2021 Porsche Macan

Most small SUVs are great at hauling groceries or children but really bad at sparking excitement or emotion. The Porsche Macan changes that self-effacing SUV formula. It puts drivers’ needs first, only then worrying about what’s going on behind the prime front seats.

For most anyone who chooses a Macan, those needs are clear: Performance is paramount. The Macan drives more like a sports sedan—make that a Porsche sports sedan—than anything resembling an SUV. Introduce the Macan to a winding backroad, or even a winding off-ramp, and the brand’s engineering excellence shines through. Acceleration, steering, cornering, braking, balance and poise: They’re all here, including standard all-wheel drive (AWD) and extras such as Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus ($1,500) and a Sport Chrono package ($1,360), that includes an automated launch control for no-fuss, NASA-like blastoffs. 

Those launches are improved with stronger optional engines: The 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 in the Macan S brings 348 horsepower, for $61,550 to start. The latest Macan GTS ($73,450) squeezes 375 horsepower from a twin-turbo, 2.9-liter V6, or 434 horsepower in the top-shelf Macan Turbo at a heady $84,950. The base Macan with a 248-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo-four starts at a more affordable $53,450; all prices include a $1,350 destination fee.

Our modestly optioned Macan GTS test car—in a striking, $700 hue called Mamba Green Metallic—rang up an $84,090 sticker price. That base price includes the brand’s air suspension, with adjustable Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) shock absorbers, that lowers the Macan’s body by nearly an inch versus a standard model. The GTS’ body combines dramatic, black 20-inch Spyder Design wheels with contrasting black trim on the roof spoiler and rocker panels. LED headlamps and taillamps glow behind darkened tint, and Alcantara faux-suede highlights the interior.

That interior benefits from beautifully sculpted, 18-way powered sport seats—including separate controls for thigh and upper-body bolsters to hold occupants in place—and a large, handy 10.9-inch touchscreen. A heated, multifunction sport GT steering wheel seems a must for $690, reasonable by Porsche-option standards. 

It’s an attractive, comfy place to do business. But the Macan cabin itself is showing its age, and not just for the no-cost “Smoking Package” aboard our test model, which adds a cigarette lighter and ashtray. 

Porsche’s old-school banked console, with its hectic scatter of buttons, has been upgraded with a cleaner array and modernized infotainment on other brand models, leaving Macan as the odd man out. (Porsche is readying an all-new, electric Macan for 2022, a critical model both for the brand and to gauge consumers’ appetite for electric SUVs from brands other than Tesla). 

Beyond that, the Macan remains relatively impractical versus some competitors, including the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5 in terms of convenient cubby storage, a cramped back seat and cargo space. The Macan’s 17.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats is about one-third less than a BMW X3 or Audi Q5 and scrawny by compact SUV standards. 

Fold those seats and the Macan fares better, with 52.9 cubic feet in total, on par with the Q5 but about 10 cubic feet shy of the X3 or Jaguar F-Pace. We did pack a reasonable amount of cargo beneath its stylish roof, stuffing the Porsche to its gills with luggage, groceries, a dining chair and odds-and-ends. Both the Audi and the BMW offer high-performance versions that retain their practicality.

Once people and gear are packed aboard—or the children are safely in school—the Macan comes into its own. The GTS balances brilliant handling with a surprisingly compliant ride, with standard air springs and the adjustable dampers of Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). That PASM system lowers the body by an inch versus standard models, improving the hunkered-down appearance along with body control and aerodynamics. 

Porsche’s eight-speed, paddle-shifted, dual-clutch PDK gearbox remains the world’s benchmark for seamless shifts and faultless logic—including easy-peasy launch control starts that hurtle the GTS to 60 mph in less than four seconds. That’s in conjunction with a twin-turbo, 2.9-liter V6 whose 383 pound-feet of torque is always at the ready. Top speed is 162 mph, splitting the difference between the 157-mph Macan S and 167-mph Turbo. 

A selectable sport exhaust system helps maximize the V6’s urgent, gruff bark. Dialed into its Sport or Sport Plus modes, via a knurled steering-wheel knob, the Macan sizzled on backroads as if it was on a mission to melt every snowbank in New York. That included remarkably powerful, standard brakes whose sensitive pedal recalls the 911 and other Porsche sports cars. For an extra $3,490, optional Porsche Surface Coated Brakes bring an industry-first technology, with tungsten carbide-coated rotors that promise less brake wear, low dust and no rust. 

The Macan hasn’t been tested by IIHS or NHTSA–many high-end luxury and sports models are not–but it did earn a five-star rating from the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which conducts tests similar to those agencies. Porsche also charges for almost all of the Macan’s active safety features. Opting for lane change assist, lane keep assist, a surround-view camera and adaptive cruise control will add $3,750 to even the top-dog Turbo.

With all the ink spilled on Porsche’s performance, engineering and heritage, it’s easy to overlook a key consumer point: Trusted sources, from J.D. Power to Consumer Reports, consistently rank Porsche as one of the most reliable and best-performing car brands. Consumer Reports named Porsche its top automotive brand of 2020, recommending every Porsche model it tested, due to top scores in performance, reliability, safety and customer satisfaction.

All that comes at a price, including Porsche’s famously lengthy and expensive options list. But in the case of the Macan, and other, satisfying Porsche models, you get what you pay for.