Interesting conversation with a Porsche dealership employee about his personal Macan EV…

[platypus]

I'm not surprised by your Range Rover experience, I'm a little bit more surprised by Lexus.

Honestly so far, the issues most people seem to have encountered with the Macan EV are minor. I personally had a software update problem, it got fixed, and for the past 1,000 miles I have had no issues at all.

Most car manufacturers are bad at software, and first series are always a bit riskier. It's important to look at the experience of people on this forum as limited data points.

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[rcomeau]

When I was looking to buy a new EV in 2023 I had read about the planned Macan EV. But I then read that as part of the IPO share prospectus docs, Porsche admitted that the launch of the Macan EV was to be delayed a year until sometime in 2024. The delay was primarily down to problems surrounding the production of the E3 1.2 software platform by Cariad, the software division of the VW Group. When I ordered my car in December (before I had found this forum) I had assumed that the software had been thoroughly trialled in the year of delays and Porsche were not rushing to release the new model.

With the Macan not being available, I therefore bought a Lexus RZ 450e and became unknowingly a beta tester for Lexus software engineers - 7 visits to the dealers for essentially software issues and new AC charging module. I had hoped to avoid being a Beta tester in the Macan but am now expecting to have to live with some ‘development issues’.

The irony was that I went with the Lexus because of their excellent engineering reputation because I had lived with 2 years of ‘software issues’ and being a beta tester with my new Range Rover - 8 visits to the dealers in 2 years. It looks like I could end up having to live with being a beta tester for the automotive industry for about 6 years - 2 years RR, 2 years Lexus and maybe 2 years Porsche.

I bought a 2019 Jaguar I-Pace EV (new) and in the 5 1/2 years of ownership, it has spent over 10 months in the shop being repaired or waiting for parts to be repaired. I brought it in at the start of last winter for winter tires, a battery module replacement (under recall) and a subtle clunk sound in the front when starting from stop. Turned out to be winter tire installation, battery module replacement, steering rack replacement, front motor mount replacement, second battery module replacement (failed during test drives after motor mount replacement), front motor replacement and finally sumer tires installed because it spent the entire winter at the shop. BTW, car is back in now for 12V battery and power distribution module replacement (no ETA on parts). I've been lurking here a while and am about to order a 4S.

 

[platypus]

I've been lurking here a while and am about to order a 4S.

I'm sure you won't regret it, and it's the trim with the best performance/price ratio IMO.

 

[rcomeau]

I'm sure you won't regret it, and it's the trim with the best performance/price ratio IMO.

Yeah, my entire model year in the US is being bought back by JLR due to the ongoing battery issue. I was waiting to see if they expand into Canada as the resale on it now is terrible (maybe $15k USD on a $90k car). Stuck in limbo but after yet another module failure, thinking reliability is getting to be the priority now.

 

[Wivenhoe]

I feel your pain with I-Pace. JLR design good cars they, just don't build them. I found with the Velar, I never knew whether I was going to have a trouble free drive or not. None of my issues were mechanical, they were all software or electrical. The deciding factor for me to bale out was most insurance companies would not cover any Range Rover younger than 5 years as RR’s had the highest theft rate by a considerable margin as they were wide open to a canbus theft. There were guys in London being quoted up to £ 10k to insure a 2 year old RR.

 

[henrus]

I bought a Gallardo back in 2004 and went in fully expecting gremlins and bugs (car first came out in 2003). Sure enough, lots of issues with the car, but it wasn’t a daily driver, and plus the dealer always sent a couple of guys to pick up the car and deliver it when getting serviced so very low hassle. (The car was eventually lemoned as it had a random stalling issue they could not resolve..though this was after 18 months, 18k miles and multiple track days.) Point is that if you buy a new model car when it comes out, bugs should be expected. Or just wait a couple years for them to fully QA the thing.

 

[Petzi]

When I was looking to buy a new EV in 2023 I had read about the planned Macan EV. But I then read that as part of the IPO share prospectus docs, Porsche admitted that the launch of the Macan EV was to be delayed a year until sometime in 2024. The delay was primarily down to problems surrounding the production of the E3 1.2 software platform by Cariad, the software division of the VW Group. When I ordered my car in December (before I had found this forum) I had assumed that the software had been thoroughly trialled in the year of delays and Porsche were not rushing to release the new model.

With the Macan not being available, I therefore bought a Lexus RZ 450e and became unknowingly a beta tester for Lexus software engineers - 7 visits to the dealers for essentially software issues and new AC charging module. I had hoped to avoid being a Beta tester in the Macan but am now expecting to have to live with some ‘development issues’.

The irony was that I went with the Lexus because of their excellent engineering reputation because I had lived with 2 years of ‘software issues’ and being a beta tester with my new Range Rover - 8 visits to the dealers in 2 years. It looks like I could end up having to live with being a beta tester for the automotive industry for about 6 years - 2 years RR, 2 years Lexus and maybe 2 years Porsche.

do not worry. read the manual, take 2 hours to understand the car and you will be fine.

 

[flowerman]

It’s been off the road for software issues 90+% of the 3 months he’s had it….

Make of that what you will…

It’s been off the road for software issues 90+% of the 3 months he’s had it….

Make of that what you will…

I have less than 5000 miles on my EV and it's heading back to the shop for software issues a second time tomorrow. Lots of error messages that say "Service required." The first time repair took 24 hours and I was told the software was updated. a couple of hundred miles later I am seeing the same messages.

 

[Pedro]

We drive a Macan 4 since oktober, now 14000 km , no issues at all until now, perhaps a reason could be; we have only adaptive cruise control…

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