Latest OutofSpec Dave review - not good

[Ghosts Macan 4]

I think his videos are waste of time for experience EV owners and any tech savvy person. More for newbies and creating fake shock factor, and naturally getting people to click... No car is perfect. But comparing Tesla to Porsche.
I have owned 2 Tesla's 2 Mach E 's, and currently have EV 9. And Macan 4 .

The build quality, driving and handling. 1. Porsche, 2. Ford, 3. Kia, 4. Tesla.
Software Tesla only good thing and you don't end up using almost 90% of it.

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[Fun TC Driving]

If Dave were to return here and post, “thanks guys for your feedback, while brutal, I am man enough to realize I did not properly employ my own scoring system, AND I am going to follow the suggestion to have Kathy do a 100% independent evaluation of her Macan soon,” then bravo to you Dave for acknowledging you were not fair in your original video.

 

[slythegrin]

Probably an American thing to compare everything against a Tesla… like how Chinese car makers like to insert their names into the same sentence as Lamborghinis & co. And in cases like Xiaomi, only for people to find out that the brakes aren’t meant for high speed or air bags doesn’t deploy at times

Imagine my disappointment when I went to test drive a Tesla because reviewers tend to lump them with Porsches! Think Tesla is more comparable to the BYDs and maybe lower end Mercedes and BMWs.

 

[50YearsSince]

Hey hope you like Chinese food because the way things are going, they are catching and surpassing us in more ways. Just recent surprises were DeepSeek and Xiaomi's SU7 trouncing a Taycan Turbo GT, home and away..... with a non-professional driver! Before you start slinging mud about their shortcomings, focus more on the exponential engineering progress they are showing. In spite of the national/political conflicts, engineers of all flavors should be applauding their successes, as a rising tide lifts all boats. We progress at the speed of the fastest runner.

 

[SteveInKirkland]

Probably an American thing to compare everything against a Tesla…

In the USA, I think it is very rational to think through whether a Tesla is enough for you when you're buying an SUV, either ICE or electric. If I lived in a place that sold BYDs, I would also look at them. The Teslas are built-well-enough functional transportation. Tesla also has a huge charging network advantage, which matters here (especially for certain areas of the country) more than you might think. Tesla's no-nonsense direct sale approach is also compelling for many people. Think of Tesla as a baseline in functionality that the other companies have to compare against the same way that brand pharmaceuticals should be compared against generic drugs or a placebo effect.

When I looked at the $130k Mercedes alternative to the Tesla Model X or Y, I would have chosen the Tesla. Mercedes problem was charging and it didn't help that the seats were a little too firm. My thought process was: "the American and European EVs are not really compelling yet" and I was very close to pushing the button on a Tesla lease for 3 years to wait it out. The Tesla lease for 3 years was cheap enough (for me) that my plan was to drive it for 6 months or three years and just give it back (and eat the rest of the lease) when a better option presented itself.

Again, my problem with Dave's review is that (I didn't believe) he captured and told the real story about why someone who thinks of function first might be motivated to buy a Macan EV and not a Tesla.

 

[dgkhn]

I am not aiming this post at any particular person (e.g. specifically NOT at the post immediately above) (I do hope those involved might recognize the issue though) but I just have to say that I just don't understand the rationale for ad hominem attacks on a mutual assistance forum such as this; I believe such responses sour the experience for all of us. It's the internet, we are all adults, yada yada, but it serves no conceivable useful purpose, and is unpleasant at best. Please don't.

 

[USMA81]

It appears Dave left the forum.

 

[slythegrin]

In the USA, I think it is very rational to think through whether a Tesla is enough for you when you're buying an SUV, either ICE or electric. If I lived in a place that sold BYDs, I would also look at them. The Teslas are built-well-enough functional transportation. Tesla also has a huge charging network advantage, which matters here (especially for certain areas of the country) more than you might think. Tesla's no-nonsense direct sale approach is also compelling for many people. Think of Tesla as a baseline in functionality that the other companies have to compare against the same way that brand pharmaceuticals should be compared against generic drugs or a placebo effect.

When I looked at the $130k Mercedes alternative to the Tesla Model X or Y, I would have chosen the Tesla. Mercedes problem was charging and it didn't help that the seats were a little too firm. My thought process was: "the American and European EVs are not really compelling yet" and I was very close to pushing the button on a Tesla lease for 3 years to wait it out. The Tesla lease for 3 years was cheap enough (for me) that my plan was to drive it for 6 months or three years and just give it back (and eat the rest of the lease) when a better option presented itself.

Again, my problem with Dave's review is that (I didn't believe) he captured and told the real story about why someone who thinks of function first might be motivated to buy a Macan EV and not a Tesla.

That’s why it’s one of the “American exceptionalism”. Charging networks outside America is more universal, so Teslas advantage is not so pronounced. Considering its non existent suspension, BYD have much better finishing that is nice though it doesn’t scream quality. Their only advantage is software and customer service, which BYD is catching up on very quickly.

To say it’s comparable to Porsche though, is quite a stretch. Bentleys tech isn’t that great too, and you don’t see them being compared to and rated below Teslas?

 

[SteveInKirkland]

That’s why it’s one of the “American exceptionalism”. Charging networks outside America is more universal, so Teslas advantage is not so pronounced. Considering its non existent suspension, BYD have much better finishing that is nice though it doesn’t scream quality. Their only advantage is software and customer service, which BYD is catching up on very quickly.

To say it’s comparable to Porsche though, is quite a stretch. Bentleys tech isn’t that great too, and you don’t see them being compared to and rated below Teslas?

Your message makes me believe now, more than ever, that telling the story of the real Macan EV customers is really compelling! I want to see the original product management presentation and the analysis of the car's reception!

There is more substance to the Macan EV / Tesla comparison than I think you're getting from American culture. For a variety of reasons over the past 10 years, Porsche really did lose buyers for ICE Porsches that bought Teslas instead. For many, it was signaling. And Porsche wants those signalers back in the brand. But aspects of the move to EVs are rooted in actual functional technical progress in a similar way that PDK has become more popular than the single clutch manual transmission among Porsche's buyers. When I bought my Macan EV, I didn't worry at all about whether a rear main seal would fail, how I was going to manage its oil consumption, and whether I would be able to hold a quick phone conversation while driving because the engine sitting directly behind me was so loud.

The Bentley comparison is an entertaining one to me because American Doug DeMuro talks about owning "special cars" versus "value cars". DeMuro is going to review the Macan EV and I believe he will likely give the Macan EV a more interesting review because he will likely see it as a special car. But DeMuro, while recognizing many Bentleys as special cars, also talks a lot about the strained economics of owning one and why many of the buyers (and Bentley) just don't care that the economics don't work. Dave works for an auto journalism outlet and it really isn't that bad for an auto journalist to explain to the neophyte why most people shouldn't buy a Bentley.

If the Macan EV is really like a Bentley, I made a buying mistake. I want the special car experience that has minimal failures that require visiting the dealership for the next 10 years.

 

[Tomj]

OutofSpec Dave did 3 videos of driving their 4 from collection at Colorado to home at Conneticut I really enjoyed them and found them informative. He has also done other Macan 4 reviews, all of them favourable.

He has just published a 3 month review and virtually trashed the car, poor handling, poor fit & finish etc. He scored it 52 out of a 100 - 25 below a Tesla. I think he has been unduly influenced by the updated Tesla.

As a Brit, I have great difficulty understanding why so many US reviewers rave about Tesla’s and find so many faults with other cars - surely there has to be more about owning and driving an EV than range, lack of being able to Superchargers and lack of NACS adapters. Tesla sales in Europe and the UK have crashed recently - no doubt some will say that Tesla make the best EV’s and I would ask, if they think that, why are they spending time on a Macan forum !
In the video I think his wife is unhappy with a lot of his scores as it’s her Macan and she really enjoys driving it.

This article is so low and so incompetent. Like ANY comparisons between a Tesla with premium car brands. It is reasonable to compare Porsche EV to high-end BMW, Audi and maybe Mercedes EV’s.
Three years in a row, Tesla has made it all the way to the bottom of mandatory quality test for serious issues performed bi-yearly in Europe. Cheap. low quality cars that cost 1/3 of the Tesla are ahead of Tesla - every year.
Btw - simultaneously with this Dave article - this one also landed:

https://theevreport.com/porsche-macan-electric-wins-motorweeks-best-ev-award

 

[Fun TC Driving]

Thanks tomj for that link. Hence I jumped over there, and with itstitle and just its first two sentences deserving explicit call out here imo.

Porsche Macan Electric Wins MotorWeek’s Best EV Award
Avatar photoTHE EV REPORT, Feb 10,2025: The Porsche Macan Electric has been named Best EV in MotorWeek’s annual Drivers’ Choice Awards, recognizing its performance, design, and driving dynamics. To earn this accolade, the all-electric Macan underwent MotorWeek’s comprehensive testing process, where it excelled in both subjective and objective performance metrics.”

 

[50YearsSince]

This article is so low and so incompetent. Like ANY comparisons between a Tesla with premium car brands. It is reasonable to compare Porsche EV to high-end BMW, Audi and maybe Mercedes EV’s.
Three years in a row, Tesla has made it all the way to the bottom of mandatory quality test for serious issues performed bi-yearly in Europe. Cheap. low quality cars that cost 1/3 of the Tesla are ahead of Tesla - every year.
Btw - simultaneously with this Dave article - this one also landed:

https://theevreport.com/porsche-macan-electric-wins-motorweeks-best-ev-award

Please no more trashing Dave, he's already relinquished his membership. It's done, it's over. He'll figure out what went wrong with his analysis and we don't need to keep punishing him. Wish there was a way to end this thread so newcomers don't keep regurgitating old news. Let's move on!

 

[cometguy]

A couple of things stood out to me in Out of Spec Dave's video. One was his comment about value vs. MSRP for the Macan 4. Those of us who've been invested in owning Porsches for a long time understand the "Porsche tax" and depreciation. One way to get more value in buying a new Porsche is to go for a base model (like the Macan 4 -- vs. Macan 4S or Macan Turbo BEVs; or the Taycan 4 CT vs. Taycan 4S or GTS or Turbo), and keep options to a minimum (like NOT adding "upgraded" sound systems, "premium packages", more interior leather, rear-axle steering, larger wheels, etc., etc.). The more options you add, the faster and bigger the depreciation will be. One reason why I like Porsche so much (besides the driving dynamics and best-in-business cockpit layouts) is that we can option them more than any other vehicle (excepting cars costing > $200k) the way we want them, and that's worth it to many of us in terms of somewhat higher MSRP. Reviewers rarely note this when they note how expensive Porsches are, but the ability to pick and choose between so very many options is worth a lot, seriously; no other automakers selling cars for < $200k MSRP come even close to Porsche in this manner (Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, etc., focus on just a few "packages", with very few a-la-carte items that can be optioned).

The second thing that stood out to me -- a pet peeve of mine in many modern cars -- is the lack of a spare wheel/tire, as I do lots of cross-country road trips every year. I'd have thought that BEV makers could use frunk space to design the option of putting a full-size spare wheel/tire there. That's an option that I (and many others) would pay to have inserted. Those who don't want the extra weight/cost/space-loss of a spare wheel could use the dedicated spare-wheel space for whatever other purpose that they want. Porsche, are you listening?

What Out of Spec Dave missed in his discussion is why Porsche owners like myself consider trading in their Taycan (CT4 in my case) for a Macan BEV (Macan 4 in my case). Physical climate controls, better ground clearance, cheaper cost, better rearward visibility, ability to close off sunlight from the glass roof, considerably more range and better temperature charging curves (vs. 2020-2023 Taycans) are all factors here. And there's the recall due to runaway-fire potential in the 2020-2024 Taycans, which is not a small deal; presumably the Macan BEV has a safer battery setup.

 

[Wivenhoe]

cometguy - I am collecting my first Porsche tomorrow, so I’m not a long term Porsche guy. I totally agree with your views, particularly regards the options. In the past I have bought Merc’s and BMW and been forced to buy a package for say just one option that was important to me, but paid for several I didn’t really need. My last car was a Lexus RZ and once you decide on a model level the only options are very limited external and interior colours, so again I had to buy the highest spec to get a few of the desired bits. Whilst Range Rover have different spec levels they do then offer a lot of options so you can get what you want without over paying.

The lack of options on the Lexus didn’t help the residual. The car lost 53% in 20 months and only 9k miles and in monetary terms £ 34k / £ 1.7k per month. The Range Rover (plugin) with a lot of options lost £ 12k over 2 years and 12k miles so 17% / £ 600 per month. All to do with the state of the market and as us Brits say - you pays your money and takes your chance !

 

[slythegrin]

First time Porsche owner as well; converted as I think it's the best EV on the market and quite possibly in the near future for my use case.

Unless it's a lease/buy back, I don't understand the obsession with resale value. A vehicle irregardless of ICE or EV, is a depreciating asset and the end of the day is destined for landfill i.e. 0 value. So what matters is really the relatively intangible experiential value you get out of it? For which the Macan EV, in my opinion, is an all round ace.

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