

 

[Salmonfisher]

Not sure they are really comparable at least here in UK. To get an Xdrive 50 ( and a 40 has much worse range and performance) you are talking of a minimum of £105,00 which is 50% more than a Macan 4 and it’s a much bigger car which isn’t ideal for our small country roads. Probably great for motorway cruising but not everyday use for me. I’m sure comfort and IT are great as BMW does these well but the look of it!

 

[PanameraFrank]

Not sure they are really comparable at least here in UK. To get an Xdrive 50 ( and a 40 has much worse range and performance) you are talking of a minimum of £105,00 which is 50% more than a Macan 4 and it’s a much bigger car which isn’t ideal for our small country roads. Probably great for motorway cruising but not everyday use for me. I’m sure comfort and IT are great as BMW does these well but the look of it!

That's fair. I should have prefaced that you should never pay MSRP for an iX but they have unbelievably good lease offers.

In the US you can lease a 105k MSRP iX for around 600 month. Or find an absurdly low mileage single owner iX for around 55k. Dealerships here will easily knock tens of thousands off MSRP for new iXs.

Of course, most of us are looking at the Macan for it's ability to provide a sporty, fun, aesthetically pleasing car that also has some level of practicality. The iX does not provide that, but it's very functional.

And yes, all of the early data I've seen from owners leads me to believe the iX is somewhat more efficient mi/kWh while also having 10 kWh more usable battery.

BMW and the iX have also had a few small bumps but nothing like the Taycan or those early Macan problems.

 

[Sahajesh]

If I can wait (release date driven), I’ll wait for the Cayenne EV.

More spacious and a better interior.

 

[adamjay79]

The iX is the single worst electric car I’ve ever had. Literally stopped (completely black screens) in the middle of the highway. Took BMW weeks to tell us they couldn’t replicate the problem. Fast forward several attorney letters later and they bought back the car. Can’t wait for my Macan Turbo.

 

[PanameraFrank]

If you're buying a Macan because you're hoping for improved reliability... oh boy. The iX has had some lemons, as all EVs have, but it's miles ahead of the Taycan and early returns on the Macan.

I get it feels especially bad when you're the one that gets the lemon, but there isn't an EV on the road that hasn't had hundreds of buybacks.

 

[Fun TC Driving]

Today Tesla announced its sixth recall on the Cybertruck.

 

[PanameraFrank]

Today Tesla announced its sixth recall on the Cybertruck.

Still shy of the 25 recalls the Taycan has had.

 

[tmrqs]

Still shy of the 25 recalls the Taycan has had.

Just give it time.