Crown

sfo:

the face of the MDX is a touch heavy handed

I agree w/you,  but obviously not a deal breaker. The 2014 versions are selling in record numbers in spite of the "beak".

Now this nose IS in your face ha!

NSXER:

sfo:

the face of the MDX is a touch heavy handed

I agree w/you,  but obviously not a deal breaker. The 2014 versions are selling in record numbers in spite of the "beak".

Now this nose IS in your face ha!

 

the side profile looks good, and Honda is/was the Japanese Mercedes.

this is slightly less in your face 

  Very Nice!....."Twin sons of different mothers"

NSXER:

 

OK so it's an appliance - my dogs don't care & I don't care.  The 991S is there when I feel the need.  This SUV drives great as a bonus .........

I don´t want to be misunderstood in that I would resent anybody´s decision to view the daily driver as a simple appliance, less as an enthusiast´s way of transportation. There is nothing wrong with driving a CR-V or MDX for that matter, although I believe from its looks that the MDX is a class above the CR-V? Just curious since the car is not offered in Europe.

What I was referring to in my above comment is Nick´s statement that the Cayenne or Macan would not offer any real-time benefit on top of a CR-V and therefore the premium that is asked for it is unfounded. Nick provides objective criteria that is supposed to underline his point but that is very isolated criteria. It might even lead to the question, whether the Cayenne could ever fulfill his expectations. For the sole means of transport, the CR-V might indeed be the better choice. Many here though expect slightly more even from their daily driver and this is where the opinions might diverge. 

I personally like the concept of the Macan, I have never been a huge fan of SUVs but the Q5 and Macan would actually be the cars in this category I would consider first. 

My wife drives a 2012 Acura MDX, and for her purposes (driving to/from work, errands, etc.) it is just fine.  It has paddle  gears, a decent build quality, and most to her liking--a third row with two seats.  It cost about $44,000 new.

But it has absolutely no sporty feeling. It corners badly, it is underpowered, has no exhaust sound, gear changes are soft and ill timed.  It is sort of a SUV minivan combo.  

She has no pride in it.  Never worries about where to park or if she scrapes it up.  It is a nice car, with no soul whatsoever.

I of course have not yet driven a Macan, but I can rest assured knowing that it will have Porsche'e engineering and performance.  Sure both the S and the Turbo will cost more, but if I had a choice between the Acura MDX and either Macan (even with the price differential)  I would not hesitate to choose the Porsche product.

Wonderbar:

My wife drives a 2012 Acura MDX, and for her purposes (driving to/from work, errands, etc.) it is just fine.  It has paddle  gears, a decent build quality, and most to her liking--a third row with two seats.  It cost about $44,000 new.

But it has absolutely no sporty feeling. It corners badly, it is underpowered, has no exhaust sound, gear changes are soft and ill timed.  It is sort of a SUV minivan combo.  

She has no pride in it.  Never worries about where to park or if she scrapes it up.  It is a nice car, with no soul whatsoever.

I of course have not yet driven a Macan, but I can rest assured knowing that it will have Porsche'e engineering and performance.  Sure both the S and the Turbo will cost more, but if I had a choice between the Acura MDX and either Macan (even with the price differential)  I would not hesitate to choose the Porsche product.

If you don't require the space of a larger SUV - go for the Macan. Here a decent spec S will be near $70K I believe.

If I expected it to be a $140K pretend 911 though, I'd be making a huge mistake.

Real flesh impressions:

I was yesterday in Zuffenhausen (my father was picking up his 991 Convertible) and have seen some Macan in the factory area. There was a guide with us which didn't allow us to take pictures. Anyway - real flesh impression: Beautiful from the front - looks like a "fresh" Cayenne. Side view goes well until B-pillar, rear-side looks like VW Golf - nothing special. Coming to the rear... the rear lights are stunning - I love the new design style. BUT - overall rear just looks like an Audi. We first seen the car from the rear / side from far its pure Audi.... our thoughts - huge pity as it washes the Porsche down to an Audi derivative. 

Overall impression - cute car, to much Audi look (beside front).... but not a stunner. BTW - dealer is very happy, pre-sales is impressive he said!

I asked this question on another Macan thread but maybe this is the correct place instead.

I am going to order a Macan S or Turbo tomorrow.  I have one question:  Is the air suspension's ability to lower by 15mm for more dynamic handling, or is it only limited to a certain speed and therefore is more for easier getting in and out and also easier loading?

WAY:

I asked this question on another Macan thread but maybe this is the correct place instead.

I am going to order a Macan S or Turbo tomorrow.  I have one question:  Is the air suspension's ability to lower by 15mm for more dynamic handling, or is it only limited to a certain speed and therefore is more for easier getting in and out and also easier loading?

The Air suspension with PASM sits in standard form 15mm lower than the steel suspension. I'm not sure if you can lower it another 15mm though....

http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/macan/macan-turbo/chassis/air-suspension/

Suzy

 

SuzyF:

WAY:

I asked this question on another Macan thread but maybe this is the correct place instead.

I am going to order a Macan S or Turbo tomorrow.  I have one question:  Is the air suspension's ability to lower by 15mm for more dynamic handling, or is it only limited to a certain speed and therefore is more for easier getting in and out and also easier loading?

The Air suspension with PASM sits in standard form 15mm lower than the steel suspension. I'm not sure if you can lower it another 15mm though....

http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/macan/macan-turbo/chassis/air-suspension/

I'm placing me too an order for the Turbo and the dealer has suggested to mount the Air suspension because you have a more sporty vehicle with a lower ride -15mm; you could lower more the car if you want but only when stopped, it's to help load the trunk.

Everyone once again I was right! a lot of options awaible from march 2014 and new configurator.

"It is Sapphire blue and it is an available color...(athough not yet). The color will be available around march (week 10/2014 according to german pricelist) I asked my dealer today what 10/2014 means (week or month 10), but it is week 10.

Oh come on guys, give Nick a break on the CR-V. 

I will confess, I am a closet Honda owner too haha. Had an Odyssey minivan of all things for 2 years now. Last month my sales told me they wanted to buy my van back and put me in a new one. Worked some numbers and I only lose like slightly over 10k for the 2 years of hauling dirty kids and suffering school parking lot wear and tear. Depreciation works out to be slightly less than 30%. Got a brand new one to replace it and the payment is even lower. In my mind, what a deal.

Nothing really beats a minivan for hauling stuff AND people. 

kalisto5:

Everyone once again I was right! a lot of options awaible from march 2014 and new configurator.

"It is Sapphire blue and it is an available color...(athough not yet). The color will be available around march (week 10/2014 according to german pricelist) I asked my dealer today what 10/2014 means (week or month 10), but it is week 10.

With it comes Impulse red metallic available (a "special" color, so that means more expensive, just like the Aurum metallic).". rennlist.com 

That text looked familiar... LOL!

Suzy

 

Whoopsy:

Oh come on guys, give Nick a break on the CR-V. 

I will confess, I am a closet Honda owner too haha. Had an Odyssey minivan of all things for 2 years now. Last month my sales told me they wanted to buy my van back and put me in a new one. Worked some numbers and I only lose like slightly over 10k for the 2 years of hauling dirty kids and suffering school parking lot wear and tear. Depreciation works out to be slightly less than 30%. Got a brand new one to replace it and the payment is even lower. In my mind, what a deal.

Nothing really beats a minivan for hauling stuff AND people. 

My wife told me to shoot her if she ever has the desire to get a Minivan (some of her friends have one). 

Our first family car (for the first born) was a Mercedes ML55 AMG. Then a Mercedes E55 AMG. After that a Cayenne Turbo (retrofitted with a Powerkit later on), a Cayenne Turbo S, a BMW X5M and now a Cayenne GTS. Do you see a pattern here? Kids or not but daddy wants to have some fun too. 

--

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)

RC:

Whoopsy:

Oh come on guys, give Nick a break on the CR-V. 

I will confess, I am a closet Honda owner too haha. Had an Odyssey minivan of all things for 2 years now. Last month my sales told me they wanted to buy my van back and put me in a new one. Worked some numbers and I only lose like slightly over 10k for the 2 years of hauling dirty kids and suffering school parking lot wear and tear. Depreciation works out to be slightly less than 30%. Got a brand new one to replace it and the payment is even lower. In my mind, what a deal.

Nothing really beats a minivan for hauling stuff AND people. 

My wife told me to shoot her if she ever has the desire to get a Minivan (some of her friends have one). 

Our first family car (for the first born) was a Mercedes ML55 AMG. Then a Mercedes E55 AMG. After that a Cayenne Turbo (retrofitted with a Powerkit later on), a Cayenne Turbo S, a BMW X5M and now a Cayenne GTS. Do you see a pattern here? Kids or not but daddy wants to have some fun too. 

--

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)

RC:

 

My wife told me to shoot her if she ever has the desire to get a Minivan (some of her friends have one). 

Our first family car (for the first born) was a Mercedes ML55 AMG. Then a Mercedes E55 AMG. After that a Cayenne Turbo (retrofitted with a Powerkit later on), a Cayenne Turbo S, a BMW X5M and now a Cayenne GTS. Do you see a pattern here? Kids or not but daddy wants to have some fun too. 

--

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)

My wife also said she will never ever be seen in a minivan, now she drives it everyday for school runs. None of the cars you mentioned nor the cars I have owned can seat 6+ AND cargo, that was a required and that's why the minivan.

At times it's a very convenient thing, with the sliding door tight parking spots are no problem; wife and I can pile into the car first before buckling the kids in their car seat if it's raining to stay dry, and it rains ALOT here. 

The Sprinter van was my first choice, was gonna to get one and customized the interior, but it won't fit into undergrounds :(

Best thing about a minivan? It's INVISIBLE!! I could be blowing by traffic at speed next to cops and they won't stop me, they will always stop the civic, camry, 911s first!! 

Well...my wife always wanted a third child. At some point, she told me that this would require a bigger car. I was thinking about the Audi Q7 but none of the cars was really satisfactory. Then, I found this (see photo): Perfect. What were you saying? Minivan? No way. 

TH2 RS (made in Berlin), 800 hp...top speed 310 kph. Let the babies come... 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)

RC:

 

My wife told me to shoot her if she ever has the desire to get a Minivan (some of her friends have one). 

 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)

My wife made an indignant wager with our corporate attorney that she would never drive a mini-van nor any vehicle with plastic wood decorations on the sides -- ever.

That was almost three decades ago.  She's still winning the bet!  (Our kids are now in their twenties.)

--

Mike

Carrera GT + Tesla Roadster 1.5 & Model S + Panamera Turbo +  BMW Z8 + BMW 3.0 CSi + Bentley Arnage T + GT3 RS 4.0

My wife does drive our mini-van ….. but will not anymore when it will be replaced . ( she does have another fun little car on the side )  With 3 kids + often friends + bicycles + school bags etc… , as Whoopsy says, there is nothing better . The sliding automatic doors are just one example of it's practicality .   But… I hate driving it 

For the moment , I can't make my mind up for a replacement, as I will not find something that is ' nice' with the same amount of space 

 997.2 C2S, PDK, -20mm

I hate driving our XC90 - odd, but the wife loves it!

991 (what a car!) XC90 - Black/Black 2 kids, 1 dog

I have avoided minivans so far, and with two kids I will not need one. But the one minivan I actually quite like is the S-Max.

--

2012 Cayenne S White/Espresso 

Ex: 993 Targa, 986S, 986 and 964 C2

There are two Ford cars I would buy: The Ford Mustang (GT500 Shelby) and the Ford GT. Everything else...no way. 

As to "acceptable" fun family cars, there are quite a few in my opinion, depending on the budget and the size of the car:

Mercedes A45 AMG, BMW X3 35d, BMW X5M, Audi SQ5, Audi RSQ3, Audi RS4 Avant, Audi RS6 Avant, Porsche Cayenne GTS, Porsche Cayenne Turbo/S, Mercedes ML63 AMG, Mercedes G63 AMG, Mercedes GL63 AMG, Jeep SRT-8.

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)

993Targa:

I have avoided minivans so far, and with two kids I will not need one. But the one minivan I actually quite like is the S-Max.

--

2012 Cayenne S White/Espresso 

Ex: 993 Targa, 986S, 986 and 964 C2

That thing is more like nano van 

RC:

There are two Ford cars I would buy: The Ford Mustang (GT500 Shelby) and the Ford GT. Everything else...no way. 

As to "acceptable" fun family cars, there are quite a few in my opinion, depending on the budget and the size of the car:

Mercedes A45 AMG, BMW X3 35d, BMW X5M, Audi SQ5, Audi RSQ3, Audi RS4 Avant, Audi RS6 Avant, Porsche Cayenne GTS, Porsche Cayenne Turbo/S, Mercedes ML63 AMG, Mercedes G63 AMG, Mercedes GL63 AMG, Jeep SRT-8.

For my purpose, everything you named is too small. The GL is already the biggest yet it's still way short of room, hence my choice for a minivan. 

Whoopsy:

RC:

There are two Ford cars I would buy: The Ford Mustang (GT500 Shelby) and the Ford GT. Everything else...no way. 

As to "acceptable" fun family cars, there are quite a few in my opinion, depending on the budget and the size of the car:

Mercedes A45 AMG, BMW X3 35d, BMW X5M, Audi SQ5, Audi RSQ3, Audi RS4 Avant, Audi RS6 Avant, Porsche Cayenne GTS, Porsche Cayenne Turbo/S, Mercedes ML63 AMG, Mercedes G63 AMG, Mercedes GL63 AMG, Jeep SRT-8.

 

For my purpose, everything you named is too small. The GL is already the biggest yet it's still way short of room, hence my choice for a minivan. 

 

Same here . All these are actually too small ……. when you need a 3rd row of seats + lots of boot space 

I am contemplating the GL , or a Class R ( but my wife does not want to be seen in it  ) , maybe a X5 , at the moment to replace the mini van 

--

 997.2 C2S, PDK, -20mm

The GL is actually a fine car. Had a GL rental car twice in the US, just the GL 450 but very nice and quite powerful too.

GL63 AMG at a local dealer, 125k EUR with only 3k km. Not bad.

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)

Gnil:

Whoopsy:

RC:

There are two Ford cars I would buy: The Ford Mustang (GT500 Shelby) and the Ford GT. Everything else...no way. 

As to "acceptable" fun family cars, there are quite a few in my opinion, depending on the budget and the size of the car:

Mercedes A45 AMG, BMW X3 35d, BMW X5M, Audi SQ5, Audi RSQ3, Audi RS4 Avant, Audi RS6 Avant, Porsche Cayenne GTS, Porsche Cayenne Turbo/S, Mercedes ML63 AMG, Mercedes G63 AMG, Mercedes GL63 AMG, Jeep SRT-8.

 

For my purpose, everything you named is too small. The GL is already the biggest yet it's still way short of room, hence my choice for a minivan. 

 

Same here . All these are actually too small ……. when you need a 3rd row of seats + lots of boot space 

I am contemplating the GL , or a Class R ( but my wife does not want to be seen in it  ) , maybe a X5 , at the moment to replace the mini van 

--

 997.2 C2S, PDK, -20mm

R class is even worse than GL. Middle row is cramp with the lowered roof line and the 3rd row is unusable, and if you open up the 3rd row the boot space reduced to a couple grocery bags. One of the worse product design from Mercedes, it tried to be something that it isn't.  

The 3rd row in X5 is actually bigger than the 3rd row in the R.

Porsche Macan described by Michael Mauer...

Porsche Macan described by Michael Mauer -- Video Link

RC:

The GL is actually a fine car. Had a GL rental car twice in the US, just the GL 450 but very nice and quite powerful too.

GL63 AMG at a local dealer, 125k EUR with only 3k km. Not bad.

I almost bought an GL couple of weeks ago. With the AMG package its a very good looking car. Behavior wise it feels much shorter and handles really well. At the end it was just to big - i can feel it on my BMW 7 daily, not easy to find an empty spot to park which kills the daily usability, its just this 50 cm to long. Different story if I would live in the US where parkings a wider and normally not alongside the street like in Germany.

this picture says all, this is a good looking car! 

For Germany, the GL is a monster. I had a loaner for a couple of days a while ago (my C63 was in the repair shop for a small air cooling fan modification) and I had some nasty comments from customers. Even one of my employees commented on the car and yes, it was so big that it actually covered not only the parking lot but half of the boardwalk too. Huge car for Germany, not really suitable I'm afraid. Parking would be a bitch with that monster over here, I already have issues with the Cayenne sometimes.

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)