The Porsche Macan Is the Best Compact Luxury SUV – 2017 10Best Trucks and SUVs
One 10Best Trucks and SUVs contender distinguished itself as the cheetah in our herd of buffalo: Porsche’s Macan is the crossover for those who know that America’s current cold shoulder for cars can be traced to an evil plot aimed at plugging our roads with high-riding, squared-off, hatch-backed trucks. Credit Porsche with focusing on the “sport” part of “sport-utility vehicle,” relegating utility to the working-class utes with too many seats and cargo holds stuffed with enough fertilizer to turn weekend relaxation into yard-work hell.
Most crossovers stand on tippy toes to stir off-road-adventure fantasies while promising enough mobility to punch a Minnesota blizzard in the face. The Macan counters that with a menacing crouch and a roofline barely five feet tall. Its center of gravity as measured by our equipment is 24.0 inches from the ground, 10 percent lower than the Jaguar F-Pace pipped by this very Porsche in a recent comparison test. The 911-esque eyes surrounded by an aluminum hood arching majestically over large wheels and six-piston front brake calipers on all but the base model give the Macan all the family resemblance it needs to snuggle with a garage full of sports cars.
Every Macan is turbocharged because that’s how you squeeze just enough power from a modest amount of displacement. The GTS edition that flaunted snappy shifts from its dual-clutch automatic transmission and 4.4-second zero-to-60-mph prowess at our 10Best testing brings to the party 360 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 369 lb-ft of torque at only 1650 rpm. Each twist of the left-hand-located ignition switch yields a raspy reminder that Porsche won Le Mans this year and 17 times in the past. This is the middle child in the Macan family’s set of three twin-turbo V-6s. The 3.0-liter S peaks at 340 horsepower, and the top Macan Turbo hammers home a nice round 400 horses from 3.6 liters. Those with troubled driving records should consider the 252-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder base model called, simply, Macan. Porsche lists its top speed at 142 mph versus more than 150 for the V-6s.
The Macan’s cockpit is available with microsuede-skinned sport buckets to secure you at the wheel when you indulge its 0.88 g cornering and superb braking—70 mph to zero in 157 feet!—attributes. The steering is delightfully quick and spiked with news from the pavement. And not only does the Macan easily outhandle the competition, but it also rides better, too, smoothing sharp road impacts in a way you’ll appreciate daily. This depth of competence is missing from many sporting intenders, which is why the Porsche’s elevated price seems justified. In the unlikely event you tire of the Macan’s appetite for road sport, you and your co-driver can while away trip miles deciphering the blizzard of console keys and switches. We counted 32 of them. (No fair consulting the owner’s manual.) At least there are simple, round knobs to control radio volume and tuning.
Some suggest the Macan falls short of crossover perfection by providing only 18 cubic feet of cargo space (with all seats in use). We say that’s bunk. The rear compartment’s floor is more than three feet deep and exceeds 40.0 inches wide. That’s ample space for helmets and Nomex or enough luggage to support a weeklong romantic getaway. More of the cargo volume we typically covet would ruin the Macan’s sleek fastback, and given how beautiful the result and how wonderful the Porsche drives, we’re more than willing to let it slide.
2017 Porsche Macan
VEHICLE TYPE:front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchbackBASE PRICE:$48,550–$77,050ENGINES:turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 252 hp, 273 lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 340 or 360 hp, 339 or 369 lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.6-liter V-6, 400 hp, 406 lb-ftTRANSMISSION:7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting modeCURB WEIGHT (C/D EST):4000–4550 lbFUEL ECONOMY:EPA combined/city/highway driving: 19–22/17–20/23–25 mpg
2017 10Best Trucks and SUVs: Return to Overview
The Competition
As this year marks the inaugural 10Best Trucks and SUVs competition, we couldn't follow our usual 10Best procedure of limiting the invitees to the previous year's winners plus vehicles that are new or significantly updated. Therefore, we also invited some competitors based on our previous experiences, including (but not limited to) comparison-test results. As with 10Best Cars, a competing vehicle must have a base price of less than $80,000 and be on sale by January 31, 2017. Unlike 10Best Cars, our Trucks and SUVs awards are given out by category. Next year, we will invite the returning winners, new and/or significantly updated models, and the models that were unavailable for evaluation this year.
For the compact luxury SUV segment we invited the following:
BMW X3*
BMW X4
Buick Envision
Cadillac XT5
Jaguar F-Pace
Lexus RX
Mercedes-Benz GLC-class
Mercedes-Benz GLC-class Coupe*
Porsche Macan
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible
*Unavailable for testing
