BMW X1 or Porsche Macan ?

That Porsche reminds me of these:

Except the Citroen looks better, far more practical and is less than 1/2 the price.

I have to ask, whats with the limited choice between the X1 and the Mecan?

Have you just narrowed it down because of Brand or Price or Purpose or what? Whats the criteria?

At this cost level there are many cars that will fit the budget admirably, some other Brands ought to be brought into the scope I reckon.

You could just buy a Disco Sport and drive it away today, or tomorrow..

You could just buy a Disco Sport and drive it away today, or tomorrow..

+1, or an X3, which is better than the X1 in just about every way

Thus speaketh someone who’s never driven one, sat in one, or spoken to anyone who has. I hate, absolutely hate the idea of crossover soft roader chelsea tractor type things but the Macan is just an incredible vehicle. Think of it as a hatchback 911 and you’re kind of in the ballpark. Fit and finish is very close to Cayenne levels, that is to say vastly superior to Range Rover and far nicer than any BMW I’ve ever sat in. Performance and handling is devastating.

This was exactly my experience except I though the ineterior was fsr superior to the Cayenne.

@agent you’re just coming over as jealous now. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but that Citroen looks awful, I’ve seen plenty in the flesh and its just wrong. Likewise I’ve seen many Macan’s and they look great. Not everyone wants or can manage with a 2 or 2+2 Porsche. If and when I can justify trading in my Cayman I’d be very happy in a Macan. I’ve had the sports car Porsche now for 8 years, the Macan is superbly engineered and thought out and as an average keen driver it frankly goes just as well. I’m certain if you put me on a circuit, eg Nurburgring, my times in the two would be pretty close.

Come on @bike, a disco sport – really ! Its incomparable to the Porsche. @Ian Yes I’d take an x3 over an x1 and the Macan over every other alternative I can think of.

Porsche Macan is a brilliant off roader

Phew, it’ll be great for the school run.

They’re all basically one of these…

Having previously had a citroen company car, anyone who would prefer one to..well…pretty much anything must have had a full frontal lobotomy.
They are absolutely shocking vehicles, dreadfully designed and manufactured. That particular one looks like a mobility vehicle.

Bookmarking this thread so I can drop the OP a message when I need some drugs in the future

@Jamb I’m just asking the OP what the criteria for choosing either X1 or Mecan was when lots of vehicles of this type could fit the criteria and he could drive one away tomorrow PM, should he be flexible.
And I’ve been in a Disco Sport and RR Sport (old and new shapes) and both are fine, new ones are better than the old versions, but you’d expect that. Also… an odd observation I grant you, but the New Disco Sport just blends into the background.. so too the RRS (unless you spot one in white obvz)

Just seems X1 and Mecan blindness on the OP’s part.. Unless his Company Car policy/Allowance means he can only pick form two Brands mentioned.

except I though the ineterior was fsr superior to the Cayenne.

I’m not quite sure how you managed to get to that conclusion (unless it was an older Cayenne) as they are basically exactly the same. TBH honest I prefer the Cayenne interior as it’s got slightly more room.

Come on @bike, a disco sport – really ! Its incomparable to the Porsche.

This +heaps!
I looked at the disco sport and, although it may be clever off-road, the interior and build quality is not even in the same league. My BIL has just picked up a new disco sport [god knows why because he really like the Macan I took round to his place and he can afford anything he wants] and I’m still underwhelmed.

I came away from VW with a quote for a petrol T6 California for less than the cheapest Megane look-alike Macan.

Edit: and a delivery time “sometime in 2017”, and there was me thinking the emissions cheating may have impacted sales.

£50k for a hairdressers chariot?

:lol:

That’s absolutely spot on – the hairdresser I live above drives one of these vulgar tasteless monstrosities, in white – natch.

Hmmm… sooo classy…

this has been a great bit of entertainment.
x1 vs macan is a strange choice. there is some logic to it, but as with bikes, the choice can’t all be about logic.

i need a car with flat loading boot, leather upholstery, automatic and a pleasure to drive. i don’t want a big suv that needs clearance to land every time you want to park in the local town, therefore i liked the idea of the x1 – quite attractive, good enough performance and smaller dimensionally than the x3, q5 etc, and therefore easier to park.
then we have the macan, which i think is the best looking of all the suv range. and it is a porsche, a brand i have always wanted to drive, i was looking at the s diesel, which isn’t exceptionally faster than the x1. and i also know that it is bigger than the x1, more on the q5 size.

we already have a tiguan, my mates have q5, q3, and x3, i don’t find any of them that special for various reasons, so after many hours farting about on the world wide web, i have narrowed my choices to the above!
oh and more importantly – i have sat in most of the various options, and these 2 cars felt most comfortable to me

thanks for all the comments
boardinbob, you are correct, it will be full of drugs
bike buoy – hope that explains my illogicality !

See a Merc GLA locally, which doesn’t look too bad for what it is and is in the same sector. AMG 45? Used a few E-class and the finish has been good.

the gla has a useless boot

The trouble with status cars is the impresion they give other people, colleagues neighbours etc some will love it, some will hate it, you may not care but tbh I now find a basic decent quality saloon is he best option. I have a passatt at the moment which is just about perfect in everyway albiet incredibly dull which is also quite nice.

i need a car with flat loading boot, leather upholstery, automatic and a pleasure to drive. i don’t want a big suv that needs clearance to land every time you want to park in the local town

Buy an estate car, then. AMG E class, BMW 5 series, RS6, V70 T5, etc.

And, yes, I have have just got a big SUV. I wanted seven seats and not a van, and don’t have the parking concerns.

you may not care but tbh I now find a basic decent quality saloon is he best option.

Frankly I don’t want to be on my death-bed thinking ‘I’m so glad I drove a sensible, dull car instead of the one I really wanted. But next time …. oh wait’.

No-eyed_deer: Just out of curiosity what is it about the Macan that you find vulgar? (taste is a personal opinion so I’ll ignore that). Do you think any >£40k car vulgar?
And why is it a hairdressers car?

Hmmm… sooo classy…

Very

Funny how all the detractors keep posting pictures of white Macans (note spelling @bike ;) ) they look fabulous in the flesh in the colours you tend to see them in – i.e. darker metallics.

@Sharkbait, I drove latest models of both last summer, much preferred the Macan much snugger and without the handles in the roof/pillars – so perhaps I liked it for one of the reasons you didn’t

@wilburt at what point does a car become a status car ? Why is a Macan a status car ? You could make the same argument about bikes Specialised vs Santa Cruz

OP what I can tell you is that every time I get in my car it makes me smile, I don’t care what people think at all. It’s my car for me. Anyway there are plenty of more desirable cars. A Macan costs less than a Q7 (I think) and similar to a Q5 – I had a very nice A6 Quattro too but its a different car and not a Porsche. If you do get the Macan you will not regret it, of course its a luxury purchase as you can buy any old run-around but thats not the entire point of living one’s life is it. Happy shopping – why not go back and ask for a longer test drive in the petrol one 8)

they look fabulous in the flesh

That’s stretching the truth. The only good looking Porsches are the Boxster, Cayman and 911. The rest look like modified/uglified Q3/5/7/Touran/Touaregs (and the dull Panamera)

Ok, so I get the criteria of the OP. Seems fair, but since this is the internet and you can’t see my pants, I still think you’d be betterer off looking down the OvloV route or Dreary Disco Sport or RRS.

But I support your choices, just that the X1 and the Megan ( :wink: ) are too different..

If you get Megan, get the Bronze/Brown one.. they look very nice indeed.

Beauty is in the eye @legend – I know many people that don’t like the Cayman and I am not a fan of the Boxter aside from the latest model.

If you took the Porsche badge off the back of a Macan (which I would) I’d bet 90% of people wouldn’t have a clue what it was.

Porsche Macan

Kia Sportage

without the handles in the roof/pillars

When Mrs SB gets here in my Cayenne I’ll check, but I’m sure there’s no handles there – might be wrong

why not go back and ask for a longer test drive in the petrol one

Absolutely. When I was thinking about a Cayenne 12 months ago my local Porsche dealer just gave me a car to take away for the day – no limitations… ‘go and have fun’.

what I can tell you is that every time I get in my car it makes me smile, I don’t care what people think at all. It’s my car for me.

Very well said, and exactly right.

If you get Megan, get the Bronze/Brown one.. they look very nice indeed.

OK OK I have finally got the joke :oops: it must have been the association with the gold phone which caused the penny to drop :wink:

They do look quite good in Bronze/Brown, there is one in Verbier in that colour – guy (git) lives there

G Wagon surely Shirley

what is it about the Macan that you find vulgar?

Err… god. Where do I start?? I’m quite sure many people would agree with me quite simply – for a start. There is something intrinsically tasteless about a naff showy Porsche in a naff showy colour that is basically being used as a platform to support someone’s implied ‘status’ (as opposed to their dismal taste in cars). If you can’t see that – I can’t help you, sorry ;-)

Its 4×4, yet it’s not. It’s from a sports car marque, yet it’s not a sports car. The main purpose of its bigness is to, essentially, give it a bigger overall presence on the road, so as to show off its owner better and have physically large road dominance. That’s vulgar. It’s vulgar to cyclists, pedestrians, and anyone else in a smaller car likely to be hit by it. Only in my opinion, obviously. Not that any one else would ever agree with these sentiments, of course.

Subtle, timeless, purposeful. None of these qualities could ever be applied to the Macan, or that X1 monstrosity, either. Hence, they are both pretty hideous cars. In my unworthy opinion, your honor.

And why is it a hairdressers car?

Did you spot my cunning observation – the hairdresser downstairs from me actually drives one – I find this quite funny in itself.

More funny is the fact I actually usually quite like ‘hairdressers’ cars. Every car I’ve ever owned could quite happily be described as one. Apprentice hairdresser only though, obviously… ;-)

The trouble with status cars is

That if you’re playing the status or ‘look at me game’ (which lets face it 99% of Macan buyers probably will be) there will always be someone with a better car than you.

No-eyed_deer: Just out of curiosity what is it about the Macan that you find vulgar? (taste is a personal opinion so I’ll ignore that). Do you think any >£40k car vulgar? And why is it a hairdressers car?

The Macan, whilst it might be nice to drive and get some good reviews is a completely pointless vehicle. It’s not practical, it’s not cheap, it’s not expensive, it’s not a proper 4×4, it’s not a sports car, if you want sporty then there are much better cars out there. There’s just no logical reason why you’d buy one.

The only possible reason to buy one would be that you see it as some sort of status or ‘look at me’ thing – something that the perma-tanned hairdressers round our way (Cheshire) are known for, made all the easier by popping it on the old ‘never never’.

Okay so men buy them too, but rightly or wrongly I always make the assumption that a man driving a Macan (or similar generic flashy SUV):

a) Values style (or in this case brand) over substance.
b) Really cares what others think about him.
c) Actually believes that buying one makes him a better person.
d) Was probably bullied at school.
e) Will probably post pictures of his new Macan (in white) all over his Facebook profile.
f) Probably has a little willy which doesn’t work as well as it once used to.

As I said, all assumptions, probably totally wrong, but there you go :)

There’s just no logical reason why you’d buy one.

I’d buy one if I wanted impress the easily impressed, and appeal to members of the opposite sex who know nothing about cars but recognise a Porsche badge and are aroused by the smell of money. It’s the motoring equivalent of a designer handbag or bespoke sunglasses.

Its 4×4, yet it’s not. It’s from a sports car marque, yet it’s not a sports car. The main purpose of its bigness is to, essentially, give it a bigger overall presence on the road, so as to show off its owner better and have physically large road dominance.

It’s 4wd, not 4×4 does that make a difference? Audi do 4wd estates and VW do a 4wd Golf – just because all the wheels are driven does not mean it’s meant for mud-plugging.
What constitutes a sports car if figures of <6 secs 0-60 does not do it?
I can’t be bothered … I guess this is why there are variations of everything in this world – not everybody thinks the same way.

To try and answer the previous posts. I would buy one for the following reasons

Porsche are superbly made cars with outstanding engineering.
I want a 4wd drive
I really need a 4 dr 4 seat car with decent luggage space

Every car, like every mountain bike is a compromise in some regards for most owners

I haven’t bought one for a variety of reasons inc cost of upgrading, I will most likely get an old 4×4 and use it for bikes and keep the sports car. However for many people running 2 cars makes no sense and the Macan is a very very good compromise. Agent you need to drive one, the performance on the road between the Macan and the Cayman is inditinguishable.

Porsche are superbly made cars with outstanding engineering.
I want a 4wd drive
I really need a 4 dr 4 seat car with decent luggage space

But it’s not a proper Porsche, just an Audi Q5 with Porsche styling. Nothing like the engineering masterpiece that is the 911.

Agent you need to drive one, the performance on the road between the Macan and the Cayman is inditinguishable.

Okay fair enough I haven’t driven one. I can’t imagine it would handle like the Cayman though, the Macan is over 1/2 tonne heavier 8O The Cayman is also RWD if you didn’t notice?

I have driven several 911’s however and have always been deeply impressed.

This thread amazes me, I am shocked to learn that not everyone likes the same thing?

Ridiculous.

But it’s not a proper Porsche, just an Audi Q5 with Porsche styling. Nothing like the engineering masterpiece that is the 911.

Q5 base floorpan with over 80% different components. I take your point about the weight difference but from what I experienced the adaptive suspension does an outstanding job and the handling differences are probably beyond my skill level. Touche on the didn’t notice BTW :-) I’ve driven my car a bit with the electronics off, I can’t afford the tyres to do it too often though

I have a friend looking at a Q7 and I told him he’d be nuts to spend more money on that than a Macan S. His response was he wanted the extra seats which is fair enough I suppose.

Holy moly. Great advise all around. In essence don’t buy the X1 as they are sh1te More sh1te than mostly all other cars. Only buy the Macan ifyou were bullied at school and have a short wee micky I’ll have to Google dimensions for small mickies and if I qualify then the Macan it is.

Frankly I don’t want to be on my death-bed thinking ‘I’m so glad I drove a sensible, dull car instead of the one I really wanted. But next time …. oh wait’.

If, for a single second, I thought my life so devoid of substance, joy and richness that I would be thinking on my deathbed about the cars I had owned/bought in my life then I would probably end it all now.

(s’cuse the overlong sentence)

@agent – I hope I didn’t come across as obnoxious. I really meant you have too drive the car as it’s a surprise. It surprised me (the petrol one), the dealer said it would and I was pretty cynical. IMO the diesel one feels quite different, pretty special for a diesel but still a diesel.

I want a 4wd drive

Isn’t it just a haldex? Does anything actually lock together?