Porsche Macan Turbo From Lexus IS Owner's View
Can a "crossover SUV" be more fun than a sport sedan? That's something I've been wondering about even since I first heard about cars like the Porsche Cayenne, the BMW X5 M, and now, a seemingly endless list of other sporty utility vehicles. TL;DR version- Handsome and functional, yet well-crafted, as opposed to the somewhat ostentatious IS. There's fun to be had under the right pedal, and the paddle shifters especially. There's a good kind of turbo lag. Handling is somewhat of disappointment coming from the IS, but it's an SUV after all. A vault-like vehicle even with 70,000 miles on its odometer. Note, I'll have a full write-up of my thoughts in the Car Chat forum here on Club Lexus, but first, I wanted to just comment on it compared to the IS. It might seem odd to compare these two vehicles, but to this odd driver they might seem to share some attributes: four doors, a usable amount of storage space in the rear, and a cant towards sporty driving. They also have both four- and six-cylinder engines available, snug, supportive seats and cockpit-like driver's areas, and overall high attention to detail in terms of design and execution.
However, they couldn't be more different in other ways, which I will now dive right into. The IS and Macan are an odd pair to compare here. It's one of the areas in which they are most different. The Macan features smooth lines and no excess features, but the IS is more angular and styled for style's sake in many cases. The IS and Macan share some key elements on their interiors. For one, they both embrace the use of buttons and other physical controls over hiding functions in the infotainment system. Naturally, the Macan has a lot more of those controls due to how customizable the drive modes, suspension, off-roading functions, etc. can be. The material quality is oddly very similar between the two cars, especially considering the Macan is more expensive. If the IS swapped out some of its metal-look plastic for actual aluminum, as found in the Macan, it'd probably be a toss-up.
We were leaving a parking garage, and I had just paid the fee. I went to place my wallet in the door handle of the Macan, and I dropped it right through! The Macan's door pulls don't have pockets, like the IS's, where things can be stored. Something to note, even if not a big deal. Also, I was reminded that I dislike touchscreens while driving this car. I hate having to look down while driving. A lot of other functions in the car require me to look, especially activating Sport mode and things like that, just due to the sheer number of buttons in the center console. But, I find the buttons to be very satisfying to "click", so I give that a pass. This isn't really my favorite thing to talk about, but I figured I'd mention it nonetheless. The Macan has a decently-intuitive system with a touchscreen, and it looks fairly clear, with menus that are more readily navigable than the IS's are. However, the navigation system is incomprehensible.
I opted to just use Google Maps and burn through some phone battery rather than futz with the nav. Overall, I didn't mind the system, but honestly only used it to change radio stations. The headlights are amazing. Great illumination of the road is provided, and they do a sorta flashy self-leveling trick when the car is started. I'm quite certain they also turn when cornering. This Macan Turbo had the optional units, as they have the four-point Porsche signature light design. I'd say I prefer them 100% over the LEDs that are available in the IS, which I find to be more than adequate, but sometimes not great when using only low beams, and lacking a turning feature. The drive is what I was most anxious about with this car. The Turbo is the top-spec Macan, and the Porsche brand in general is known for making every one of their cars confident to drive hard. So, did I come in with inflated expectations?