Macan test drive..........
 

Got a chance to drive my son's 2016 Macan S today. Man, is that thing loaded with switches and buttons! Didn't have much room to play, but did kick it once for a few seconds. It is quite a hauler! It is black with a black leather interior. I may have to get one for myself!

Huge disturbance in the force today. . .

We bought a 2017 Macan for my wife's daily driver. It is a great vehicle. It handles much like a 911. Amazing for a car that heavy.

I like them more then a pepper car but CR gave them poor reliability marks but oddly high in customer loyalty.

The Macan is a great small SUV with an emphasis on the S of SUV. But... it does not handle like a 911 of any 911 gen. From a handling balance POV it may be more balanced than a 911, especially up to the 997, if balance is what you are after. But... 911 fans are after the unique 911 all-in-the-rear dynamics (warts et al), never to be found in a Macan..

BTW... a great sport ute is also the MB GLA, for a lot less money and the GLA AMG 45 runs rings around the Macan Turbo.

How does the hype of balance actually translate to the real world? Are people actually scrubbing tires and oversteering with their Macan? I doubt it. When does balance matter one bit? People aren't even driving their 911 like that. The rear weight bias is a complete moot point in the real world. Please spare me the snow/rain excuse, which applies to 1% of 911 driving, at best.

I love when these YouTube auto channel windbags talk about "balance" while driving straight down some local neighborhood road. Right.

The Macan..............
 

No, not a 911. But it is a very nice, well equipped modern road burner. His car has the twin turbo V6 and all wheel drive. Come heavy rain, ice or snow, I would rather be in the Macan! Unlike some, I don't have any heartburn about Porsche building SUVs or the Panamera as long as income helps keep the sports cars alive! If taking a long trip, I would prefer the Macan over my SC coupe. Just bombing around the county or doing a DE day at the track, the 911 wins hands down!

I view balance in this perspective as more of the balance between a utility car (family hauler) and a driver's car (e.g. a 911) -- put another way, it's not about whether the car understeers/oversteers at its limits, but how much/whether it makes me smile when I drive. For me, and in this setting, the amount of balance is inversely proportionate to a vehicle's "camry-ness" --